[ralfyguy]

im glad its not as locked down as apple did forcing users to use ITUNES.

That's the main reason I would never buy Apple.

[RoverSpitfire]

Part V

The iCloud strikes back.

Based on a message sent to my by another CrackBerry user, I partially solved my iCloud problem. iCloud contacts are now working!

Here's what I missed:
I'd been trying to access iCloud as a CardDAV and CalDAV, which is correct. But because I had never set up an iCloud.com e-mail address, I was trying to log in with my Apple ID. That works if you are looking into iCloud from a computer or from an iOS device, but it does not for other devices, like the Z10.

* So I setup an iCloud e-mail address from my iPad.
* Then I ran to add account setup in the Z10 and voila! It added the iCloud e-mail address and the iCloud contacts.
* But it failed on the calendar. I went in manually and tried several variations of the CalDAV information for iCloud. No luck. I'm wondering if the new authentication e-mail takes time to replicate across servers. I'll try it tomorrow.

So on to Google and Microsoft...

* Figuring this e-mail thing might be key, I went and setup a Google Gmail account. I have a Google account, but never added the e-mail. Then I added Google as an account and voila: another e-mail account, calendars, and contacts synced. (Not that I had any contacts there.) But it's ready to go.

* Encouraged, I also tried to setup an Outlook.com account. I only recently switched my ID from Hotmail to Outlook.com. I run the accounts setup on the Z10 and everything appears to work.

* But it only appeared to work. Oh Microsoft, this is why I went to Mac. I check CrackBerry Forums and the Playbook folks have a recommended solution. I try it. No luck. The account setup works, no errors, all authenticated ok. What could it be?

Well, I do have an IT background so I start troubleshooting to isolate the problem. Try sending mail, adding an appointment on device. No. No. Try setting up a calendar item online. Yes. Try sending an e-mail online. Verification message. Whereas Google asked me to verify when I setup the Gmail account, Microsoft only asks once you try to send an e-mail from the browser. I verify. I try the Z10 again. Voila! Everything syncs up like a charm.

So the highlight reel:
iCloud. Pain in the ****. Still not all working.
Outlook. Typical odd flow of how to do things leads to errors. But with patience working fine.
Google. Made it easy all the way around.

Now, how does this tie back to the iPhone? I never had multiple online accounts all synced up with the iPhone. I knew it was possible, but never had to. One of everything worked fine, all within their ecosystem except for mail. Now with the Z10, I just can't get enough. Why is it so different on the Z10? Because of the Hub. Being able to do everything, from every account, of every type all in one place without switching apps is awesome.

Battery update:
Kept a lid on the Active Frames today. I'm at 12.5 hours since charge and I still have 32% battery left. Definitely on par with the iPhone 4S, if not better!

[RoverSpitfire]

Google is a tease...

It would appear I spoke too soon.

When I create a calendar event on device, it doesn't sync up with Google. It does, oddly, sync the other way. If I create an event on the Google Calendar, it will come down to the device.

When I go into the Gmail Calendar that the Z10 setup it tells me it can't authenticate, even though during the setup the Z10 said it was successful.

So now the only calendar that syncs anywhere off the device is Outlook.com.

I admit, it's taking some of the fun out of the Z10. On Apple, getting all your iCloud setup to work with iOS is dirt simple. All you have to do is say yes. Then it just works. All this mucking about with third parties is destined to end in disaster. Google pulls activesync support. No one's CardDAV and CalDAV seem to work consistently.

The solution here is that BlackBerry provide that service. But that would be building out a personal information ecosystem. I don't know that BlackBerry has the resources or motivation to do that.

All I want to do is be able to see and edit a calendar on the device as well as a computer. Why is this so hard?

[jon4400]

You lost me at "Bold 9800"

[anon(226560)]

Very informative thread. I'm very curious about the Z10, but I got a new phone last month so can't currently switch. The one thing that would make me hesitant is the app situation, yes the OS is new but it makes for a sacrifice* of sorts when switching from a well established ecosystem. In any case, really hoping my dad picks this or the Q10 as I want to play around with the OS.

Random question, is there a TTC app available?

*probably not the best word to use, first world problems

[gqtrebor]

Funny I'm using iCloud and got everything setup in matter of minutes. plunked my info in and away it went. BBZ10 did everything for me.

[RoverSpitfire]

Funny I'm using iCloud and got everything setup in matter of minutes. plunked my info in and away it went. BBZ10 did everything for me.

I don't understand it. It set up the mail and the contacts no problem once I'd created the mail account. But the calendars just refuse to work. I just get error after error.

[RoverSpitfire]

Ahhhhh. Looks like it is a bonafide BlackBerry 10 bug.

I am getting the same error on both Google and iCloud.

