Carbon Copy (software)
{{Short description|Remote control software for PCs}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
Carbon Copy was "a remote control/communications program"{{cite web
|url=https://oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt529018f2%26view=dsc%26style=oac4%26dsc.position=5001
|title=Guide to the Stephen M. Cabrinety Collection
|year=1991}} with for-its-day advanced features for remote screen sharing,{{cite web
|url=http://fox.cs.vt.edu/VAD1/AITOPIC/CW/COMTEXT6.TXT
|title=Object orientation}} background file transfer, and "movable chat windows".version 5.0, 1988 {{cite magazine
|magazine=PC Magazine |title=Carbon Copy Plus Version 5.0}}
Overview
The New York Times described it thus: "you can sit at the console of either machine and call up
the programs and files stored on the other".{{cite news
|newspaper=The New York Times
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/11/science/personal-computers-remote-control.html
|title=Personal computers, remote control
|author=Erik Sandberg-Diment |date=August 11, 1987}} Computerworld called it "a package that mirrors every action a user takes on two connected PCs".{{cite news |newspaper=Computerworld
|title=Carbon Copy Plus
|date=August 3, 1987}}
Part of its user base was acquired via inclusion as bonus software for a modem that could communicate at "300, 1200 and 2400 baud."{{cite magazine |magazine=The Portable Paper
|publisher=Hewlett-Packard |page=11 |date=November 1987
|quote=Included with the WorldPort 2400 at no charge is ...
|url=http://www.hpmuseum.net/pdf/ThePortablePaperV2N6_52pagesNov-Dec%2087_OCR.pdf
|title=Extra Bonus for users of the IBM PC and new HP Portable Vectra}}
Carbon Copy's vendor, Meridian Technology, was acquired by Microcom in early 1988,{{cite magazine
|magazine=InfoWorld
|title=Microcom acquires Carbon Copy Plus developer Meridian Technology
|date=February 22, 1988 |page=17}} and accepted tax credits to move software duplication and
packaging of Carbon Copy to Puerto Rico.{{cite web
|url=https://www.joc.com/maritime-news/tax-benefits-low-labor-costs-lure-microcom-puerto-rico_19890126.html
|title=Tax Benefits, Low Labor Costs lure Microcom to Puerto Rico
|quote=the third U.S. software manufacturer to select Puerto Rico as a production site for the booming U.S. software market.
|author=Larry Luxner |date=January 26, 1989}} Meridian had a British subsidiary, also acquired by Microcom.{{cite web
|url=https://mergr.com/bank/william-%26-henry-associates/david-iannini
|title=David Iannini, Senior Team, William & Harris Associates
|website=Mergr.com
|quote=United Kingdom .. acquisitions of Meridian Technology and Carbon Copy Ltd. by Microcom}}
History
Computerworld covered the flow of features and newer releases: 3.0 (1986),{{cite news |newspaper=Computerworld
|title=Carbon Plus 3.0
|date=September 1, 1986 |page=78}} 1987,{{cite news |newspaper=Computerworld
|title=Meridian Technology: Carbon Copy Plus
|date=March 30, 1987 |page=50}} 1989.{{cite news |newspaper=Computerworld
|title=Remote access: Carbon Copy Plus
|author=Elisabeth Horwitt |date=June 26, 1989 |page=12}} By 1991, although Version 5.2.2 was still actively marketed, Version 6.0 was released to coincide with the release of MS/DOS 5.0.{{cite web
|url=https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/877/ENUSZP91-0432/index.html&lang=en
|title=IBM DOS Version 5.00 and Upgrade
|date=June 11, 1991}}
By 1994, DOS versions topped out at 6.0, and the 2.0 version of Carbon Copy Plus for Windows was available.{{cite web
Carbon Copy Mac was also made available, with version 1.0 being released in 1990, and version 2.0 being released in 1991. It was however not compatible with PC editions of Carbon Copy. Carbon Copy Mac largely competed with Farallon's Timbuktu versions 3 and 4 on the Macintosh platform.
|url=https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?appname=skmwww&htmlfid=897%2FENUS694-014&infotype=AN&subtype=CA&mhsrc=ibmsearch_a&mhq=%20Coinbase%20Pro-customer-service-%2B1888-666-0576-Coinbase%20Pro-customer-support-number-Latest%20chhh
|title=Announcement Number: 694-014 |date=May 10, 1994}} A version for the Macintosh platform was also available, dubbed "Carbon Copy for the Mac".