LogMeIn - now available for the Mac

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Productivity

LogMeIn - now available for the Mac

by Christina Warren Dec 10th 2007

Being able to access one computer from another, via some sort of remote desktop utility is hardly a new development, Windows and Mac OS have included VNC clients with their operating systems for years. Being able to access a Windows computer from your Mac isn't even new -- the Windows Remote Desktop client is available for the Mac, and programs like TightVNC will allow Windows users to connect to a Mac running Tiger or Leopard, assuming the sharing preferences are configured correctly.

However, the downside to using a client-based VNC is that if you are on a trying to connect to a computer from a system that with access restrictions (say, a computer in an Internet cafe or in a school computer lab), you may not be able to access the necessary software to start the remote connection. That's where services like LogMeIn come in.

As long as your target computer has the LogMeIn client installed and is connected to the Internet, you can access that system from a different computer simply using your web browser. And although Mac users have been able to connect to Windows machine via LogMeIn for quite some time, the reverse was not true. Until now. Last week LogMeIn released the first full release of the LogMeIn client for the Mac. Right now, the free version of LogMeIn, which is sufficient for most home users, is available, and as the name implies, free. A free beta is also available for the LogMeIn Rescue (which is aimed at IT professionals or computer technicians, as it makes it easy to take control of a client's machine without having to pre-install software).

We wanted to check out how easy it would be to access a Mac from a web browser in Windows, we had Brad Linder login to Christina Warren's Mac (which is running Leopard 10.5.1). The results?

Safari in Mac OS X 10.5.1 opened via Firefox on Windows XP

Bizarro World! LogMeIn has lots of different configuration options to make access to a remote system more secure/streamlined. For instance, a guest user account can be permitted to select LogMeIn users (who you specify), or full system access can be granted.

LogMeIn is available now for both Intel and PPC machines.

[via CNET]

Tags: logmein, mac on windows, MacOnWindows, remote desktop, RemoteDesktop, vnc

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Steven said 7:55PM on 12-10-2007

It's actually not "available now" for Macs. I've been using it for months. It's just now out of Beta.

Christina Warren said 9:42PM on 12-10-2007

Yeah, that's why we wrote, "Last week LogMeIn released the first full release of the LogMeIn client for the Mac." :-) We know the software has been in beta since June, but there were some issues with the beta and Leopard that are fixed with the first full release -- plus all the other differences that make a 1.0 release different from a beta.

Steven said 9:48PM on 12-10-2007

Well your title makes it sound like this is brand new, when it's not.

mgthantzin said 8:47PM on 12-10-2007

my friend has, time to time, connected his mac from work since a couple of months ago.

yesh.. he said it was just out of beta. :) may be you guys can review this post.

xxdesmus said 9:03PM on 12-10-2007

Yeah...been using LogMeIn on my Mac for months now...it's an absolutely wonderful piece of software. Sure, you could use VNC and many other options, but this software "just works", and works very well (and it's free).

hazard said 10:39PM on 12-10-2007

" .. makes it easy to take control of a client's machine without having to pre-install software .. "

sounds like good app for setting up botnets ..

mgthantzin said 7:33AM on 12-11-2007

"although Mac users have been able to connect to Windows machine via LogMeIn for quite some time, the reverse was not true....."

It has been true. =)

George said 4:15PM on 12-11-2007

Personally I prefer VNC over an SSH tunnel or a VPN. It's far more secure and totally free. Don't have a static IP like I do? Use a dynamic DNS service.

Albert said 7:28PM on 1-05-2008

You're cool.

Pierre said 12:15PM on 1-20-2008

Hey George,

Why is VNC more save?
And if so, can you refer me to an quick-setup-guide somewhere?

Thanks.
Pierre

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