Byte Marks
2Sync offers desktop convenience

By Burt Lum

On a rare occasion I'll get unsolicited e-mail of actual interest. That was the case after I did an article on MOPy, the virtual fish, about a year ago.

Because of the download I provide an e-mail address, which is sometimes followed by much unwanted spam. This wasn't the case with MOPy. I hadn't received any e-mail from them until this recent announcement from Global Beach on the debut of their new product called 2Sync.

Thinking that MOPy was quite novel, I concluded that 2Sync might prove interesting, at the least. First you will need the latest version of Macromedia Flash (version 5) and download the 2Sync interface to your Windows PC. This won't run on your Macintosh.

The 2Sync interface is basically a Web-based application that provides functions like e-mail, tasks, notes and contact lists. It operates over the Web, stores data on remote servers and can work with your Palm Pilot and Outlook desktop.

While the concept is not new — others such as Yahoo! and Microsoft Hotmail provide Web access to personal productivity tools — 2Sync is different because it does not require a browser like Internet Explorer. It runs on your desktop and connects into 2Sync servers as the ASP or Application Service Provider.

2Sync also has a customizable look and feel. You can download background images to customize your interface.

It can also provide upgrades automatically. Because most of the applications are running off servers elsewhere, periodic updates can be downloaded automatically to your desktop through the Internet.

Microsoft and others see the ASP model as the future of desktop applications. No more shrink-wrapped version upgrades and unauthorized copying of software. Everything is delivered over the Net.

The 2Sync interface holds promise, but I found it a bit slow for my tastes. Still, it's worth watching as this trend develops. ;-)

Burt Lum is just a click away at burt@brouhaha.net.