Do I need to wait for Bitcoin-Qt to sync with the network before using GUIMiner? I'm waiting for Bitcoin-Qt to synchronize with the network, but it takes a long time. I'd like to know if I can start using GUIMiner while it's Bitcoin-Qt is still synchronizing.
The answer depends on whether you're using a pool to mine.


If you use a pool to mine, you don't need Bitcoin-Qt to mine, so you can mine straight away.
If you don't use a pool, you need Bitcoin-Qt to be at the most recent block.