In my previous Mac2Windows column, we
took a look at Sharity from
Object Development, which aims to plug some of the gaps in OS X's
support for Macs in Windows networking. Sharity is more of a plus
for OS X 10.1.x users than Jaguar users; while all OS X
users will find it a pleasant speed enhancer, 10.1.x users will
benefit from its abilities to browse the Windows network and to
connect to multiple Windows shares at one time (though this later
function is limited in some versions).
- Several careful readers of last week's column noticed that I
implied that OS X could only connect to a single Windows share
at a time on its own; in fact, this is only true of OS X
10.1.x. Jaguar adds the ability to connect to multiple shared
folders at the same time, even on different Windows servers.
There's another alternative for Mac users looking to share files
across a network with Windows computers. Australia's Lava Software offers
PC-Mac-Net
FileShare, a low cost product that is a simple way to
connect any of a combination of Classic OS Macs, OS X Macs,
Windows 9x, and Windows NT/2000/XP systems - all sharing files in
any direction.
In addition to running a copy of the software on each computer
(there are versions for the various Mac OSes and the range of
Windows OSes), you'll need to have TCP/IP installed on each system
and hav some sort of valid network connection. Using it, my iBook
with an AirPort card happily exchanges files with the Compaq
notebook wired into my router.
PC-Mac-Net FileShare makes no attempts to integrate itself into
either the Mac or Windows operating system. Unlike Thursby's
Dave, it
doesn't become an extension of the Classic Mac OS's Chooser or the
OS X Finder's Go menu. Unlike Sharity, nothing is added to
basic system folders. It's a simple application that can be started
up as needed on each computer.
Its looks are pretty minimalist, as well. Whether on Windows or
the Mac, it opens into a 3-tabbed window with a tab for
Preferences, a tab for File Transfers, and a tab for news from the
company (currently announcing the new version 2.1 and a buy-one
get-two sale for licenses). The users should make sure their
computers have a name, and optionally set a password for file
sharing. Workgroup IP addresses can be set manually, which will
speed up locating the other computers when the program is started.
And users with a firewall may need to edit the port number used by
the networking.
In the file transfer dialogue, you choose another system on your
network that is also running the program; it scans the network
regularly, looking out to see if other computers have joined up.
When you select a computer, files available for sharing are
automatically listedóboth on your local computer (the one
you're sitting at) and the remote one.
The catch is that PC-Mac-Net FileShare only shows you files in
the Shared folder it creates on each computer's desktop. To make
other files available for sharing, they have to be copied into that
folder. Subfolders created in the Shared folder aren't visible
across the network. Lava Software suggests that for the best
performance, keep as few files in your Shared folders as possible,
moving unneeded files out regularly, and never have more than 200
files in the folder at any one time.
That's about it - a bare-bones approach to Mac/Windows file
sharing. If you're prepared to live with moving files to and from a
single folder on each system, it may be a winner. Its big plus is
the ability to work with your choice of classic OS and OS X
Macs and any flavour of Windows from Win95 onwards.
Lava Software has free downloadable versions available in each
of its four flavours (Classic OS Mac, OS X Mac, Win95/98/ME and
WinNT/2000/XP). These demos will only transfer files smaller than
2 MB and only connect up to three workstations, but they can
be used for an unlimited amount of time.
The full versions cost US$24.95 per license, and you'll need a
different license code for each computer that you run it on. At the
moment, they're offering users two product codes with every license
purchased. A license also includes a year's worth of upgrades. The
company is looking at adding folder transfers, chat capabilities,
and enhanced Internet file sharing.
