It looks like .Mac subscribers are going to get a little more out of Leopard than the rest of us. .Mac's Back to My Mac feature is new in Leopard, and is pretty neat. Basically, it allows you to connect to a remote Mac over the Internet and access files or log into the Mac remotely. I imagine this is being done with some sort of dynamic DNS (.Mac keeps track of your remote Mac's IP address and allows you to connect to it).
There is a video demoing the feature on its .Mac page, so go check it out.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-16-2007 @ 2:52PM
David said...
Wow. That's actually a pretty sweet feature! Makes the price tag of .Mac seem a little more realistic to me!
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10-16-2007 @ 2:55PM
Slevin said...
Sweet... too bad I don't use a Mac at work... stupid City departments
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10-16-2007 @ 2:55PM
jus10 said...
Looks similar to hamachi/logmein which I already have ...
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10-16-2007 @ 3:04PM
russell said...
Which is different than ssh or vnc + dyndns how?
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10-16-2007 @ 3:17PM
Ryan said...
@russell
You don't have to setup, maintain, or learn it yourself.
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10-16-2007 @ 3:17PM
Chris Niles said...
@ russell
It is different in that now average, every day computer users like my parents can use this to access their desktops from my MacBook when they come to visit. Or any number of other possibilities for non-tech savvy consumers.
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10-16-2007 @ 3:20PM
Jack Beckman said...
"Which is different than ssh or vnc + dyndns how?"
Anyone can use it without knowing how to do all that.
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10-16-2007 @ 3:21PM
sam said...
Apple should tout this as an easy way to keep track of your laptop if it gets stolen.
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10-16-2007 @ 3:22PM
J.G. said...
"Which is different than ssh or vnc + dyndns how?"
Because it's easy to use.
.Mac has always had a great offering, but it keeps getting better and better. For the cost of one months Cable TV and Internet access, I get a years worth of great online apps.
To the .Mac team, keep up the good work. We appreciate it.
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10-16-2007 @ 3:41PM
Modano said...
@russell: Most average users don't know how to ssh or use vnc + dyndns.
2 questions on this: Will it seamlessly (automatically) work through a router? Is there a way to use a PC to connect?
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10-16-2007 @ 3:50PM
OmniGeno said...
Is this different from screen sharing?
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10-16-2007 @ 4:05PM
punkassjim said...
@russell
I've never gotten VNC to work as smoothly as Timbuktu Pro. I'm hoping Back to my Mac works anywhere near as flawlessly.
As a .Mac subscriber and iPhone user, I'm hoping hoping hoping that they tie that in somehow. Apple really needs to take more advantage of that WiFi connection in the iPhone. Like, why in hell can't you sync calendars, contacts, etc, over the air? And a limited version of Back to my Mac for the iPhone would just blow all competition out of the water.
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10-16-2007 @ 4:08PM
Andrew said...
I liked my .mac trial, per the imap mail -- but it didn't sync perfectly. If I made a bunch of changes on my iPhone or whatever, it wouldn't show on teh website (even if you refreshed) UNTIL you moved a message to a folder...
Anyway, that and .Mac didn't sync the ENTIRETY of my address book (including pics) online... I like the concept of it but:
1. It's got a ways to go
2. It should be FREE
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10-16-2007 @ 4:09PM
MacBookOwner said...
"Which is different than ssh or vnc + dyndns how?"
I guess you just have to learn to expect comments like this :p
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10-16-2007 @ 4:20PM
booobooo said...
yes!!
APPLE!!!
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10-16-2007 @ 4:28PM
Ken said...
Would be more useful if it allowed a remote connection using a PC (i.e. work PC to home Mac).
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10-16-2007 @ 4:30PM
just_a_guy said...
didn't Steve announce this feature during the last confrence?
I seem to remember this feature..... and yet you guys are seeming to talk about it as if you didn't even know about this "new feature"!
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10-16-2007 @ 4:47PM
Thataboy said...
Do we know if one can access files on an external hard drive attached to a home Mac? For example, I have all of my iTunes music files on an external hard drive... will they be inaccessible via Back to my Mac because they aren't physically in my Home folder?
Similarly, if I have an alias in my Home folder and it points to a file outside of the Home folder, will I be able to access it via Back to my Mac?
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10-16-2007 @ 5:00PM
Midas360 said...
You guys are going to pay $100 bucks a year for "Remote Desktop Anywhere?"
HA HA HA
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10-16-2007 @ 5:04PM
Just_a_guy said...
this is different from remote desktop on this way: remote desktop allows you to take controll of another person's mac: this works by using encription to give your computer's ISP to you via .mac and then allowing you to use your other mac like an external drive. It allows you to search ANYTHING that your other computer can access.
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