Google Apps Syncing - Mail, Contacts & Calendars using Exchange to a Mac?

[linkandzelda]

Hello,
I've just started to use Google Apps free account for my domain and have setup mail and everything with it. I've then setup my Android and iPad with the Exchange ActiveSync account for mail, contacts and calendars. All thats left out is my Mac.

When adding an exchange account to the system it will let me get to the last step which will even fill out the exchange account automatically "m.google.com" but when i go to finish it it says the server is not responding. I read somewhere that that server only works from specific mobile devices which is a) inconceivable and b) very annoying. If possible I would like for the exchange to be connected from any device to have one all-round syncing solution which is just perfect.

So i'm here to ask how do people get the Google Apps contacts onto the mac by syncing online? I can setup the apps account as a standard Gmail account to get notes, calendars and mail working but not contacts. If there is no native way to do this then i believe its a fatal flaw in the service.

I've thought of a possible workaround which involves using the iPad as a main gateway combining the exchange server and iCloud. Making a contact on the Google Apps site, would then sync to the iPad and iPhone OTA. Hopefully iCloud will then sync back the new contact to my mac straight away. Not sure if it would work though.

Thanks in advance,
Kris

 

[blevins321]

The ActiveSync feature only works with mobile devices. You can get contacts synced by opening the Address Book application and going to preferences. From there you can setup syncing with Google. It's not instant like the phone - it'll sync every hour. Works really well though.

 

[linkandzelda]

The ActiveSync feature only works with mobile devices. You can get contacts synced by opening the Address Book application and going to preferences. From there you can setup syncing with Google. It's not instant like the phone - it'll sync every hour. Works really well though.

That sounds like a good idea, and i remember that option from SL, but i can't seem to see it on Lion... I'll have another look.

 

[blevins321]

That sounds like a good idea, and i remember that option from SL, but i can't seem to see it on Lion... I'll have another look.

Seriously? Aww dang. I hope that te feature will be in the final Lion release!

 

[MacDawg]

Try Spanning Sync
It's not free, but it works with calendars and contacts

 

[linkandzelda]

Seriously? Aww dang. I hope that te feature will be in the final Lion release!

I'm sorry.... I'm either blind and that this option was not available in DP4 because i'm pretty sure it's not. But in lion GM the option is as clear as day.

Let's hope that option actually 'works' now, or at least better than the previous option did.

 

[Wheaty]

The ActiveSync feature only works with mobile devices. You can get contacts synced by opening the Address Book application and going to preferences. From there you can setup syncing with Google. It's not instant like the phone - it'll sync every hour. Works really well though.

Now why havent I done this till now? I seem to sync everything else!


Anyway... Now it appears that I may have 3 variations on a Theme in my contacts, as I have synced my phone as well at some time in the past.. ie I have Three Mr Smiths, Mr Jones, Mr Does... etc some are identical contacts, some may not be.
ie, Mr Smith Mobile, Mr Smith Home, Mr Smith Mobile + Home.

Very baffling.

so 1) How can I tidy this up
2) Or should I start again, but what is the best order?

My phone and Google dont seem to have many duplicates, there mainly on the Mac

Any ideas?

Wheaty

 

[blevins321]

so 1) How can I tidy this up
2) Or should I start again, but what is the best order?

One feature of iOS that is different than phones of the past is that one contact can have multiple phone numbers (Mom work, Mom home, etc...) without having to have multiple entries. (See attached). That way, one contact can have a lot of information stored about them that is easily discernible. When you select the contact to dial, all their numbers will appear to choose from.

Which source is correct? Or is a combination of all the information what you're going for? By that I mean is Google contacts the "final version" that you want with what you have? Or is there some information from Mac Address Book that you want added to Google as well?

The best "final result" is to have Google be the home for everything. That way no manual phone syncs at all are necessary to keep the info up to date. (Or soon - iCloud can be the home).

 

[curtisinoc]

I also use google for everything (gmail, calendar, contacts etc . . ). When I synced my google contacts to my Mac address book (snow leopard), I noticed that everything synced over correctly except:

Contacts' birthdays and anniversaries. Those dates did not sync over at all and those fields do not display on my Mac address book.

Is this normal? If not, anyone have a fix to this problem?

Thanks

 

[Wheaty]

One feature of iOS that is different than phones of the past is that one contact can have multiple phone numbers (Mom work, Mom home, etc...)

I should have said..... Its not an Iphone its a Nokia E71 but it does what I need it to, so while it keeps working I'm happy with it.

I agree that google should be my "true copy" of contacts. but I have a slightly different set in each place. Phone has mainly numbers, Mac has both numbers and e-mails, google a bit of a mixture.

The phone will happily do home, work, mobile, email, all on one contact. Its predecessor couldn't, which is why I have probably ended up with this little mess. And I'm trying to work out how to straighten it out.

Wheaty