PCsync Q&A with Laplink’s CTO

Q&A with Laplink’s Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Jack Wilson:

What’s new with PCsync 6?

Of course the biggest change in PCsync is the ability to connect, transfer, and synchronize files with a Mac.  However there have also been many changes to PCsync to allow it to work faster and better than ever before between PCs.

What goes into the development of a product like PCsync?

What’s a typical day like in software development?  One of the biggest challenges in developing a software product like PCsync is ensuring the compatibility across the many different connection types (network, USB, and local devices), and the many combination of operating systems. For example, there are 6 versions of Windows 7, plus 32 bit and 64 bit versions. A lot of time was spent determining how best to communicate between the Mac file system and the PC. Modifying PCsync so the USB cables also worked on a Mac was also a challenge.  Not too many people realize the amount of testing involved in all that.

Who should buy PCsync?

Since PCsync can be used as both a file transfer and a synchronization product, anyone who is challenged by trying to connect and transfer files between PCs will love PCsync.  More and more users are confronted by this as having multiple PCs in the office or household is becoming more common.

What makes PCsync better than other competing products?  How is it better than Sync Center in Windows 7?

PCsync is by far the easiest way to synchronize files from PCs to PCs and PCs to Macs.  Try using Sync Center to connect to a Mac or XP!  Sync Center is mainly geared to network servers, not desktop to desktop computers.  Also certain features of Sync Center don’t even work on the ‘Home’ versions of Windows software.  

Any other exciting news from Laplink’s development team?

Of course the Laplink development team continues to work on updated versions of our PCmover product, especially features for our corporate users.  We are also looking at new innovative methods to make communication between your computers even easier.  Take for instance our Laplink Everywhere product.  With that product I can get to my work or home computers from any computer with a web browser, even Internet mobile devices like cell phones and PDAs.   What other product can you remotely access a PC from an iPhone, search for a file on that computer and then e-mail it as an attachment to anyone in the world?  All securely without having to setup complicated servers, VPNs or special firewall rules.   Now as far as PCsync is concerned, did I hear anyone say “What about Linux”?