Synchronisation

[Jerry Hilbert]

Hi

I am new to Entourage (and Mac)
I used Windows XP&Vista before with Outlook and I am still using Windows and
Outlook in the office.

My problem:
I am using a PDA with Windows Mobile 6, to have my Agenda and my Contacts
list with me, as well as updating the office2home and vice versa.
Input to both (Agenda and Contacts) is made both in the office and at home.

While using Windows/Outlook I used ActiveSync to synchronise the PDA when it
was docked (i.e. Connected by a USB cable either at home or in the office).
The same should apply with OSX/Entourage

Now, as I am still using Windows/Outlook in the office, I would like to
synchronise it also with the OSX/Entourage2008

How can this be done?
I read a number of postings and discussions, but none seemed to really fit
my problem.

Thanks in advance.

Jerry


PS: there is no issue to synchronise the mail items (as this seems to have
been a source of extra problems)

 

[Jerry Hilbert]

(small update)

(info: I am on OS X 10.6)

I guess that I have to use the iSync, but the problem is that the PDA is not
detected (even so the Bluetooth allows for it being visible and it is
connected with it's docking station by USB to the iMac)

Any idea or advice would be appreciated.

TIA

Jerry




Le 26/12/09 17:03, dans C75BF26B.430%[email protected], « Jerry »

 

[Kerry]

(small update)

Jerry your problem is simple to solve and it is completely possible to
do what you want. You'll need a product like Missing Sync for
Winmobile at Markspace.com. This will allow you to sync your device to
Apple's sync service (forget about isync altogether). Once your device
is sync'd to sync services Entourage can sync to this info. In
Entourage go to prefs sync and turn on what you want to sync. There
are sync issues with Entourage though and if you have more than one
module turned on at a time you will end up with bizarre sync behavior
and results. I would suggest only engaging one module at a time such
as say Cal and Tasks. This workaround is basically 100% reliable (for
more info on this just search the forum for workaround and my posts
describing in more detail what to do to make it work effectively).

Hope that helps.

 

[Kerry]

(small update)

Jerry your problem is simple to solve and it is completely possible to
do what you want. You'll need a product like Missing Sync for
Winmobile at Markspace.com. This will allow you to sync your device to
Apple's sync service (forget about isync altogether). Once your device
is sync'd to sync services Entourage can sync to this info. In
Entourage go to prefs sync and turn on what you want to sync. There
are sync issues with Entourage though and if you have more than one
module turned on at a time you will end up with bizarre sync behavior
and results. I would suggest only engaging one module at a time such
as say Cal and Tasks. This workaround is basically 100% reliable (for
more info on this just search the forum for workaround and my posts
describing in more detail what to do to make it work effectively).

Hope that helps.

 

[Jerry Hilbert]

Hi Kerry,

Thanks for the info.

YES it helped me to solve the issue and now have the sync been done.

Overall, also considering Scott's postings these days (and may be others?) I
think that this subject is something that this (sync with different types of
devices) should eventually be included in the OS as PDAs and smartphones are
getting more popular these days.

Jerry


Le 27/12/09 18:33, dans
(e-mail address removed), « Kerry »

 

[Kerry]

Well on the Mac there's two ways of looking at this. Sync is provided
in the OS in OSX via Apple's universal sync architecture sync
services. There is nothing comprable to this on the PC so every vendor
on the PC has to provide a propriety sync capability and in the case
of Winmobile its Activesync but the BlackBerry provides the BlackBerry
DTM, iPhone iTunes etc. On the Mac, all that is required is that
anything that needs to be sync'd plugs into sync services. Thus, all
the underlying core stuff is done on the Mac by sync services and all
that is required is that a client access the info that resides there
in what is called the Truth Database.

However, there's a problem. Sync services is probably the only thing
on the Mac that is truly flaky and not that reliable. If you think
about it, Apple is doing something architecturally pretty amazing here
in that they are providing a universal architecture for sync. So, all
kinds of cellphones can sync to it through iSync etc. But, as a result
it is incredibly complex and third party vendors not only have trouble
with its flakiness and reliability they have trouble with its
complexity.

Thus, in the case of Entourage, Microsoft has not been able to get it
working properly in 2 years. They probably won't as they are replacing
Entourage with Outlook at the end of next year so the time line is too
narrow now. Therefore, the only way to sync Ent reliably is to use the
workaround.

On the PC, since everything is proprietary from the vendors for their
devices, they tend to work better, faster and more reliably. Since the
PC market is so large, vendors have no problem investing the money to
build their DTM's. However, if someone goes by the wayside like the
old Palm, you are stuck in the past. On the Mac, Missing Sync for the
Palm is kept as current as any other Missing Sync product.

Personally, I prefer that the product just works but architecturally
sync services is amazing it just doesn't work that well unless you use
only the Apple apps. I'm sure it will get better.