Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Windows, Freeware
Ammyy Admin is a free TeamViewer alternative for remote support
by Lee Mathews Nov 6th 2008
While I use (and love) TeamViewer, not everyone's IT budget can justify the $700 expense. If you're in need of a good, zero-config alternative, check out Ammyy Admin.
It's a very slick application. Both the host and remote user download the same file - a tiny (128kb), portable executable. Launch it, and Ammyy displays one tab for the client and a second for the host (operator). Just like TeamViewer, your host connects to an echo server and receives an ID. Enter it into your client id window and click connect. Like TeamViewer, all communications are fully encrypted.
Once the host confirms your request, you're in. It's not as fast as TeamViewer, and it doesn't support autoscaling - but it does have a few advantages. Price is one, obviously, but I also appreciate that the Ammyy host service can be installed while you're connected to a client.
It will also remember authorized connections and automatically add remote operators to its list of permitted users. Ammyy also sports a file transfer mode which looks and functions much like TeamViewer's version. Again, AA's implementation isn't quite as fast, but it's still good enough to get the job done.
While autoscaling your hosts' screen isn't an option, you are able to zoom to predefined levels. There are also buttons to send ctrl-alt-delete and ctrl-esc to your host (TeamViewer lacks the latter).
For a free application with no nag screens, Ammyy Admin is a simple and highly functional tool for remote support.
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
