ShowDocument: Free Web Meetings and Document Sharing Instantly

We’ll I’ll be… here I thought Dimdim (review coming soon!) was going to be my new favorite online collaboration tool, and then I find ShowDocument. ShowDocument lets you share a document, whiteboard, YouTube video — all kinds of stuff — with a very, very, very quick touch of a button. You can have up to 50 attendees.

Oh, did I mention it was completely free?

The only drawback is that it doesn’t integrate audio and video unless you use the professional version, which lists its pricing as “a flat monthly rate” and asks you to fill out a form to be contacted by sales. Not a good sign for a free or low-cost tool.

But the free version is wonderful.

Web Meeting, Document Sharing | ShowDocument.

LogMeIn: A free (and reliable) remote desktop tool

I’m in Orlando this week, teaching a series of sessions on Free and Low-Cost Social Media Tools. Ordinarily I remote in to my computer at the office using Live Mesh from Microsoft, but the software is misbehaving.

So I returned to an old standby, LogMeIn. I abandoned LogMeIn because it didn’t have all the cool features that Live Mesh does, most notably that I can store the files I need on the road in Live Mesh folders, so when I update them on either computer, all copies of the files are updated. Plus, Live Mesh lets you drag and drop files across the computers, and LogMeIn makes you upgrade to the Pro version for that.

But I just tried LogMeIn again, and I am impressed. I can’t do the file sharing, but now LogMeIn allows me to copy something on one computer and paste it to the other, so I can copy a whole file to transfer. Plus, I use multiple monitors on my desktop, and LogMeIn lets me switch between them with the click of a button.

The biggest thing I like about it today is that it works, and, of course, it’s free. The professional version is quite reasonably priced as well ($70 a year for one computer), plus they have other services such as backup.

LogMeIn – Remote Access and Desktop Control Software for Your Computer.

Yugma: Free desktop sharing

This afternoon I had an impromptu meeting about a PowerPoint presentation I was working on. I conferenced together Chris in Maine and Ian in Connecticut to review the project.

We needed to see the PowerPoint at the same time, so I started an online screensharing meeting with the free version of Yugma. Within minutes, the three of us were looking at my screen as we discussed the project and I took notes.

As a small business owner who works remotely from your clients, you now have a super powerful tool to bring your clients together.  Yugma can be your secret weapon. You will look professional and prepared when you are able to share desktops to collaborate. With the free version, you can bring together up to 20 people to see your screen — perfect for small presentations or to pitch a proposal.

The upgraded version is fairly reasonable if you need other people to control the desktop or more people online together. But I find the free version fine for my small business needs.

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