In a previous post I described how I had been able, finally, to get calendar and task entries to all sync together using my Pocket PC, Outlook on Windows, and iCal on Mac.
Then, last week I got a T-Mobile Dash Smartphone and decided to add it into the mix. Turns out that I had to go through the same iterative process that I described in the previous post, a process involving manual deletion of numerous duplicate entries along with multiple sync attempts to get all the bugs out.
This time all the bugs didn’t work out. After going back and forth several times between syncing on the Mac and syncing on Windows, I ultimately could not stop Outlook from deleting 17 appointments (which I recovered from Outlook’s “Deleted” folder). The mystery with these 17 appointments is that they are all several months old, and I had ActiveSync set to sync only entries more recent than one month and had the same settings on Missing Sync on the Mac! None of the syncing software should have even seen these appointments and certainly should not have done anything with them.
So I went back to Marc Orchant’s post on how he used Google Calendar and Spanning Sync (Mac) and SyncMyCal (Outlook) to get all of his devices in sync (calendar entries only … he is slated to address the task entries in a separate post).
But I had significant issues with Spanning Sync on the Mac: some Calendar entries it uploaded to Google Calendar were off by three months! This was after a clean start:
- deleting all Google Calendars
- reinstalling Spanning Sync
- resetting the sync history
- making sure the time zones of all calendars were properly set
- and so on.
When I posted this problem on the Spanning Sync forums, I noticed that several other significant sync issues had also been reported. Presumably these will all be overcome in time, but currently the software does not work for me.
I had issues with SyncMyCal as well. These were not as serious, but half the time Outlook disabled the plugin, so that I had to manually enable it before use. (I do not know if this is an issue with the plugin, with my Outlook security settings, or with the security software I am using … but it is annoying).
Bottom line: none of the sync software offerings are working satisfactorily for me, as regards to keeping my various devices synced. Apparently one can be lucky and not have these issues, but that is not the case for me.
So, for now, I will sync my PDAs to Outlook and forget about trying to keep multiple systems in sync. It irks me immensely to have to do this. I remember watching the first moon walk, now some forty or so years ago, and was so impressed with the technology we had then. I wonder if we could do it again today. But, regardless, nobody seems to have developed the technology that makes it easy to keep various devices in sync. I am amazed, surprised, disappointed, even disgusted.
Let me know if you come across a solution to the syncing problems. I’m hoping that one of the secret features of Apple’s upcoming Leopard system is that iSync will be able to directly sync to Pocket PCs and Smartphones. I haven’t seen this rumor anywhere, but sure sounds like a good one to me, one I wish would come true.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
First, Bruce, I didn’t realize you started your own blog! I’m catching up on the posts now.
I keep my various PDAs and machines in sync using Exchange as my main source of data. I had things working well on Windows, but didn’t have a good way to keep thing synchronized on the Mac, that is until I set up Entourage with Exchange. I first started to find out about this via the “My So Called Digital Life” posts on Black Rim Glasses. Here is one of the entries that helped me:
http://blackrimglasses.com/archives/2006/04/20/my-so-called-digital-life-part-ii-the-love-lost/
I now keep a BlackBerry Pearl, T-Mobile MDA (and, for a while, a Dash), Dell Axim x51v, Tablet PC, and two Macs in sync via Exchange. On the PDAs, I use Wireless Exchange ActiveSync to keep them in sync real-time. On the PC, Outlook, and on the Macs, Entourage.
As I found out from some of the posts on Black Rim Glasses, there is an option inside of Entourage that allows you to sync with iCal and the AddressBook. From there, you could sync with other devices via the built-in iSync technology. I haven’t had to do that because all of my devices use Exchange, but you could.
Hope that helps.
–Thomas
Good morning, Thomas!
Thank you so much for the fantastic tip. I will check it out a bit later this morning after visiting with Vickie at the cemetery. Sounds like just the method I have been looking for.
Also sounds like a tip that is of such great value to a lot of people that I will probably write a post referencing your comment. Likely tomorrow on that as I typically do not post much on the weekends.
I am so glad you found my blog. I look forward to more great comments from you. This is exactly what I was hoping to see this blog do: get great comments from the readers that can be shared amongst us all.
Thanks again,
Bruce