TACALIT  I was planning to buy this software despite the price until I read more about the licencing policy. So I've decided to wait the first update after the full Snow Leopard version comes out, whitch should be the one without main SnowLeo issue...

This is a way to maximize the weird Qdea licencing program....

But in the meantime, I'm going to check the competitors.  
(Version 6.1)

SAMARB  I have been a Mac user for 25 years (yes, I started with the very first edition), and I've been a believer in bootable clones for as long as there's been software to do it. I've tried Carbon Copy Cloner and I have used SuperDuper and pretty well all the cloning software. Nothing is as good as SPX.

Firstly, Qdea has the next version of its software ready almost immediately there's a new system or system update. This is crucial. Carbon Copy Cloner works until there's a system update and then it's useless until they get around to doing an update, which can take months and months. If you want to update your clone every week, as I do, CCC is of no use whatsoever. And the same comment can be made about most of the cloning software out there. SuperDuper is pretty good, but way, way slower than SPX.

Secondly, the tech support from Qdea is very quick and very helpful.

Yes, SPX costs more than the other cloners, but, in my view, if you're serious about having bootable clones always ready, the money is well worth spending.

I've had several occasions where my clones saved the day in a big way. On holiday in Europe, my MacBook Pro was stolen from the hotel room. On another occasion, a brand new MacBook Pro had a failure of the logic board. In both cases, my little back-up drive with the bootable clone was not touched. I found another Mac and was up and running in five minutes. No data loss at all (in particular my Aperture library).

In short, for real world serious use of bootable clones, you really can't beat SPX. And I should make clear that I have no other connection to Qdea than having been a very satisfied customer for years. A licence lasts for two years and I get any and all SPX updates and new versions during the two years after renewal. Then I keep using the latest version until Qdea comes out with another update or version, and I renew the licence to be able to take advantage of the software for another two years.  
(Version 6.0.7)

MACVAULT  Synch Pro X is the best, most reliable backup solution I've ever used (and I've used almost all of them). It has never crashed on me, and simply does what it's supposed to do, when it's supposed to do it without fail. Very solid little program. My only complaint is that the GUI is in the dark ages and really needs a major overhaul in that area. I don't like that each plan lives in it's own window. It should be simplified to use one window that shows all plans and the interface should be spiffied up to look like it belongs on the Mac -Leopard platform. Other than that, I highly recommend this for all your backup and cloning needs.  
(Version 6.0.6)

KP.GORES  This was useful under system 9, but nowadays there are many alternatives and, even better, free ones that run more stable.

The user interface is confusing, support is almost non-existent.

It is stable, as long as all your disks stay online. But if a removable disappears or two disks have the same name (after all, it is a backup disk), synchronize gets confused.   
(Version 6.0.5)

KBEAT  An okay piece of software that does more or less what it's supposed to do, although I've had to deal with a few bugs.

Bugs are okay, in that they are a fact of life when dealign with software. An since Qdea, like most companies, releases software patches to deal with them, it would not be an issue. It would not be an issue that if, if it weren't for Qdea's horrendous licensing policy. Rather than being based on the version you own, it's time based.

So, for example, if you have version 5.0.6, and they release a patch that fixes a bug in version 5.0.7, you'd think that patch would be free, right? Nope, not if you bought version 5 twenty four months ago. You'll have to pay for a full version upgrade to get a .01 patch.

I'll happily pay for an upgrade when it brings new features to the table that I can use. But I simply won't pay for .01 bug patches. As a result, Qdea lost a customer and I moved to a competitor.   
(Version 6.0)

UNCOY  Every time you run Synchronize! Pro , it installs parasiteware in the background of your Mac which is very difficult to turn off. The parasiteware doesn't do much except steal processor cycles (going up and down between 0 and 6% in my experience).

That's a pretty heavy performance price to pay.

Synchronize! Pro X used to be a great product. Then the developer became more obsessed with all the unlicensed copies in use rather than the licensed copies that are in use.

Hugh Sontag would do well to make his customers advocates, knock his price down a bit and sell to a much wider public.

Instead he gives rude answers and cripples our computers.

