twin computers
 

i have my MBP running smoothly in 10.5.3, with FCPS2, Protools, plugins and other app updates etc. i would like my iMac, currently running OS 10.4.9 without any updates, to mirror the MBP. Would there be a problem, logistically or legally, with backing up the iMac, wiping the drive, and then migrating the MBP drive over to it?
Basically, i'm looking for the easiest way to achieve a 'fresh' start for the iMac, without having to reinstall OS, programs, updates, etc from scratch, piece by piece.
is this just a bad idea???

You can easily clone your MBP image and migrate that to your iMac however some of the software such as FCP, Protools etc will not let the same serial number to be running concurrently on the same network. That means if both machines are turned on at the same time and share your home/office network then only one instance of these programs will be allowed to run. In some cases FCP simply won't start at all if it detects a same-serial number installation.

Those are your caveats.

thanks for your response, Robert. i can live with that, as i keep the computers 'separate'.
on another note, thanks again for your NTSC HDV to PAL DVD compressor settings. i just finished a (13 hour!) transcode, full of titles, graphics, and CC, with lots of pans and zooms, and i had to triple check that it was truly transcoded to PAL- it looks great!
it was even 30f to 25f, and still looks smooth.
$500 for a XH A1 PAL mod???? i think not!

I have a macbook pro 17" 2.16g and an i-mac 24" 2.4g.

I am running final cut studio 2 and pro tools version 8 on both systems with no problems at all, they both have the same serial numbers entered.
OK I dont use both machines at the same time but they both accept all the software updates without any problems.