Computer question :)

[The Negotiator]

Right...I have just been very greedy and bought a second laptop. This new one will be my portable laptop for uni, train etc.

Both will be wireless so I will syncronise them everynight. I.e. go to uni with all my work, get home, syncronise data with my main laptop. When I leave in the morning for uni I will sync data from my main laptop to my portable laptop. You get the idea.

So, does anybody have any experience with such software? I don't mind paying I guess a small amount, I want it to be reliable.

A further question is, when you use the word "Syncronisation" does it always use the newest copy of a file? My idea would be to syncronise my documents (including my music and pictures) and then have it so that the latest copy of my file is always wiped over the old one on the other laptop, if that makes sense. (?)

CHeers
Paul

P.s. I know I am a bad person.

 

[LanciaMad]

When you "sync" something the first time you do it makes a copy of everything to the device then every sync after that it only saves changed docs.

 

[Hellcat]

Windows has 2 ways of doing this.. You can use a 'briefcase' or 'offline files'

Offline files is the easiest - you just create a link to the files available on the 'home' laptop and windows will store a copy on the 'work' laptop to use while the 'work' laptop is away from the actual files. When it can see the 'home' laptop again it synchronises them.

 

[The Negotiator]

I know about my briefcase but I am also told it is rubbish and I specifically want it to copy my documents without changing any of my file structure.

I understand what syncronisation does but can't really see how effective it is with two master copies if you get what I mean...

 

[The Negotiator]

http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/notebooks/0,39023985,39204751,00.htm

Just started reading this.

 

[Hellcat]

Got msn? I'll explain there cause its difficult to explain computer stuff in big posts without checking that the person reading is keeping up - i'm sure you understand when trying to explain thermodynamics...

 

[purplemonday]

Check out InSync from Dillobits (www.dillobits.com)

We use this at work for synchonising content on our live websites from our development web server - you can choose to either sync one way or two way depending on what you want to do and can specifically include and exclude files and directories from the sync as well as scheduling it to happen at set intervals.

It costs $27.95 which is about £15 in real money.

 

[The Negotiator]

Cheers hellcat nice offer I will leave it for this moment though because i should be doing work and I have a feeling it might take a while

I am not exactly useless on computers - just tend to stick to a number of topics - so if you want you're welcome to talk a bit here about it.

 

[LanciaMad]

Create a share to your my docs on laptop no 1.

Plug laptops together with rollover cable or plug em both into a hub or switch or router or similar.

Map a drive on laptop 2 to the share on laptop 1.

Now make this drive available offline, hey presto!

 

[The Negotiator]

Cheers PURPLEMONDAY will look, also now going to make it more difficult by wanting outlook sync too

Lanciamad, I require it all to be automatic, no manual sharing and movement of files etc.

edit: sorry for mistaking you for polecat!

 

[The Negotiator]

Looks perfect polecat!

"Example 1: You use your desktop PC at home and your laptop on the road. Your working files can be updated on either PC but must be kept current on both. Use InSync in 2-way synchronization mode to merge folders on your desktop PC and your laptop to make sure both PCs contain the most recent files you are working on."

Except will also need to do the outlook thing using other software I guess due to the weird methods outlook uses?

It should be possible through wireless of course right? I don't need a server etc.?

 

[LanciaMad]

You wont have to move any manually, effectively when you map to a shared drive you are working on the files on a remote source, making them available offline is an automatic thing the laptop will do for you, it will make a carbon copy of the files on the remote source to your local device to enable you to work on them whilst not being connected to it, it will then upload changes when you reconnect to it.

 

[Hellcat]

You only do the map once... Then it sync's automatically

 

[LanciaMad]

Yup, you need to set the drive you map to be available offline then your in business, theres many ways of doing it but thats how id do it.

Im a pro dont you know :worship:

 

[custard]

Right...I have just been very greedy and bought a second laptop.

students today eh.pleading poverty and owning 2 laptops!

 

[The Negotiator]

Is "make available offline" a XP Pro thing only?

Cheers for the help so far.

 

[purplemonday]

Cheers PURPLEMONDAY will look, also now going to make it more difficult by wanting outlook sync too

Lanciamad, I require it all to be automatic, no manual sharing and movement of files etc.

edit: sorry for mistaking you for polecat!

Paul,

Are you using proper Outlook or Outlook Express? If the former you can just sync your .pst file(s) and away you go...

 

[The Negotiator]

Proper outlook I was under the impression they used a stupid system.

 

[purplemonday]

OK, so if using proper Outlook your mail should be stored in a .pst file so just include that in any sync you set up and Outlook on the other PC will be none the wiser

 

[LanciaMad]

Is "make available offline" a XP Pro thing only?

Cheers for the help so far.

I only work with 2000/xp pro so maybe....