Look elsewhere.  
(Version 5.1.3)

DONMONTALVO  I emailed qdea support to ask if they updated Synchronize! Pro to NOT expand *.graffle package files. I was very pleased to find out they added a pref doing just that. I've happily returned from my six month stint using Synk Pro (which has a horrible, unintuitive and frustrating interface).

I'm glad to be home again...there is SOOOO much I synchronize on a regular basis that the last 6 months have been pure hell.

Thanks qdea...thank you...thank you...thank you...

:)

Don Montalvo, NYC

Curmudgeon at large  
(Version 5.1.3)

PURDUEJIM  I have been using SyncPro for years for synchronizing data from a desktop to a laptop. It is very powerful and though I certainly do not use each feature, I have found it exceedingly reliable, fast and user friendly in many years of using it . I have never had a data loss using it and has saved me many times from losing valuable files. I have also found support to be friendly, timely, of excellent quality, and easy to understand. Most little problems I have had over the years were caused by my misunderstanding setup issues and support has held my hand and walked me through correcting my mistakes every time. I can also say these issues have been few and far between. I cannot recommend it more highly.

James Lee  
(Version 5.1.3)

DONMONTALVO  Long time owner...waiting for option to NOT display contents of *.graffle files when there's a difference...but rather to show modification of the actual *.graffle file.

Not looking to wrestle with the developer, merely asking for an option to ONLY show difference time. I asked for this back in the Spring. Switched to Synk (which ONLY displays *.graffle file but not contents), would like to switch back.

Don  
(Version 5.1.3)

RIDGES  I've been using SP for four years and it has been truly invaluable, keeping my documents folder on a desktop and laptop perfectly synched. It has not corrupted a file a single time to my knowledge. The bootable backups boot perfectly. I just updated to 5.1.3, but the prior version, 5.0.3x never crashed.

The setup is a little awkward, but not a big deal and you only do it initially - running the synchs is easy. Backups are critical to your happiness, so spend a little time to set things up right for yourself. Would I want a slick "metal" interface - noooo way. I want the programmer guy spending his time on data integrity and reliability. Do I want a creative kind of guy coding backup software? No, I want an anal-retentive, list making, accountant-type of unimaginative nerd.

A complaint about the backups is incrementals are done using a hierarchy of "archives". I would prefer to simply set a back date and browse files directly. It is, however, easy to find an earlier version by browsing the archive as necessary.

Bottom line is that for absolutely critical data integrity I have not had a problem for four years and for that I will put up with anything and the $99 is not unreasonable compared to all the buggy junk out there for cheaper. If you have a crashed computer you will pay anything to get your data back. Do not compromise on your backup strategy in order to save a few bucks.

#1 Gripe is license agreement as others have pointed out, although he's changed it so you can use it on two computers, but with restrictions on the second. To restrict use on the other computer is ridiculous - the software's purpose is to synchronize two computers, so the software has to be available on both computers - simple. Note to Qdea: please just remove the silly restriction on the second computer. How many users will actually pay you twice? Answer: the nicest, most ethical and well-meaning people on Earth. They deserve a break please give it to them.  
(Version 5.1.3)

BITURBO27T  Just downloaded v 5.1. Crashes immediately under OS 10.4. Reverting back to 5.0.7 works fine. I haven't loaded Leopard yet, but will try this version again when I do, even though the description says that 5.1 is still compatible with 10.3-10.4.

I'd recommend holding off on this one unless you're ready to do some troubleshooting.  
(Version 5.1)

VICLEN  I've owned SP for some time, using it to provide an hourly backup for my studio's files. Two bugs appeared: an error of "too many open files"; and a "can't find disk XXX" even though the disk was clearly visible on the desktop. This happened with both Mac OS X Server 10.3 and 10.4. I lived with this for some time, finding that quitting SP and relaunching solved both problems - but this is backup software, it's commercially priced and shouldn't have these problems.

I reported them to tech support and was told: "Synchronize! Pro X asks to close every file it opens. It couldn't work properly if it didn't, because the maximum number of open files is 256, and Synchronize! Pro X routinely copies hundreds of thousands of files in its backups."

