A new software package called I’m InTouch, by 01 Communique Laboratory Inc., promises access to your home computer using any Internet-connected terminal. While the concept is promising, this software mirrored the struggling high-tech industry with its high expectations and unfulfilled promises.
Basically, the I’m InTouch program allows you to log onto your home computer, using a web browser, via the 01 Communique website. The system offers three services: access to your Microsoft Outlook e-mail, access to files on your home machine, and what is billed as “full remote control of your PC”—use of your home computer through a web browser.
For testing purposes, I went to Robarts Library and used the brand-spanking new black Dell PCs in the information commons. The Outlook e-mail functionality, although billed as featuring “seamless integration” on the 01 Communique website, used HTML that could have come straight from five years ago, save some neon green flashing words. Meanwhile, the file transfer function wouldn’t even permit me to upload anything to my home computer.
Finally, the remote control function could only be described as painful. Trying to use it crashed both Netscape and Internet Explorer on my library terminal. When I finally got it working, it displayed my home computer’s screen as a jpeg image that did nothing but let me stare at my desktop in 256 brilliant colours.
I would not recommend this program to anyone, unless accessing your e-mail over the Internet is really that important to you.
Even then, I would recommend that you pick up a U of T e-mail or Hotmail account instead, both of which offer much better service. I’m InTouch is free to install, but costs $15 a month or $150 annually to use.
At that price I would have rather paid for the new Varsity Stadium.
