PocketMac has released PlayNice for Mac and Windows systems (http://www.pocketmac.com/PlayNice_for_Mac_and_Windows.php). The US$39.97 software allows the syncing of data back and forth between the two platforms. Unlike subscription services like MobileMe, it's a one-time purchase-and-install, and there are no subscription costs.

With PlayNice, Mac and PC users can sync contacts, appointments and Tasks between Outlook on Windows and Address Book/iCal on Mac.

"With PlayNice, users can sync between their Mac and their PC," says Tim Goggin of PocketMac. "They can sync between their Mac and their other Mac. They can sync between their two Macs and their PC. They can sync between their two PCs and their Mac. Now they can make sure their data is current on on all their machines. PlayNice also works with Parallels Desktop. That means you can sync between your Mac OS partition and your virtual Windows box. It's simple and automatic."

One copy of PlayNice can be installed on up to three computers so that means,with one license, a user can sync up to three machines. What's more, PlayNice can also sync between two or more computers on the same network, be they Mac or PC.

On the Mac, PlayNice requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. On the Windows side, it requires Windows 2000, XP, Vista or 7.