"I have no other reports of a similar problem, despite the fact that Synchronize! Pro X is in daily use on tens of thousands of computers worldwide."

"What this means to me is that your computer is not operating properly. If it were my computer, I would use Disk Utility to "Repair Disk". If the problem persisted, I would reinstall OS X in an attempt to eliminate the problem."

My knowledge of Macs is quite extensive and I didn't believe this. Sloth confirmed the existence of numerous temporary files. Tech support then commented: "Mea culpa! I've attached a version of Synchronize! Pro X that I believe no longer exhibits the problem."

I tried using the v5.0.8 beta but it wouldn't accept my serial number. What followed was numerous emails back and forth and a call to Hugh Sontag (both tech director and tech support) in the States. He absolutely refused to give me a working serial number, insisting this was user error. I'm positive it isn't but even if it is, what kind of company takes such an arrogant, intractable approach?

In the end, I gave up. I bought Tri Backup (at half the price) which works perfectly, especially as my server is working on a non-Intel machine (Tri Backup is PPC only).

The moral? Never trust *any* company that has a "lots of people use our product and no one complains" attitude.

Vic  
(Version 5.0.7b)

MCGURME  I have been using Synchronize pro since 2002, and made it up to version 3.5 before my 2-year license period expired. It has been quite reliable and useful software, even if the interface is a bit lacking in the intuitiveness department.

However, a major headache in the past was the licensing of this application, particularly in the way that licensing terms changed several times. I am someone who pays for all my software and have a strict anti-piracy policy for a large lab that I manage. That said, Qdea's policy of reporting usage back to a home server and "ensuring license compliance" is completely obnoxious and un-called for. Why should the developer need to know whether I personally use it to sync one or three machines? For some reason they think it is their business that even after I pay them $100 for the software, that they should step in and say: "Here's how you can use our software, and here's how you can't use our software, even if it is for your own personal use." Given that I have a lot of different machines that I deal with at different times, this makes the software into (expensive) crippleware.

The developer seems to have a basic lack of understanding of the human psyche that leads to this policy. That same lack of understanding is what has led to many ill-fated music "rental" services where you pay for and download a song, only to have it expire after so many uses or when you download a new song. Why has the iTunes store been so successful? Because it gave people the sense that they _own_ the music they downloaded (even if it is not strictly true in a legal sense). People want to be able to do what they want with an item they pay for (just look at the latest announcement that downloads from EMI will be DRM free). The point is that Qdea does not give the user a sense of ownership if they are paying for the software. This only discourages legal users, not pirates (a sophisticated pirate could defeat the scheme).

I talked to the developer about this several years ago, and we actually had a rather heated discussion on the phone. He got very rude with me, basically telling me if I didn't like it not to buy it. Right, good advice.

I am writing this now for the following reason. Having moved over to an intel-based machine, I've been having some flakiness with the older version of Synchronize pro running under Rosetta, so I decided to look into an "upgrade". I optimistically thought maybe the developer would have figured out by now that he was loosing sales. I went to the developer's site, and saw that the draconian policy is still in place. He wants me to pay $49 to renew crippleware? Forget it. I would happily pay that price for software that does what Synchronize Pro does, without telling me how I can use it. I would have clicked "buy" right now, if that policy had changed (despite the developer's rude response to me previously). Fortunately, there are other programs I can spend my $49 on that are not crippleware.

Bottom line: great software technically, horrible from the perspective that you should be able to use software you "own" as you please.   
(Version 5.0.7)

BITURBO27T  I've used or tried nearly every backup program out there for the Mac. Used Retrospect for years until it started corrupting my drives causing major data loss and headache (and I still don't think it's a uiversal app. yet).

For lightweight backups, Deja Vu is very good, but for more complicated backups, Sync Pro X has been fantastic. There were some glitches with 5.0.5 that caused my license to fail, but the developer was very responsive in fixing my issue and even sent me a beta of 5.06 to use until the final version was released. For about 8 months of useage now, it's worked like a charm. Bootable clones are perfect. Backups over the network (even when users are not logged in) works perfect. Overall, it's been well worth the $100 to protect my data and keep my laptop and desktop synced up.

