 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Symantec pcTelecommute Bernadette Houghton bernieh@iaccess.com.au |
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As you'll have guessed from its name, pcTelecommute (pcT) is intended for
those who split work time between office and home. Not only does pcT facilitate the transfer of files back
and forth between PCs, you can use it to manage your phone calls and faxes, log your work activity and even
run applications on the office computer from home.
pcTelecommute works on both stand-alone and networked "office" computers and offers much of the basic
functionality of pcAnywhere. The main difference between pcT and pcAnywhere is that pcT lacks high-end
network support, including the ability to connect to multiple computers and servers running on different
platforms. Bundled with pcT is a paperback copy of The Telecommuter's Advisor by June Langhoff. The
package also includes a series of video clips from industry expert Gil Gordon which show you how to maximise
your productivity while working from home.
Main features
You need to install pcT on both home and office PCs, but the process in each case is simple and hassle-free.
On the office PC only the "host" features are installed, while a complete installation takes place on the
home PC. A series of wizards walks you through each stage of the setup.
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Once installed on the office PC, pcT hides
itself away in the system tray awaiting a call. On the home PC, all functions are accessible from the
Telecommute Control Center (TCC), a dockable toolbar. You connect to the office PC via any of several TCC
buttons. With one minor exception (detailed below), it doesn't matter which button you choose to connect with
as, once connected, you can switch back and forth between functions. For security reasons or to minimise your
phone charges, you can work on a call-back basis, where the office PC dials back immediately it receives a
call from the home PC.
Once you've established a connection, you can begin using the office computer just as if you were sitting in
front of it. The office PC's desktop appears in a window on your home PC and you can run office applications,
print documents on your home printer, browse the network and transfer the contents of the clipboard from one
system to another. If the office PC gets into strife, you can restart it from home or--if it's running
Windows NT--send it a Ctl+Alt+Del to end any hung applications.
When pcT's File Manager window is open, you can transfer files back and forth between PCs by dragging and
dropping, and perform standard file operations such as copy, rename and delete. pcT can virus-check files as
it downloads them from the office computer. To speed up transfer, you can compress or SpeedSend files;
SpeedSend compares files with duplicate filenames and transfers only the part of the file which is different
in the source file.
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File Sync
synchronises files or folders between PCs. It overwrites older files on either PC with newer copies and in
the case of folders, ensures that both home and office folders contain the same files. File Sync remembers
which files and folders you synchronise, saving you time the next time around. In the event that you forget
to synchronise files at the end of a pcT session, pcT reminds you to do so.
pcT's fax module is pretty basic--it has a sparse choice of cover pages and offers no scheduling. However,
you can store basic contact details, receive faxes manually or automatically, and send them from within pcT,
the Windows Explorer and any printable Windows application. pcT also has a phone dialler and--if you have a
Caller-ID capable modem--can display information about incoming calls. You can opt to screen out unwanted
callers by classifying desired contacts as "priority contacts"; pcT notifies you when "priority contacts"
call and sends all other calls to your answering machine, logging them in your Inbox at the same time.
Work Monitor tracks your activity throughout the day, including files accessed and any phone calls and faxes
going through pcT. As you switch from work to personal activities, you can switch the Work Monitor off, and
vice versa. You can also use the Work Monitor to create management or billing reports.
Another useful feature of pcT is that if you're having problems with your home PC, your company's technical
support staff can use pcAnywhere to log in to it and resolve the problems. You can do the same to the office
PC, access rights permitting, without any need for pcAnywhere.
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Assessment
I had no significant problems with pcTelecommute. I connected to my "office" computer on the first try and
could transfer files, use office applications and do everything else the packaging claimed. Not having
Windows NT on the office computer, I couldn't send it a Ctrl+Alt+Del to unlock hung applications; however, I
could restart it and dial in again after it had had time to reboot.
The only hiccough I encountered--a minor one--was when attempting to connect to the office PC by way of File
Sync. File Sync assumes you aren't yet connected to the office PC and fails if a connection is already
established. There are several ways to work around this problem, however--the easiest being to establish a
connection by way of the File Sync button if you expect to synchronise files during a session.
My verdict on pcTelecommute: a useful program for those who split work time between multiple locations. The
PC-to-PC features are good and work well; the other features (fax, phone dialler, etc) are pretty much
no-frills, but do their job.
Reprinted from the December 1998 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