KB33458-Unable to add or modify CalDAV Gmail calendar account

Damn. Well, at least I know it isn't anything I'm doing wrong. I've been messing about with iCloud all night to no avail. I've got ActiveSync working for both Google and Outlook, but that's not an option for iCloud. The KB refers to Google only. I'll have to find some way to report this problem with iCloud to BlackBerry tomorrow. Let's hope it's fixed for 10.1.


Unfortunately, I have to take back the frustration from you Apple. It wasn't your fault in the end. This one's on BlackBerry. :-(

[Casper TFG]

IMHO Patriotic Canadians and plucky (fearless) Brits are going into battle with OS 10 for the rest of us.

Hopefully by the time the "lower risk" change (qwerty) handset - Q10 comes out most of the bug reports will get addressed.

The elephant in the room IMHO is the ability of Google and Apple to collude in handicapping CalDav. This would be a big coffin nail. It should be no secret that people are watching the outcome of this situation and awaiting THE definitive guide for Apple to BB migration.

I am cheering you all on from the sidelines. Go Apple to Z10 pioneers!

[dgreatez]

cool thread very informative, i cant wait to get my z10

[d18]

Ahhhhh. Looks like it is a bonafide BlackBerry 10 bug.

I am getting the same error on both Google and iCloud.

KB33458-Unable to add or modify CalDAV Gmail calendar account

Unfortunately, I have to take back the frustration from you Apple. It wasn't your fault in the end. This one's on BlackBerry. :-(

Try deleting your gmail accounts on your Z10 and re-add them using the advanced setting and choose active sync. I expect support for this will end in July but I'm hoping there will be other options by then.

[HyperM3]

Try deleting your gmail accounts on your Z10 and re-add them using the advanced setting and choose active sync. I expect support for this will end in July but I'm hoping there will be other options by then.

Or see if you can add the Google account as an exhange account like you have to do on the iPhone in order to get all contacts and calendars to sync correctly.

[Whyareallthegoodnamestaken]

IMHO Patriotic Canadians and plucky (fearless) Brits are going into battle with OS 10 for the rest of us.

Why, thank you ;-)

[RoverSpitfire]

Talked to BlackBerry Technical Support today about the iCloud CalDAV issue.

I also spent the morning experimenting with the various cloud services and here's what I've found on each of them.

iCloud
* On my first attempt, nothing worked. I was trying to setup CalDav and CardDav accounts because I didn't need e-mail sync.
* I had never before setup an Apple e-mail
* The following day I was reading that someone went through the account 'wizard' starting with the Apple e-mail address.
* I setup the Apple e-mail address, associated with my Apple ID and iCloud.
* On my next attempt on the Z10, using the 'wizard' I was able to setup E-Mail and Contacts, but not Calendar.
* I tried every manual way of connecting to the CalDav that I could find on CrackBerry and elsewhere. No luck.
* Similar to my issue with iMessage, Apple also still associates my ISP e-mail with all of their services. So invitations to events from other iCloud users can't got to my primary e-mail or they never leave the cloud.

Google (Gmail)
* I've had a Google account for a long time but never bothered with Gmail, but went ahead and set it up for this
* I setup the account starting with the Gmail address and the Z10 did e-mail, contacts and calendars.
* I noticed right off the hop that the calendars weren't working right. Then the CalDAV connection died on me and it didn't work at all.
* I'd heard that Google had cut off ActiveSync for new users, but it worked for me to set up, once I found the instructions online. I guess my account was old enough, if not my Gmail to still qualify.
* Then I hustled over to the CrackBerry front page to read about syncing multiple calendars in Gmail. I bought the app, it worked great, I have multiple Google calendars on my Z10.
* The app is Calendar Sync.
* Oh but not a 100% solution. Turns out that I couldn't add attendees to events created on the Z10.
* I still don't know why I can't have attendees. I stopped trying to find out because my data is in iCloud, and Outlook.com is working 100%. So Google calendars dropped in priority.


Microsoft (Outlook.com)
* As a long time Apple lover, Microsoft was my last stop. For years my Hotmail account has been a garbage collection point. A spam central remnant of the early days of the Internet.
* But I kept hearing about Outlook.com, their new attempt to really cut into the cloud space. Supposedly newer, more complete and easier to use than their previous products.
* I decided to not convert my Hotmail and just let it die. I setup an entirely new Outlook.com account.
* I ran the Z10's account setup and likety split it was all setup: e-mail, contacts and calendars.
* I even found the web interface to be an improvement over Hotmail, though the Calendar screens are still Hotmail branded and haven't made the switch completely.
* Only quirk that I found the night I set it up was that changes made online on the web didn't come down to the Z10. Not until you did something on the Z10 to access the calendar, then all the changes came down at once. Syncs just weren't happening quickly. Mail wasn't pushing promptly.
* But all that changed in the morning. But this am, Outlook.com pushes are faster than my ISP (Yahoo), all the calendar invitations are working. I can even invite my wife who is still on iOS and she can respond to the invite.
* From where I sit this morning, Microsoft is really impressing me. As a big Apple person, this is really throwing me for a loop! Well done Redmond!