My only complaint is the interface, hence the 4 star rating. I dislike that each plan lives in it's own window. A consolidated interface like most of the other utilities out there would be very welcome. If developers would just take advantage of and implement more often the GUI guidelines and abilities OS X offers, users would have a much better experience. So while the guts of this program are solid, useability and intuiteveness could be much better. That's a minor gripe though for a program that has been rock solid and delivers what it promises day in and day out. Of course, if you've got to backup to tape, you're probably stuck with Retrospect :-P

Highly recommended!  
(Version 5.0.6)

AQTINC  v 5.0.5 installed OK, and didn't produce any registration problems for me, but it did crash every time (5 attempts) at a sync.

I reverted back to 5.0.4, and all is working again.  
(Version 5.0.5)

BITURBO27T  I'd pass on v 5.0.5. Seems to be a problem with registration, at least on my machine. 5.0.4 (which I thankfully kept, still works fine. Though I have been plagued by the volumes not un mounting issue.

Also, weird display problems when the help/registration window is opened.

Best to pass on this one.  
(Version 5.0.5)

QDEA TECHNICAL SUPPORT  Using a newer version of Synchronize! Pro X and finding that your license doesn't cover that version has no consequences in itself. No previous version of Synchronize! Pro X is ever locked out because you try a new version.

You can launch the newer version, get the error message, and then use an older version forever. That's what the license says, and that's how the software works.

However, if you have problems getting an older version to work, we do not provide technical support to solve them.

As we clearly document in the "Read Me.rtf" file that comes with every download of Synchronize! Pro X, "Please note: Qdea publishes and supports only the current version of Synchronize! Pro X. If you want to keep using an older version, you may — but keep a backup. Qdea does not provide old versions."  
(Version 5.0.4)

JACKDAIN  I downloaded the latest version only to find out after starting the update that if the two year upgrade policy is up, you can no longer use your previous version. When I contacted Qdea here's what they said:

"When you purchase a license for Synchronize! Pro X, you have technical support and access to all versions of Synchronize! Pro X released within 2 years of your purchase at no additional charge.

Whatever problem you're having with the previous version of Synchronize! Pro X is a technical support issue, and we do not provide technical support more than two years after your purchase of a license, nor do we offer technical support for old versions of the software.

Best Regards,

Hugh Sontag

Qdea Technical Support"

S0 BEAWARE - If you try to update to the latest version and your past your upgrade period, then you'll loose the ability to use the version you own  
(Version 5.0.4)

YEOMANS  Sync Pro X has been more stable than any other app I’ve used—including OS X. It doesn’t strike me as the kind of application a ”plug-and-play” sort of person would swoon over. But I wouldn’t extend that to novices or recent Mac switchers. Seriously. The setup is that easy to use.

Everything about Sync Pro X is unfalteringly reliable and built to be logical and intuitive. The interface is simple, though—SPX doesn’t beat Apple’s iApps on rich, beautiful, animation-packed interfaces. It’s simple and reliable precisely because it doesn’t try to be everything.  
(Version 5.0.2)

RONIN_1  Though some people have recommended Synchronize Pro X to me for its ability to backup over a network I must say that I find the author's policy about updates and the length of the supported updates to be particularly bad.

The statement from the website says that a purchaser is entitled to updates for two years from the date of purchase, but after two years only the original version purchased will be supported by that license serial number! There is a $49 "renewal fee" which allows the licensee to continue using anything other than the original version purchased and any further updates for another two year period.

This is crippleware. Expensive as Synchronize Pro X is I do not believe you get your money's worth from it.

I find this policy repugnant and do not think I can bring myself to support a company which uses it.

