Anyone Used GoToMyPC...??

[Leah]

I'm looking for a program that will allow me to see my work computer and use all of it's software at home. I know the book recommends using GoToMyPc, but I was just wondering if anyone else had actually used it. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[webgal]

I know my programmer friend absolutely loves it.

[Chris H.]

I used it Leah, only for the 30 day trial period. My VA used it primarily. My old VA loves it and uses it with all of her clients.

I noticed my computer was a little slow when using it, but not too bad. I would definitely use it again when my "need" justifies the monthly cost.

Chris H.

[kamakiri]

I used it with my pizza business. It is great to be able to poll sales data from 5 locations in minutes without calling the stores.

[WantingRemote]

Why not just use Remote Desktop Connection, which is built into Windows?

[kamakiri]

Licensing issues with POS terminals made that not an option in my case.

[FreedomFinder]

Why not just use Remote Desktop Connection, which is built into Windows?

Why not just bring your laptop and practice self-discipline?

[Chris H.]

Why not just use Remote Desktop Connection, which is built into Windows?

I have never heard of that before. Thanks for the tip! I just checked my desktop and laptop and I can definitely use that. I'll give it a try.

Chris H.

[brucefenton]

ive used it- decent

key question these days is: why do you need it?

best bet is to get all your key documents and email etc onto a web-based cloud system and then you wont need to log in to your PC at all

what do you need to access on your PC?

email--- no problem, use gmail, live or some other agregator
documents -- use open office and google apps for storage, box.net etc
spreadsheets-- same as above
photos--- picasa
need to do high end video editing? -- that will be tough, but cant be done using remote login anyway

go to my pc is good, if you absolutely must access that PC then try that or citrix which is free and there is another affiliated with webex
microsoft server and small business server both have built in remote desktop access tools and i think vista pro does too.... but best bet is to try to be PC-free and access everything you need on central, cloud servers and not need it at all -- you have auto backup - can access anywhere in the world, dont need to worry about upgrades and if your PC crashes or gets stolen, all your stuff is secure.

if you are are beginer to cloud based computing, start with the free version of Google Apps (standard) and start using it for some or all email, calendar, storing documents etc


-bruce fenton
www.fentonreport.com

[ikschel]

I can recommend http://www.teamviewer.com

Easy and free for personal use. Cheap for business use.

[camdengirl]

Try www.logmein.com - it's free for use on one computer. Excellent tool, works just like Gotomypc

[jakediddy]

Spend the initial investment on XP Pro (as opposed to Home) (or buy Vista or Windows 7 business) and just use Remote Desktop.

[dru-man]

I'm not positive, but when I was looking into GotoMyPC, I thought I ran across and opensource software that was really similar. You might want to look around a bit before paying.

Cheers

[jakediddy]

I'm not positive, but when I was looking into GotoMyPC, I thought I ran across and opensource software that was really similar.

There are programs by the name of RealVNC, TightVNC, and UltraVNC which all provide similar (if not more powerful) features, and I believe the last two are free. There may be a free edition of the first one. The catch is that you'll need to have enough know-how to set up the server on the computer you'd like to connect to, and the client on the computer you will be using (such as your laptop). You also have the ability to go to your computer by typing the URL in your web browser at that point as well.

It all depends on how much you're willing to spend and how comfortable you are with setting up systems such as this.

[vmgbpo]

I agree with Bruce. If you can move yourself to the clouds, you'll be happier later on. I just got a new laptop and the transition was so much easier with everything on Google Apps. Now I can get what I need from anywhere.

Leah, you mentioned accessing the software on your work computer and that is where Go To My PC would be helpful if you aren't using web based SaaS such as SalesForce. I used Log Me In's free version and it worked well. Not too user friendly but I figuredit out ok - and for free, it was a good option.