BlackBerry Technical Support:
* I called BlackBerry the first person on the phone tried to redirect me to my carrier or the KB's. When I declined he said there was a pay option.
* When I got through all that to an actual technical support person, I was told iCloud has never been supported
* I assured him that other CrackBerry users had been successful, and their own auto wizard did the e-mail and contacts so why not calendars?
* They admitted that it could be the same as the known Google issue, and that was pretty much it, just keep trying once every 24 hours
* So far to this point it was a typical support call type experience. But then I was surprised and impressed. The technical support rep called me back a few minutes later and asked for the logs from my phone.
* I figured this was just some t he had to cross to follow call centre protocol. I asked if anyone would actually look at them and again I was surprised because he said he would as soon as he had them, and he'd get back to me tomorrow.
* If nothing else it looks like BlackBerry is really putting some effort into making BB10 successful not just from a marketing perspective. I sense that BlackBerry truly does appreciate how much is riding on BB10 now and that appreciation has reached all areas of the company. (But then, 5,000 layoffs later and you would hope so.)
* He responded within an hour saying the logs didn't show my attempts to connect (even though I tried it a dozen times in the last 24 hours). Still, he asked me to send them again tomorrow. I really, really appreciate the fact that I believe he's really trying to help me. So for that, BlackBerry is the winner of the day to me.

[Shadrackc]

Part IV


* Get yourself a good battery monitor. I tried a bunch. I settled on Battery Info from Toysoft Inc. It is simple, works really well, and doesn't draw any battery while it's running (others that are supported by ads do, and drain more battery, making you check the battery app more frequently, fueling the ad cycle and draining your battery).

Hope that helps!

Downloaded it. Do you notice that there is an advanced set up buttons on the lower right that don't work?

[vbittersweet]

The problem im getting is all my emails have not been retrieved. When I set up the email i changed the initial retrival amount to 30 days, and it still hasen't retrieved them all. If anyone knows a solution that would be great!!

I don't have a Z10 yet so I can't speak for BB10 but BBOS doesn't go back and load in 30 days of email on the initial connection. It brings in several days initially but then holds 30 days moving forward. Might be the same for the Z10.

[RoverSpitfire]

Downloaded it. Do you notice that there is an advanced set up buttons on the lower right that don't work?

Yes and no. Yes, I see it, but it works for me!

[Alain_A]

you should change the title of your thread to "How to learn to work with the Z10"

[Alain_A]

and keep comparing it with the 4s which i also have which is now for sale

[Alain_A]

just tested my hotmail.ca...i sent myself an e-mail to see how long it would take, i counted till 4 then got it on my Z10

[Alain_A]

The Z10 got it before my computer did

[djrupey]

This is a very, very helpful thread

It must have taken you a long time to type out all these detailed posts. I haven't read right through but I can see that your expereince is going to be very helpful to me and many others. Thank you, it is much appreciated.

[djrupey]

Ps I've had my Z10 since Monday. Coming from a Storm 1, obtained at the tail end of 2008, I was always going to be easy to please, and I've never had an iPhone or Android device. Suffice to say that I absolutely adore my Z10.

[lotuslanderz]

Fantastic thread!
This should be a sticky.

[OneArseneWenger]

Thanks RoverSpitfire for a great thread and the best line ever: "extract myself from the Apple Orchard".

I'm going to age myself here. I once carried to university a portable computer that, today, would be too big to take as carry-on. When I first started using iTunes for PC, I changed the settings for each user to point at a shared directory to avoid duplicates, and I set the file type to mp3 so I could put the music on a device that I had been given as a gift. This worked for a while until one day I noticed that the settings had "mysteriously" changed with an iTunes update. Unfazed, I changed the settings back for each user, converted the aac's back to mp3's and switched the directories back. Well, I repeated this process several times until, exhausted, I gave up -- by that point both my wife and 2 daughters all had accounts and with the more-frequent-than-necessary iTunes updates it was a losing battle. My hard drive filled up with thousands of duplicated files (orchard analogy -- awesome.), and if someone purchased music that interested me, it was a complete hassle to get it in a format that would play on my device (white fence around orchard)., and the words "Apple" and "iTunes" made me anything but happy.

Almost two years ago I purchased a PlayBook on release day. Having the ability to flick between music websites and Slacker Radio and download drm-free music from the Music Store into a beautifully transparent file system was like being freed. The experience was/is incredible. We've always had a rule in our family: all music we listen to must have been purchased by us -- no exceptions. The rule became: All music must be purchased by dad on his PlayBook. Now we can do same direct to my new Z10 and I couldn't be happier. Thanks BlackBerry. And thanks again RoverSpitfire.