Product Reviews

If you have more than one LogMeIn account to deal with, accessing them through the web interface can be a pain, as can remembering your login details for each one. LogMeIn Ignition aims to take the hassle out of the process with an easy-to-use application that provides quick access to all your computers and the services their LogMeIn accounts provide. It costs £6 a month, but this charge covers as many accounts as you've got, and you can add new computers as you require.

You can install and run the application from any USB disk including flash drives, PDAs, smartphones and MP3 players. As it runs directly from the USB disk, it should work on most PCs, even those with restrictions on users installing applications. If you don't need your accounts while you're travelling, you can install Ignition on a single PC just as you would any other application.

Ignition presents an instant messenger-style view of your computers. Its clear interface shows each PC's online status, the type of LogMeIn it's running (free, Pro or IT Reach) and if it's ready to receive a connection. This handy list makes it easy to find your computers without having to delve through multiple web-based

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interfaces.

Selecting a PC from the list lets you launch a remote control window. Here Ignition departs from the web-based version, as it controls the connection and session in a dedicated window. You can view your remote computer in a window or full screen, and either scale it to fit the current viewing window's resolution or run it at full remote-system resolution. Not needing a web browser is another bonus; you can run Ignition on PCs with security settings that block browser-based applications.

The result is a session similar to that provided by GoToMyPC. While you can adjust LogMeIn's performance by changing colour-depth within the window, GoToMyPC's implementation is still marginally more responsive.

Each PC that you want to control must have a LogMeIn account. For computers that use the free service, you can use Ignition only for remote control. If you upgrade your accounts to LogMeIn Pro or ITReach, you also get a file transfer button. This launches the standard file transfer utility, so you can copy files to and from the remote computer using an Explorer-like window.

Even if you lose the USB flash drive containing your Ignition software, you needn't worry about security. Ignition requires a password to launch, and each of your PCs needs a connection password, which you will have specified when you installed LogMeIn.

LogMeIn Ignition makes managing your remote PCs much easier, and the fact that you can carry it around with you is a bonus for anyone who often works away from their PC. The real question, though, is whether it's worth paying for. If you have only one free LogMeIn account, Ignition has little to offer. However, if you have lots of PCs that you need to access regularly, it's a useful, cost-effective tool.