Screens
reviews and complaints

This app/service was great a while back, but it’s terrible now. There are always issues. For the past couple months, I have been unable to connect remotely to my Mac altogether. And there have been no changes to my Mac settings or the iPad Pro (2018) that I use to connect remotely. The Mac is on and acts as a server 100% of the time.

I was happy to find out a few days ago that my ability to connect was unexpectedly restored. However, I am now unable to click on anything. I have always used trackpad mode on my iPad, and it worked well. To be able to see the cursor move now but not click on anything is maddening.

This app has killed my ability to get work done when away from my Mac. I would avoid this at all cost until they put out a decent product.

This app in conjunction with the Magic Keyboard has transformed my usage of my iPad Pro 11”. It is now my go to machine for most things. I can leave my 15” MacBook Pro at home and login to it remotely from either my couch or the local coffee shop. I tried Jump Desktop as well but Screens has far better scaling and integration if your main computer runs MacOS. Screens also has a more refined and intuitive UI for adjusting options etc.

I just hope they keep working on improving it. For example, I wish I could use the command key etc. on the magic keyboard as well as some of the trackpad gestures associated with MacOS for swiping through multiple desktops etc. Keep it up fellow Canadians and stay safe through this pandemic. Thank you for a great piece of software.

November 15,2017
Each update brings this software to perfection. There is nothing you can’t do remotely with it. I love the in app purchase that allows you to use your iPhone as a trackpad while you remote in with the iPad. Cursor control is better with the trackpad I’ve found.
Bottom line if you have to help your parents with their Macs then this is perfect for you.
I buy every upgrade they charge for, which is not many, but it says a lot for the quality app they produce.

Each version gets better and better. There are several must have apps and this is one.
I’ve used Screens since the first version. I don't mind paying what some consider a lot of money for a quality app. This app does remote access very well. I use it to help my Dad when he needs help mostly. It's perfect for family remote assistance.

have a basic understanding of VNC before buying***

This is a powerful app with lots of features. They listen to feedback and keep adding more features like trackpad mode and scaling quality. Setup is not that simple, if you are looking for quick and easy remote access, look elsewhere. If you know what VNC is, and basic networking skills, this app is for you. Although they do offer a great Screens Connect app for simple setup zero conf, it doesn't always work and isn't marketed that way. If you understand static IPs and port forwarding setup should be a breeze.

Only thing I wish it did was support RDP in addition to VNC, however I understand that would require a massive rewrite of the core.

This is a great professional app for professional use, not something for a casual user just looking to remote control a computer.

I’m stuck trying to set up the port forwarding. If I get it to work before refunding (hopefully without wasting too many more hours) I will update my review.

edit
Well I’ve spent far too long trying to get the app to work, but no luck. I will refund it.

edit
Well, I’m trying again. Still no luck. The Screens Connect app does not seem to be useful. The error messages offer a “More Info” button that link to apparent help pages, but they just lead to another error saying “Safari Cannot Open the Page.”

I’ve now tried refunding the app and have been told “We’ve determined that your purchase doesn’t meet the conditions for a refund.”

—— DON’T EVER PURCHASE FROM EDOVIA INC ———
—— DON’T EVER PURCHASE FROM EDOVIA INC ———
—— DON’T EVER PURCHASE FROM EDOVIA INC ———
—— DON’T EVER PURCHASE FROM EDOVIA INC ———
—— DON’T EVER PURCHASE FROM EDOVIA INC ———

I'd had this on my wish list since the very first time I sought a be-all, end-all VNC client solution. A couple days back, feeling ready to plunk down the $20, I jumped in.

Strangely, despite having a functional VNC configuration on my two desktops, adding Screens into the mix only complicated matters. Screens Connect (for remote sessions/secure logins) didn't always want to authenticate, which meant that the app couldn't sign in when remote. Furthermore, when it did, the performance of the VNC session -- even when in a standard, non-SSH session -- felt sluggish by comparison to the other clients I'd semi-happily used prior to Screens.

I could go on, but more than anything want to echo another reviewer's sentiments: A lite version would've saved me $20 or, at very least, proven to me that my existing config wasn't that worth abandoning for some gloss.

Le sigh.

