Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Releases iSync 1.4

No Blackberry or Sidekick

Am I the only one who keeps going to http://www.apple.com/isync/devices.html every week hoping that something will change?

That's where I went as soon as I say the iSync update in my SWU. It looks a little different (did it talk about Clie's before?), but still no:
  • Blackberry
  • Sidekick
  • Palm built-in and fully functional
  • Pocket PC built-in
Is there at least any rumor of these in the pipeline?

I'd love to have a nice small PDA, but they're all sucky and/or expensive. The notable exceptions are Sidekicks and Blackberries.

Isn't it kinda astounding that Macs don't talk to Blackberries? The last time I looked on blackberry.com for Mac support, it was just depressing. There was a HUGE thread in a discussion board with all kinds of people asking why no Mac support. Now I don't even see that.

Whaddup?
 
Re: Re: mail synchronization, etc.

Originally posted by simX
Mail supports the IMAP protocol perfectly, [...]
Click to expand...
Which subset of the IMAP protocol are you claiming Apple Mail supports perfectly? ;)

Pine and Mulberry are possibly the most complete and protocol-compliant IMAP4rev1 clients, yet both are unfinished and imperfect.

And the .Mac IMAP service is still lacking server extensions that have long been available in other implementations (e.g. Cyrus, UW-IMAP).
 
Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

Originally posted by Toe
Am I the only one who keeps going to http://www.apple.com/isync/devices.html every week hoping that something will change?

That's where I went as soon as I say the iSync update in my SWU. It looks a little different (did it talk about Clie's before?), but still no:
  • Blackberry
  • Sidekick
  • Palm built-in and fully functional
  • Pocket PC built-in
Is there at least any rumor of these in the pipeline?

I'd love to have a nice small PDA, but they're all sucky and/or expensive. The notable exceptions are Sidekicks and Blackberries.

Isn't it kinda astounding that Macs don't talk to Blackberries? The last time I looked on blackberry.com for Mac support, it was just depressing. There was a HUGE thread in a discussion board with all kinds of people asking why no Mac support. Now I don't even see that.

Whaddup?
Click to expand...

Apple (Steve) seems to think that people should just carry around their cell phones (but only certain models) and powerbooks/ibooks.. Doesn't take into account the many folks (namely corporate, and road warriors, and just people who do more than listen to their ipod mini) need more functionality, usability, not to mention memory, than a cell phone provides.

If Apple really was serious about isync, and getting peoples devices to intereact (AKA digital hub) they'd build in support for said devices.. that would be a killer app if I ever saw one: Just plug in your blackberry, PPC, palm, etc, and it syncs up with mail.app, or entourage, etc.

I could sell that one application, and the macs that go along with it, to dozens of companies (and their employees at home)

But instead, we have pink mp3 players `:rolleyes:
 
Re: Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

Pink (or any other colour) mini iPods will make more money for Apple than iSync.

Anyway, PDAs are dying, in a few years they will be no more, smart phones are the future... that is why they are supporting Symbian - the smartphone OS of the future - and the current leading smartphone OS platform. Forget Palm / MS ****e they are history.

Plug in your smartphone and you sync your PDA / Phone in one go...







Originally posted by Some_Big_Spoon
Apple (Steve) seems to think that people should just carry around their cell phones (but only certain models) and powerbooks/ibooks.. Doesn't take into account the many folks (namely corporate, and road warriors, and just people who do more than listen to their ipod mini) need more functionality, usability, not to mention memory, than a cell phone provides.

If Apple really was serious about isync, and getting peoples devices to intereact (AKA digital hub) they'd build in support for said devices.. that would be a killer app if I ever saw one: Just plug in your blackberry, PPC, palm, etc, and it syncs up with mail.app, or entourage, etc.

I could sell that one application, and the macs that go along with it, to dozens of companies (and their employees at home)

But instead, we have pink mp3 players `:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
Device rumors?

Where can I find a list of devices that are thought to be coming down the pipe?

I REALLY want to be able to sync my Sanyo 8100 with iSync but it isn't supported.

I have tried Bitpim but it isn't integrated with Mail.app or iCal.
 
Mark/Space offers third-party extensions that allow the Hiptop, as well as Pocket PCs, to sync with iCal and Address Book, via iSync. Apple can't do EVERYTHING, some stuff third parties deal with, at least until Apple catches up. But don't say it's not possible, if you're too lazy to do a quick search on Versiontracker... Sheesh.
 
Re: Hey, denm316...

Originally posted by phillymjs
What do you find deficient/problematic?

I'm working on switching a client from Now Up-to-Date to iCal with calendars shared out via local WebDAV server, but decent Palm sync with iCal is an absolute must.

~Philly
Click to expand...

I can't speak for the other poster, but I simply can't believe how slow it is (or how clunky it feels) compared to syncing with Palm's software.
 
Re: Device rumors?

Originally posted by zelet
I REALLY want to be able to sync my Sanyo 8100 with iSync but it isn't supported.
Click to expand...

Buy the Sony Ericsson T608 if you desperately want to sync. It can be found on your provider of choice (I'm assuming Sprint, judging by the phone). Call 800-PCS-AUTO (either that or 888).
 
Re: Re: Re: anybody done this who syncs with PalmOS yet?

Originally posted by KLFloyd
Still no support for LG phones. :(

I use Verizon and they are strongly pushing the LG phones claiming they have better reception than even the Motorola's.
Click to expand...
It's not that hard to be a better phone than a motorola. Nearly everyone I've ever met who's had/got one tells me to never ever buy one.
 
Future Support

Anyone know if there is a resource to find out what phones MAY be supported in the future or not.

