Access Mac from iPhone

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Hello

Im wondering if there is a way to access files - mainly word docs and pdf's - which are on my Macbook with my iPhone 5.

This is mainly for work when Im out and about.

Macbook is running 10.6.8 and its switched off when Im not using it.

Many thanks
 
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There are some desktop remote apps. But if you want to access those files while the Mac is off, you should look into a "cloud" solution like Dropbox or the like. I don't think 10.6.8 is capable of using iCloud features.
 
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Thanks - iCloud isnt available on my OS of Macbook so Ive downloaded dropbox.

Seems to work a treat but do I have to drop everything in to a folder every time I need to access it via dropbox? Is there any way it can be set to 'automatic' on certain folders?

I never quite know what files I'll need when out and about.
 
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Ive tried the following...

Created a new folder called "Invoices" and saved to Macbook
Copied it in to Dropbox
All shows on my iphone.

When I add a new document and save it to Invoices on Macbook called "Invoice 1", it doesnt seem to update in the Dropbox folder "Invoices" and therefore doesnt show on my phone.

Do I always have to copy over or save to the Dropbox folders?
 
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MacInWin

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That's the way DropBox works. There is a third party application called MacDropAny that will let you designate a folder to use for DropBox, but you would still have to move the documents to that folder to have them sync to DropBox. Or, if you want to buy a huge DropBox account, you could us MacDropAny to sync your entire home folder to DropBox. That would be very, very expensive.
 

Raz0rEdge

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If you put files in one folder on your Mac and then copy them to your Dropbox folder, you now have two copies of every file. That is a waste of space since Dropbox doesn't point to your file in another location, but has a physical copy of it.

So create the Invoices folder in the Dropbox folder and only use that to add/create/edit/delete files and those changes will be reflected on every other device that is linked to the Dropbox account as well as visible online at dropbox.com
 
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Thanks Razor

Just to confirm, its perfectly safe in my Dropbox folder? It'll never get wiped if Dropbox had a problem? And is privacy all good?
 

Raz0rEdge

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The contents of your Dropbox folder are constantly kept up to date with their cloud servers and they have things backed up on their end so your data should be safe as long as it reaches the Dropbox servers.

The beauty of this is that should you mess up your local copy, you can always delete the folder and have Dropbox re-create it from what's in the cloud.

As far a privacy goes, it's a cloud storage that comes with it's own risk..the thing is only as secure as your password to access it is..there are enough people using the service with a fair amount of private stuff without any issues.

However, for really delicate thing you can take it a step further by password protecting files that are on dropbox (there are a few Mac apps that can do that for you). So not only should somehow have to break into your Dropbox account, they now also have to break into your file protection scheme to access the files themselves.

However, adding this extra layer of protection might make accessing the files from Windows, iOS devices impossible..

So, this is one of those things where you have to use your best judgement..
 
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chas_m

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As mentioned earlier, you COULD just upgrade to Lion or Mountain Lion and use Documents in the Cloud. Free.
 

Raz0rEdge

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Mountain Lion is $29.99 and as long as you have Snow Leopard onward and a compatible Mac, it's not a high price or a bad upgrade. I tend to stay updated with the OS' as they are released..
 
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Yeah its not expensive really, shame they dont do them free like the iphone/ipad OS though.

Ive just found SugarSync...
 
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I find Dropbox very easy to use and like it better than the cloud. I save the files to Dropbox on my computer and can access them on all my devices. From what I understand Dropbox keeps a copy on your computer so if they have a problem, you would still have the copy on your hard drive. And a time machine backup.
 
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chas_m

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I find Dropbox very easy to use and like it better than the cloud.

I find this statement terribly amusing. :)

I save the files to Dropbox on my computer and can access them on all my devices. From what I understand Dropbox keeps a copy on your computer so if they have a problem, you would still have the copy on your hard drive. And a time machine backup.

Not that I'm arguing ... I use Dropbox all the time myself ... but how do you imagine this to be different than iCloud's Documents in the Cloud?
 
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I prefer Sugarsync to Dropbox for synching more than a few files.

With Dropbox you need to save files that you want to synch in the Dropbox folder unless you want to create inconvenient duplicate files.

With Sugarsync you can leave your files in their normal folders and still synch them. Sugarsynch is a more complex set up. There is also the limitation that a folder and sub-folder can be synched but not a sub-sub-folder (or deeper).

Both have up to date security arrangements and offer 5 GB free web storage.
 

Raz0rEdge

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Correction: Mountain Lion is $20, not $30.

RIght right..seeing lots of threads of Snow Leopard/Lion/Mountain Lion and I keep forgetting that ML is cheaper than Snow Leopard was..
 
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I find this statement terribly amusing. :)



Not that I'm arguing ... I use Dropbox all the time myself ... but how do you imagine this to be different than iCloud's Documents in the Cloud?

I didn't say it was different.
I said I find Dropbox easy to use.
I'm glad I was able to amuse you.
 
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chas_m

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I was amused because saying "I like Dropbox better than the cloud" is like saying "I like chocolate better than that dark brown stuff you get from the candy store."

Dropbox (and all the services like it) IS the cloud ...
 

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