Synchronization

The more devices that you have the bigger the problem of keeping everything in sync can become. SugarSync is a web-based service that aims to change all of that.  It is PC and Mac compatible and will allow you to share files between as many systems as you want.  It takes the work out of synchronization.  You do not need to have all of your systems online in order for it to work.  It would seem that the documents, images and other files that you sync are uploaded to the SugarSync server, from where they are sent out to the other systems that you own.  It is a common sense approach; sort of like Foxmarks for files.

SugarSync also brings your mobile devices into line; not all are equal in this department.  Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices can handle whatever you throw at them, but the iPhone will only display pictures.  According to the review in USA Today, the Mac software is presently in Alpha stage, but will be advancing to Beta shortly.  It is apparently a little buggy but gets the job done.

Quite obviously, services like this are not free.  The cost of your service will depend on your data synching needs:

"A basic subscription gives you 10 gigabytes of online storage for $5 a
month or $50 a year. A 30-GB plan costs $10 a month or $100 a year. The
top-tier 250-GB plan costs $50 a month and $500 a year. SugarSync
includes a 45-day free trial. First year prices are half off for
Sharpcast Photos subscribers and SugarSync beta testers."

As we get more devices and our mobile devices become more capable, synchronization is going to become somewhat closer to a necessity than a convenience.