Editorial Review
LapLink Gold is a network tool that can be used for administration and support by IT departments, or as a communications suite for everyone on your network. The application includes remote control, file transfer, text and voice chat, remote printer use, and remote network connection utilities.
The interface for LapLink Gold could not be simpler to use. Everything is available in the LapLink application window, from permissions administration to drag-and-drop file transfers. Various connection options are provided so you can reach other computers through your LAN, over a modem connection, through the Internet, or over a direct cable connection.
If you are deciding how to allow employees of a small business to connect to the company network from home or other remote locations, this is an easy and relatively inexpensive solution. The LinkToNet option lets you create a dialup link or a secure connection over the Internet to reach your office network. Once connected to the network, almost everything that would be available in the office will be available from the remote location, including the Internet, intranet, office printers, and other network devices.
Along with the application disks, the box contains three different cables that let you connect any two Windows-based computers (Windows 95 and later) without a network card. You can use the included cables to connect two computers via serial, parallel, or USB ports. Through this network you've created you can also set up Internet connection sharing and other network tools in your Windows system. --Elizabeth Wall
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Customer Reviews
INFURIATING!! 
2001-01-31
The key value of this product is the ability to sync large or many files across machines. I travel a lot, so being able to synchronize my laptop files with my office and home workstation is the whole point of Laplink Gold. You can imagine, then, my horror at finding that this product does not work with my laptop: Dell Latitude CS 400XT. Plug in the USB cable, and the system hard resets! Very nasty.
Back in November 2000, the online support admitted that "other problems with laptops have been reported", and they would contact me with details of a patch as soon as one is available. I have heard nothing to date. Furthermore, their website makes no mention of laptops that do or don't work with this product. No mind for the customer. They just take your money, and fob you off.
When added to the USB cable price, the entire package costs around $200, but provides no value at all. To all prospective purchasers: BE CAREFUL (or be ready to demand your money back).
Even if you only ever use this once, you'll be happy. 
2001-01-25
Laplink has saved me several times and paid for itself many times over.
If you have a laptop, I'd bet you've left a file you're working on at home or at work. You intended to take it with you, but in your haste to leave you forgot it. If you had Laplink and a modem or lan connection you could have it at your fingertips in a matter of minutes. The file transfer facility is intuitive and fast.
However, the best feature is remote contol. This allows you to login to another PC that also has Laplink running and work as if you were sitting right at the keyboard of that PC.
Have you ever tried to walk a new PC user through some problem they are having and been frustrated by trying to explain the difference between a button and tab or a link? With Laplink you don't have to go through that. You can "walk them through it" right from your own keyboard. Using the online-chat feature along with the remote contol, you can solve their problem in what used to take hours of "if it weren't so sad it would be funny" type blind walkthroughs.
I've used PC Anywhere, but really prefer Laplink for its feature set and ease of use.
Even though it is named Laplink, you don't need a laptop to enjoy the features of Laplink. If you regularly use more than one non-connected PC, you need Laplink.
Not User Friendly 2001-01-01
When I bought this, I was told that this was the best and easiest to use. I am fairly computer knowledgeable and I had lots of trouble getting this product installed. After installation, I could not get it to connect my two computers through a simple serial cable connection. Documentation did not cover any of the trouble I experienced. The small "quick start" document was lacking the detail I needed to know to solve all the issues. I am not happy I bought this product.
Best product on the market for remote control and file acces 2001-12-04
Not only did I get remote control on an XP box BEHIND A FIREWALL, I can access files remotely from Laplink's Surfup service. Service is the key word here, I don't know any other place offering network services when you buy their off-the-shelf product. Laplink runs an ILS server so I can connect to my Laplink PC from anywhere on the Internet, and they run a firewall service so I can get to my home PC - behind a firewall. It's as easy as checking a box and creating a login-entry.
AND they have a Surfup web service so i can access files VIA A WEB BROWSER from anywhere ! Beat THAT !
It's simple, it works, I love it.
I have Laplink versions on several systems now... 2001-05-26
and have been using it for years with zero problems.
Remote control works fine, even over lousy 20K connections, and the "speedsync" feature makes it practical to transfer files in bulk over standard phone lines.
I routinely use it to make "service calls" without leaving my desk, and to perform periodic incremental backups of remote computers. The software's actually overkill for simple "same room" file transfers on Win 9x+ systems, but for a complete remote access package, this is hard to beat.
It works for me--that's all I ask! 2001-05-17
I have a Compaq Armada Pentium 1590DMT (150 mHz) laptop with 80 MB RAM, and my desktop is an AMD-K6-2 (350 mHz)with 64 MB RAM. Both machines have the Windows ME operating system. They link together with no problem at all using LapLink. I use the parallel ports for the link. I've never had a problem, and the application works exactly as advertised.
That's all you can ask of a product.
Joseph H. Pierre
Easiest communications package to use 2001-05-09
I had used PCanywhere for a number of years, but find that product to be inferior in its connections. LapLink is very easy to install and use. Had absolutely no problems in transferring files or using remote control.
Laplink, the Long Downward Spiral 2001-04-04
Laplink was the first to offer travellers dos software to transfer files from laptop to desktop and make backup up disks that were clones of the main hard drive. In addition, the dos version had a batch file function which could be used to backup only selected files. It ran flawlessly. Laplink 2000 and now, Laplink Gold,unfortunately are not worthy successors to the dos version. My experience is with Win98 and Laplink 2000 and Gold seem to have problems with it. The clone folder function causes fatal errors. Attempts to get help from Laplink support have come to naught. They haven't even bothered to answer my last email.
