Just like being there - review of six remote access software packages - includes product directory - Software Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, May, 1996 by Joel T. Patz

LapLink

Rating: ****

WIN 95

LapLink is a powerhouse for, and the grand-daddy of, remote computing. Besides the standard remote control and cable transfers you can do with the other products, LapLink makes the most of Windows 95. For example, you can use a modem or cable to connect to a Windows 95 remote access server and even use LapLink connections over TCP/IP subnets, such as Internet servers. The program also recognizes your dial-up networking connections. Oddly, however, installation sets your computer as a private system; you have to consciously set it to receive incoming calls.

We particularly liked LapLink's Windows 95 style. For example, the file transfer windows both look and act like the Windows 95 Explorer, so dragging and dropping seems natural. Speed of transfer, however, was slightly slower than that of the other programs we tested. Our original PowerPoint presentation took 3:38 to complete, but using SpeedSync technology, it required only 12 seconds to transfer the changes. Our bitmap file took 46 seconds to move from one machine to the other.

Though file transfer was slow, performance using remote control was outstanding. Screen refresh was very fast, and we never encountered the incomplete screen redraws we found with other products. However, the remote control function was incompatible with the Imagine 128 video card installed on our Dell, so we had to use a generic SVGA driver instead. Feedback from mouse or keyboard activity was quick. In chat mode, LapLink displays your message to the recipient only when you press the return key, rather than character by character as the other products do.

LapLink can also connect to computers running LapLink 6.0, a Windows 3.1 application. Because the product can run multiple sessions concurrently, it's possible to connect to a network using a cable and a Windows 3.1 machine using a modem. Then you can directly transfer files from the network to the Windows 3.1 machine without having to use your computer as an intermediate stopping point.

LapLink uses an address book to store connection information, so when you click on the Connect Over Modem button on the toolbar, you select from one of the predefined connections or add a new one on the fly.

The toolbar is simplicity itself, in that you always know which icon does what. Dialog boxes are well designed and easy to fill out. It's easy, for example, to set up a list of user names and passwords that can dial in to your host. When you start LapLink for the first time, an introductory help window guides you through important everyday tasks in a step-by-step fashion. If you ever need to consult the user guide, you'll find it organized by task, with easy-to-follow text and illustrations.

pcAnywhere32

Rating: ****

WIN 95

If you're looking for hassle-free installation, you can stop your search right now. Norton pcAnywhere32 from Symantec offers easy installation and an easy-to-understand main screen. Buttons allow you to make your PC a host (other machines dial in to yours), initiate a remote control session (you call other machines), or start a file transfer. Each of these options offers a screen of icons; for example, the remote control screen shows icons for each system you want to connect to. Adding a new connection starts a Wizard that prompts you for key information as well as the phone number.