I wonder how many business users purchased their Pre today only to learn the device won't sync with their desktop computers?

"Your Pre phone does not support synchronization with Palm Desktop software or Outlook on your desktop computer."

A huge limitation for people who do not rely on web based mail services or Exchange.

Longtime HTC user and I'm struggling with the lack of sync options.

But I've had it 9 hours now so I shouldn't complain.

Lack of sync options is a deal breaker for me. Can't lose the ability to keep my Entourage and Phone synchronized.

Complain on.....I am an HTC/WinMo person and I am extremely disappointed in the inability to sync with my desktop. What the hell were they thinking. Not everyone wants to keep their calendar, tasks, memos, etc..on a web based server. The user at the top of the thread said it best about business users. But not just for them, for the everyday person.... to me it is a security risk to have all of that information floating around out there subject to the web based providers security. How many times in recent months have they made the news for security breaches?

Palm does provide a one-way sync software but the way that it sounds is that you can't make changes to your outlook calendar, for instance, and then run that utility again. I will try it and see but I for now am very dissapointed with Palm.

Since I have never had an iPhone and this is supposed to be a competitor to that then I don't know whether you can sync an iPhone. If you can't then maybe I can understand Palm's direction in this area but if you can then I think Palm may just have a problem on their hands in this area.

Maybe a software update may come to address this issue but somehow I doubt it.....I think it's going back to the store.

Cheers!!

__________________
BMW

I started asking questions about synchronization a week before the Pre was released. I had a feeling there would be problems.

I should have.
I knew that it synced automatically but I sort of assumed I'd have some control over it. The sprint forums are really helpful in helping me figure it out too.

But here's the primary issue so far for me:

I have my phone. I am in the sprint store and I sync my gmail and facebook accounts. Suddenly I have 2500 contacts. We're talking people on mailing lists, people who have been cc'ed on forwards that I get (and everyone has a friend that sends tons of forwards), anyone I've ever ebayed with. I don't need them on my phone right now.

I leave the store to find my husband. I'm not used to fingertip screens -- I usually have a stylus on my ppc, and I'm scrolling through 2500 contacts to find my husband's number and an unfamiliar interface. It really sort of sucked.

I can set up speed dial, but what I want is categories.

I've been using Chapura PocketMirror for Outlook synchronization with my Palm devices from my Palm Pilot Professional up to my current Treo 755P.

Looks like Chapura has (or will soon anyway) a solution for the Pre as well:
PocketMirror is the Microsoft Outlook synchronization solution for Palm Pre

But no mention of Task and Note synchronization as in the PalmOS PocketMirror version -- do those functions exist on the Pre?

I also WAS considering the PRE, but Chapura's own website says only Sync's with Outlook contacts and Calendar. Here is the direct reply from them yesterday.
**************************

PocketMirror for the WebOS should be available within about 2 weeks. I will keep your e-mail address to be notified one we launch. You can also check back on our site Microsoft Outlook sync software for your Palm and password management software for your PC for updates.

Currently, PocketMirror for the WebOS will only sync Calendar and contacts.

Thank you,

Michelle

Chapura Support

Does the Pre even have a Task list or Notes App? I didn't play around with it at the store long enough to notice.

If I remember correctly, the iPhone doesn't have Tasks and Notes (and Chapura came out with add-on apps to do that (and synch to Outlook) on the iPhone, so I would expect them to do the same on the Pre eventually.

Yeah the pre has a task and notes ability. You can sync your outlook through using itunes with the pre'. See my post at the pre' thread.

Cheers!!

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BMW

Nobody willing to roll their own yet? It's Linux!

However, I know nothing and all of the current e-mail/calendar apps are probably just binaries. Here's to this forum becoming a center of activity for the community like the i760 forum was!

**Yup.. should not talk when you know nothing about what is being discussed.

Have a wonderful day!

You have got to be kidding me. A business device that won't sychronize with either of those two programs on the desktop? That's completely nuts. I thought the problem was limited to certain MS Exchange servers (that require a particular security setting). The head of our department just bought one and he found out (to his dismay) he couldn't sync with the company e-mail over that.

Nice going Palm. You just gave us WinMo users a shot in the arm!

-Max

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General Aviation is not the stepchild of modern aviation, it is it's father.

As I type this I am syncing my brand new (today!) Palm Pre with iCal and Address Book on my iMac. I'm using the beta 1 version of Mark/Sync's The Missing Sync. It seems to be working fine, albeit slowly, over my home wifi.

Seriously - why do people still sync to a desktop computer that is prone to hard drive crashes, or a notebook that gets stolen with all that data.. We switched away from Exchange to Zimbra over a year ago, have SSL certificate installed for secure web email with a very good webmail experience - and not one email, contact, or calendar is stored on a desktop or notebook that can lose that vital business data. Now, we just hooked palm-pre's and we had sync up and running in minutes without an issue.. With the right setup you can easily have push-sync up and running in minutes.. We use Zimbra network edition with the mobile sync option, so it mimics activesync/exchange push sync - 0 problems outa the gate..

D2G

I just setup a Pre using EAS. Not the most intuitive to setup, especially if you don't have a public certificate. Not sure why you want to hook up the wire when wireless sync over the air seems to work pretty good.

I assume you have found the ability to simply type a few letters of a person's name to find them? I was a fanboy of the voice-dialing until I simply used single button speed dials or typing a few characters of the person's name.
Also, syncing Facebook is just an option.

For Enterprise use this may not be a problem but not everyone, and I am talking the everyday average user wants their calendar, notes, contacts, and other personal information floating around out there in cyberspace on sites that have been and probably will be hacked. I am all for moving forward but the option to sync locally is really important. On the plus side you can now do it. What killed the pre for me was the lack of voice control. I don't want to have to fumble with my phone each time I want to make a call, start navigation, or play music.

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BMW

I agree with Leslie on this one. I think it was a bad oversight on palms part not to include voice command. I went about a week with the pre and loved everything about it but in the end, having to continually mess with my phone just to dial a number, etc.. killed it for me and it went back to the store. Voice command is the reason I have stayed with WinMo for as long as I have. Now I know they will probably release a patch for it or software update but probably by that time the TP2 will be out so I guess I will wait for it so I don't lose that functionality.

Cheers!!

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BMW

Nog I have to agree with you and everyone else who misses voice dialing. I actually didn't think I used it much until I switched to the Pre from a Touch Pro and now I really miss the feature. I'm hopeful that this feature will be added in the near future, whether from Palm or a 3rd party application, but for now calling people while driving has become extremely difficult...

Still not a deal breaker for me but it really is a major feature to lack.