I have been a very satisfied user of Jump Desktop so I was very reluctant to try Screens but the reviews swayed me. This is nowhere near the quality of Jump. The trackpad feature is terrible almost impossible to control on my iPad Air. The setup is supposed to simple? Well I was also drawn to the secure connection possibility, there is no automatic setup for that on your Windows boxes. I figured it out but a non technical person would be lost. In the end I deleted Screens and happily back with Jump. My advice is that this company should offer a lite version so people do not blow $20 to find out this is an inferior product. I have no vested interest in Jump Desktop but if you want an automated setup, ease of use, a lightning fast VNC connection just download Jump and never look at the contenders again. This product is so bad I am not even interested in updates.

I don't normally right reviews (even though I should). But this one is a must have.

The clean interface and ease of setup by far trumps any other app in this field.

I've used many remote control apps for computers over the past few years. None of them truly "get" the experience a user wants while using an app such as this. Screens is the only app I'll recommend to others now.

From the shortcuts on the bottom screen (not obtrusive in anyway) to the amount of control you have over your experience. It's really a no brainier. Not to mention the Windows & Mac clients as well. But those will be separate reviews.

Of course, I can't forget to mention. Even though some of us are impatient and curious and chose to install a certain beta software on an important platform we maybe using this app on. Edovia still supported us with an update to solve a bug that was inevitable with beta software.

Anyway, thank you for all your great work, effort, & care for your customers.

Screens connect requires installation of 3 separate packages including third party ssh and vnc servers, during which you need to manually enable settings following their guide.

Their instructions assume you have some technical knowledge, for example they tell you that the ssh service needs to be allowed through Windows firewall, but they do not specify how you would actually go about doing that. I only managed because I had prior experience doing so.

Even after all that, ssh tunneling simply does not work - the screens client is able to connect, but login fails despite using the exact same username and password configured in the ssh service. Their troubleshooting guide unhelpfully mentions to use the correct username and password, with no further diagnostic steps.

This was a waste of money - you are essentially paying for an ios/ipados vnc client, while on the computer side you are expected to use third party software, and left with little guidance on what to do when things do not work properly. I recommend steering clear.

Like others, I plunked down my $20 for an upgrade (seriously?), having sat on the fence about it for over a week.

I tried to like it. I really did. Especially since I had to pay $20 to try it. (Again, seriously?)

I switched back to using the old version for one very simple reason: I enjoy having all the controls in one place, easy to get to, without all of that swiping nonsense.

For example, I use Screens to add a new video to my iTunes library. Command-O, pick the file. Then typically I'll edit the text and use the arrow buttons to move the cursor. May also use the Page Up & Page Down buttons during the same session.

The point is, I don't have to fumble with swiping the toolbar to get to the controls I need with the old version. It's all right there at my instant beck & call.

Give users the option of either choosing the swiping toolbar or the old-style toolbar, and you please so many more people. Not everyone uses Screens the same way.

In terms of connecting and establishing a session, I've had no issues. So I'm giving Screens 3 a grand total of 2 stars. Yes, it works, but it's not user-friendly. Not for me, anyway.

Ok the whole concept of this app could be so great for us designers. I have a macbook pro 16 inch that I use photoshop intensely for.

I was so excited for this app because I thought I could use photoshop on the go on my ipad pro remotely from my 16 inch because who is lugging around 4.5 pounds

But photoshop does not work. It will open up the software but when it comes to pen support and editing it just doesnt work

I guess that would be a game changer if it did. And photoshop for ipad is a complete joke. Any of us pro users know its a liquid form of photoshop.

I need to edit photos daily and I cant seem to figure out to be productive on the go.

Now for wanting to log into your computer system away from home, grab a file or something than this is good.

I really tried to give this app a chance but it doesnt work for me

Apple tries with their version but it only works with devices near by and not remotely and their pen support for photoshop works

We are in 2021 and us apple users can not use out ipad pros with mac os softwares.

Thought I leave this review for those who wanted to get this for photoshop. Sadly it just doesnt work

Don’t waste your money. Some reviews mentioned it was better than jump desktop. It’s not even close. This is just a glorified vnc client that is actually quite slow even on local networks. It doesn't work with headless windows servers. You have to have a monitor connected or you get a black screen. This is a known issue on the vnc server they use with it.

