Show floor video: Webex lets you collaborate across platforms

webex pc to mac connectivity, remote access and sharing

So let's say you've got a Panther machine on your DSL connection with a firewall, and another computer across town running Windows 98 on a dual-ISDN connection, but you really need to control the Mac from the PC. No dice, right? According to Webex, this might just be possible,* although your experience won't be a zippy thrill-ride.

Webex uses a subscription-based tool to allow remote access across computers, and at Macworld they were talking about Mac-to-PC friendliness. Scott had a chat and wound up with pricing (it's as cheap as $10.35/month), a website (pcnow.com), and the aforementioned horrific scenario of connectivity. Oh, and they've got iPhone compatibility of a sort, just be aware of the limitations.

*In theory, Webex engineers say a 56k connection will allow connectivity. The specs also provide compatibility with Panther and Win98 on the low end. Note I said "low end" which means the performance won't be anything close to a high-speed connection and some more current OS'es.

Full video explanation after the jump.

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Source: http://pcnow.webex.com/

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Macworld Software Video

So let's say you've got a Panther machine on your DSL connection with a firewall, and another computer across town running Windows 98 on a...

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Genius Jones

LogMeIn 4tw.

January 30 2008 at 12:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

airmanchairman

I use Webex at work to allow our telecoms platform support log in to our nodes and investigate/resolve problems. I use LogMeIn at work to communicate with my home PCs on my network, and VNC from them onto my Linux boxes.
They all work a treat, but it must be said that VNC and LogMeIn have a free use option as well...

January 28 2008 at 6:06 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jonathan

Ahh, VNC? Free... fast. Sooo multi-platform.

January 28 2008 at 12:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andrew Muller

It's possible with Adobe Acrobat Connect, via the Flash Player, to share application/desktop between PC & Mac on connections better than dial-up.

January 27 2008 at 9:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

spenc3r

Mac (to PC): So, come here often?

January 27 2008 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Adam

We use this at work and it is gold to me. Send customer to .webex.com and enter meeting code "xxx-xxx-xxx."

When it saves me from getting on a plane, I put in the value saved and I look good (or less bad than when I book a last-minute flight to BUR from YYZ on a Monday!). There's several different kinds of consoles you can invite people to... A meeting collaboration tool, interactive training, or a very simple remote-control support session. There's integrated VoIP and it WAS integrated with our teleconference provider (InterCall) but that seems to have disappeared. You could see and interact with a landline caller in the web interface. Webcam support blah blah blah. Its like an Apple, product, it just works. If it stops working, there's a phone number where I can go to yell. See the H&R Block ads: "Honey, why don't you ask the box for help?"

If my company switches to another vendor I'll be raising hell :) This product is road-warrior techie approved. (80%+ of my time is in the field)

January 27 2008 at 4:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mail

Agreed - I really dont see the benefit of this over LogMeIn, its free and works great. Been using it for years - and the Mac version also works a treat.

January 27 2008 at 3:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Cabbage

Thanks but I'll pay $0 for LogMeIn Free for Mac

https://secure.logmein.com/products/free/mac/

January 27 2008 at 3:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Bruce

Or you could just run hamachi (free) on both machines, and then VNC into the mac, since any mac with 10.5 runs a VNC server in the back ground automatically. You also would be able to see your iTunes shared music between both computers.

January 27 2008 at 2:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply