This is Synchronize!, file synchronization software for the Mac. Synchronize! is commercial software with a twist - it's widely available on many electronic information services, and its basic features can be used free, without charge.
Synchronize! comes with many advanced features which are only available for folders which contain less than 400K. To enable the advanced features for unlimited use, the product may be purchased for $29.95.
When you purchase the product, you receive a serial number which enables all advanced features for unlimited use. A user manual and master disk containing the most recently released version of Synchronize! is shipped to you.
Basic Features
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Synchronize! automatically keeps the documents on two or more Macs up to date, by copying the newest version of those documents to the other Mac. It makes sure your desktop Mac and your PowerBook, or your Mac at home, have the most recent versions of your documents.
Synchronize! will also backup a folder or an entire disk to another, replacing any files which don't exist on the primary disk. Only the files which are different are copied, making the backup quick and easy.
An activity log records the date, time, and results of all your synchronizations.
Advanced Features
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The advanced features of Synchronize! can completely automate your synchronization and backup tasks. Synchronize! can automatically connect to a remote file server or a Mac with File Sharing (over a network or using AppleTalk Remote Access), synchronize or backup files, and disconnect at any preset time, once or periodically. All passwords can be entered in advance, so the synchronization can be done any time day or night.
Particular files or folders can be included or excluded in the synchronization, aliases can be used to include certain files or folders, disks can be ejected or unmounted, file conflicts can be checked, and deletions can be synchronized.
Synchronize! can be opened automatically when a synchronization is scheduled, so that it doesn't have to always run in the background, taking up valuable memory.
FREE Upgrades
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Upgrades are free when downloaded from any online service, such as CompuServe, or America Online, or an Internet archive. Replace your old version with the new "demo" version, which is also an updater. If you have previously purchased Synchronize!, your serial number will automatically be recognized by the new version.
Upgrades are also available on the Qdea Web site at http://www.qdea.com and on our ftp site at ftp://ftp.qdea.com, in the directory /pub/qdea.
How Synchronize! works
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Synchronize! works by copying any newer files in a folder on one Mac to a similar folder on another Mac, replacing any older files. When Synchronize! is done copying, the two folders are “clones” of each other, or exact duplicates. All the files in both folders become the newest version. Files in nested folders are compared and copied, too.
With Synchronize!, you create a folder containing your working documents on each Mac. Synchronize! synchronizes the documents between the two folders.
Installing Synchronize!
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The only installation required for Synchronize! is to drag it to your hard disk. Synchronize! can be placed anywhere on your hard disk. When Synchronize! is first opened, it automatically creates two documents in your Preferences folder, "Synchronize! Preferences" and "Synchronize! Log". If you choose, Synchronize! will install a special startup application called "AutoSync", which monitors all synchronizations and opens Synchronize! at the appropriate times. AutoSync makes it possible to set synchronizations for particular times without requiring that Synchronize! always be left running.
Using Synchronize!
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To use Synchronize!, set it up, then use it over and over. To set up Synchronize!, put your working documents inside a folder (call it “Working Documents”, for example). Use folders within your “Working Documents” folder to organize your files. Create a second “Working Documents” folder on your second Mac. When you're done, your folders might look like this:
Synchronize! keeps the contents of your “Working Documents” folders synchronized. The contents of each corresponding folder are compared and any file which is newer is copied to the other folder.
Create new folders anytime. For any folders which do not have a corresponding folder, Synchronize! creates a corresponding folder and copies the files in the original folder to it.
As an example, imagine that you create a new proposal. Since you intend to be working on it on both of your computers, save it in the folder named “Proposals”. When you’re ready to start using your second Mac, use Synchronize! to reconcile your files. Synchronize! copies your new proposal to the corresponding folder on your second Mac.
When you work on your second Mac, you make changes to your new proposal. Again, when you move back to your first Mac, use Synchronize! to reconcile your files. Synchronize! copies the changed proposal back to your first Mac.
Now open Synchronize!. Make sure that you've mounted the disk of your other Mac (using File Sharing or AppleTalk Remote) on your desktop. When you first open Synchronize!, it creates a document called “Untitled 1”. To customize the document for your Mac, take three steps:
1. Select the folders. Click on each folder icon to select the folders whose files are to be synchronized.
2. Click the "Sync..." button. This shows a list of the files to be copied. Click the "Start" button to start the synchronization.
3. Save the document. Start this document whenever you want to synchronize your files again.
Using Synchronize!
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Once you've set up Synchronize!, all you have to do to use it is to open, or launch, Synchronize! and click the Start button when you switch from using one Mac to using the other. Synchronize! will show you what files have been changed, and copy them on command.
Synchronizing two Macs connected with File Sharing
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If you can mount the disk on one of your Macs on the desktop of the other Mac, synchronization is as easy as identifying the two folders to be synchronized. Just set it up and tell it to start.
