One iPhoto library - 6 computers, 3 locations, 2 continents

[InfoTime]

How would you go about using your iPhoto library on multiple Macs and three or four locations? I have a client that has:
- iMac in office
- iMac at home
- Macbook Air
- Macbook Pro
- iMac at home in Europe
- Macbook Pro in Europe
- MobileMe subscription

His current library will be about 40 Gb.

My thought was to keep his iPhoto Library file on an external hard drive and carry that around with him. He would simply Option-Click when he opens iPhoto on whatever machine he happended to be using and open the iPhoto Library off the external drive.

I can think of several problems with this approach, not the least of which is backup.

Maybe he should sync it to each machine he uses it on.

There's probably some better solutions out there. Open to any and all suggestions.

 

[swiftaw]

Keep it on the iDisk and turn on iDisk syncing?

 

[InfoTime]

Keep it on the iDisk and turn on iDisk syncing?

He does have 60 GB of iDisk storage. Do people trust iDisk enough for this kind of thing?

So, would it sync the iPhoto Library that sat on the iDisk to the local iPhoto Library of each computer?

 

[swiftaw]

He does have 60 GB of iDisk storage. Do people trust iDisk enough for this kind of thing?

So, would it sync the iPhoto Library that sat on the iDisk to the local iPhoto Library of each computer?

You would store the primary iPhoto library on iDisk. You would then turn on iDisk syncing that would keep a local copy of the iDisk content (including the iPhoto library) on each machine.

 

[InfoTime]

Following up on this...

I think I would recommend a Firewire drive for this purpose. Something about transferring 20 - 40 GB over USB in one operation several times a month makes me a little nervous.

Can anyone recommend a nice bus powered Firewire drive? Or, do you trust USB well enough for this purpose?

 

[ChrisA]

Keep it on the iDisk and turn on iDisk syncing?

With a normal Internet connection you can't sync one day's shooting in only 24 hours. iDisk is way to slow for iPhoto. There are faster Internet connections but they are expensive and not mobile. To use iDisk you'd need a fast connection everywhere.

The most common way to do this is to have one desktop computer that holds the "full library" and then you only have a few projects on the laptop, the ones you are actively working on. Periodically you put the data back on the desktop. Apple's Aperture makes this easy.

Burt if there is no "home base". Then you have to cary the "full library" with you on an extrnal disk.

Back up? Same rules apply -- As an absolute minimum, you need three copies of the data on three different media and you need the data kept at two different geographical locations. And these minimums must be kept during a backup operation. So you'd need four copies if you backup software erases an old backup before doing the backup. Most people use a set of external disks and rotate them.

Aperture is better than iPhoto for moving data around and has a good built-in backup system.

 

[macuser154]

Following up on this...

I think I would recommend a Firewire drive for this purpose. Something about transferring 20 - 40 GB over USB in one operation several times a month makes me a little nervous.

Can anyone recommend a nice bus powered Firewire drive? Or, do you trust USB well enough for this purpose?

I would either recommend the LaCie rugged external drive, that has FW 400, 800 and USB. Or the Western Digital Passport editon.