iPad or ? as a remote for audio PC

[Carlman]

I'm looking for a device that can remotely control my audio PC and is fairly easy to use for someone living in the digital age.

I know of the following options for controlling a PC in my sound room:
1- Buy and connect a touch screen for a PC in the room
   a- This means I need to run a USB cable that would be very difficult.. and always connected to the touch screen.

2- Buy a remote-type PC that can control another PC... Like use a tablet PC and remote desktop or VNC to the audio PC.

3- I was wondering if you can VNC to another machine using an iPad... Then I can setup the audio PC however I want and just use the iPad's keyboard and touchscreen control to control the audio PC.
This may not be an option..

Another thought about the iPad is that I would want to set it up to control volume on the pre and other devices... But I doubt they have an IR sender.. I know Iphone/pods/etc. do not.  But wow, what a great thing that would be if I could control the PS3 and preamp with the same device, wirelessly.

Running a USB to the touchscreen is the simplest route technically but most difficult functionally.  Maybe I should just get over it and drill some holes.

What do you do for your audio PC controls?

[Phil]

I'm interested in the answer to this query too. 

Olive music server has an IPod touch interface:  http://www.olive.us/products/iphone_app.html

IPad interface would be cool too.  $2,500 for the Olive and I wouldn't use the built-in DAC.  Hmmm.  Still, pretty cool.  Thoughts?

[richidoo]

I'd rather use iPad app to control a player program directly over ethernet, not with an additional slop layer of VNC. 

Ken's using Pure Music player software fed by iTunes.  You can control that directly with iPad. Pure Music runs on Mac only. Pure Music makes an excellent spdif stream, iTunes only chooses the tracks, but it allows remote control with Apple portables. Easy and reliable.

On a PC running Linux you can use MPD (Music Player Daemon) which is a server application by design, and can be remote controlled directly via many clients written for MPD. http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/Music_Player_Daemon_Wiki

iPod MPD client: http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/Client:MPoD2
I'm sure an iPad client or new rev of MPoD will pop up soon.

Of course there's always Sonos.     A nice touch remote is available now. You just need a DAC that cuts jitter, then it is ideal solution for what you're looking for. Totally idiot proof and reliable, relatively inexpensive compared to iPad + server.

[Carlman]

I would need to do a side-by-side comparison of Sonos vs. pc audio to see what the audible differences are.  I'm not willing to lose anything for a minor convenience.  I really just want to lose the cables and regain a chair that's being used as a desk.

[Bigfish8]

I think I will take a serious look at an IPod to remotely control my system.  However, a friend who has evaluated an IPod and an IPad to control his system did not like the delay he experienced when he made a selection and preferred the monitor/wireless mouse/wireless keyboard. 

Good luck on your decision.

Ken