Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with isync

iPhones are too much for her...

GJSchaller — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:59:34 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good, simple AT&T Cell Phone that syncs with a Mac for my mother? A few years back, I got my mother an iMac, and she's been happy with it - she's gradually migrating her life off of paper / rolodex and into Mail, Address Book, etc.

Her current AT&T cell phone is a piece o' junk, and is due to be upgraded. She doesn't need an iPhone - it's too much for her, and she would not use half of the features, much less the internet on it. Paying for a data plan would be wasting money.

Is there a simple cell phone out there that has basic (and easy to set up) sync functionality with the Address Book on the Mac, that is also a good phone? It can be by USB or Bluetooth, although USB might be better if it also charges the phone (to keep it simple). I'm familiar with iSync, but know it can be a pain to configure sometimes depending on the model of the phone. She doesn't need a QWERTY keyboard, and doesn't text, but it would be nice if she could have numbers handy in case she needs to make an emergency call.

Help me find a prepaid cell that iSyncs

Cogito — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:31:50 -0800

What cellphone can I get to use with a prepaid plan that will work with iSync? My original RAZR is slowly dying, so I'm thinking of replacing it and switching to a prepaid plan (probably Virgin or T-Mobile). I have all my calendars and contacts on my Mac, so I'd really like to be able to sync my phone, but it doesn't seem like any of the prepaid handset offerings are compatible according to Apple's list.

Should I buy a compatible handset separately and then sign up for the prepaid plan? I know this should work for a GSM carrier like T-mobile, but I'm not so sure about Virgin. Any suggestions of specific handsets that work well with iSync (and where to buy, if not available from the carrier) would be great.

iSync and RAZR V3xx

dondiego87 — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:47:34 -0800

iSync 3.0.2 won't sync with Motorola RAZR V3xx. Looking for a fix. So I recently got my Motorola V3 replaced with a V3xx through my carrier's insurance program. I had used iSync all the time to sync the phone's calendar with iCal and its contacts with Address Book (also both ways). However, the V3xx is unable to sync with iSync 3.0.2. When I try to add it as a device, I get an error message saying "This device is not supported by iSync."

I have found two plugins for iSync that allow it to sync with the V3xx (at http://tinyurl.com/pjrbpp and http://tinyurl.com/qlelxz), but unfortunately neither of them work with iSync 3.0.2 (which I have on my Macbook running 10.5.7). When I try to start up iSync with either of those plugins in the "PhonePlugins" folder in my library, I get an error message saying "The following plug-in doesn’t work with this version of iSync."

Does anyone know of a plugin for iSync 3.0.2 that would allow me to sync with the Motorola RAZR V3xx? Or alternatively, does anyone know how to modify the plugins I found to work with iSync 3.0.2?

Please help me sync iCal to my Palm before my Palm sinks to the bottom of Puget Sound

tristeza — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:28:24 -0800

Please help me sync my Palm Z22 with Mac's iCal and Address Book before I chuck it out the window. I have Googled articles and AskMe all day, followed all instructions to a T, and am still not finding success. Please help?

I have changed the conduit settings in HotSync to enable iSync, as instructed. I have set iSync to sync "iCal" and "Address Book". I have reinstalled the Palm software 5 times and factory reset my Palm 5 times.

I have synced over and over and over, and while both the Palm and iSync/Hotsync act like they're doing something (Palm says "syncing to do list, syncing contacts", spinning icons, progress bars, etc), my Palm remains empty of any information.

The weird thing is that I HAD a Palm Z22 before that DID WORK with iCall/Address Book, but it just died, and now I wonder how I ever got it to work in the first place!

I've read about an app for sale - Missing Sync - that could help, is that my only option?

Many thanks. (Comparable AskMes were at least 2 years old so I thought something may have changed since then)

Apple Mail and iSync - can they tame the beast?

