Synchronize It! In Synch in No Time Flat Uses and Alternatives, New Version on the Horizon Adam Stone
As we mentioned earlier, Synchronize It! is only one of a number of similar products on the market. In fact, much of the same functionality can be had for free in products like Allway Synch, a handy tool that offers a graphic interface, two-way synchronization, folder synchronization, and other features.
All of which raises the question, how badly do you need synchronization? For the more technically sophisticated, a good synch tool is a much-needed, and greatly appreciated, mechanism for quick file transfer between drives. The developers of Synchronize It! say they went to work with software-development teams in mind. These groups need ready access to the latest iterations of their work, and Synchronize It! offers a handy way to make it happen.
The software also is especially useful to users of two-panel file managers such as TotalCommander. While such managers typically provide their own synch tools, few have the range of capabilities found in the Grig product.
Another growing use for tools like Synchronize It! is for quick and regular synching to backup external drives for disaster recovery. A failed hard drive can be disastrous and costly, but keeping a synched backup copy of your data on another drive can be overly time consuming. Synchronize It! streamlines the synching process, making it relative painless to keep the backup drive up to date with your critical data.
Still, for most casual users, the need for synchronization may be a little less pressing. A daily synch may be helpful, but not vital, when it's just a question of Word documents and PowerPoint slides. At the same time, the habit of working on multiple devices means that all too often one finds that current data is needed and not readily at hand. In such cases, synchronization needs to be a quick and relatively simple process.
Synchronize It! passes both these tests. With a little advance work to establish one's preferences, it is possible to run the software with just a couple of clicks. That being said, the interface here could stand to be a little cleaner and easier to use.
Having a lot of options means that one must contend with a lot of buttons to click and boxes to check. There are more than a dozen choices to select just to configure the types of files and methods of synchronization. On the plus side, Grig Software reports it is developing an entirely new and simplified interface for release in the near future (in fact, a preview release of the new version, v3.0, is now available for download).
Overall, Synchronize It! has a lot to offer for those in need of a solid and reliable synchronization tool with ample options and a broad range of functionality.
Pros: Multiple options on a single screen make this synchronization tool flexible, powerful, and reliable
Cons: A busy, somewhat cluttered interface with quite a lot of buttons to push and boxes to check, especially during initial configuration
