Working in IT for 5 years, I’ve learned that desktop / screen sharing software applications make life much easier for both users and administrators. Not only is it a great way to provide technical support to your users, but it’s also a great way to quickly and easily share data and collaborate with others remotely.
I have been using remote desktop software for a long time and it works wonders for our team. Several people in different locations across the country can work on a presentation or project plan at the same time from their desktops!
As you can imagine, sharing the screen with a friend or family member will also come in handy much more than you think. My dad recently bought a Mac, and since he has been a PC user his whole life, he needed my help learning OS X. Since we live in two different cities, the best way to do this is to show him your screen, let me take it and show him how to navigate the OS.
Here is a list of a few of my favorite screen-sharing programs over the past few years:
ScreenLeap
ScreenLeap is a new service for free screen sharing. Their whole argument is for one-click sharing, which works well if you have Java enabled. It takes about 20 seconds to download and you’re done. You receive a code and pass that code to someone else who can view your screen from a desktop, tablet, or even smartphone. This is quite convenient and convenient as many people use tablets and phones more often than computers.
The big drawback is Java. For example, on a Mac, Apple disabled Java for security reasons. This means you won’t be able to share your screen unless you turn Java back on, but it will also make your computer less secure. Another disadvantage of ScreenLeap is that the free service only supports 2 hours of screen sharing per day. That’s more than enough for me, but if you need more, they have paid plans too.
Joined
join.me is a site created by the folks at LogMeIn, a very popular service for remotely accessing your computer. Join.me not only provides instant screen access, but also has a host of features that make it ideal for online meetings. The free version allows you to have up to 10 participants who can view your screen at the same time, allows you to transfer control to another participant, includes support for multiple monitors, supports chat and file transfer, and allows people to view your screen on iPad, iPhone. or an Android device with its own mobile apps. Wonderful.
FreeScreenSharing
FreeScreenSharing.com is another good site that allows you to host unlimited online meetings up to 6 hours each. They don’t have any paid plans, and they seem to want to keep them that way, which is very user-friendly. You really need to create an account to get started, but it only requires a name and email address. The interface is clean and intuitive.
What I love about this site is that they also have entire PDF guides to help you learn every feature of the website. Overall, I enjoyed using their site for large meetings when I wanted to share my screen with multiple attendees. You can have one-on-one sessions, but the number of features they have is a bit overkill for a one-time use.
Skype
Let’s not forget about one of the most popular programs that millions of people have already installed on their computers: Skype You can easily share your screen with another Skype user, which is very convenient because Skype is a safe and reliable program that many people already know and use.
The only downside to Skype is that you can share your screen with someone through a voice call for free. You will need Skype Premium if you want to share your screen during a video call. So this is a big plus for Skype Still not a bad option.
Fast screen sharing
Quick Screen Share is a side project of a company that makes screencast software. What I love about it is that it is very easy to use and does not require any account or software download. Again, the downside of this is that Java is used for this, which could possibly be disabled on your machine and therefore makes it unusable.
However, if Java is enabled, Quick Screen Share is a great solution for anyone looking to quickly share their screen. You can control your mouse and keyboard remotely, that’s all. There are no bells and whistles with this program. Additionally, because it creates a direct peer-to-peer connection, it may not work across corporate networks, schools, or other highly secure networks.
Depending on your needs, you can choose which service / program suits you best. Some are better suited for real online presentations, while others are just screen sharing apps. If you know one that I missed, or one that you think is better, leave a comment! Enjoy!
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