CCL: Mac/Windows remote desktop question

 Sent to CCL by: David Watson [dewatson*|*olemiss.edu]
 On Apr 29, 2010, at 3:03 PM, Igor Filippov Contr filippovi_._mail.nih.gov wrote:
 >
 > Sent to CCL by: "Igor Filippov [Contr]"
 [filippovi*|*mail.nih.gov]
 > Just saw it today -
 >
 > http://infoworld.com/d/mobilize/infoworld-review-free-remote-access-tools-windows-and-mac-018
 >
 > Igor
 >
 > P.S. Not sure what kind of work would require gigabit ethernet. I'm
 > connecting using Remote Desktop from home. Works fine over 2Mbps (or
 > whatever Comcast is letting me use this days).
 > I wouldn't recommend 3D graphics over the net though of course.
 I was referring specifically to "running 3D graphics such as PyMOL", a
 la:
 >>>
 >>> Has anybody successfully used remote desktop software from a Mac
 (Snow Leopard) to a headless PC (Windows XP or 7), especially for running 3D
 graphics such as PyMOL?  While I am a mac-o-phile, there are various programs
 that aren't available that I am interested in.  There are also a lot of
 interesting little machines appearing (Nvidia ION desktops, etc).  If I could
 have the machine and not have to worry about KVM switching, that would be a win.
 >>
 >>
 >>> What software did you use, and did it work over WIFi or was a cable
 connection required?  Inquiring minds want to know!
 >>>
 I have used PyMOL in this sort of fashion on Vista to Mac OS X, and Xwindows
 tunneled over ssh from Linux to Mac, both over Gigabit ethernet.
 I would regard it as too slow to do the things the original poster wanted to
 perform, such as "running 3D graphics such as PyMOL". (see above)
 >>
 >> You won't be able to do modeling without a high speed connection.
 >> Gigabit ethernet is the way to go, unless by some magical chance you
 have a fiber network card in your mac and a fiber switch in your lab.
 >> Of course you can remotely log-in over wireless, but I think you will
 soon tire of the time it takes to get any work accomplished.
 >>
 For work that merely required computational effort, such as running MOE or
 Sybyl, then the speed of the connection doesn't matter at all.
 But you can always run PyMOL, MOE or Sybyl on Mac OS X, so ????
 Perhaps running quantum chemistry packages such as Firefly would benefit >
 from running natively under Windows?