My view is that the company is taking advantage of the consumer.  
(Version 5.0)

MACMEND  All these people slagging this excellent app off, find me an app that will sync a server folder with a firewire disk and not corrupt the network backup...this is it

Yes it is too expensive!  
(Version 5.0b2)

IRIDESNOW  I purchased SyncX Pro in early 2003. It definitely had advantages over other backup programs available at the time, so I was willing to pay the $99 for a reliable, schedulable backup program. However, since that time quality alternatives have come out. The one I use now is SuperDuper. The latest version of which has added the ability to schedule backups. It may or may not have all the features of SyncX Pro. But if it doesn't, I certainly don't miss them. Plus, SuperDuper is significantly cheaper and, to me at least, has a cleaner, easier to understand interface. Until SyncX Pro either brings its price down or justifies its relatively high cost with some kind of feature comparison matrix, I recommend looking closely at cheaper alternatives that do what most people need backup programs to do.

Oh, and one other thing to watch out for with SyncX Pro. I don't know if Qdea still does this, but I was a little surprised to learn that the $99 price tag only bought me a year's worth (I think it was a year, maybe it was two) of updates. I suppose this is just an alternative to the "pay again when they release a major upgrade" model, but I don't like it. I want to receive all bug updates for the major version release that I have, no matter when I purchased it.  
(Version 5.0b2)

STERNHAMMER  This is a slick piece of work. It has a nice interface and seems to work very well. I tried the demo for a while and was very impressed. The cost of admission, however, put me off: $99.95. I've since explored alternatives like PsyncX which, though less polished, work just as well for my needs for a fraction of the price (i.e. nothing).

Think carefully what your needs are: Synchronize! Pro does a good job but it's quite expensive.  
(Version 4.1.1)

JERRY MORRIS  One of the better features of Synchronize! Pro X is, after the copy the aliases point to the target volid. Using Carbon Copy Cloner, after the copy, the aliases point to the source volid. This is fine if the target volume is to be renamed to the source volid. I use Synchronize to create a volume that I can come up on, in case something goes wrong on by normal startup volume. I also so use it to make a duplicate startup volume to install a new release on.  
(Version 3.6)

PETR FROM PRAGUE  Forget this! A 100$ thrown out of the window! Get BootCD for free. See http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7957  
(Version 3.6)

BANSURI  Whouah! 99 $ Tri-Backup is only $49 doing the same or perhaps better.  
(Version 3.4.3)

ANONYMOUS  Used it for 3-4 years - I works very well every day for me on several machines - BUT the price is hefty - I had to buy 3 licenses for 3 computers - this should have changed now -so one could use one license on 2 computeres now - but that's a little late - when I already did spend 100 bucks on licenses!  
(Version 3.4.2)

JAMES KATT  I'm a registered user also.

For back-up of data, and mission-critical synchronizations, this software is invaluable - completely worth its price. Kudos to the developer for frequent updates to fix bugs, improve compatibility, and improve features.

I'm glad you can use this on two computers - given the clarification of the license.

The price is fair given the importance of this software and the work the developer continues to place on this to upgrade it. The data you backup is far more valuable than this software.   
(Version 3.4.1)

QDEA TECHNICAL SUPPORT  Installing on two computers is allowed

With the release of Synchronize! Pro X 3.4.1, the license allows installation of the software on two computers, with the provision that the only one of the two computers may run syncs or backups automatically.  
(Version 3.4.1)

ANONYMOUS  I'm a registered user, and I have 2 distinctly opposing views of this software.

First, I've used this for over a year, and it is a fast, well written app. It's obvious that the developer has put in many jours over this app. The interface isn't the prettiest in the world, but I'd rather have an app that works well than one that looks great but functions poorly.

I've used this to back up several hard drives before reinstalling OS's on a number of occasions, and I use it regularly to sync my laptop with the desktop. To the folks that have noticed problems with bootable system backups, or complete startupd drive backups, first enable root access with NetInfoManager for your system, then choose the option to run as root before backing up. I always run the same backup AGAIN on the off chance that the first backup missed a file or 2.

Again, this app works great for me, and is accurate, reliable and fast.

