Can I sync 2 Outlooks to 1 PocketPC?

September 8, 2006 8:38 AM

ActiveSync question -- Can I sync 2 Outlooks to 1 PocketPC?

Hello everyone!

THE INTRO:
* 1 new Smartphone PocketPC (Verizon if you must know)
* 2 Outlook 2003 setups
- WORK: standard corporate Exchange setup
- HOME: mail2web.com Personal Exchange


THE PROBLEM IN NEED OF A SOLUTION:
* I would like to view parts of both setups from my PocketPC while I'm on the road.

* Specifically, I would like to view/send/receive email *ONLY from the HOME/mail2web setup --AND--- view/edit *just* the Calendar, Notes, and Tasks lists from the WORK setup.

* You're probably asking "why?" The reason for the two setups is because we get an AWFUL amount of spam at work (I am the PR person at my work and I am included on a public address that ten others are cc'd on).


THE QUESTIONS:
* First, is this even possible?

* Second, if it is not possible, how about being able to view/edit/send/receive 2 different Outlook setups on 1 PocketPC?

* Third, is there a good tutorial on ActiveSync and Windows Mobile 5.0 somewhere online?

posted by zooropa to computers & internet (5 comments total)

Phones can activesync with only one partnership; your "outlook mail" profile on the phone (in messaging) will always include the same calendar/tasks/notes as the mail portion of the sync, since it's a full-on Exchange sync.

I'd just use Outlook Mobile Access and Mobile Internet Explorer to browse mail2web's stuff while you're out and about -- you don't really need push mail for those accounts anyway, right?
posted by Merdryn at 9:21 AM on September 8, 2006

In your situation, you can do what you want. But you are limited a little.

Firstly, you can't use direct-to-server ActiveSync. Instead you must ActiveSync with each Outlook through a PC. You are really syncing with the local folders not the server.

You can choose to ActiveSync just the email with one PC, and just the tasks, calendar, notes, etc. with the other PC.

This works fine. I did it myself for many years.

If you get Plaxo, you can do the sync behind the scenes from your work PC to your home PC, and then just ActiveSync with one of them.

You can also add extra email accounts using POP or IMAP for direct to server email download and sending. But these don't do tasks, calendar, etc.
posted by blue_wardrobe at 11:28 AM on September 8, 2006

Merdryn: It'd be nice to have push mail for that mail2web account available in the Messaging app. That way, I can reply/write email when I'm on the train. I connect to the Internet over WiFi because EVDO is too bloody expensive in the Chicago area ($44.95/month) and my employer isn't paying for it.

blue_wardrobe: I don't understand why I wouldn't be able to sync directly with the server. I did at my last job using a different phone (but same make and model). Where is the limitation come in?
posted by zooropa at 12:01 PM on September 8, 2006

@blue_wardrobe: I didn't mention that possibility because I assumed he wanted to sync wirelessly with one of the Exchange setups; that is (sort of) the point of these phones.

@zooropa: You can sync directly with either Exchange server, just not both. For the other, you would need to set up POP or IMAP to access its mail, or just use OMA (Outlook Mobile Access) to handle it. I'm in the Chicagoland area, too; I've got the Sprint PPC-6700, and was in a similar situation. You'd have to pick which e-mail gets "push"; that account's calendar/tasks/notes would sync wirelessly as well. Your "work" PC's ActiveSync profile can exclude mail and include calendar/tasks/notes/contacts, if you'd like. That would have the side effect of syncing your work Exchange and your mail2web Exchange for calendar/tasks/notes/contacts, since the wired ActiveSync data would end up getting pushed to the wireless Exchange partnership when it runs. You just can't get BOTH e-mail accounts to use PUSH, you'd have to end up polling one of them using POP or (preferrably, for Exchange) IMAP.
posted by Merdryn at 12:07 PM on September 8, 2006

Sorry for the delay. Been preoccupied with stuff.

@zooropa - I may have misunderstood on reflection. You can sync WM2005 with a server and have calendar, tasks and notes sync. (WM2003 couldn't do server sync for tasks).

However, you can only have one server sync. The other partnership has to be regular ActiveSync.

I used to do this wirelessly to my home PC (still could if I wanted), but I kept having to fidget with registry entries to get it to work. (WM2003 VX6600). So I use a POP account for home email now.
posted by blue_wardrobe at 11:59 PM on October 4, 2006