So for my own use I had three computers to login to, the main windows server I just get a black screen. I have a remote server and it works on that but is very slow. Then there is my MacBook Pro and it works on that kind of but doesn't work nearly as well as jump desktop or parallels access, the UX for this app just isn't good. I was hoping for something usable. Oh and apple no longer gives refunds if you have problems with software, I only had the software 2 days and spent that time just trying to get it working right. This was the last app I plan to purchase on the App Store. Well I guess I got suckered because you do have a beautiful icon, too bad that quality didn't translate to the rest of the app.

I hate writing this negative review. If Apple had just given me a refund, for this broken app, I would have just let it go unreviewed.

I’m a software developer has great a need to remote into my windows and Linux machines constantly. I also have a raspberry pi server at home I use as well. This $20 app failed in all three cases in my opinion. For my Linux machine which is Debian 10, it does not support authentication using UNIX login setting, ie it is no different than the free VNC viewer app. I have to change my vnc authentication mechanism which I tried to avoid. Even I did that, the frame rate is abysmal, this is the case even when I connect to my raspberry pi at home under the same WiFi network. For windows machine it is even worse, I installed so called Screens connect software on my windows machine as instructed, but the application stuck at Applying Port Mapping forever, session is never established. Free Rdp app works flawlessly by contrast. The thing annoys me the most is the lack of diagnostics, if it failed to do something, it just stuck never even return any error messages or useful information. This means very very poor error handling in the code, it will infuriate your customers. Stay away from this application and this developer, the software quality is just not there and it is over claiming what it can do. The 20 dollar price tag is just ridiculous.

Update: 11/21

Still unable to.connect when a VPN is connected. Wonder why Parallels Access works with VPN (via its companion app) but Screens will not manage VPN with its own companion app?

Support:

A) Has ZIP ZERO NO interest in supporting or including VPN compatibility..and

B) States the app has built in encryption, VPN not necessary-- as if all your other apps are protected outside Screens.

In short - remains barely usable when you want secure systems.

Update: 05/26

Still unable to connect when devices are using VPN. VNC Viewer (free), Parallels Access both connect through VPN no issue.

So again, want to love this app but still wasting too much time trying to connect. The apps mentioned above just work.

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So for those not aware, your support staff for Screens is comprised of ONE individual.

If your support needs are not covered by the FAQ, then you are out of luck. I have asked for a remote screen session or any support at all beyond the FAQ and denied.

Support never even touched topics of vpn, port forwarding, firewall, ports in general, dedicated vnc option etc...nothing.

Spent way way too much time trying to get this working...sometimes I might work for a bit and naturally never works when needed. For instance right now the IOS won't see my computer even though both computer and IOS apps are successfully signed in. Meanwhile Parallels Access works like a charm.

Nowadays it just randomly loses connection and stops responding. Not even any sort of error notification or anything, it just freezes with a still of my screen and stops broadcasting or accepting inputs. Even over my local network. When I force close the app and reopen it, it operates just fine as if nothing’s wrong… for a little while, and then it starts misbehaving again until I force close. My productivity is plummeting. It’s not me, it’s you. EDIT: Now it does something weird where, and I never believed this to be possible, the app I’m developing in (Unity) just stops responding to change until I move or resize the window. I thought it was a Unity problem, until I saw that natively on the computer the app responds fine. For some reason, Screens won’t render any changes to the app until I resize it. EDIT: Thank you for your flippant response to my review but I am going to continue leaving a negative review on your product for being a major inconvenience to me. Don’t talk to me about what’s productive, your app is taking productivity away from me and you expect me to keep your good name clean? Completely unprofessional.

EDIT AGAIN: Yet another flippant response to my review. Just let it go. Your product is causing problems for me and so I left a negative review. I will not be changing it. I will not ever be changing it. Every new version I will continue posting a negative review. You’ve earned it.

UPDATE: Now in version 4.0.7, and most of the major bugs have been addressed; the app no longer crashes 100% of the time, and I can generally connect without trouble.

But hot corners no longer work on exit -- yet another thing that worked just fine in version 3 and has been broken since version 4 launched -- and the UI is still really sluggish on my iPad Air. When I tap the button to bring up the options bar or the keyboard, there's generally a 1-2 second pause for absolutely no reason. It's indicative of the ongoing poorly-tested, sluggish state of Screens. Such a shame. This used to be a good app.