Capri — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:40:54 -0800

I want my email messages to be in the same state (read, deleted, filed, sent) on three different Macintoshes. Will iSync do what I want? Is there another solution to the chaos? I have three Macintoshes, all running Leopard. I have three email accounts, two IMAP (Gmail and .Mac) and one POP (my own domain, hosted by GoDaddy). The POP is my primary account, and the two IMAPs are used maybe 5% of the time. I've set the POP account to keep messages on the server for a week after retrieval.

I use Apple Mail for all three accounts, and mail from each account comes into my Inbox. I have a large complex hierarchy of folders on my Mac that I put messages into.

The problem is that when I receive, read, and either file or delete a message from my POP account on one computer, it has no effect on the message on the other two computers. So if I don't boot up one of the computers for a week or so, when I do finally boot that one up, I get 500 new messages -- all of which I've already dealt with on one of my other computers. I want all three of my computers to by synched so that I don't have to deal with each message three separate times. Also, any mail sent from one computer appears only in that computer's sent box; I can't access it from the other two computers.

By contrast, if I delete a message from an IMAP account, it disappears from all three computers (this is good). The same works for sent messages - they appear in the Sent box of all three computers. But if I file a message on one computer, it disappears from the other two. This is not good - I want it filed on all three computers in the same folder.

(I recognize that this is the way POP and IMAP accounts work; none of what I've just said surprises me.)

What can I do so that all three computers have the same messages in the inbox, the sent box, and each of the folders in the hierarchy?

I tried using iSync, but it didn't seem to do anything; I am not sure if I set it up correctly. If I convert my POP account to IMAP, and then move a message from my Inbox to a folder on my Mac, or send a message from one computer, could I get iSync to make a copy of it to the same folder on a different Mac so that I can still access that message on my other two computers?

Also, I sort of like having a web-based way to get to my email (and having my old emails there, even if they're all unread and in the inbox) for those rare occasions when I am using someone else's computer. But this is a much lower priority than just wrangling my new messages into control.

Thanks so much. This is all rather overwhelming, and I just can't find a way to make it all manageable.

Syncing a Razr? More like STINKING A RAZR

Sticherbeast — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:24:33 -0800

iSync question: I'm trying to use a USB cable to sync a Razr V3 with iSync 2.4 on an iBook G4 running Tiger, but something's not clicking. iSync recognizes the phone and it claims to Sync it, but nothing gets added to Address Book. What's the deal? The iBook doesn't have Bluetooth capability, so I can't use that. While I don't expect miracles, I'd also be very interested in learning how to get the photos off of this phone and onto the computer, without simply pix messaging an email address over and over again.

Palm Syncing Woes

rossination — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 10:43:10 -0800

My Palm hates my mac. I was just gifted a used Palm Zire 21 that I'd like to try out (to see if a PDA is the kind of thing that I'd actually _use_).

I've run into what seem to be some pretty standard problems with syncing to my Mac. But, they haven't been solved by any "standard solutions". Here's what I've done so far:
Installed Palm Desktop from the CD (version 4.1)
Downloaded the iSync Palm conduit and set it up in the Hotsync Manager (Basically, the first couple steps listed here: Palm with iSync).

When I try to set up Palm OS Syncing in iSync (Devices -> enable Palm OS Syncing), it tells me that the Hotsync software is not properly installed.

So, I'm sorry for asking what seems to be an oft-posted question on the Internets, but 2 or 3 hours of googling and browsing Palm and Apple websites have failed me. HOW DO I MAKE THESE THINGS WORK TOGETHER?

I know that Missing Sync could solve many problems of mine, but I'm not going to buy a $40 program for a device that I may not even end up using anyway. Once I get this work, and once I find out whether or not this little doodad will actually help me, I'll pay the forty bucks. For now, I'm a bit frustrated that this thing doesn't "just work".

P.S. I should note that I intend to continue using iCal/Address Book/iSync. I don't want to have to use the ugly and quasi-functional Palm Desktop as my mac's PIM.

