[Lizard]

HowardP: Anything you do with copying the file while OmniFocus is not running should be safe in terms of not endangering your data, and yes you will get better performance when the file is on the same machine as OmniFocus.

[bluefire]

Happy to hear the developments re: syncing with multiple computers in 1.1!

Here's how I solve this problem right now. I use a MacBook Pro everywhere but work, and a desktop at work. When I'm on the MBP, I use the database on my local drive. Before I go to work I put everything on a USB thumb drive, and when I go to work, I plug in the thumb drive and have my work machine read directly from it (to save the trouble of transferring to that computer). On my MBP it's a pain to have the thumb drive attached all the time but on the desktop it's irrelevant so I just use the database off there.

Then of course when I am done with work, I just unplug the drive (no need to copy anything since OF at work is set to use the thumb drive as the main db), plug it into my MBP and copy the data back to the MBP. I transfer the OF database and my perspectives.

I found a couple things that made this process far easier than it was when I originally started it.

1) I rebuild the database very frequently, sometimes even several times a day. It makes a huge difference in the size of the file and the access times both on the local drive and on the thumb drive, and it doesn't take very long at all if it's done frequently. I hope it's not a *bad* idea to rebuild frequently, any thoughts?

2) I created automator applications to take care of copying the files between the thumb drive and my MBP. It's far more efficient than fiddling around with the finder and copying things over.

So basically when I'm done on the MBP, I plug in my thumb drive, click the automator app that copies to the drive, and since the OF database is fairly small from my constant rebuilding, it copies quickly. Go to work, plug in drive, work on OF with no fuss. Then when I come back, plug thumb drive into MBP, click on the automator app that moves from thumb drive to MBP, unplug it, and all set to go.

Of course this means you have to remember to have the thumb drive handy, which was initially a challenge for me, though I've mostly overcome that issue.

I too had issues with performance when trying to use my iDisk - also I could never get the original copy of my OF database over to my iDisk to complete. Every time I tried the finder would freeze. I've experienced this with other files before so I'm sure it's not OF's fault.

[tphuey]

Originally Posted by Lizard

While .Mac syncing sounds good in theory, in practice it hasn't proved sufficiently reliable.

I would really like .Mac syncing. It works for many 3rd party apps, and I haven't had a problem with it. It has been improved dramatically under Leopard.

Then I wouldn't have to worry about doing the thumb drive thing. ;)

Originally Posted by bluefire

2) I created automator applications to take care of copying the files between the thumb drive and my MBP. It's far more efficient than fiddling around with the finder and copying things over.

bluefire, i've just read this entire thread and your solution seems most applicable to my situation -- home mac, office mac and traveling laptop -- your implementation of the automator app would make this most elegant for me, but unfortunately, i don't know how do do so ... might you post instructions for some of us less initiated/gifted users? many thanks!

[dbfowlersf]

Read through the entire thread, and as a GTDer I also need to have my lists in multiple sites. To date, I'd used my personal Treo 650 to synch between my work MacBook Pro and my home iBook G4 - with the bonus being that my lists were almost always with me thanks to the Treo.

Now I carry an iPhone for work and I'm hoping the synch capability will give me similar functionality with OF (I've become a big fan of OmniGraffle so I'm trusting OF will rock too) - so here's my questions:

1) If I buy OF now, will I have to pay again for an iPhone-linked version, or does Omni provide some reasonable "upgrade" option?

2) Until iPhone sync, if I wanted to use the thumbdrive approach to work on multiple machines, how much storage should I have for the thumbdrive?

D.B.

[MarkSealey]

2) Until iPhone sync, if I wanted to use the thumbdrive approach to work on multiple machines, how much storage should I have for the thumbdrive?

OF databases seem remarkably compact. So not much, I'd say. Good luck!

[bluefire]

Originally Posted by dbfowlersf

2) Until iPhone sync, if I wanted to use the thumbdrive approach to work on multiple machines, how much storage should I have for the thumbdrive?

Originally Posted by MarkSealey

OF databases seem remarkably compact. So not much, I'd say. Good luck!

Yup, not much! My thumb drive is ages old, only 256mb, and has no problem with the OF database (along with other random files stored on it). As I mentioned previously, I rebuild constantly, sometimes multiple times per day. This really can drastically reduce the size of your OF db, especially if you've never done it.

Luxesto, very glad my post was helpful. I will write up a step by step for the automator apps I made but I don't have time to do it right now. I'll try to get it up within a day or so. If you get a chance, however, I'd recommend mucking around in Automator -- this was the first time I'd ever used it and it was remarkably simple to do what I wanted.

[Jody Severson]

Originally Posted by HowardP

I have been using OF for several weeks and synching between my iMac and MacBook has been a rocky road. I was using my iDisk but as I keep adding projects that method has gotten very slow.
Last night I did some experimenting and came up with simple solution already built right into Mac OSX. I used the Network Server feature. Both computers must be on. Then after I closed out OF on my MacBook I clicked on the Network icon on my iMac and choose my laptop under servers. Entered the password for my laptop and there were all the files. Then, using Finder, I simply copied the OF data file from the laptop to to my iMac. It worked like a charm, and file copy was instant. BTW - to copy by dragging, hold down the option key. I tried this a couple of times going from one computer to the other and no problems.
So, for those of you want to synch up on a LAN this may be a good way to go.
Curious to see what someone from OMNI may have to say about this.

I do the same thing as Howard and improved it by putting shortcuts to the folders containing my iMac and MacBook OF files on the sidebar, so it's a quick drag & drop whenever I want to move the file to the other machine.

[HowardP]

Originally Posted by Jody Severson

I do the same thing as Howard and improved it by putting shortcuts to the folders containing my iMac and MacBook OF files on the sidebar, so it's a quick drag & drop whenever I want to move the file to the other machine.

Seems like your method would simplify what I have finally figured out. Can you please explain how to put shortcuts to the folders on the sidebar. Also, once you do that how do you drag and drop the files? Thanks.

[Patriot]

So, as a relatively new user of OF, the consensus appears to be that the easiest way to share your OF database between say, your office iMac and your MacBook Air is through the use of a thumb drive, correct?

Patriot