A Review of GoToMyPC: Software to Bring Your Computer Work Home
In today’s busy, high-tech world the need to transfer data and work from one computer to another is great. Traditional solutions include the use of physical media to carry data from one location to another, or internet-based synchronization services that automatically update files from pre-programmed locations so that all files on either system match.
These systems, however, require that all computers involved work on similar operating systems and have the same software programs able to work with these sorts of files (for example, Microsoft Word must be installed on all computers if Word documents are involved).
GoToMyPC takes the idea of sharing information between computers one step further. With GoToMyPC, users can connect with their home computer from any internet connected computer in the world and work on it as if they were there.
This means that rather than creating multiple copies of files which are synchronized through the internet or storing files on removable media such as a floppy disk or USB drive, users can actually work on their home machines and save data on their home machines even if they are working from an internet cafe on vacation in Acapulco.
How GoToMyPC works
The idea of GoToMyPC is not entirely new. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have been around for a while, and allow users to connect to a base computer from another computer. However, these systems usually require that both operating computers be pre-configured in order to work in this fashion, VPNs lack the go anywhere capability of GoToMyPC.
GoToMyPC software is installed on the host computer, which sets up the computer to be accessed from a remote location. The user chooses a username and password. (Users can also opt to use one-time only passwords, in which a special password will be generated each time the user wants to connect to their system for increased security).
No software installation is required on the client computer. You merely log into the GoToMyPC system, enter your username and password and are connected to the host computer. The desktop of the host computer is displayed in a special window on the client computer, from which the user can interact with the host computer as if they were actually there.
The revolutionary aspect of the GoToMyPC system is that hardly any information is actually sent over the internet connection allowing you to talk to your PC. Although the desktop is displayed on the client computer, the applications are still stored on the host computer. These applications and the desktop run within a special partition that was installed on the host computer.
Only keystrokes, mouse movements and the display images from the host computer are transferred back and forth between the two computers. All the work of the applications you are using over the connection (word processors, presentation software, what-have you) is actually being done on the host computer. This allows you to use applications that aren’t actually on your client computer as well as make an incredibly fast connection with the small amount of information being sent back and forth.
Because of the small bandwidth requirements of the GoToMyPC system, even if a client computer only has a dial-up connection they can still use their host computer’s software at an impressively fast-speed, and use applications as if they were there with a broadband connection.
If you are interested in connecting to your computer quickly and easily from a remote location, whatever the reason(s) may be, GoToMyPC is an excellent option. Their system truly is revolutionary, and makes for an amazing capability to access your computer from anywhere in the world.
