[schaffermiami]

i was so excited to get my blackberry, but not so much anymore
i've used a Palm for decades now and thought it was time to upgrade to the 21st century
i love love love my Palm b/c i can enter my calendar, contacts, and task on my desktop.
i feel completely clueless but i can't do that with my new bb. from what i've been able to deduce i have to use outlook or google calendar
but not really a fan
please help!!!

[Exiled Bulldawg]

If you are on BIS, Google Calendar is your best bet. I am sorry you aren't a
fan, but there really isn't anything like Palm Desktop for Blackberry. I had hoped that someone would write a conduit for the platform, but to my knowledge no one has.

If you are on BIS, I would suggest biting the bullet and running Google Sync. It backs up your contacts and updates your calendar. The contact backup is handy because it runs in the background. If you ever lose your phone, simply log into Google Sync with the new phone and your contacts are back in place.

If you are on BES (work provided) Outlook is pretty much a given.

Hope this helps.

[pkcable]

There are other options also, but using Outlook or Google is just like using Palm Desktop. Would it have been nice if RIM added that functionality to it's own Desktop Manager program? Sure, but they figured people would just use Outlook, or Google, or Lotus Notes (from their BES). You might want to look in to Bayalink Liberty it has a Palm Desktop vibe to it, plus besides the calander function, it has MANY other features including a limited tethering. HOWEVER it's not cheap, but it's well worth the 59 dollars.....

Bayalink Solutions Corp.

[schaffermiami]

thanks! i tried to go to the google sync on my BB, but it wouldn't do it
kept saying it wasn't a website

plus google doesn't have contacts does it?

If you are on BIS, Google Calendar is your best bet. I am sorry you aren't a
fan, but there really isn't anything like Palm Desktop for Blackberry. I had hoped that someone would write a conduit for the platform, but to my knowledge no one has.

If you are on BIS, I would suggest biting the bullet and running Google Sync. It backs up your contacts and updates your calendar. The contact backup is handy because it runs in the background. If you ever lose your phone, simply log into Google Sync with the new phone and your contacts are back in place.

If you are on BES (work provided) Outlook is pretty much a given.

Hope this helps.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[tandaina]

I have all my contacts information (phone, address, etc) in Gmail, so yes, Google does contacts.

Google calendar works quite well once you get the hang of it. And I believe you can download Google Sync and install it using the desktop software. Hit the Google sync site and check out their directions.

[jrdtechdotnet]

thanks! i tried to go to the google sync on my BB, but it wouldn't do it
kept saying it wasn't a website

plus google doesn't have contacts does it?



Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Google sync is an application you install, in your blackberry browser go to http://m.google.com/sync and install and then configure the application. It does work good but there is occasions where it's gone down for extended periods of time about 2 weeks ago it wasn't syncing for several days (there was a thread in the 3rd party apps section). I use Outlook to enter my data in though and use a third-party program (gsyncit) to sync to google. So basically my sync looks like this |outlook<>google<>blackberry| and vice versus that way if google sync does go down I can just log off sync and have it delete the information and then I just re-activate the Blackberry desktop and sync via usb cable until it's fixed.

[greydarrah]

There is nothing wrong with Google or Outlook, they are just different than your Palm software, though I don't know why you would have expected Palm software to work with your bb.

Go with Google, it's simple, reliable and free. You need to create a gmail account if you don't have one and any email accounts you already have can be forwarded there if you like. From your desk top, you can go to your account, work in your calendar/contacts and email and it all syncs up wirelessly to your bb.

[TgeekB]

Follow the link 2 posts above. That is what I use for my calendar and contacts. Works great.

[rrrebo]

BlackBerries (and, truthfully, all hand-held devices) were designed to be powerful *extensions* of your PC-based PIM system. They have recently made great strides toward becoming primary devices in and of themselves.

I actually use my BB as my primary contact device. It's my primary e-mail, primary calendar, and primary address book, all using the native BB apps. It's also my only phone. I haven't had a land line in 10 years.

Perhaps it's because I'm not a power user with huge contacts lists, but I find my needs are met quite well. I only check my Gmail on the PC when there's a file attachment I need to put on my PC, or a link I need to access on PC. I don't store any contact info in Gmail, except for e-mail addresses, of course.

The native calendar app works great, as I can invite my wife and/or son (also BB users) to any item I need them to know about, and I know that it is right there on their BlackBerry. I even have a Family group set up in BBM so we can share, well, just about anything. Meetings, pics, lists, chats, you name it.

Explore the options posted by folks above, and if they don't meet your needs, look into 3rd-party apps. One way or another, you will find that the BlackBerry platform excels at contact and calendar management.

[cherimoya]

I am also a newbie, & not a google or outlook user. I've been very happy with Mozilla Sunbird calendar on my computer, but other than using google (I object on privacy grounds), Sunbird doesn't seem able to sync with BB. Maybe someone knows something I don't. Please share, if so. If I have to adjust to a new calendar anyway, then probably it will be the one on the BB, which is likely to become my primary calendar device, it makes sense... I could wish the native calendar app had the Sunbird features I rely on, however I've already set up BB Messenger Shared Calendars, & as posted above, much of my info will be shared in group calendars, so hopefully will be safe & able to be re-shared. When I sync BB to the computer, doesn't it back up the calendar with its data? If so, then it should be ok without google? Still getting my feet wet -- I'm also a newbie to BB -- 8 days!!