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April 13th, 2007
Episode #76
Before I begin, I feel obliged to mention that I am in no way unbiased when it comes to the program this column is about, Mac HelpMate. I've known the developer, Dean Shavit, for quite some time, have been a beta tester for him, and use his program daily in my consulting business. In fact, I'm not sure that I'd have a consulting business without Mac HelpMate (you'll hear more about that shortly). Furthermore, Dean has never charged me a penny for a valuable Mac HelpMate Professional Edition license, which my partner Pat Fauquet and I use every day to assist our consulting clients by remote control.
I wanted to make this full and complete disclosure of my biases before I said a word about Mac HelpMate. That said, I think Mac HelpMate is one of the greatest Mac maintenance, diagnostic, and troubleshooting tools ever invented, and you can't beat the price -- it's free.
But wait...there's more...Not only is Mac HelpMate chock full of excellent free features, it also includes the best zero configuration remote control screen sharing software I have ever used. And while that feature isn't free, if you're a working Mac consultant I think you'll find the pricing for this feature quite reasonable.
OK. So that's the big picture. Now I'm going to delve a little deeper into both flavors of Mac HelpMate. First I'll show you just some of the cool things it does in its free mode. Then I'll show you how the screen sharing mode works and explain why we are so happy using it with our consulting clients all around the globe.
By the way, the Mac HelpMate software is the same for both modes of use. In other words, the software you download and use for free is the exact same software we use for consulting. The only difference is that the subscription version has its screen-sharing component enabled while the free version does not. Oh, and the subscription version can have a custom main screen graphic as I'll show you shortly.
Let's start with some of the cool stuff you can do with Mac HelpMate in its free mode.
Rather than waste a lot of time and energy restating the obvious, I'm going to let Mac HelpMate pretty much speak for itself, so here comes a series of screen shots that pretty much explain it all, starting with the Diagnostics menu:
As you can see, this one little menu offers all kinds of useful information for troubleshooting. But wait; there's more! The Optimize tab offers three handy functions: Repair Disk Permissions, Repair OS 9 Permissions, and Update Prebinding. There's no picture of it because it's only got those three options.
Next is the Clean tab, which offers more than a dozen useful housekeeping functions including cache cleaning routines, a preference validator, a quick way to trigger Mac OS X's daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance scripts, and more:
The Prefs tab lets you change a bunch of Mac OS X's hidden preferences with its “Toggle the following” menu expanded:
The Disk tab offers more useful options:
And last but not least, what may be the most useful tab of them all, the Auto tab, which lets you schedule most of the functions in the Optimize and Clean tabs so they execute automatically. Sweet!
So that's a quick look at much of what Mac HelpMate can do for you for free.
By the way, of course I'm aware that there are other fine and free programs that can do many of the things Mac HelpMate can do. TinkerTool and Onyx come to mind but I know there are others, too. I don't mean to take anything away from them – they're great programs that I've used for many years. But I don't know of any other program that packs so many useful features into a single handy application.
Before we move on to the screen sharing/remote control side of Mac HelpMate, I'd be remiss if I didn't caution you that some of these routines may have unintended and possibly unwanted consequences. So might I suggest you not run a routine unless you understand fully what it does. For what it's worth, the Mac HelpMate application help pages are unfinished, but many of the functions are explained in the portion that is done which can be found at http://www.machelpmate.com/help/more.html.
Mac HelpMate Subscription (i.e. paid) Mode
The professional subscription mode gets you the zero configuration screen sharing service that lets you take control of your client's computer screen. The zero configuration part is key -- it means that even if your client's computer has a firewall, router, NAT, or port forwarding -- Mac HelpMate works flawlessly.
Here's how a typical remote control troubleshooting session with a client works.
After setting up an appointment, we call the client at the appointed time. For what it's worth, we use Skype (http://www.skype.com) for both incoming and outgoing calls and have not only saved hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars but have also been deliriously happy with it.
Once we're on the phone together we ask the client to download the customized version of Mac HelpMate from my Web site (http://www.boblevitus.com/Tech/HelpMate/HelpMate.html) if they haven't already, then launch it and choose Remote Support from the Get Support menu as shown.
After a few seconds the Remote Support window appears with the User Name and Password already typed in. The client clicks the Share My Screen button in the Share tab to begin the session.
As soon as they've done that I click the Control tab in the Remote Support window. The client's computer name appears automatically (20-inch-iMac: P6IWXS83:57616 in the figure below) so all I have to do is click Start Control button and in a moment I'm controlling the client's computer remotely. .
