Description:
Moving files and settings from one computer to another is what PCsync 3.0 is all about, and it's a terrific product in so many ways. It's incredibly feature packed--one could say the developers even threw in the kitchen "sync." Through its included LapLink serial cable, a parallel-to-parallel link cable, or a USB-to-USB link cable (otherwise known as a LAN), it lets you quickly and easily ensure that both PCs have the latest version of the files of your choice. PCsync does its file update magic through an interface that makes Microsoft Briefcase look as primitive as an abacus. Once you've installed PCsync on a pair of computers, it's a simple matter to share them, connect them, and select files and folders that you wish to synchronize. PCsync will look at the file dates and ensure that each computer is updated with the latest version of the files you selected. If there are conflicts--files with the same name, for example--PCsync lets you know so you can decide whether to overwrite them. That way, files that you might need to revert to won't be accidentally deleted. File synchronization is only one of PCsync's tricks. Another one--and possibly its coolest--is its PC migration assistant. Suppose you've purchased a brand-new PC, but you've been using your old PC for five years and it's overstuffed with files, applications, and settings that you really wish you could move to your new computer with ease. PCsync does this with surprising ease and grace, walking users through the process via a wizard and even bridging different versions of Windows. We were able to migrate several applications, Start Menu settings, desktop settings, and other bits of personalization from a Windows 98 PC to a newly set-up Windows XP computer without hassle. The only disappointment is actually a frivolity: PCsync includes a module called MusicMover, a special music applet that lets you organize, catalog, and transfer between PCs and even play MP3s. We found this module's interface to be lacking in intuitiveness and, for some reason, it had a terrible time searching our hard disks for MP3 files. MusicMover's shortcomings aren't enough to detract from PCsync 3.0's otherwise outstanding, simple, and convenient feature set. If you're purchasing a new computer and you're not sure how to get all your old stuff onto it, or if you use a laptop and a desktop simultaneously and need an easy way to keep your files in order, you'll love PCsync. --Joel Durham, Jr.
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