A couple of weeks ago, I posted a tidbit on ScreenRecycler, an app that allows you to use another Mac's screen as a second display. In it, I theorized that ScreenRecycler could allow on-screen keyboard and scan panel users to play inaccessible fullscreen games by letting them display the game on their main Mac's screen and control it on another with their access software. Soon after, I downloaded the app and put my idea to the test, configuring my PowerBook as a virtual second screen for my iMac. Unfortunately, things didn't work out quite like I hoped - Although ScreenRecycler worked remarkably well with very good response time over ethernet, the virtual screen turned black with the two fullsscreen game demos I tried (Tomb Raider: Anniversary and LEGO Star Wars II), blocking access to KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard and making my experiment a bust.

However...

With both computers side by side, I made an interesting discovery. While fiddling with my PowerBook over Leopard's built-in screen sharing, I noticed that, although there is a "visual" delay in the screen sharing window, all clicks, key presses, and mouse movements occur immediately, even over WiFi. Quickly, I switched my trackball from the iMac to the PowerBook, started a screen sharing session, and opened the LEGO Star Wars II demo. From my PowerBook, using KeyStrokes, I was able to control the game perfectly on the iMac, noticing the same level of response as with my Bluetooth keyboard. Next, I tried the Tomb Raider: Anniversary demo, which, again, was very responsive, but proved difficult to play. As the mouse controls the camera in the game, every time I went to click a key on KeyStrokes the view would get messed up, making things very disorienting. When playing fullscreen games through this setup, both computers had to be within my field of vision, as the screen sharing window does not refresh fast enough to watch gameplay. Additionally, I found it helpful to move the screen sharing window off to the side to avoid distraction. Although this method is not as perfect as having KeyStrokes right over the game window, it opens up some exciting gaming opportunities. Check it out!

- Joe Barnick, AssistiveGaming.com

A while back, Mac OS X Hints (via MacWorld online) posted an awesome article on how to get the most out of Leopard's built-in screen sharing:

First, here's a potentially easier way to share the screens of other Macs on your network. First, realize that the screen sharing feature is just an application. It resides in /System/Library/CoreServices, under the tricky name of Screen Sharing. Find it now, and drag it onto your Dock, or into your sidebar, or your toolbar - whichever you prefer for quick launch access.

Out of Leopard's 300+ new features, the ability to remotely view and control any Mac on a local network (including 10.4 machines) is easily my favorite. With three Macs in my household, such things as opening applications on another computer or helping a family member cajole Word into behaving used to be a major pain, as they entailed either unwiring me from my web of AT paraphernalia and wheeling me to said computers, or telling someone step by step what to do and then sending them off, hoping for the best. Now, thanks to 10.5's screen sharing, I can control all the Macs on my network from one computer, as long as they are awake. From simple things like opening iTunes, to more complex procedures like copying mail messages between computers, practically any task can be performed just like you were sitting in front of the actual machine. Who says you can't be in more than one place at the same time?

Website: Mac OS X Hints (via Macworld online) - Add more power to 10.5's screen sharing

- Joe Barnick, AssistiveGaming.com