I have a panasonic X70 which is a very new phone popular in europe with all the bluetooth goodies you need but once again in this update not a mention.

I am just wondering if it is ever going to be supported or not.
 
Just to note: It could be that the in/ability of syncing devices like the HipTop/Blackberry/PocektPC is that Apple is making sure they still have an opportunity to release a device that fits in one or spans those genres. Sync everything under the sun and you give pepole a reason to not buy or at least continue using their current portable device.

And re: Motorola phones: Yes, they suck. Even the cheaparsed Audiovox phones are better.
 
Re: Re: Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

Originally posted by Stella
Pink (or any other colour) mini iPods will make more money for Apple than iSync.

Anyway, PDAs are dying, in a few years they will be no more, smart phones are the future... that is why they are supporting Symbian - the smartphone OS of the future - and the current leading smartphone OS platform. Forget Palm / MS ****e they are history.

Plug in your smartphone and you sync your PDA / Phone in one go...
Click to expand...

The problem with that is the support for smart phones like my sony ericsson p900 is still broken, and this is the flagship smartphone at the moment.
 
Re: Re: Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

Originally posted by Stella
Anyway, PDAs are dying, in a few years they will be no more, smart phones are the future... that is why they are supporting Symbian - the smartphone OS of the future - and the current leading smartphone OS platform. Forget Palm / MS ****e they are history.
Click to expand...

Spoken like someone who has never owned either a Palm or a smartphone.

As someone who has had both, I will never go the smartphone route again.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

No, I haven't owned a Palm, but I've owned a Psion 5mx PDA, which was flawless. I really don't care about Palms.



Originally posted by sdf
Spoken like someone who has never owned either a Palm or a smartphone.

As someone who has had both, I will never go the smartphone route again.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

Originally posted by Stella
No, I haven't owned a Palm, but I've owned a Psion 5mx PDA, which was flawless. I really don't care about Palms.
Click to expand...
That proves the point. Different people prefer different things (dontchya know). But iSync doesn't support most of 'em.

It's bad enough we're relegated to a small minority of other things... do we have to also pick from only a handful of PDAs and other intelligent handhelds?

How hard is it to get a device to exchange data with a computer? Doesn't seem like there should be much to it... should there be? When iSync came out, I was astounded by how few things it supported. The list isn't much longer now.

If a Blackberry can talk to a PC... how much engineering is required to get it to talk to an iSync conduit??
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No Blackberry or Sidekick

Originally posted by Toe
... few things it supported. The list isn't much longer now.

If a Blackberry can talk to a PC... how much engineering is required to get it to talk to an iSync conduit??
Click to expand...

Actually, I think you're grossly oversimplifying things. Have you ever really watched/tried syncing a Palm with a Mac? It doesn't even do that natively through iSync - you need to install the Palm conduit, Palm Desktop, and even then it still doesn't sync everything like notes.

So, unless you were being facetious, I think that the answer to your question is a big "more engineering than you think".

:D
 
How hard is it to sync?

Originally posted by Codemonkey
Actually, I think you're grossly oversimplifying things. Have you ever really watched/tried syncing a Palm with a Mac? It doesn't even do that natively through iSync - you need to install the Palm conduit, Palm Desktop, and even then it still doesn't sync everything like notes.

So, unless you were being facetious, I think that the answer to your question is a big "more engineering than you think".
Click to expand...
I don't get why it's difficult to sync with a Palm either. I must be missing something here. I have done data transfers between databases, and there's really not much to it once you have the protocols established.

All a Blackberry or Palm or whatever can do is send a bunch of data over a serial connection of one kind or another. I just can't understand why it would be difficult to parse that data stream.

I'm trying to come up with complications, but not having much luck. The worst thing I can think of is sending acknowledgements back to the device to tell it the sync went OK or something. But again, it's just a serial connection. Do these devices use some god-awful protocol that nobody can parse or something? I mean, like, don't they publish whitepapers on how to communicate with their devices? What's the problem?
 
Re: How hard is it to sync?

Originally posted by Toe
I must be missing something here. I have done data transfers between databases, and there's really not much to it once you have the protocols established.
Click to expand...

I think that's the key here, is that you think that the architecture is open on all digital devices. I'm betting (so, keep in mind, I'm not an engineer, nor an expert, just observing) that the architecture is so closed on these devices, that after lengthy (or maybe not lengthy, depending on who laughed who out of negotiations first) discussions, the only way to manipulate data between Palm devices and iSync (for example) was to bend the Palm conduit to their will. You're assuming that these deviced were "meant" for interfacing with, along the same lines as a DVD player, robotic mechanism, scanner/barcode reader, etc.

When in fact in all likelyhood no one wants you to interface with anything, to keep a lockdown on IP, Espionage, NDAs etc.
 
Re: How hard is it to sync?

Originally posted by Toe
I don't get why it's difficult to sync with a Palm either. I must be missing something here. I have done data transfers between databases, and there's really not much to it once you have the protocols established.

All a Blackberry or Palm or whatever can do is send a bunch of data over a serial connection of one kind or another. I just can't understand why it would be difficult to parse that data stream.

I'm trying to come up with complications, but not having much luck. The worst thing I can think of is sending acknowledgements back to the device to tell it the sync went OK or something. But again, it's just a serial connection. Do these devices use some god-awful protocol that nobody can parse or something? I mean, like, don't they publish whitepapers on how to communicate with their devices? What's the problem?
Click to expand...

Apple's iSync Palm integration is bad enough that there's no way I'd trust Apple code touching my Palm without the nice intermediate layer by Palm. I hope that Apple continues to make condutis, just through Mark/Space, instead of trying to iSync directly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back