Now, for the other shoe:

I find the pricing on this to be heavy handed and unfair. To start with, $100.00 is a lot to spend on a utility like this, worth it considering the quality of the app, but the developers policy of charging for a 2nd license is price-gouging (IMHO). It would be more fair if the developer were to include a 2-Pack license as part of the deal. I mean after all, this is SYNCHRONIZATION software!!! The whole concept is based upon TWO computers. My respectful and well meant suggestion to the developer is to do this. I think the reasonableness of this solution would generate so much good will that he would sell many more licenses in the end, and spend less time worrying about the inevitable customers that refuse to buy a second license, and use it anyway on 2 computers. (Like the ridiculous policy of forcing us folks that paid $100.00 to uninstall and reinstall the f***ing software every time we happen to initiate the sync from a different computer)

My conclusion:

2 licenses for $100.00? Pricey, but still a fair price for a great product.

Having to pay for the second license? Wayyy too much.

pb  
(Version 3.4)

ANONYMOUS  does as advertised well. The licensing is BS if you bring your laptop home and try to synch to your main machine it will tell you to buy another license. So you have to set your laptop up to be a server and then connect to it from your main machine to synch your laptop, as you, on your network, as the only user, feeling ripped off. Sorry but you can't just come home plug in and synch quickly, its now a multi step hassle if your home machine is your main machine. This is not convenient, this is a rip off.  
(Version 3.4)

ANONYMOUS  "it may be convenient but not necessary"? well...isn't the point of this software to provide "convenience"? if not for that, the software itself is "not necessary". one could simply mount shares manually and copy what he/she needs backed up manually. it's not convenient to do that though. hence, you get software to do that for you. having said that, if you don't like the licensing structure, don't buy this software. if no one buys it, maybe that licensing will become more flexible. and there are always freeware apps out there which do the same thing this overpriced piece of software does.  
(Version 3.3.1)

MIKE  Take it any way you want, or to dry cleaners. This whole thing is RIP-OFF!  
(Version 3.3.1)

QDEA TECH SUPPORT  License clarification

It's a common misconception that the Synchronize! Pro X license allows you to use the software on two computers as long as it's not running on both. In fact, since the original introduction of Synchronize! Pro X, the license has only allowed the installation and use of the software "on one other computer at a different location". This was intended for syncing files between a computer at work and a computer at home. Starting with version 3.3, the license is for the installation and use on one computer at one time, period.

If your computers are on a local network, it's not necessary to have the software installed on more than one computer. It may be convenient, but it's not necessary, because the second computer is accessed using File Sharing.

If you have a situation where you already have a license and your two computers are at two different geographical locations, contact us. We will arrange to allow you to continue to use your existing license on both computers through the end of the term of your current license. All new licenses are for the installation and use of the software on one and only one computer, although it is possible to uninstall from one computer and then install on a different computer.

In the interest of full disclosure, it's probably worth mentioning here that purchase of a license includes access to all versions of the software released within two years of the purchase, After that, to use new versions, a license renewal must be purchased. As surprising as it may seem, the ongoing support and extension of this product takes time and effort.  
(Version 3.3)

V  Upgraders beware of licence change!

I think this is a great program, but if you are thinking of upgrading to version 3.3, beware that Qdea has changed the license terms.

Previously, you were allowed to install the software on 2 computers (you just couldn't run them both at the same time). Now you can only install it on 1 computer - and it checks this by phoning-home when you run the new version to prevent you from installing it on another machine.

This is a bit unfair to those of us how bought the program, with the expectation of 2 years of free upgrades and who were counting on the license terms that existed when we initially bought the program.  
(Version 3.3)

MANO MARKJOHN  Works as advertised, I'm very satisfied !!!  
(Version 3.2.3)

LEARNING EXPERIENCES  Having tried several different programs to backup/copy/make new boot drives with Systems 10.2 and 10.3, we have found Synchronize Pro to be the most reliable. Our only problem has been related to error messages with Norton Internet Security Kits Verions 2 and 3 which seems to be a Norton Problem and not one related to Synchronize Pro.  
(Version 3.2.3)

ANTONIO  If you are contemplating getting Synchronize! Pro X or Synchronize! X Plus from qdea.com, you should be aware of the following VERY UNDESIRABLE feature. Synch! starts a background process (called SyncXReg) which lingers after you quit Synch! (and takes up more than 1MB of memory), whose sole purpose seems to be to not allow another instance of Synch! to run on another machine on the same network. Qdea says that you are allowed to install Synch! on two machines (like what I have, a laptop and desktop), but that only one copy should run at any time. That's fine. But if both machines are on the same network (like I have: my laptop and desktop connected via wireless), then you can't start one copy even though the other copy is not even running [editing by MU admin]. This is VERY ANNOYING!!!