Use "Auto-Connect" in the Options menu to set the password for the other Mac, and the server disk will be automatically mounted.
Carrying your files on a floppy
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If your Macs don't have a network connection, or if you are using System 6, or if you prefer to leave AppleTalk disabled on your PowerBook to extend the battery life, use Synchronize! with a floppy disk, a Syquest disk, or a portable hard disk to synchronize files between two Macs.
In this situation, create a folder called “Traveling Documents” on a floppy disk. Use Synchronize! to keep the “Working Documents” folder on each Mac synchronized with the “Traveling Documents” folder. Just remember to run Synchronize! whenever you leave one Mac, and again when you arrive at the other Mac.
Features
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• Completely automatic operation. Starts once or periodically at a preset time, or when disks become available. Automatically connects and disconnects AppleTalk Remote Access and file server disks.
• Hierarchical display of files to be copied, just like the Finder. See the files which will be copied, and the folders they reside in.
• Synchronize deleted files. When you delete a file from one disk, Synchronize! recognizes that the matching file should also be deleted.
• Check for conflicts. Synchronize! notifies you when two matching files have both been changed, or a file will overwrite a matching file of another type, and lets you set the action to be taken.
• Copies files to and from any disk which appears on the desktop. Works with AppleShare, File Sharing, AppleTalk Remote, and SCSI Disk Mode.
• Copies bidirectionally (for file synchronization) or in one direction only (for a quick backup, or file distribution to other sites). Creates an exact duplicate of a folder or a hard disk by copying only new or changed files.
• Copies in the background, at variable speeds. Set the copying speed that best fits your style – slow and unobtrusive, or really fast, faster than the Finder.
• Logs activities. Review the results of previous synchronizations, including ones done automatically.
Options
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Each document can be customized in its operation with the following options:
• Synchronize automatically. Start synchronization at a preset time, when you start or quit the program, or when disks become available.
• Make an AppleTalk Remote Access connection, synchronize your files, unmount a file server, and disconnect, all without having to enter passwords.
• Show the files and folders to be copied, deleted, or moved in a hierarchical list, with the opportunity to delete files, or remove some files from the list of files to be copied.
• Close the document, Quit, or Shut Down when copying is complete. Run Synchronize! as the last thing you do. Let it shut down your Mac when it’s done copying.
• Eject disks (or unmount servers) when copying is complete.
• Use aliases to include files or folders in a synchronization, even when they reside elsewhere on your disk.
• Copy only certain files or folders. Designate files to be copied by full or partial file name, date modified, file type, creator, and label. Include or exclude the contents of any folder.
• Copy AutoDoubler files in their compressed form. Copy files compressed by AutoDoubler in their compressed form, saving time and space, even to floppy disks!
• Verify files. Verify that floppy disks have been correctly written by reading the information and comparing to what was written.
System 7-savvy
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Synchronize! supports Balloon Help, Apple Events, and AppleScript. It runs on all Macs which have System 6.0.2 or later, or System 7, including Performas, Quadras, PowerBooks, and Power Macs.
Try it out!
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If you'd like to try Synchronize!, download it from many online services. For demonstration, Synchronize! allows basic file synchronization to be used for free; when advanced features are used, copying is limited to folders which contain no more than 400K. On CompuServe, look for SYNCH.SEA in the Utilities library section of the Macintosh Systems forum. On America Online, look in the Utilities library of the Computing and Software department. Synchronize! is also available on many Internet archives, including the Info-Mac archive and its mirrors, in /info-mac/disk, on our Web site at http://www.qdea.com, and on our ftp site at ftp://ftp.qdea.com, in the directory /pub/qdea.
If you purchase Synchronize! by telephone, you receive an serial number which will immediately enable all advanced features of the software you already have. There is no need to wait for the product to be shipped to you.
Questions?
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Contact us by electronic mail at sales@qdea.com, by calling (612) 779-0955, by FAX at (612) 397-8590, or by mail at the address below.
Ordering Information
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Synchronize! may be ordered direct from Qdea for $29.95 each. Residents of Minnesota (USA) must add 6.5% sales tax to the total. Orders in the U.S. please add $3.00 for shipping, and international orders please add $10.00 per copy. Purchases by VISA and MasterCard are accepted.
To order by telephone, call 1-800-933-9558, or (612) 779-0955.
Send check* or money order to:
Qdea
6331 Hilton Court
Pine Springs, MN 55115
* International Orders: Please make checks out in the currency of the bank's country.
Do not send checks drawn on non-U.S. banks made out in U.S. dollars.
You may also FAX your order to 1-800-754-7471 or (612) 397-8590 or send your order by Internet mail to sales@qdea.com.
