Synchronizing MacBook and iMac desktop?

[nabiqail]

Hi guys
I just bought an iMac desktop computer! I also own a MacBook air that I've had for a few years now, and I've built up quite a collection of iTunes music, photos, and important documents. It would be very convenient to be able to access those items from both computers, because I would ideally like to be able to work on the desktop in my office when I'm home and use the laptop when I am in school. I tried synchronizing the two already, but that was a fail because I'm technologically challenged.

Is there any way to sync the two so that the two computers are near constantly in sync without me having to do a lot of manuel work to sync the two? I have an objective vision of me coming home from school and having the documents I was working on at school be already on my desktop Mac, or have photos uploaded to my iPhoto on my laptop and immediately be uploaded to my desktop. The same goes for my music that I love so dearly.

Are there any programs, whether it is offered through my Macs already, must be purchased, or be downloaded from the internet from a third party, that will be what I'm looking for? Oh and preferably something easy to use, because I am INCREDIBLY technologically challenged!

If this program is too good to exist, is there just any way that I can just sync the two because I want my iTunes library on my MacBook to also be on my iMac desktop
Thanks

 

[VolceOntra]

Hi guys
I just bought an iMac desktop computer! I also own a MacBook air that I've had for a few years now, and I've built up quite a collection of iTunes music, photos, and important documents. It would be very convenient to be able to access those items from both computers, because I would ideally like to be able to work on the desktop in my office when I'm home and use the laptop when I am in school. I tried synchronizing the two already, but that was a fail because I'm technologically challenged.

Is there any way to sync the two so that the two computers are near constantly in sync without me having to do a lot of manuel work to sync the two? I have an objective vision of me coming home from school and having the documents I was working on at school be already on my desktop Mac, or have photos uploaded to my iPhoto on my laptop and immediately be uploaded to my desktop. The same goes for my music that I love so dearly.

Are there any programs, whether it is offered through my Macs already, must be purchased, or be downloaded from the internet from a third party, that will be what I'm looking for? Oh and preferably something easy to use, because I am INCREDIBLY technologically challenged!
Image
If this program is too good to exist, is there just any way that I can just sync the two because I want my iTunes library on my MacBook to also be on my iMac desktop
Thanks

iTunes Music can be set to atomically download if you actually bought them from iTunes or if you have iTunes Match.

Documents such as PDF/DOC/ETC can be stored in iCloud via Pages/Keynotes/Numbers.

Pictures taken with camera are generally uploaded to photo stream already and can be accessed via iPhoto. Other pictures can be uploaded there too.

You can also use Dropbox to sync whatever content you have, but you have limited space for free.

In OS X 10.10 (coming later this year), you also have direct access to your iCloud file system... So you could put any file you want there and it will sync between computers (but iCloud also has limited space for free).

 

[eduardrw]

I use a program called Chronosync which is extremely powerful.
http://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html

here you can set up different synchronization jobs (specifically configured for itunes, iphoto, ..)

I sync all of my data, desktop, itunes, aperture library and many other things between my laptop and my iMac. Also use it for Backup to external discs.

It requires a bit of technical understanding what you are doing. And you need to shut down itunes/iphoto before your sync starts.

Always have at least 2 backups before you start messing around. And use the "trial sync" function to find out what you are doing.

And since it sync's, only the "new/changed" data gets transferred - so its fast.

 

[yjchua95]

Hi guys
I just bought an iMac desktop computer! I also own a MacBook air that I've had for a few years now, and I've built up quite a collection of iTunes music, photos, and important documents. It would be very convenient to be able to access those items from both computers, because I would ideally like to be able to work on the desktop in my office when I'm home and use the laptop when I am in school. I tried synchronizing the two already, but that was a fail because I'm technologically challenged.

Is there any way to sync the two so that the two computers are near constantly in sync without me having to do a lot of manuel work to sync the two? I have an objective vision of me coming home from school and having the documents I was working on at school be already on my desktop Mac, or have photos uploaded to my iPhoto on my laptop and immediately be uploaded to my desktop. The same goes for my music that I love so dearly.

Are there any programs, whether it is offered through my Macs already, must be purchased, or be downloaded from the internet from a third party, that will be what I'm looking for? Oh and preferably something easy to use, because I am INCREDIBLY technologically challenged!
Image
If this program is too good to exist, is there just any way that I can just sync the two because I want my iTunes library on my MacBook to also be on my iMac desktop
Thanks

How about a network-attached storage? You can keep your media libraries there (iPhoto, iTunes, Aperture, etc) and set the relevant apps on each Mac to access the libraries there.

That's how I keep all my 11 Macs in sync.

 

[sprezz]

How about a network-attached storage? You can keep your media libraries there (iPhoto, iTunes, Aperture, etc) and set the relevant apps on each Mac to access the libraries there.

That's how I keep all my 11 Macs in sync.

Do you use a VPN to access your files while on the road?

 

[swiftaw]

I use a program called Chronosync which is extremely powerful.
http://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html

here you can set up different synchronization jobs (specifically configured for itunes, iphoto, ..)

I sync all of my data, desktop, itunes, aperture library and many other things between my laptop and my iMac. Also use it for Backup to external discs.

It requires a bit of technical understanding what you are doing. And you need to shut down itunes/iphoto before your sync starts.

Always have at least 2 backups before you start messing around. And use the "trial sync" function to find out what you are doing.

And since it sync's, only the "new/changed" data gets transferred - so its fast.

I also use chronosync.

 

[yjchua95]

Do you use a VPN to access your files while on the road?

Yes. And also SSH and FTP.

I've set up one of my iMacs as an sFTP server for accessing files remotely.