VNC works great when you learn how to set it up right.

I use dameware in the corp environment because it uses nt security for auth., personally use vnc for remote access to home computers when I am on the road.

dameware is nice, you can push yourself on a pc with just knowing either pc name or ip address. you push the service onto the machine, and can set service to either stop or remove itself when you are done.

Just a note. perhaps this will stir some extra input...

Im looking for something really simple to configure, and there is really no need for access from the road, both PCs are on my LAN.

My intent is to have my desktop sitting in a corner essentially working as a media server with no monitor hooked up to it.
I would like to remote desktop simply so i can start and stop downloads or other applications that i dont want to have to install on the Laptop (im trying to keep the lap-top as clean as possible)

I've used TightVNC on Win2k and XP systems. No experience on vista yet http://www.tightvnc.com/

Yes, it'* free. Yes, it'* easy

I run all my machines in the basement with VNC, they just sit in a rack with a kvm switch and monitor and mouse in case I need to do something on them directly