[mokume]

Hello all,

I'm a Treo and Palm Desktop user. So basically I sync my phone with my computer and have a copy of my calendar/contacts/tasks/memos on both phone and pc.

For email, I've not found an app or solution that does what I need so I use a webmail service aggregates all my pop3 email accts (I have about 7). When I send email from this I have a drop down of email address I can choose so I can (appear to) send from any of my pop accts although it's really being sent from the webmail account. So whether I am on my pc, someones elses computer, or my Treo... I just use a web browser and access my email that way. It's the only method I've found that keeps everything organized and keeps a copy of sent email (from all 7 accts) in one spot and accessible from anywhere.

Ideally I would want a solution where I have an outlook (or outlook type program) on my machine that does all the PIM stuff as well as email, which then syncs with my phone BUT also has a cloud version - a web version where if I wasn't near my home pc and didn't have my phone, I could still access from any computer. Is there anything like this?

I was initially told that a Blackberry, Blackberry Desktop Manager, and BIS would be perfect for me. I then come to find out Blackberry Desktop Manager isn't actually a PIM, but I could use outlook. That works, but then I also found out that BIS isn't really a cloud version of anything. Is that correct?

I think at best I could mimic my current situation - use outlook for PIM stuff but not email and then have that sync with the blackberry and just continue to use webmail. But then I could use just about any pda phone for that and wouldn't be taking advantage of Blackberry's strongpoint of email and msg handling.

I foresee my Treo dying soon and I need to move on from the Palm OS so I'm struggling to find a new solution. (I'm with ATT by the way)

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Reed McLay]

I also found out that BIS isn't really a cloud version of anything. Is that correct? ...

Research in Motion created their priority network well before the cloud concept emerged.

There is a single dedicated node through which all content flows. If that node is not available, nothing flows and the press jumps all over it.

Fortunately, the majority of the maintenance is done during the off peak hours.

If I understand your requirements correctly, you will use Outlook in conjunction with your BlackBerry. You will configure the Desktop Manager to synchronize your PIM data. It works both ways.

When I am away from my computer, I suspend the usual Outlook poll and let my BlackBerry take over.

I also have email that is dedicated to my BlackBerry.

[Principal Skinner]

I have used Palm products for the past 10 years...everything from a Palm III to the Treo 755P. As you, I feel there is no future in the Palm world, not even with the Pre (plus I didn't want to go to Sprint). Hence, I bought a Blackberry Storm about two months ago. After using it for two months, I have come to realize that the Palm did some things quicker and easier than the Storm. I have also found that the Storm does many things better, i.e. mail.
There are a couple of third party apps that will help you to cloud ...but realistically, when will you use it.

I have come to really like my Storm. It took a bit getting used to but it is definitely a few cuts above the Palm. I have it with me all the time and use it quite often. Having said all this (and waiting to be flamed) ...since you are on AT&T, have you considered the iphone?

[mokume]

Assuming that my current setup/solution for email is as good as it gets... I have considered an iphone due mainly to the large screen since I will be doing webmail within a browser. But otherwise I'm not a huge fan of the iphone. I support a few at my work and when I first heard of mobileme, I thought that was the solution I was looking for. Outlook on my computer, the iphone, and mobileme as the cloud version I desperately want. But it doesn't exactly work like that.

[Xopher]

I think the only thing that doesn't fit with your scenario and the BB is e-mail. You can sync everything else with Outlook, and even with Google.

The plus side of things is that a BlackBerry can have BIS manage 10 e-mail accounts. They don't sync with Outlook, but pick up e-mail and push it to your BB. What is on your BB won't always match what you see in Outlook. If Outlook gets it first, then it won't appear on your BB. You can delete messages on your BB nad they will still stay in Outlook. You'll have to BCC yourself to get messages sent from your BB stored on your computer.

The nice this is you have access to your e-mails wherever you go. You can choose which e-mail address to send from when you create a message on the BB (just click the FROM address and choose from the drop-down list). You can even set up different signatures for the different e-mail addresses.

[mokume]

Thanks for all the info. Sounds like I will just stick with my webmail solution as far as email. The functionality I don't think I could live w/o is that whether I access it from home/work/any computer/my treo... I'm always looking at the same mailboxes including the same sent msgs regardless of where I send from.

Even if outlook/bb did sync email the way I'd like... one of the main reasons I'd like a cloud version of not just my email setup but also my pim data is that even when I have my phone, if I'm near a computer I can use, I'd rather type on a real keyboard and view a full screen.

I guess no current solutions facilitate everything I want, yet.