Managing Treo backups on a Mac?

pzarquon — Mon, 22 May 2006 11:30:31 -0800

Any advice on simpler backup and device migration for a Treo user with a Mac? I've had a Treo 650 slightly longer than I've been fully committed (again) to Macs. So after living for a few months with Palm Desktop for Windows, I moved to Mac OSX... and immediately panicked. Fortunately, many seasoned Mac geeks (including many of you) pointed the way to Missing Sync, which ostensibly takes all the guesswork and kludges out of the equation and "just works."

And for the last several months, it has. I've been happy as a clam. Everything on my Treo is on my Mac in Address Book and in iCal (and therefore accessible online).

But a recent bonehead move made me realize I don't really know what's going on. (I deleted the iCal calendar thinking it would just be replaced by Missing Sync/iSync, but it instead deleted everything -- so while Mac Backup might not be perfect, it sure saved my hide in this case. This scare is what I get for asking about it!) I'd like to know if you have your own backup practices, or advice on how to keep it all straight. Especially since I'm drooling over the new Treo 700p.

For example, on the Windows side, creating a basic tab-delimited text export of all contacts and all calendar entries was as simple as clicking "Export" in Palm Desktop. On my Mac, it seems backups -- either by iCal or by Missing Sync -- are all going into weird directories with odd filenames and specific formats. So at best I've got backups specific to my setup, but not something I could easily hack apart if, heaven forbid, I needed to get the data into some other program or device. And even with these specific backup files, it's not exactly easy to figure out how to access them or to pick a specific backup. Even the Missing Sync support knowledge base outlines some convoluted steps to do things like replace all data on the handheld with what's on the computer, or vice versa.

I remember part of the reason Missing Sync was so highly recommended was because iSync was unreliable and at the time didn't natively support the Treo. But I did notice in the latest iSync update that they added the Treo to the list of supported devices. Should I consider moving back to the native iSync setup? Or even Palm Desktop for Mac?

Again, I love that so far, things "just work." But I'd like to know a bit more about why and how, anyway, just in case! Any random insights would be appreciated.

iSync not working

Cosine — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 23:18:05 -0800

iSync not working properly, help please. iSync shows up in a language other than English, for the first while it was showing up in the language second on the list in the iBook preferences so I removed all but English and now it shows in Swedish, I added British and Canadian English to the list so now just the three English settings are listed but it still shows in Swedish, I am not kidding... so weird.

A Mac-Lovin' Cellphone

boombot — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 11:17:00 -0800

Having read this prior question, I'd like to pose something similar in the hope that six months of iSync 2.1 experience will better inform the answer. I'm looking for a phone that painlessly syncs with iSync 2.1, preferably via Bluetooth. I'm not interested in email access, or a camera, or any sort of browsing. Bonus points for T-Mobile affiliation.

Best use of a .Mac account?

airguitar — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 08:47:58 -0800

What is the best use you've seen made of a .Mac account? Or if you have an account yourself, what to you is most useful?

Problem syncing Treo 600 with Mac

sharksandwich — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 09:53:16 -0800

I have a Treo 600. I was using Mac OSX Palm HotSync to sync the phone, and started to have some problems here and there. Went ahead and set up Apple's Isync to handle the task, and now my Palm "To Do" list does not sync in the process. Anyone know what gives or how to get my "To Do" to sync via Isync?

Help me choose the best web browser

Alylex — Sun, 04 Jul 2004 22:31:35 -0800

Mozilla? Firefox? Camino? I'm ready to try a new browser, but I'm confused by the differences between these three. Currently using Safari 1.2.2 on an iMac and an iBook, both with 10.3.4. I have a license for Opera, but it's simply more than I need. I don't need IRC and I don't need HTML (yet?). I would like for it to sync bookmarks between the 2 Macs (I have iSync and a .mac account) and to work reasonably well with AppleMail, Address Book, etc. What's the best choice for a non-geeky girl?

Anyone using .Mac?

kirkaracha — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 16:07:03 -0800

Anyone using .Mac? I'm considering it 'cause I want to use iSync for my contacts and calendar, but $100/year seems spendy.