That's all there is to it. At this point we politely ask the client to remove his or her hands from the keyboard and mouse, and take over their Mac (or PC, for that matter). In the figure below I'm controlling the computer named “20-inch-iMac.local.” Its screen appears on my screen in a window, and my mouse and keyboard control it.
(Click the thumbnail for a ginormous image)
In the figure above, the client (my wife Lisa) has been having trouble with her Colin's Classic Cards game quitting unexpectedly, so I've opened her Home/Library/Preferences folder and am about to move all of the appropriate preference files from the Preferences folder to the Desktop. If that fixes the problem for her, we're done. If not, I move the preference files back into the Preferences folder and start looking for another possible cause.
It really is that fast and simple. We love it and so do our clients. In the old days we had to limit ourselves to clients an hour or less away from our homes/offices. Today, with Mac HelpMate Pro, we're able to work with clients all over the globe as easily as we once worked with our local clients. We have clients in most states and at least 10 foreign countries. That rocks.
By the way, if you're thinking you can do the same thing with free software such as Chicken of the VNC, good luck. If your client uses a firewall, router, NAT setup, or even DHCP, which the majority of our clients use to connect to the Internet, it may not be so easy to make a connection. And you'll almost certainly have to ask your client to make changes to their network configuration, which is something we try to avoid.
There is one last thing: When I first decided to use remote control software to support clients in faraway places, Mac HelpMate hadn't been invented yet. The only option I could find that was remotely similar (pun intended) was a hosted service called eCare, from Netopia. We used it for around a year and let me tell you, it totally sucked. Not only did it cost a LOT more than a Mac HelpMate Pro subscription (over $1,800.00 a year to be precise), but when Tiger came out, it took Netopia over 4 months to update eCare to work with it. And yes, that meant that for over 4 months we had to turn down work from every client who was running Tiger. What was even worse was that Netopia didn't seem to give a damn that they were destroying my business. We wrote, called, and e-mailed repeatedly and all they would say is that, “the engineers are working on it and we expect the issue to be resolved soon.” Needless to say, as soon as Dean offered us Mac HelpMate we cancelled eCare immediately.
So there you have it. Because of Mac HelpMate Pro we have the ability to work with clients all around the world as easily as we work with clients in our neighborhoods. We've used it for hundreds (maybe even thousands) of client sessions and unlike eCare, Mac HelpMate has always worked exactly the way it should. Furthermore, Dean and his team are constantly updating and improving it, so I am not the least bit worried about it breaking when Leopard ships. (On the other hand, if we still used eCare I'd be terrified right about now.)
If you're a Mac consultant, you owe it to yourself to look into Mac HelpMate Pro. For everyone else, the free version is chock full of useful features for maintaining and troubleshooting your Mac.
INFO
Mac HelpMate is free for personal use, though donations to help fund development are gladly accepted. The Professional and Enterprise Editions, which include the superb zero-configuration screen sharing component, are available by subscription with prices starting at just $600/year.
For more information or to download your free copy, visit: http://www.machelpmate.com.
And that's all he wrote...
Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus has been a Macintosh user for a long, long time and has written 49 computer books including Mac OS X Tiger For Dummies and GarageBand for Dummies. He also offers expert technical help and training to Mac users, in real time and at reasonable prices, via telephone, e-mail, and/or unique Internet-enabled remote control software. For more information on Bob and his services, visit www.boblevitus.com.
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Send impolite comments to DeleteWithoutReading@boblevitus.com, or post your comments below.Dr. Mac: Rants & Raves Archives.
Observer Comments
I've been trying to get my boss to buy a Mac. The only problem is that he's in a different country most of the time, and doesn't know anyone well enough locally who could help him. This sounds perfect, and I was reading the article with delight until I got to the "only" $600 a year part.
That was the end of that. In my circumstances I'd be able to justify $50 or maybe even $100, but I guarantee that he would say "For $600 I could buy a computer. Forget this Mac stuff."
The pricing is designed for working consultants. I've talked to Dean about a lower price for individual users and he's thinking about it. But he isn't set up to support lots of individual users and isn't sure how he could price a "consumer" version and not be burdened.
Have you looked at Timbuktu Pro? Two nodes of it are under $200. It's not as good (IMHO) as Mac HelpMate Pro for troubleshooting and remote support, but it does give you remote control and it does work pretty well.
I hope that helps...
Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
Yeah I was interested also until the price tag *heh* A consumer version would be great and it would substantially increase his target audience. Looks like a pretty good app. I have ARD which is nice, to help out family members, or a client here or there, but it's definitely not 0 configuration 
Have you looked at SpyMe (http://www.readpixel.com/spyme/)? It starts at only $15, and maxes out at $95. And these are one time fees, not yearly fees. It includes a help desk button for almost zero configuration help calls. (Your friends, family, or clients have to type in your IP address.)
QuoteDoctorMac wrote:
The pricing is designed for working consultants. I've talked to Dean about a lower price for individual users and he's thinking about it. But he isn't set up to support lots of individual users and isn't sure how he could price a "consumer" version and not be burdened.
Have you looked at Timbuktu Pro? Two nodes of it are under $200. It's not as good (IMHO) as Mac HelpMate Pro for troubleshooting and remote support, but it does give you remote control and it does work pretty well.
I can certainly understand his point about supporting a sudden influx of people, like me, who think they know what they are doing, until they get themselves in too deep.
However, I'm desperate for something to support my parents (in Florida) from here (Central Europe). They run 10.2 on an ancient (seemingly) eMac, with a mere 128 meg of ram. I couldn't upgrade them if I wanted (and I want! I even have them a copy of 10.3, but I don't dare install it on their tiny hard drive and anemic memory)
So, what options, other than this, are there?
Thanks, Bob for the suggestion on Timbuctu, and for the other suggestion. I shall see if they support this ancient version of Mac OS.
-Jon
VNC is the poorman’s way to go. It’s free. Tiger even has a VNC server built-in. But it does require a little technical savvy to make the connection. Best way is to use an SSH tunnel. I use it through (hardware) firewalls all the time. YMMV.
Leopard is supposed to support screen sharing, so this may all be moot soon.
QuoteRainy Day wrote:
VNC is the poorman’s way to go. It’s free. Tiger even has a VNC server built-in. But it does require a little technical savvy to make the connection.
And there's the rub. I can't see myself getting my parents up and running form 5,000 miles away with VNC. I've envisioned it, and it gave me nightmares.
That's why this one was so very appealing to me. It's a no-brainer from their end--but again, with them running 10.2, my options seem to be non-existent. Thanks, though, I'm reading about VNC now.
Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:39 am Subject: re:pricing
QuoteDoctorMac wrote:
The pricing is designed for working consultants. I've talked to Dean about a lower price for individual users and he's thinking about it. But he isn't set up to support lots of individual users and isn't sure how he could price a "consumer" version and not be burdened.
For supporting me, probably I'm overlooking something, but as far as I can tell all I'd need is the magic relay. Both of our ISPs use NAT systems (though I could pay a bit more and get an addressable IP.) I haven't looked at Timbuktu for years, as I just haven't had the need. The last time I did, firewalls and NAT boxes were a problem.
as of the Leopard release this October - screen sharing / remote control is built right into iChat.... sort of puts a damper on this sort of thing doesn't it?? I mean, who in their right mind would pay 600$ for screen sharing capability if it's built right into the system already? the other features look nice though - i use onyx but will give this a spin..... thanks for the tip.
Wow, the Pro version review got my mouth watering... until I saw that $600 annual subscription fee. That is a killer.
A Family Edition would be great.
I've managed to get most of my Windows using relatives to switch to Macs. (We're 80% MacFamily now!) I've got Timbuktu Pro 8.6, have kept it up to date over the years, but not used much. I guess I'll dust it off and set up my aunt with TB2 and a new iMac 24.
The free version looks nice though. How does it compare to Onyx?
You better, because Mac Help Mate sends traffic and information through him.
Dean runs the same type of business that most people who want his product run.
I have a problem with that, and because there is no way to purchase mac help mate and send the traffic through a 3rd party, I could never use or recommend MHM.
I picked this up from Mac OS X hints. I haven't tried it although it sounds like the easiest way from someone on the other end to allow you to connect. Some work involved geting the package put together but hey, they wouldn't be asking you if they didn't think you knew what to do right?
<http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070302234400232&query=Make+remote+tech+support+as+simple+as+possible>
The Machelpmante concept is great for the consulting field. Just too pricey for taking care of the brother-in-law or the occasional family member's issue.
As for Dr. Mac. You're the best . I remember you from before the Power Computing days. You sure took care of my hardware problem when you were working for them.
Keep up the good work!
L
Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:49 am Subject: A very good question, here's the answer...
