Mediaboss Marketing

Earlier this week it was announced that LogMeIn, a popular software application that allows remote control of computers, would no longer be free. Ive been using the free version of this software off and on for several years, so I was a little bummed with the news. I regularly need access to my home computer during the day when Im at work, so I went looking for an alternative. It didnt take me long to find TeamViewer, which Ive been testing for the past couple days.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

TeamViewer is free for individual non-commercial use and is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. I installed it on my 13 Macbook Pro, Lenovo laptop at work, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and an iPad mini.

Installation on all platforms was painless. The only thing to be aware of is that you have to leave the TeamViewer application running, in order to be able to remote into that machine. Also, its not possible to remote into an iOS or Android device. But, you can remote into a Mac or PC from iOS or Android using the free TeamViewer apps.

The TeamViewer user interface on a Mac or PC looks like the window you see above. Ive covered up the machine IDs which are used to identify a machine so you can control it. This is the info you would give to someone you want to allow to remote into your machine. Or you can create an address book like you see on the right side. These are my two computers. My Macbook Pro and my work laptop which remains on my desk at my day job.

If Im at work and need to remote into my Macbook Pro, Ill launch TeamViewer and double click my Macbook in the address book and it will connect and allow me to control it. Im able to use the mouse and keyboard just like I was sitting in front of it. Of course, the Macbook Pro needs to be turned on, connected to the internet and have the TeamViewer application running, in order to be able to remote into it.

In the image above, Im remoted into my Macbook Pro from a Windows PC laptop.

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LogMeIn remote control software is no longer free, but TeamViewer is!