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Version 4 has been a big disappointment. Curtain mode is good, but the rest has been a hassle:

- The first two versions (4.0 and 4.0.1) crashed on launch.
- Screens Connect just stopped working, despite me making no changes.
- Once I finally got Screens Connect working via port forwarding (which used to not be required), my existing setup in the iOS app didn’t work. Wouldn’t connect.
- So I deleted that and added the same exact screen over the network and it connected, though I had to redo all my settings again.
- Once I was finally connected, I found the app to be very sluggish. It was nowhere near as smooth as the previous app.

Basically, this is one of those “I guess there are some okay minor new features, but a lot of things broke and the rest of the app has taken a big step back” updates.

Bummer. The app worked perfectly fine before, and is now worse.

I’m a user that got screwed by LogMeIn. As an alternative, I tried Splashtop, Jump Desktop, VNC Viewer, and Teamviewer. Honestly, they’re all garbage, ugly, and clunky in comparison. Screens is smooth, easy, and clean.

+ Screens VNC doesn't screw up your computer's screen resolution or application sizes after connecting/disconnecting like almost every one of the competitors.

+ Any kind of gesture, keyboard input, or key you could imagine is supported. Screen edge gestures and hot corners are even supported. I can enable mission control, dashboard, launchpad, etc. with a swipe in from any corner - awesome.

+ Screens Connect lets you install a small setting in your Mac control panel, so you can connect from outside your home network. It "just works" for me.

+ Supports secure connections, although it takes noticeably longer to establish the secure connection.

+ Discovers local systems through Bonjour

Somebody wrote a review about not being able to move the actual mouse, and only being able to touch the screen. This is incorrect. Just read the manual and you'll see that holding two fingers and waiting for the purple signal will allow you to simply move the mouse. The documentation is actually very well written and addresses every question I've had so far.

I think it's funny that they actually have "restart all the things" as the first item in their FAQ, as simply restarting the app, your router, or computer usually gets things to work properly. The developers of this app really just did things right.

I’ve been using this app for years since John Gruber recommended it. It works pretty well on my local network, but has problems auto configuring to AT&T routers for remote access. It auto configured fine with my Apple AirPort Extreme router at my last home, when I was using a Comcast gateway for my Internet access, but after moving to another location and switching to an AT&T router, it now requires complex manual port configuration to open ports for remote access. This is scary enough for me that I’ve stopped using it for remote access, and now use iTeleport for remote access. It seems to have no problem configuring itself to allow remote access through my AT&T router.

The primary usability difference between Screens and iTeleport is that Screens uses direct screen touching to take actions, whereas iTeleport uses a pointer cursor to control the remote computer. The touch interface seems cool at first, but soon gets in the way since you can’t see what you’re touching under your finger. The arrow pointer works just like a mouse, and hence is easier for me to use when I’m accessing my main computer from my tiny iPad screen. But, of course, YMMV.

The developer got back to me about by configuration issue, which is fine, but misses my point. There are many tools around to remote access devices on your local network that require a level of expertise to configure. I’m not interested in potentially corrupting my internet router by manually playing with its configuration. I’m only interested in apps that will automatically configure it for me. Screens auto configured fine on my old Comcast router. It doesn’t on my new AT&T router. iTeleport auto configures fine on both.

I really, REALLY wanted to like Screens. In fact I still do. It’s gorgeous, and unlike most of its competitors, it’s not just a half-hearted port of an ugly Windoze app. It was designed with Apple-like flair and attention to detail.

Except it doesn’t work.

Well, not as advertised. For over two *yearsnow, I’ve been troubleshooting Screens, trying to get it to work properly. But it wouldn’t. I’ve posted numerous messages on Edovia’s user forum, only to get replies like “we can’t possibly troubleshoot everyone’s setup.” Because naturally the problem is with our setups or our configurations. It couldn’t *possiblybe that Screens itself is flawed.

I even bought v3, the day it came out, thinking to myself, “Surely they’ll have identified the problem and corrected it in this major release.”

Boy, was I wrong.

Finally, after nearly 2 years of frustration, I hired a Certified Apple Consultant to come to my home and troubleshoot Screens. He was here for 3 hours — trying one thing after the next — and you know what? He discovered a FLAW in Screens’ implementation.