I'm the developer of Mac HelpMate...Dean
Producing Mac HelpMate as a service for other consultants did indeed generate several questions regarding the trustworthiness of our service and our own company. We understood (and still understand) that because we are in the same business as our customers, that there might be a perceived conflict of interest, or a trust issue. But after the great success of Mac HelpMate I've discovered the following:
1) Our subscribers trust the technology behind Mac HelpMate. They understand the strength of the encryption and respect it
2) The fact that we are in the same business as our customers gives a great advantage - we use our software daily, and therefore are far more in tune with how it works than people who produce software and don't use it in the field. We are constantly improving it getting suggestions from our subscribers. We answer their questions. We participate in the Apple Consultants Network and I am one of the editors of MacTech magazine.
3) When working with a group (or guild) within a certain profession, reputation is everything. We've worked on the Mac HelpMate business and service for over two years. There's been rewards, yes. But we recognize how delicate our hard-earned reputation is and would do nothing to jeopardize that.
4) We have had several security experts analyze Mac HelpMate 2.1 and they all have agreed that there's no way to decode the encrypted information between a machine sharing its screen and one viewing it.
5) We run a server to enable the connections through NATs. It's necessary for the zero-config option to work. We have found no demand for a version of Mac HelpMate that uses a different server, although we are in the process of developing one for the enterprise market. It's not really a concern that an intermediate server is used, but rather that the data is encrypted.
Running a very fast (and reliable) intermediate server is very challenging...and costs us several thousand dollars a month. That cost is divided among all of the subscribers. So, we are enabling access to a level of service that wouldn't readily be available to just one subscriber alone.
We've loved developing this software and are heartened to hear the successes our subscribers have. The next version of Mac HelpMate will add some cool new stuff to our current line up:
-Win HelpMate (cross-platform screen sharing with MHM)
-Auto HelpMate (unattended zero-config screen sharing, like Timbuktu)
-Mac UserMate (simplified interface for end users)
Thanks to Bob for the review and to everyone else who uses MHM (Mac HelpMate)
Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:29 am Subject: Re: A very good question, here's the answer...
QuoteDean wrote:
I'm the developer of Mac HelpMate...Dean
Dean-
Thanks for posting. I appreciate the detail you went into in your response, and now I can certainly appreciate and understand why you are leery of opening this up to end users. I can't imagine the hit you would take to your servers, and the headaches of keeping it all going properly!
Thanks again for writing.
-Jon
I've used FogCreek's Copilot service a few times and it works very well. At $5 for a 24hour pass it's perfect for those wqanting remote control occasionally.
https://www.copilot.com/
"The Fog Creek CopilotSM service allows people to help their friends, relatives, and customers fix their computer problems by connecting to their computers via the Internet.
Unlike other remote assistance services, Fog Creek Copilot is secure, easy to use, works through virtually all home or office firewalls, and requires no installation or configuration."
Simon
Wow. CoPilot looks like a great solution for the user who only needs remote control occasionally. I had not heard of it before but will keep it in mind in the future. Thanks for mentioning it.
And for those who have mentioned Leopard's iChat screen sharing, yes, that should solve the problem for many. But... I'm almost certain it will require both users to be running Leopard, which may be a deal-breaker for some.
The thing we like best about using Mac HelpMate is that it not only makes the screen sharing part simple for our clients, but also provides us with numerous helpful tools for diagnosing and repairing their systems.
I hope that helps...
Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:34 pm Subject: I like zero config remote but not for $600 a year
I like zero config remote but not for $600 a year, OUCH!!!
I'm waiting for Go To MY PC's version for Mac which they say they're working on. They only charge $30 a month which is half the cost and is also zero config wich works out to $360 a year. Now if only Apple could include zero config remote with .Mac accounts, that would be really cool feature.
Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:29 am Subject: Mac HelpMate works, and exists!
1) Go to my PC for Mac doesn't exist
2) If it did, it would be $30 per month PER COMPUTER so $360 to control ONE Mac for a year
Mac HelpMate is $600 / year for UNLIMITED Macs....you do the math!
And, for those who might say "well, Mac HelpMate doesn't include the ability to initiate screen sharing with no one logged in like Go to My PC -- well, it does! That's our new product, Auto HelpMate. Bob doesn't use it, but it works just like Go to my PC for Mac would - if Go to My PC for Mac existed.
I find it funny that people have been comparing our product to
A) Leopard Screen Sharing - doesn't exist, and probably won't be free, and certainly won't be zero-config and if the iChat AV performance is any indication, may not work on many networks...
