Citrix has announced a public beta of the Mac version of its browser-based remote access service. The service enables access to an office Mac from any computer, including PCs.GoToMyPC has been available for Windows for awhile, and now Citrix is planning to make it work with Macs as well. The way the subscription service works is, you load the software onto the target Mac, and then you can access the Mac by logging onto gotomypc.com in a browser. Once logged on, you see your Mac screen in the browser window and can use it just like you were sitting at your desk.

OS X has some built-in tools for remote access, such as the screen sharing feature in iChat and the Back To My Mac aspect of a MobileMe subscription. They're limited to connections between two Macs, though, while GoToMyPC enables access through any browser. That could be a real boon to business travelers who need to use a hotel's office center to get files from their office Mac, or who prefer to travel with a netbook.

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The Mac beta is free and requires Leopard -- signup is here. Existing GoToMyPC subscribers can add one Mac to their subscription, while new beta users can install the program on one Mac as well. When the beta period is up, the Mac version will be available under the same terms as the PC version now is: $19.95 per month for access to one Mac, $29.95 for access to two, with a 25 percent discount for an annual plan. A Pro version with administration tools costs $16.95 per computer per month for 2 to 20 Macs (less per computer for 21-50 Macs or for an annual plan), and there's a Corporate version for more than 50 computers.