So, for anyone considering Synch!, beware! If qdea.com fixes this, I will be happy to reconsider this product and provide an additional review. At the very least, they should be up front with their customers about starting background processes that live beyond the lifetime of the application.

Antonio  
(Version 3.2.2)

DANA SUTTON  This is wa-a-y overpriced. And somebody praises it because your money buys you a license good for two years worth of upgrades? Gimme a break! With a lot of shareware your one-time purchase is good for life. This is probably a case of self-foot-shoot. If the author would charge $25 in all probability he'd sell more than 4x the number of copies and make more money than he does now.   
(Version 3.2.2)

ANONYMOUS  I think this program is overpriced for most users. HOWEVER, their Plus version covers everything I have needed for a lot less. Give the plus version a try, after spending money on others such as "duover" I have found this to be the most effective, particularly with networked home drives.  
(Version 3.1)

DALE MERICLE  I commute weekly and have carried my PowerBook for 3 years. I have yearned for a PowerMac G4 Desktop, but did not want the hassle of all of the file upgrades. Synchronize pro has made this possible. I have been able to sync my pictures file (just got a dig cam), Quicken (have not written a check in 3.5 years), PIM, Microsoft user data to sync my e-mail and prefs, Safari and Espolorer 'Favorites', and much more. It is worth every penney.  
(Version 3.0.4)

WHOOOA...HOW MUCH?  Outrageously priced and soooooooo not worth it! Whatever happened to MAC software that was fairly priced. This is a $39.95 program at best.  
(Version 3.0.4)

MATT HENDERSON  How can you possibly compare Sync Pro X to CCC? CCC's a fine product, for sure. But Sync Pro does a WHOLE LOT MORE. It can exclude. It can filter. It can mount volumes, and then unmount them. It can synchronize folders. It can preview your syncs, to allow last-minute fine tuning. It can be scheduled with a variety of events. It can archive deleted or replace files. It can conveniently group those archives into CD-sized chunks. It can run as root. And on and on...

The product is stable. The developer responds quickly to support requests (and always has).

Sync Pro's licensing policy obviously reflects the needs of a *company* who intend to stay in business -- $99 buys you a license that will work with all upgrades for two years.

This is a professional product, used and relied on -- for years! -- by people with non-trivial data synchronization and backup needs. Our company uses it to maintain synchronized data mirrors of our 15.000+ company files for our remote staff. We've never lost a single file. I can't recommend it highly enough.  
(Version 3.0.4)

DANSROKA  I went through a lot of backup software, comparing features and results, before settling on Sync Pro. For my business, it has the best speed, feature set, customizabillity, and stability. The Pro version is expensive, but it has features I cannot work without.

One of the indispensible features, missing in nearly every other program, is verification. With other programs, I often found files that supposedly synced correctly were actually corrupted (due to Airport interference, or whatever). Sync Pro will notify you when a copy did not happen perfectly, a feature that has saved me many times.

Regarding the reviewer's comments that Qdea is "arrogant" becaause he thinks they don't read this board - please, what a silly comment. I have contacted their support staff several times, and have gotten great service.  
(Version 3.0.4)

ANDXXX  For less money use CCC together with Data Backup and get better results also. CCC is much faster for bootable whole volume backups and Data Backup is equal for daily backups. Worst thing about Qdea is their arrogance. They have read the reviews here for over a year and ignored them. Why support arrogance when alternatives are available?  
(Version 2.1.1)

INIK  Most full featured sync software I could find. It has a few key features which put it up over other sync utilities: It can mount file servers before sync'ing to them, it has excellent scheduling and a number of triggers, it allows a great deal of control over how the sync should work (backup, mirror, incremental backup, exclude AND include certain files), and allows for aliases to be used on both the source and destination so that files and folders from all over a given HD/share can be sync'd without making ridiculously complex include/exclude rules, and it has full support for setting permissions on backed up files to ensure greater security.

