How do you sync the information between two Macs?

[Apple!Freak]

Heres the situation.

I have two Macs, a Powerbook and an iMac G5. My question is, how do I keep the information between the two up-to-date? By this I mean, if I buy additional songs from the iTMS or add Pages documents or most importantly, e-mails. If I receive e-mails on one computer, the other won't pick it up because it was already picked up from the server.

What should I do? I know I could transfer everything manually, such as put all the new stuff on an External HDD and transfer it all, but that would take over an hour each time.

 

[Toe]

If you had OS X Server, this would be a snap... with Tiger, you (can) keep the entire User folder on the server, and just log into it with whatever computer you happen to be on. In the case of laptops, you create Mobile accounts (in the Accounts pane) and it syncs up to the server anytime it becomes available. I don't know if anyone has hacked this Mobile accounts feature without OSXS, but that would be your best bet.

However, there might be an even easier, "low tech" solution... When you are using the iMac, what is the PowerBook doing? If the answer is "nothing," then the answer could be pretty simple... just keep your entire identity on the PowerBook. Make a user on the iMac that has the same short name as the PowerBook user. Plug the PowerBook into the iMac in firewire target mode. Then delete the user folder from the iMac and replace it with an alias to the same user folder on the PowerBook. This will make the iMac user run off the files on the PowerBook.

If none of the above works, then start brushing up on Unix, and use psync. It will keep your files synchronized.

Or perhaps the easiest solution would be to look on VersionTracker for a sync utility. I haven't looked into them, but one of those will probably do the trick.

Is that enough options.

 

[flyfish29]

The very best way in my opinion is to use this: You Synchronize

The company is You Software I think.

I installed this on my wife's iBook and it automatically syncs everything I tell it to with an iMac flatscreen. It is the surest way os syncing from what I have read. MacWorld raves about it and we have had no problems. It is about $40 for the general public- educators can get it for around $20 I think. (I am going to buy it for my school computers soon.)

With this software you can make the change on either computer and it will know it the next time it syncs. This is a great way to not only back up your data but have everything you need with you at all times.

good luck

 

[Apple!Freak]

Thanks, guys!