Can I have two iPads clone each other?

[hsuthard]

My DH and I both have our own iPads, but what we'd like to do is make each of our iPads identical clones (or as close as possible) combining apps from both of our iTunes accounts on each. So, say iPad1 would have the Kindle app which I bought on it as well as the Goodreader app my husband bought on it. And then iPad2 would also have Kindle and Goodreader.

One of the iPads has 3G and the other is wifi only, and the goal is for whenever one of us wants to take an iPad out of the house then it will have the apps either of us wants it to have on it. Conversely, the person left at home with the other iPad will still have access to all their apps as well.

I'm not concerned with music, photos, and movie at this point, I just want to see if this can be done. We do each have separate iTunes accounts, but we know each others' passwords so that's not an issue.

 

[Dannyboy85]

You will need to change to both being on the same itunes account. Then you will be able to sync to the same itunes account. Being able to do that will allow you to share a "pool" of apps between the two devices. Doing them separately will mean always manually having to mimic the other.

 

[hsuthard]

I don't think we'd be able to agree on that, unfortunately. I thought there was a way to "share" the apps on more than onne device? Can't you have apps from different accounts on your iPad? I know I had to change my iTunes account at one point when Apple was having some problems on their side. They set me up with a new username and for a while I had to enter both accounts whenever I synced. But that may have changed, i find iTunes so difficult to comprehend when it comes to stuff like this.

 

[Mossi]

I don't think we'd be able to agree on that, unfortunately. I thought there was a way to "share" the apps on more than onne device? Can't you have apps from different accounts on your iPad? I know I had to change my iTunes account at one point when Apple was having some problems on their side. They set me up with a new username and for a while I had to enter both accounts whenever I synced. But that may have changed, i find iTunes so difficult to comprehend when it comes to stuff like this.

I don't really understand your problem with having one account. Seems to me that it would simplify everything. You could both use the account.....

 

[hsuthard]

Well, could we merge the two accounts we have already? I was under the impression that you couldn't and we each have hundreds of dollars of stuff we've accumulated over the years . . .

 

[BrennB]

This is how I do it...
Open iTunes on your pc and authorize both accounts. Basically sign in, authorize, sign out sign in second account authorize. Now, sign in and download the apps from one account ...you won't have to repurchase... Do the same on the other account... Now when syncing iPads you can select the other persons apps to load on yours... The only caveat is when there is an update and the popup comes you'll have to give the password for whatever account was the purchase, so if you don't share password info you gotta hand over the iPad for update.

 

[hsuthard]

Excellent! Thank you, Brenn!