How to sync Blackberry with Google Calendar

June 10, 2009 10:25 AM

Can I sync a blackberry curve 8300 with Mozilla Thunderbird (+ Lightning) or Google Calendar without Outlook and with no data plan on my blackberry?

I've got a Blackberry Curve 8300 with no data plan. I get push email and that is all. No web browsing, etc. I'd like to sync my blackberry calendar with Google Calendar.

I've currently got Google Calendar syncing with Thunderbird (and Lightning) on my Windows Vista machine. Is there software out there that will let me sync the blackberry to my Thunderbird calendar when the phone is connected via USB? Or even an app that will sync the blackberry directly with Google Calendar.

I found a few things that allow syncing with Outlook's calendar, but unfortunately I don't have Outlook.

posted by backwards guitar to computers & internet (6 answers total)

i'm pretty sure google just released software TODAY that lets you sync google apps with outlook. so you could feasibly sync with outlook (outlook express comes with every version of windows for at least the past 10 years) and then sync to your blackberry using the few things you've already found?
posted by noloveforned at 11:20 AM on June 10, 2009

Just install this to your blackberry: http://www.google.com/mobile/blackberry/sync.html
posted by ckolderup at 11:21 AM on June 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

ckolderup: I saw that, but is there a way to install that without having an internet connection on the Blackberry itself? Will it work over USB?

noloveforned: Does Outlook Express have a calendar? Mine doesn't appear to, but maybe I need an updated version.
posted by backwards guitar at 11:27 AM on June 10, 2009

Oh, sorry. I was thinking that all Blackberries had wifi these days but I see that that's not the case with the 8300.
posted by ckolderup at 12:02 PM on June 10, 2009

Basically, no.

I'm in the same boat as you - Vista, Blackberry w/o data, I use Thunderbird, and don't use Outlook.

Here's what I've tried:

1) Google stuff. No good, it all needs internet.

2) Thunderbird. Still no good, as everything out there syncs with Google. See #1.

3) Windows Calendar. (Think iCal for Windows...essentially a free, decent calendar app) This is the most promising part - ostensibly, Microsoft released the Windows Calendar spec too late for RIM to incorporate it into BB Desktop Manager, but it will be supported in the future.

Through a small coincidence, I ended up picking up Outlook 2007 for dirt cheap, and I have Thunderbird dumping data into Gcal, which is pulled into Outlook, which can then sync with my phone.

I guess my suggestion would be to look around on eBay for discount, older copies of Outlook, or perhaps just bite the bullet and buy 2007. There are numerous home and student discounts, but even with those, it is a bit expensive.

FWIW, there is also a free 60-day trial of Office 2007. Maybe you can do a huge data dump just to get some appointments on your phone?
posted by niles at 2:03 PM on June 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Thanks for all the answers - it looks like installing Office is my best bet - I think I've got an older copy somewhere, that will hopefully do the trick. Been relying on Google Docs for a while.
posted by backwards guitar at 7:31 AM on June 11, 2009