Having identified the problem, he managed to rig a workaround for me that allowed me to use Screens. But he took it a step further: He wrote a detailed, yet friendly description of the problem and sent it to the Edovia guys. And you know what they said? They said he was full of it! He showed them precisely what the problem was and explained the funky workaround he had to implement in my system (using No-IP.com, etc.) just to get it to work. But they scoffed and said nothing was wrong with Screens.

But I had my workaround, so I was good to go. Thanks to the consultant’s bag of tricks, Screens was working!

Until it wasn't.

Two or three weeks later, an update was pushed out that broke the workaround. Could the consultant possibly prepare another workaround? Possibly. But I’ve always spent FAR TOO MUCH MONEY trying to get Screens to work. Some of it to Edovia, and more of it to a computer professional — all to get an iOS app to work!

Frustrated, the consultant also set me up with a LogMeIn account, which works flawlessly, by the way. Not one time has LogMeIn ever NOT worked. Across town or across the continent, it works. So much for the Screens guys pointing fingers at us users for “faulty configurations” that they “can’t possibly” troubleshoot.

Funny how other apps work with my “faulty configuration” just fine. Screens is the one that doesn’t work.

(To be clear, while Screens does work *withinmy home, it does not work *remotely— which is kind of the point, isn’t it?

So, I guess I have no choice, now, but to use LogMeIn. I don’t want to. But I’m left with no choice. For two years, I’ve wasted dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars on Screens, to no avail. And the developers are distant, unhelpful, and arrogant.

So, buyers beware. You’ve. Been. Warned.

I bought the Mac version for my MBP and love it; everything works perfectly. The iPad version, however, is a different story. While it connects and does display the screen, there doesn’t seem to be any setting to fit the screen to your display and, more importantly, there is no visible cursor on the remote screen! This makes it unusable, and a complete waste of $20.

Attempting to tunnel VNC over SSH does not work. Just get a connecting... Message that hangs forever. I bought this app specifically for this feature and since it's not working at all, I'm not a happy customer. Additionally, their documentation of this feature and other advanced features is very poor, which is also unacceptable considering I paid good money for this app.

This is a one directional VNC service, meaning you can connect from an Apple device to PC or Linux, but not vice versa. Support was not helpful and claimed not to have any experience with VNC apps even though TightVNC is installed alongside Screens Connect! Come on! You guys have no interest in a Windows Client, fine, at least help me out after putting $50 into your ecosystem.

I hate it. Hoping to hear from the developer. I would like my money back! Can’t use it on my MacBook Pro. Lot of hassle to set it up. Got it set up and can’t get on the internet. I have to change the settings to get back on. I’m not going to change my settings every time I leave without my laptop! And then have to change when I get home so I can use the internet. This is not user friendly!

Need to re-emphasize the IP Issue dilemma. ( Dynamic vs Static ) for those who wished to remotely access their home computer.
Apparently, it is up to me and the Network Provider to figure it out.
Screens Phone apps worked only if you are in range WiFi connected within the same Network.
Be warned ! No Refund.
No doubt that the concept is there, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

Bought for use with my iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard to connect to my 15” MacBook Pro. After contacting the company several times it just doesn’t work and can’t live up to its promise. Disappointing as this would’ve been a huge help, but I’ve resorted to using Notes for my word documents and now just copy and paste them over (I don’t like Google Dogs or Pages). After the purchase I hope some updates will fix the issues, lots of potential.

I have a client looking for ways to control multiple Macs and iPads scattered around the country, and I thought Screens would be perfect. The software however, hiccups at every UPnP and port map roadblock. There are now a slew of apps able to circumvent these issues- Dropbox and Skype for example - that they use with impunity so having them reset their digital life just for Screens is a nonstarter. I will update this missive should the situation change.

I really never write reviews in apps, but I will today for this app so to save the pain of losing $10 for someone else. The app is very confusing/ambiguous. I have not gotten it to work once yet so far... This tells me that perhaps it doesn't work at all with my MacBook Pro, or that it is way to difficult to set up. It really does stink... Try to find another application elsewhere, because this one works very poorly. I hope to have saved you time and money!

