How to manage and synchronize data on 7 separate computers

"the ""...is done on the mainframe"" part of question suggests you are after some sort of thin client set up, where processing is done on the server.

Ubuntu thin client tutorial.

Windows thin client tutorial.

This may be something best asked on serverfault.com though."

"As fretje points out you can use the ""cloud"" for some things. Then there are services such as Dropbox and Windows Live Mesh that can help turn other types of files to sort of being in the cloud as well (Windows Live Mesh can do so with Macs as well).

Lifehacker runs articles about these types of things ever so often. A little searching and reading the comments might help you.

As for running applications off one computer while being by the other one, the short answer is No. The longer answer is that on Windows that is called Remote Desktop Services (not to be confused with RDP or remote viewing), formerly Terminal Services, and in today's jargon it's called VDI (Virtual Desktop Infastructure). You would need a server (computer able to handle multiple terminals), expensive software, etc. Then there is the question of how fast the whole shebang works. The major players in this space have just released products that can do full screen video. Real games with realistic frame rates? not happening, at least not yet. (There is a web company that was working on games running on their servers, haven't read anything about them in about a year so I can't give you a link.)

There are some web game portals, flash games, Quake Live, etc.

So it appears that your best bet is to use the cloud for as many SAAS applications as possible, use the cloud for file sharing and syncing, and try to use it for games as well. All is dandy until your Internet cuts out for an hour!"

"A simple (but not elegant) solution would to have the server store Virtualbox disk images, then have the PCs run a light-weight OS just for the purpose of hosting the virtualbox guests stored on the server.

Very trivial to keep (everything) in synch, but a tedious process saving and loading the image across the network whenever you change computers. (Unless you have some sort of gigabit lan set up)."
"A simple (but not elegant) solution would to have the server store Virtualbox disk images, then have the PCs run a light-weight OS just for the purpose of hosting the virtualbox guests stored on the server.

Very trivial to keep (everything) in synch, but a tedious process saving and loading the image across the network whenever you change computers. (Unless you have some sort of gigabit lan set up)."

"In my experience there is no better solution than Dropbox, where update is lightening fast. In free account you'll be able to use it only on 2 computers.

The 2nd option would be Sugarsync, where same 2GB in free acc, but there is chance to select your own folder for sync. But update falls behind Dropbox (considering an pdf file 30 MB or more).

May be use these 2 free sevice, or check plans at Dropbox.

To add: i've used webOS, like Glide or g.ho.st, both give ca. 30 GB, but upload is a pain (on a broadband of 3mbps)"