Sync Question

[Ellen]

I bought an iMac last Nov. and love it - am now considering getting a Macbook. Apart from getting the .Mac service (which I am not sure I would get enough use out of) would there be an easy way to sync the notebook and desktop computers? I do have a wireless network at home (I have a Netgear router). Right now I have a Dell laptop and before that a Dell desktop, and it was always annoying having updated programs on one and not the other - so every so often I had to update the laptop. I was hoping something simpler might be available under Leopard. Thanks!

 

[Ellen]

I gather too that .mac doesn't really sync applications, so maybe what I am looking for really doesn't exist. Am I right about that?

I also read of something called Martian Slingshot. Any thoughts on it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[TheBigMac]

I've been testing a program called Chronosync and it will sync anything between my iMac and MacBook.

http://www.econtechnologies.com/site/Pages/ChronoSync/chrono_overview.html

Just make sure you e-mail them for a trial serial to get all the functions working.

 

[Ellen]

Thanks. I took a quick look at the instructions and it seems they recommend connecting the two computers by Firewire? I would prefer something that works over a network. Even better, in the background - though maybe that means .Mac.

 

[TheBigMac]

Although firewire is recommended due to faster transfer rates, I sync my iMac and MacBook over a wireless network with no issues.

The first sync took about 2 hours due to the amount of files that needed to be transferred, however after the initial sync is complete Chronosync now takes about 2 minutes to sync approximately 2 days worth of changes.

You can also set it up to run scheduled syncs.