GoToMyPC, on the other hand, is accessible wherever there's an Internet connection and a browser. It lets you control a computer by emulating the remote PC's desktop. As with PCAnywhere, you'll need to install software on both local and remote (in other words, the host PC) machines. The difference is that the software is comparatively small (1.4MB) and you don't have to carry a copy around with you.

An additional 200KB plug-in installs itself when you log in to access the remote PC or host. In our tests, the installation always went without any problems (we tried accessing our host PC on three desktops). When you log into the site, the PC you have designated as host appears with a button labeled "Connect" next to it. Currently, the demo version only lets you configure one host PC, but you do have the option of adding more if you sign up for the right plan. If the PC you designated as host is off or somehow not connected, you should see an indication that it is off-line.

When you click on a Connect button, a window opens to expose the contents of the remote PC (as long as it's on and connected to the Internet). From here, you can control the remote PC as if you were at the desktop. The remote PC's cursor or mouse arrow follows your mouse movements. You can open files and applications or even surf the Web. One of GoToMyPC's most useful features is that it lets you open folders that are located on your remote PC's network. If you've ever tried to configure, say, your home PC to access your work PC, you know what a headache it is to reconfigure your network settings to match those of your work network. You also know that it doesn't always work.

GoToMyPC also includes a file transfer feature. It lets you transfer files from the client PC to the remote PC and vice versa. It also has a drawing function that lets you use the remote desktop as a kind of white board. Moreover, a chat function lets you exchange text chat between the client and the remote PC.