hi all !!!

There is a really usefull application , which is "Remote Desktop" . In short , IT lets you USE (not access , but use) your home computer , from any other internet enabled PC.

Assuming that :

your home PC runs win XP Enterprise edition
You leave your home PC switched on !
you have an internet connection set up for RemoteDEsktop (just open a few ports in the router)


you can -from any computer in the world - Use your home computer. I mean use , that is , from the internet cafe in Africa you see your desktop , your wallpaper , your icons , your Software executing !!!

It may sound sloooow (your home computer is sending updates on what's on the screen , many times a second) but surprisingly Its not that slow -at all. - If you select black-and-white or 4 bit color (on the "african" side) and pick a moderate screen size (640x480) you would be surprised that the speed of the average internet cafe is *more than enough* to run your software from home .

Indeed !-as the email routers ,etc.. are so slow in Africa, I find myself that ITs actually faster to send email using this remote desktop thing , than the local STMP forwarders. (with the added bonus that you can read your home-pc email , no different web-based email address for the trip ,etc)

As you are in fact using your PC at home *not the one in Africa* you would be deligted to see that even the keyboard mapping is the one you have at home , not at the cyber , so no more problems with french/arabic keyboards.

How is it done ?
Assuming that you have your home pc already set up for RDC (which is bundled free in every winXP copy) from the remote PC you need to launch

Start/Programs/Accesories/Communicatins/Remote Desktop Client
-enter your IP address , your common PC password .. and that is !!!

Cheers
JAvier