MacSOHO is targeted to those with offices that have both Macs and PCs and who need to share files. MacSOHO installs only on the Mac and allows sharing of text and graphic files between the two systems. Using the NetBEUI protocol, MacSOHO adds PC and Macintosh sharing without having to add additional PC software.
“MacSOHO uses a simple protocol that will not interfere with Internet service and is already available on a Windows-based PC,” William Thursby, Thursby president, said. “For the Japanese consumer, this should be the perfect companion product to our immensely popular DAVE.”
DAVE is a cross-platform networking solution that uses the industry standard TCP/IP protocol instead of AppleTalk and is designed specifically for the Mac. Like MacSOHO, it’s installed on the Macintosh and no additional hardware or software is required on the PC.
So what’s the difference between the two? Both DAVE and MacSOHO allow file sharing. The Mac user is able to access Windows users’ shared files, and the Macintosh user is able to share files that Windows users can access.
DAVE provides the Mac access to Windows shared PostScript printers and also shares PostScript printers for Windows users to access. MacSOHO doesn’t provide printer sharing.
DAVE allows a user to execute a network logon. This feature lets users browse different servers on the network without having to enter a username/password combination for each connection. MacSOHO doesn’t include this feature.
Because DAVE uses TCP/IP, it can be used on small networks, but it can also be used over large networks, across routers, and even using a dial-up connection — anywhere that TCP/IP is able to function. Because MacSOHO uses the NetBEUI protocol, it’s fine for small office or home office networks, but can’t be used over routed networks or used over a dial-up connection.
Both DAVE and MacSOHO can be used on all recent versions of the Mac operating system. Older versions of Mac OS (System 7.6 through Mac OS 8.5.1) can be used with DAVE, but not with MacSOHO.
Thursby’s distributor in Japan is SRINET.
“Through the past three and a half years of working with Thursby, their products have become some of the leading communication software products in Japan, and certainly the de facto tool for Mac-Windows connectivity and file sharing,” Jimmy Huang SRINET’s president, said. “There is an ever-growing demand for Mac and Windows co-existing in Japan. I think this puts Thursby in a very strategic position.”
A fully functional evaluation copy of MacSOHO is available on the Thursby Web site.