Hey. I’ll give credit where it’s due. The mouse support for iPad is pretty good. Unfortunately everything else is terrible.
The connection is terribly laggy (this is being used in a server room with 10gbps up down wired internet) and I always end up having to reconnect by gorse closing the app.

I wish I could still use Chrome Remote Desktop as it was flawless, but unfortunately I need that iPad mouse support. But unfortunately I cannot recommend this to anyone.

I followed the very straightforward directions for setup of my iMac & tried it at home on a common network. It connected as described. I tried it from work, a different network, and it repeatedly failed. I reviewed the setup instructions and tried it again the next day - it failed. I sent an email to support and never heard a reply. So at this point I am uninstalling it and cannot recommend. As a caveat both networks are Comcast with no firewalls. Too bad ….

I purchased this app based on a Macstories.net review. Unfortunately the app doesn't launch on my IPad Pro and is useless. Please fix this issue.

Edit: The problem occurs when logging into ScreensConnect during the initial setup screen. From that point on the application fails to load and a reinstall is required.

Edit2: The application also crashes during the ScreensConnect login if the initial set up screen is skipped. The main problem seems to be ScreensConnect.

I had the older version of screens ($20). It worked but wasn't my favorite vnc app. When they came out with an update I was excited that it might now become my favorite but was $20 for the upgrade. I had to buy the program again! Lame. After sitting on the decision a while I decided to give it a try since vnc is important to me. The new version has a new look and some new functionality but NOT worth another $20. I've spent $40 on screens and I haven't gotten my money worth yet at all.

Screens allows me to access and control my Win7 PC when I'm on my wifi network. It works as advertised. But I bought it for remore access and I've yet been able to make it work off my wifi. Most of teh FAQs are adderssing Mac settings and I emialed for assistance 4 days ago. I've not yet had a response. I may be one keystroke setting away from success, but at this point, the program is not working for me where I need it to. I wouldn't spend the money unless you know it will work for you.

I spent $20 on this app because of all the great reviews. Everyone seems to regard Screens as the best vnc client. But I have tried using it with the screens connect client on multiple personal and work macs. Some work initially when on the same network, but then fail to connect afterwards. Most clients give a port mapping unavailable status and never work. I hate Google as much as anyone, but why does chrome Remote Desktop work flawlessly for free when the paid app screens fails? You may have better luck than me, but this app has proven worthless to me.

I saw this app recommended on a YouTube video and went immediately to my iPhone to check it out. Sounded perfect so I downloaded and connected. Worked fine but iPhone screen was too small to really operate. Switched to my iPads only to find out it only works with IOS 13 and later. Both my iPads are fully functioning but are 2-3 years old (IOS 12.4.5) and cannot use this program (requires 13). Doesn’t make sense to spend the extra on updating my iPads at this point. I should have read more about this before spending the $20. Next time I’ll be more careful before purchasing.

I’ve been having connection issues. Sometimes it connects, but when I try to connect later on, it just says “connecting.” Nothing happens. The times that I’m able to connect, there’s an unacceptably long lag about half the time. Restarting the computer doesn’t fix the problem. Rebooting my iPad fixes it.

I contacted support. They asked me to send a report, which I did. They ignored it. Now they want me to send a diagnostic report again (see below), even though they ignored it when I sent one a few weeks ago. I’m now looking for another VNC solution because Screens is unreliable and their support is sketchy.

Doesn’t work with my ISP but I didn’t discover this until AFTER I purchased. When I contacted Edovia about this, they replied with the standard “we can’t provide support for every configuration” and provided a link to their support webpage, which wasn’t helpful the first time I referred to it.

The service may work for some, but for everyone else: BUYER BEWARE! The developer’s willingness to help work through issues that might go beyond Screens VNC is minimal. After spending hours trying to make this work, I eventually had to look elsewhere to use a competitor’s service. This sort of business is in the details...

The app simply does not work to connect iOS device to Mac computer. I have used other remote software without any setup issues. I have been using screenconnect (not to be confused with "screens connect" which is utilized with this app.) Screenconnect works fine but has begun to perform very slow on Macs with the latest version so I tried this app. I have spent hours trying to get it to work. It works fine within my network but will not work external to the network. The whole point is to be able to reach my office computer when I am away. The documentation is poorly written and not helpful. There is no support number and, so far, an email has not been answered. Buyer beware on this one.