Synching to a MacBook

[stephon]

Is the Missing Sync and Pocket Mac the only two alternatives to syncing my Sprint Curve to my MacBook? I'm fairly new to BlackBerry and Apple and I'm looking for something that works at least as good as ActivSync did with my HP iPaq and PC with email, contacts, calendar, tasks/notes, etc.

I like the Curve, but the issues with syncing has proven to be quite the challenge for me. I can't believe I'm saying this it was so much easier with Windows - at least until I get it figured out. Thanks for any other options than those two listed or whatever tips you can provide.

[Pete6]

The two apps you cite are the only options available on a MAc. You are right, things do work better on a PC which is why it holds 90% of the market.

[AGreenGiant]

Agreed, but the secret third option is get a cheap windows based pc. I hope things work out for you.

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[Stevec325]

I run XP on my MB Pro under VMware Fusion. It gives me the ability to use Outlook, which I need for contacts & calendar. That syncs to my BB, too.

Quite honestly, it's the best Windoze PC I have ever used. Much faster & more reliable than any dedicated Wintel machine. Fusion is about $80 and you can transfer (free) any XP (or Vista, but why would you ever want to run Vista on anything) license to it. If you have a Mac - this is the cheapest way to get a PC. And, like I said - it's the best "PC" I have ever used.

I use it to sync/update my BB. Works perfectly!

It's much too cumbersome and flaky to try and get the BB to work in native Mac world.

[dasbeav]

Originally Posted by Pete6

The two apps you cite are the only options available on a MAc. You are right, things do work better on a PC which is why it holds 90% of the market.

Not all things work better on a PC Pete. Syncing BBs happens to be one thing that they do better.

And really, I think apple's pricing is more of the reason why PCs are so popular, however if you note, Macs are getting increasingly popular with many younger people,

Please stop consistantly telling people how much better PCs are than macs. It gets old.

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[Stevec325]

Originally Posted by niubeav

Please stop consistantly telling people how much better PCs are than macs. It gets old.

I hear it all the time, too. People ask why I use a Mac, when a "PC is so much better". I just smile and say, "Oh, OK. Thanks."

If/when Outlook is ever ported to Mac, not as part of Entourage (which is junkware) and BB sync for Mac is a reality - I will happily delete my Fusion emulator, along with XP... and never look back.

But, that's just me. Some folks really do like Windoze.

[stephon]

Okay Steve, maybe I'll try the Fusion/Parelells route w/Outlook on MacBook. Does it synch the email too? I guess I'd have to buy a copy of XP to do it. Is XP still readily available? Currently I'm still syncing my BB to my PC.

I'm very happy with my MacBook and don't see going back to a PC. The Apple support in the stores is reason enough, but I have to say that ActiveSync usually worked really well with WinMo. Other than that I'm really glad I switched.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Stevec325

I run XP on my MB Pro under VMware Fusion. It gives me the ability to use Outlook, which I need for contacts & calendar. That syncs to my BB, too.

Quite honestly, it's the best Windoze PC I have ever used. Much faster & more reliable than any dedicated Wintel machine. Fusion is about $80 and you can transfer (free) any XP (or Vista, but why would you ever want to run Vista on anything) license to it. If you have a Mac - this is the cheapest way to get a PC. And, like I said - it's the best "PC" I have ever used.

I use it to sync/update my BB. Works perfectly!

It's much too cumbersome and flaky to try and get the BB to work in native Mac world.

[Stevec325]

If you do go that route - I strongly recommend Fusion over Parallels. While many folks use Parallels just fine, I had too many issues with it and switched to Fusion. It's faster and for the year + that I've been using it, I have had no issues.

I'd never go back to a PC, either

As for the XP license.. do you have another PC that you don't use? If so, you can use that copy of XP. The license allows its use on "a single machine". So, if you decommission the older machine, you can use the license activation code with the new virtual machine you build under Fusion.

I'm not sure they really track it, but "technically" you can only use XP on one machine at a time.

I used the XP disc & activation key fro my daughters old Dell. We moved her to a MB Pro, so the old Dell is now a doorstopper.

I'm on BIS... not BES, so I don't sync email other than OTA with the POP/IMAP servers that I use. I "cable sync" my calendar, contacts, notes and tasks only.

[stephon]

I have one PC - Sony Vaio desktop. Am I correct in thinking that I cannot use the XP that's on the restore disc?

I think I'm on BIS too. I have an Earthlink acct. and another account that's through GoDaddy. They are both POP accounts; I don't think earthlink supports IMAP. I think GoDaddy does.

thanks!

[Stevec325]

Not sure if you can use a "restore" disc. That usually contains the image that is on the PC. And, it is not an XP install disc. It would have the Sony specific drivers, etc. Not the generic flavors.

You could try it, worse case is that it does not work, then you just delete the VM you created and start over with a new one.

I think what you really want (need?) is an "installation" disc, however.

[hossra]

Be patient. I, too, am in the wilderland. I have an 8310 on BIS with macBook.

Sometime in 1Q2009, according to press reports, RIM will issue sync support for their devices and Macs. I would hold off until something comes out in the near future and you have a chance to try it, first. That's my plan.

[Stevec325]

I think the problem I will have with that is, all of my "life" is in Outlook. In addition to the fact that most (all) of Mac software for business email and contacts, calendar, etc. is mediocre - at best, it would suck to convert over from Outlook. I really wish Office for Mac wasn't crap

Outlook is the ONLY application that I use in Windoze. Other than DM to sync my BB with it.

Even if the DM for Mac will allow mapping to network drives, so I could access the .pst files to sync, why bother. I'd still need to run Outlook in XP. So, I may as well use the Windoze DM anyway.

For me, the problem isn't lack of support for Mac by Rim, it's lack of Outlook support by Apple.

The OP may have different thoughts, however.