THE PC GUY ; Remote computing: [All Editions]

My buddy Ron had a problem: He needed to burn a CD, but despite numerous attempts, he just couldn't figure out how to do it. Exasperated, he asked me to come over and install a simple CD burner program I had recommended and run through the procedure with him.

But it was early evening, I was exhausted, and I wasn't really up to making the 20-minute drive to his house. Besides, "Prison Break" was coming up at 8, and, hey, that is one program I will not miss for anything, even for my best of buddies.

What to do?

I called Ron and asked him instead to log onto GoToMyPC .com, and had him go through several simple steps to sign up for its free 30- day trial service. He created a password for the site and a pass code for access to his computer, and then e-mailed that information to me.

I logged onto the site, entered the codes, and within seconds, I was viewing his entire computer screen from the comfort of my own home. GoToMyPC allowed me to claim his computer as my own, displaying his desktop image on my own computer. Essentially, his desktop was now under control of my mouse and keyboard.

We've come a long way from the early days of remote computer utilities. I recall my tests with long-distance computing several years ago. Early software was painstakingly slow, clunky and prone to crashing.

In my several trials with GoToMyPC, I experienced no delays, no glitches. My tests included running antivirus programs, retrieving mail and running a defragmentation program.

In my friend's case, I easily transferred a CD burner program from my machine to his and then installed it. While he remained on the phone, I ran through the program with him, and within minutes, he was creating his first CD. And the task was completed with plenty of time before my favorite program came on.

There are other ways to take advantage of GoToMyPC. Travelers who wish to access personal documents on their home computer can log on from a hotel and conduct personal business as if they were sitting right at their desk computer. Workers stranded at home after a heavy snow (you remember, that white stuff that used to fall around this time, before 70-degree winters) can log on to their work computer and take care of critical tasks while basking before a fireplace in their bathrobe.

And some of us who can't stay away from our office computers even when on a sick day can log on for an hour, perhaps, and assist colleagues with time-sensitive work.

Lest bosses feel reluctant to permit outside access to company machines, there is nothing to fret: GoToMyPC provides no more access to users' machines than they would have if they were working on their computer at work.

In addition to giving you the ability to operate a computer anywhere in the world in virtual real time, GoToMyPC has a couple other handy features. It has a file transfer box that makes moving files between two machines as simple as moving a file to another drive on your own machine. Copies of documents, pictures, songs flow effortlessly.

It also has a draw function, which permits you to use your cursor as a marker pen, circling items on the remote screen or underlining text for emphasis.

After the 30-day trial, you'll pay $20 a month or a discounted annual rate of $180.

Pete's picks

* "I've had many gifts in my life ... but maybe the best one of all was the camera my father gave me when I was 10 years old." So notes UCLA Professor Scott Stulberg on his beautifully crafted Web site, titled simply "fotos." With an exquisite tapestry of sound and visually stunning images, Stulberg has created an extraordinarily moving experience. The site has images taken in locations ranging from the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador to Southeast Asia, locations he calls "my favorite places on Earth." Take this wondrous tour make sure your speakers are turned up at asa100.com.

* SequoiaView is yet another directory manager (we've discussed a few in recent weeks), although this one is unique. It uses the principle of tree maps colorful rectangular representations of files and directories to provide graphic snapshots of your hard drive. Developed by mathematics and computer professors at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in the Netherlands, it brings a highly visual component to your directory navigation tasks. Send an e-mail to me with the letters "SEQ" in the subject field for a free copy. Please include your name and town.

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