Ever wanted to use your PC’s keyboard and mouse to enter text/navigate in your connected Pocket PC? The free Remote Keyboard is

Remote Keyboard by TranCreative is a really nice application. It’s compatible with all Pocket PC operating system versions (even WM5, which is a big thing because of the new WM5 networking model ActiveSync uses) and screen resolutions (except for the Landscape mode, as far as mouse handling is concerned) and, in addition to supporting the keyboard and the mouse on the PC, it also supports

1. connecting to remote (non-ActiveSync-ed and/or WM5) Pocket PC’s by their IP address
2. broadcasting to discover (non-ActiveSync-ed and/or WM5) Pocket PC’s in the neighborhood (LAN); that is, you don’t need to enter the IP address of a Pocket PC that is on the same LAN as your desktop computer. (Actually, this is discovering ActiveSync-connected WM5 devices is working)
3. clipboard synchronization. This works in both directions – that is, if you copy any text in the clipboard on your desktop computer, a Ctrl-C will paste it onto your Pocket PC and vice versa

Installation

Just download rkbsetup.exe from the official homepage and install it (you won't need to separately download Pocket PC Connector as it's also included in rkbsetup.exe ). It will install both the server application on the desktop (Start/Programs/Remote Keybord/Pocket PC Connector) and the Pocket PC client to the Pocket PC.

Usage

It’s pretty easy to use the application. Over ActiveSync connections, not as easy as most remote controller applications on the desktop Windows (for example, Pocket Controller, which only needs to be initiated on the PC itself), but it isn’t particularly complicated either.

First, you need to start both the client on the PPC and the server on the desktop PC. The order of this isn’t important; you can even make the desktop client run in the background, scanning for ActiveSync’ed PDA’s – or PDA’s on the LAN (the latter, technically, also include Windows Mobile 5 PDA’s connected via USB ActiveSync.)

On the Pocket PC, you’ll also need to switch to the new Software Input Panel “Remote Keyboard” as can be seen in this screenshot. It will display “Waiting for connection” while the Pocket PC is waiting for a connection. As far as the desktop server component finds the Pocket PC, this status message will change to the “Connected to:" message, followed by, over an ActiveSync connection, either the ActiveSync LAN IP address (169.254.2.2) with WM5 devices or ‘Local PC’ with pre-WM5 devices.

The status row in the desktop component will also change; if the client is a WM5 device, then, its (LAN) IP will be displayed (it’s the 169.254.2.1 in this screenshot). As ActiveSyncing pre-WM5 Pocket PC’s don’t involve in creating a new local network, no local IP’s will be displayed when you synchronize them as can be seen for example in this desktop screenshot.

Non-ActiveSync-based and non-LAN connections

If the Pocket PC to be controlled isn’t on the local network (or isn’t connected via ActiveSync), you can still use your keyboard/mouse with it. All you need to do is filling in the (current) IP address of your Pocket PC in this dialog. This is very similar to the IP entering dialog/capabilities of desktop-based, remote IP-control capable remote controller applications.

Verdict

This application is highly recommended: if you don’t need to actually see the screen on the desktop computer (which is an additional plus by “traditional” remote controller applications, on the expense of being sometimes much slower and, in cases, much more expensive) but need to control the mouse pointer on the Pocket PC, need enter text or need seamless clipboard transfer capabilities, give this application a try. In addition to being free (that is, the price can’t be beaten), the wide compliance with all the Pocket PC versions is also a big plus.

Recommended links

My roundup of remote controller apps (also make sure you follow the link in it to my previous roundup!)

Fundamental ActiveSync networking differences between WM5 and previous WM versions (for advanced computer gurus/geeks/hackers only!)