B) Lower-cost solutions like that aren't engineered for support pros and consultants like Mac HelpMate - and that have no SLA (service level agreement guarantee) like Mac HelpMate does.
I'm truly sorry it's not cheaper for those MacObserver readers who find it too expensive for family and friends. We are currently researching a consumer edition of Mac HelpMate, but if we ship one, it won't be for quite some time. Bob put it in perspective: Mac HelpMate is for working consultants and support pros who can't settle for tools that don't work or wait for vaporware that may or may not do the job to materialize.
Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:25 am Subject: Re: Mac HelpMate works, and exists!
QuoteDean wrote:
I'm truly sorry it's not cheaper for those MacObserver readers who find it too expensive for family and friends. We are currently researching a consumer edition of Mac HelpMate, but if we ship one, it won't be for quite some time. Bob put it in perspective: Mac HelpMate is for working consultants and support pros who can't settle for tools that don't work or wait for vaporware that may or may not do the job to materialize.
Dean-
I appreciate all you've said, and you have my sympathies if ever you decide to support a consumer edition.
Maybe a compromise would be a one-to-one edition with no technical support other than online support--either via the documentation, or maybe forums, allowing users to help each other. However, I can certainly understand the massive bandwidth overhead on doing such a thing, and how that would discourage such an endeavor. I wouldn't blame you at all if you didn't do it.!
That said, I wish there were some sort of zero-config system for consumers. My parents are 5,000 miles away, and right now, they can't get their Safari to launch. What do I do? I can't explain to them what files to try deleting, or other options over the phone--they just don't get it, and I tried simply iChatting them the instructions.
Worse, I'm behind a couple layers (if not more) of firewalls, so getting out seems impossible for me. I just tried a dyndns experiment yesterday, and it failed. If I can't do that, what _can_ I do? So, while I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't produce such a product for us, I would be greatly appreciative if you did! I've appreciated your input, which has helped me immensely to understand your product and purpose. Thank you for your time.
-Jon
QuoteActually, all that’s required on the remote end is a VNC server (which is built-into Tiger, but not AFAIK in Jaguar, so your folks need to run something like OSXvnc), and SSH access. Some initial VNC server and SSH configuration is required. The rest of the “work” is done at your end (i.e. creating the SSH tunnel, and configuring the VNC client). A little AppleScript app could probably do the setup. An AppleScript could certainly be used to startup the VNC server and enable SSH access, making it very easy for your parents.JonGl wrote:QuoteRainy Day wrote:
VNC is the poorman’s way to go. It’s free. Tiger even has a VNC server built-in. But it does require a little technical savvy to make the connection.
And there's the rub. I can't see myself getting my parents up and running form 5,000 miles away with VNC. I've envisioned it, and it gave me nightmares.
However there are some security issues. I recommend turning off Password SSH access (as it is too insecure, IMO) and using Public Key Pairs instead. If there are hardware firewalls on the other end, then you may have to work around that too. But these are issues for any remote screen sharing utility (and this approach is probably more secure than the solution being advocated in this thread, and other solutions like Timbuktu and Apple’s Remote Desktop employ, so YMMV.)
Check out the “Screen sharing/remote control” section of Things MacOS X
Mac HelpMate IS a great app... but not affordable for me either, not even as a technician... instead I set up a FREE account with Logmein and then add any mac machine (from their machine and VERY easy to do, all instructions on screen as you set it up... even my mom could do it), and you are sent to a window to download and setup the mac to access full shared access for FREE!
You will not see any option for mac based logmein on their site... you have to log into your account on the machine you wish to add and click on add computer... the site will recognize your system as a mac and direct you accordingly.
That machine will then appear on your computer list... I have many on mine, but only for emergencies thus the cost of Mac HelpMate is out of my league.
I have been lucky enough to have enough clients right in my local area to keep me buys on site.
QuoteJonGl wrote:
That said, I wish there were some sort of zero-config system for consumers. My parents are 5,000 miles away, and right now, they can't get their Safari to launch. What do I do?
Find a Mac consultant in your parents area. Have them fix your parent's problems for now and set up a secure remote access so you can work with them in the future. I'm sure your parents will be happy to spend a little money so they can work with their computer.
QuoteGuest wrote:
Mac HelpMate IS a great app... but not affordable for me either, not even as a technician...
I have been lucky enough to have enough clients right in my local area to keep me buys on site.
No disrespect, but if you're kept busy as you claim, and Mac HelpMate is not affordable, then you are not charging enough for your services.
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