The Problem with TeamViewer (TeamViewer Is Awesome BTW)

The Things I Love About TeamViewer

It is multi-platform. It works on many *nix machines that have an X-Windows GUI. It works on all Windows Machines; Server2008, Win7 Pro, XP Home Edition-- it doesn't care. When other mixed technologies fail, TeamViewer usually works (I have a lot of 'unnecessary' technology in my house.). The same client install serves and acts as a client. You can start a session from your Linux laptop to your wife's Win7 laptop to fix that problem she was having. Later you can use her Win7 laptop to get into your Linux laptop to see if that compile finished. It is the same client. Configuration could be a hair more intuitive, but that is like asking for a revision of the Sistine Chapel. Could it be better, sure. Is it great the way it is, yes. For individual non-commercial use, it is free to use. And do so, it is great. It is the program I use in my home when I don't feel like using CLI. It is the technology I tell my wife and sister to use, their skills are above average-- but that is because most people's technological knowledge is poor. I even think many technologically bereft people could figure out how to use TeamViewer. Tell your friends. (Write about it's awesomeness in a blog maybe.) Nerds, listen up. If you are a Netflix subscriber, you have probably seen the 'You Can't Do That' screen from RDP. TeamViewer works. I regularly control my HTPC connected to my TV with my Android phone-- there is a TeamViewer Android app.

I Thought You Said Something About Problems

I would use the product heavily for SFTP maybe once a month. I would use the product for a few minutes about twice a week to fix some little thing and be done. But, I don't use it for work. I could use it happily instead of RDP, SFTP, CLI over SSH, and remote connection via DDNS like features. If it is so great, why don't you use it? Licensing costs. I want to pay them. I love their product. Licensing is big with me. I want to be legit. I don't want anyone knocking on my door. I am beholden to no-one. Therefore, I use a lot of open source products. Open source is not free. I charge a modest amount of money for each product. Those specific proceeds are donated. I have donated to OpenBSD, the Illumos Foundation, and Debian through SPI. It is important that the projects I like and use get money. Period. They just have so few licensing options, their cheapest option is to pay over $400 per year to rent the software. It is roughly $37 dollars per month. It is harder to give what I feel I can to closed source enterprises, pricing is rigid. What I currently use is free. My other options, (which are sufficient, but not better) are much less expensive. My motivation to use non-free solutions is to simplify my life. Setups and configurations for free solutions take time and effort. I want to do my work, get in and get out. The more time I take, the less money I make on jobs with a fixed cost being billed to the client. Their competitor LogMeIn is good, for the time being that is the product I will use. It is not great like TeamViewer is, but it is less than a third of the price for what I want to do.

Hopes and Dreams

It costs very little for TeamViewer to restructure their product pricing-- or get creative on a case by case basis. I am a raving fan that wants to give them money and I cannot justify giving them what they are asking given my current situation and my infrequent, short lived needs of their product. Their product is an excellent solution to a common problem and most people will like it a lot. If you have room in the budget, I have no qualms with recommending it with all the good I can relay. But, at this time is not at a sufficient price point or with licensing terms that are compatible with the work I do for me to use it.