It's interface is pleasant, it can make bootable backups in OS X, and is possibly a bit too complex for many users. The price is bordering on outrageous, but nothing else will do what Synch Pro does so well.   
(Version 2.1)

ANONYMOUS  It has worked for me for months now. It comes with most of the options that I need (except for incremental backup). I also use Tri-Backup (also called Data Backup) to do incremental backup + compression of the backup files. Very nice combination.  
(Version 2.1)

HOTCHILI  I agree that, while this is useful software that works pretty well, it is was overpriced. You can't really try it out without paying for it, and there are other, more affordable solutions to this problem.

Drop the price to $20, and this becomes a must-have, but at $100, I'll pass.  
(Version 2.1)

KYLE WILLIAMS  This shit is expensive and the trial version doesn't let me test syncing my full user folder. You have to pay them before you know the software works. Go buy Executive Sync for $20 and you'll be happier. http://www.executivesync.com  
(Version 2.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  I definitely dislike this install method. My preference would be a package install (with uninstaller) or just a pure cocoa app. Getting this out is far too overdone. The features are complex and file specific to its credit. To a large degree I find this app quite over the top. The price is triple what I would pay. I'll use CCC for less and just as effectively. Sorry.  
(Version 2.0.1)

DONPABLO  Although pricey, this is a great product! I use it to maintain a bootable backup to a Firewire HD (which worked to clone & restore my entire HD when I repartitioned), a monthly CD backup of important files, and a daily synchronization of important files between my home laptop and office Cube using my iPod. No competing product does as many things as well for me. Also, the price covers all updates for two full years -- so my upgrades from 1.0.x to 1.1.x, 1.2.x, and now 2.x were free, as will be the upgrades to whichever new versions (3.x? 4.x?) come out before those two years expire.  
(Version 2.0)

CMYK  if you want to backup to a windows fileserver under 10.2 (without dave, which is currently not supported under 10.2 anyhow) you run into trouble.

files with filenames that contain characters like "/" or ";" will raise errors. also invisible files like .DS_store and the like cause problems.

dave translated filenames to be compatible with a windows server. but now that dave is no longer supported also synchronize pro 1.2.3 will fail.

so watch out!!!  
(Version 2.0b1)

BUBBA  I haven't used this product, but I have used Carbon Copy Cloner 1.2.2 and it creates a bootable clone of your hard drive to another drive. I create this clone once a week and can boot from it to use disk utilities, etc. as needed. It's also a great way to recover from a bad software update or install that messed up your system. You merely copy your clone back to your original drive. Best of all, the author just asks for donations.  
(Version 1.2.2)

ANONYMOUS  Here's a nice example of a useful utility; but one where the author has picked a price point in another universe from the actual utility itself. A hundred bucks for this? Huh? Good grief! It's just not *that* helpful or unique a tool.

Sometimes when you work your tail off writing new code, you can emerge with a distorted view of reality--and the importance of your software in that reality. This may be what happened here.

In summary, it does what it promises to do. It assists in making a clean, custom bootable backup of your OS X system. It's not the only way to do it, but it makes the process more straight forward than other methods I'm aware of. No argument there.

But is it worth $99.95? For imperfect, but handy...Shareware? Heck, I wouldn't pay that for a perfectly cloned Shareware backup of my own dog...

If you are making six figures; if your job is stable in these dicey times; if you are single and really need it, well, you probably want to look into this one. Otherwise, check the boards. There's lots of ways to accomplish this task...and most of them are free.

- Rob Coltrane  
(Version 1.2.2)

JIM  I love this product. I use it with a Lacie Pocketdrive to carry a complete image of all of my work back and forth between home and work. I have also used it to synchronize over the internet, but I find that a firewire drive is much faster and more convenient.  
(Version 1.2.1)

ANONYMOUS  The installation method is pretty suspiciuos for this kind of an app.  
(Version 1.0.1)