Complicated Palm/Mac/Outlook Syncing -- ideas?

General Questions
#1

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume this is a General Question rather than a poll, since I’m hoping there is at least one single, concrete answer.

Please help! Can anyone tell me of any program (paid or otherwise) or set of programs (paid or otherwise) that will work across both the Mac OS X and Windows platforms for keeping syncronized together? I have a Palm-OS Sony Clie, a Sony-Ericsson phone, a Windows PC at work with Outlook 2000, and Mac OS X at home. The Clie is more important than the phone (just contacts on the phone are all I care about). The Windows Outlook database is considered my “master,” since most of my contacts, tasks (“to do”), appointments, and so on are work related and is more important to me. But amongst all of that I also have personal stuff that I’d really like to keep in sync with iCal and Address Book and Entourage at home. I don’t really use Palm Desktop on either platform. I feel like I now have too much information to manage across too many devices, and I’ve not had a lot of look spending all my time trying to Google a solution. I’m hoping one of you have already done this!

I guess another somewhat good solution would be to buy another Palm, and keep one “strictly business” and another one “strictly” personal. But that sucks. Too bad there’re no multiple user accounts on PalmOS devices…

THANKS.

#2

Yeah. FileMaker.

FileMaker Pro under MacOS or Windows will sync with FileMaker Mobile on Palm, and there are plug-ins that will simplify sync’ing with Outhouse, although FmPro is flexible enough that you can write your own. I’ve done it. Make a practice dump text file from Outlook and then format your FileMaker export fields to replicate the same column names and formats and export order. Other plug-ins will sync with the Apple Address book. FileMaker’s scripting will let you control and customize what syncs to what and under what circumstance.

#3

You do know about iSync on the Mac side, I presume. Won’t help you with the Windows part of the puzzle, but should be perfect for keeping your Mac and Palm aligned.

#4

I’m struggling with the same issues. I have a Clie, a Mac running Jaguar, and a Thinkpad laptop running windows.

I don’t know that I have this system entirely worked out, but here’s what I do.

On the thinkpad I run, not palm desktop, but the program that came with the Clie (I’m sorry I can’t remember the name.) This lets me synch up the handheld with my outlook contacts. I believe the software on the thinkpad can be set so that it also synchs up the calendar, etc., but I just want to synch up with contacts.

Then, on the Mac, I just run Palm Desktop. I had heard that the clie won’t synch up with Palm Desktop on a Mac, but I haven’t had any problem with it. I synch the Clie with both the Thinkpad and the Mac, and all my contacts are synched up among all three. I don’t know anything about synching up with a phone so I can’t be of much help there.

#5

AHunter3, that’s a good idea! I hadn’t thought of Filemaker in a good, long, time. And FileMaker mobile, then, would let me write my own Palm apps? Off to google this in a few minutes…

constantine, my particular Mac needs a program called “The Missing Sync” to sync. I have a paid copy and it works great – it’s really just a USB driver for it. It lets me mount the memory stick, and includes an iTunes conduit.

rjung, yeah, I do know about iSync, and it works well. The problem I’m really having is keeping all three coordinated without duplicates and screwed up fields. For example, Outlook and Entourage have a lot more contact information than the built-in address book, calendar, to do list, and so on that the Palm has. I can’t really describe the jumbled mess everything becomes without writing a jumbled mess here!

I think a roll-my-own is a great way to go!