Synchronizing files on multiple computers

A robust file synchronization utility is a must-have for anybody with multiple machines. I have tried many solutions and always found something to be lacking. And then I discovered MirrorFolder.

This product is simple, yet incredibly powerful. I have used it for six months now and couldn’t ask for anything more. The thing I like most about this program is that after telling it what files/folders you want synchronized, you just forget about it. MirrorFolder does its thing in the background and without bothering you. No annoying system tray notifications, no emails, no popup windows…just sync’d files.

Using MirrorFolder, I now have my notebook (my primary development machine) happily sync’d hourly with my home server (which backups to iBackup.com nightly). I have yet to notice when the sync happens since it does not seem to impact resources in any meaningful way. While this setup works great when I am working in my home office, it didn’t provide a good way to backup when I am mobile.

After researching my options, I decided that an ultra-compact USB drive is the way to go. The Seagate ST90000U2 fits the bill. This little drive is compact (5″ x 3.75″ x 1″), light-weight, totally silent and gives me 120Gb of portable storage using only USB power (no bulky adapter to lug around). I set MirrorFolder to sync with it when available so when I am travelling, all I have to do is plug in the USB connector at some point and I have a backup of all changes. (If I know I haven’t made too many changes, and if I am in a hurry, I just use my Cruzer Mini 4Gb USB stick.)

On my recent trip to San Francisco and Australia, I used MirrorFolder and the Seagate drive. Both performed flawlessly and allayed my fear (paranoia?) about data loss.