As a web designer and tech support agent for my friends and family, one of the most elusive capabilities has been remote access. So many times it would have been so much more productive than trying to figure out what they were trying to explain to me if I could have seen what they were seeing on their computer and then actually show them how to fix their problem or answer their questions. I’ve always been frustrated with the remote assistance feature of Windows. It’s just too technical for most of us to make it worth the effort to figure it out. Maybe it’s just me and I just don’t get it even after reading the Windows Help file and searching on the web.
There are many commercial solutions to remote access if you’re willing to pay for them. Recently, I found a free (for personal, non-commercial use) and simple solution in TeamViewer. After reading reviews of several remote access programs, I tried TeamViewer on three computers running different operating system; Windows Vista, Window XP, and Ubuntu Linux. TeamViewer is also available for the Mac.
The Bottom Line
TeamViewer works. It’s easy to download and install. It’s easy to establish a connection between two computers regardless of which operating system they’re running. That’s right. It took only seconds to connect over the internet to my Ubuntu desktop from my Vista laptop. It was as if I was sitting in front of the remote computer running programs and even updating the operating system. Here’s a screenshot.
Connect to any computer running Windows, Apple, Linux, or mobile operating systems.
Check it out and put it to good use. But be careful who you tell. Once the word gets out, you may get more calls for help than you have hours in the day.
If you have experience with TeamViewer or other remote access software, leave a comment and share your experience.
