JDtech

Which ones do you use, if any? Roboform and Lastpass are currently my two favorites. Here's a comparison.

Roboform has been around for many years. It has evolved from a first-class form filling application--with a free version as well as a commercial "pro" version--into a combination password-form filler that integrates into your browser by means of a toolbar. It's fast, easy to use, and contains no annoying pop-ups or adware.

The main knock against Roboform has been that the process of synchronising your passwords on one machine with those on another is less than elegant. An add-on product, RoboForm2GO, is required to take your password and form filling data with you to another machine. And yet another associated product, GoodSync, can help to keep passwords, form data, and other common application data in sync automatically, assuming the computers are connected or that you carry around a flash drive with the latest updates.

What's really missing, though, is the ease of use that would come with being able to synchronize passwords, form data, and other data over the Internet. Such a system uses the Internet as an intermediate storage location. That way, when you log on with your second or third computer, you can quickly and easily synchronise your passwords by accessing the synchronisation file online.

The programmers at SiberSystems, makers of RoboForm, are addressing this shortcoming with the introduction of RoboForm Online, currently in beta. RoboForm Online works its magic by allowing you to store your passwords and data on servers supplied by SiberSystems. That way, no matter where you are or which computer you're using, RoboForm Online will automatically keep your passwords up to date by fetching the latest passwords and other data from the server online.

RoboForm Online is no doubt a welcome enhancement for veteran RoboForm users. But RoboForm Online is actually playing catch up to relative newcomer Lastpass, also available for free.

Lastpass was built from the ground up with easy synchronization in mind. Essentially a Web-based application, Lastpass stores an encrypted copy of your passwords and other Internet data in your online Lastpass account. Go to a new computer, and all you have to do is log in to your Lastpass account to get your passwords installed on the new machine.

Lastpass, like RoboForm, attempts to do much more than just store passwords. It's also a form filler, allowing you to create multiple identities for different types of form filling activity. RoboForm's form filling capabilities are a bit more robust than those of Lastpass. RoboForm allows the creation of unlimited custom fields that the program should automatically recognise and fill, for example. But Lastpass's form-filling features are enough for most, and the program's ease of use and elegant synchronization method stand out.

__________________
Members don't see ads in threads. Register your free account today and become a member on Tech Today Online, gaining access to posting privileges, contests, free plug-ins and other downloads, unlimited online storage for your photographs, reviews, free marketplace listings, and much more.

__________________
Follow me on Twitter | My Tech Blog