Mac Home Office

This week I need to set up a home office consisting of 2 MacBooks, 1 HP Office Jet Pro L7780 multifunction printer, a PC, a Time Capsule, 3 USB drives, 4 iPods, 2 iPhones.

I have little to no experience with Mac except when I'm working on these devices. I pick a little more up each time. The person I'm helping knows this and asked me to do my best.

There are a couple of things I need to accomplish:

1. Move all pictures, videos, music to a central location
2. Set all notebooks, iPods, and iPhones up to share the music, videos, and music.
3. Backup all key data to a USB drive. This drive will be stored in a fireproof safe and taken out periodically to sink. When it is connected to the network it should automatically sync.
4. Share music within the confines of iTunes 5 device limitation. Is it possible to pay to have the device count increased?

Here's what these folks are hoping to do:

1. Kids download a song to iPod, when the iPod is connected to the network it automatically syncs with the "central location". Any one with any device can sync the song to their iTunes library. Can this be done? How?

2. Same as above but for pictures and movies too.

3. Parents want the option to view their entire photo library from any device when they are home. They also want to be able to take albums/pictures/books with them when they are out of town. Can this be done? How?

4. All syncing done automatically via bluetooth. The device enters the office and the syncing begins. Can this be done? How?

I imagine that the Time Capsule will function as the central location for all media and data files. Will the Time Capsule officially work as an iTunes server? An iPhoto server? An iMovie server?

Can the Time Capsule backup it's contents to an attached USB drive? Can it do it automatically when the drive is attached? How?

What is the most reliable way to connect the HP printer/copier/scanner/fax to this network. Though I didn't set it up I'm told that it is connected but not always reliable.

What is the proper way to export all pictures/albums/books to the central location keeping everything in tact?

What is the proper way to export all music to the central location keeping everything in tact?

Is there any hope for the PC to work in an all Mac network (with access to iTunes, photos, and videos?

Is there something that can pick out duplicate music, photos, albums, books, etc.?

Sorry for the 1,000,000 questions. I don't want to mess this family's life up so I'm looking to lean heavily on you folks here. Thanks for any/all the help you can give.

MJ

Im sorry to disappoint you but here are the answers:

here are a couple of things I need to accomplish:

1. Move all pictures, videos, music to a central location
This is possible. The time capsule can do this. It is going to be VERY slow to access all of those files.
2. Set all notebooks, iPods, and iPhones up to share the music, videos, and music.
can not be done. you would run into sooo many different issues.
3. Backup all key data to a USB drive. This drive will be stored in a fireproof safe and taken out periodically to sink. When it is connected to the network it should automatically sync.
The time capsule is at least 500 gb and there is no usb that big. plus you can not initiate an automatic back up.
4. Share music within the confines of iTunes 5 device limitation. Is it possible to pay to have the device count increased?
you will need at least itunes 7.7

1. Kids download a song to iPod, when the iPod is connected to the network it automatically syncs with the "central location". Any one with any device can sync the song to their iTunes library. Can this be done? How?
itunes does not allow syncing wirelessly.

2. Same as above but for pictures and movies too.
pictures and movies have to be synced through usb. windows computers sync pictures and movies complexity differently than the mac os.

3. Parents want the option to view their entire photo library from any device when they are home. They also want to be able to take albums/pictures/books with them when they are out of town. Can this be done? How?
they will have to sync the ipod and iphones before they leave home but yes they can take there pictures with them.

4. All syncing done automatically via bluetooth. The device enters the office and the syncing begins. Can this be done? How?
all syncs take place over USB.

I imagine that the Time Capsule will function as the central location for all media and data files. Will the Time Capsule officially work as an iTunes server? An iPhoto server? An iMovie server?
as far as I know this can be done. you will most likely run into issues. only one computer can access files at a time.

Can the Time Capsule backup it's contents to an attached USB drive? Can it do it automatically when the drive is attached? How?
DEFIANTLY NOT.

What is the most reliable way to connect the HP printer/copier/scanner/fax to this network. Though I didn't set it up I'm told that it is connected but not always reliable.
connect it to the time capsule. only the print features will work wirelessly. if they want to scan or copy they will have to use usb.



In my option you might be in a little over your head. sorry to disappoint you. hope their expectations weren't to high.