[greggov]

I'm back to the BlackBerry! Got my Bold last night and loving it.

So today I set it up with all my info and downloaded all my favs. I also synced it with a desktop in the house, which is XP SP2 with Office 07. My device OS is .167, stock from at&t. I haven't had time to upgrade yet :p

I went into DM, cleared the address book on the device, and did a one way sync (FROM Outlook TO the blackberry) and well, all of my contacts are there, but no pictures. They all show up in Outlook. I've looked for settings to transfer them, but I don't see any.

Am I doing something wrong? Any help is appreciated.

[MidnightDraven]

if the pics for your contacts are not on your blackberry, they wont show.
the reason you see pics on outlook is because the address where they are is actually on the pc, i.e. C:/user/name/pic01.jpg; you have to transfer the pics to the BB and then go through each contact and add the pics to them, so that the BB has an address at which to locate it i.e. BB/media/pics/pic01.jpg

[greggov]

thanks for your reply. I suppose that makes sense, but since the image was embedded in the vCard, I was hoping it would transfer over.

[ArgonNJ]

Originally Posted by Midnightdraven

if the pics for your contacts are not on your blackberry, they wont show.
the reason you see pics on outlook is because the address where they are is actually on the pc, i.e. C:/user/name/pic01.jpg; you have to transfer the pics to the BB and then go through each contact and add the pics to them, so that the BB has an address at which to locate it i.e. BB/media/pics/pic01.jpg

That figures. Just another in a long lists of disappointments I have come to expect from RIM.

[greggov]

Originally Posted by ArgonNJ

That figures. Just another in a long lists of disappointments I have come to expect from RIM.

I don't know much about it, since I just found that out today, but we are also dealing with MS. I'd be quicker to blame them than RIM

[JaguarXJ7]

Wirelessly posted

Originally Posted by greggov

I don't know much about it, since I just found that out today, but we are also dealing with MS. I'd be quicker to blame them than RIM

I concur.

[nobody7290]

If you have contact pictures in outlook, They are in the outlook database. They are not linked to outlook.
At least this is the case If you use outlook with Exchange server.
Outlook should behave the same if you use Exchange server or a PST file.

The contact pictures will sync with your BB, if your use a BES Enterprise server. However, they wont sync if the size is larger then 32KB.
You also have to name the picture "ContactPicture.jpg"

Now, you dont have a BES, and I do not know if the pictures should sync or not, but if it should work, then, maybe similar limits apply apply here. Try that out before you give up.

[DragonRider]

All the pics worked with Itunes/Iphone, but not with RIM/Bold

John

[SeanH]

Originally Posted by nobody7290

If you have contact pictures in outlook, They are in the outlook database. They are not linked to outlook.
At least this is the case If you use outlook with Exchange server.
Outlook should behave the same if you use Exchange server or a PST file.

The contact pictures will sync with your BB, if your use a BES Enterprise server. However, they wont sync if the size is larger then 32KB.
You also have to name the picture "ContactPicture.jpg"

Now, you dont have a BES, and I do not know if the pictures should sync or not, but if it should work, then, maybe similar limits apply apply here. Try that out before you give up.

I do not believe that this is true. With exchange server the pictures are stored with the contact info.

I am new to the Blackberry, I have used many WM devices for many years. Every WM devices would sync 100% of the fields including pictures with zero hassles. Using BES you can not sync pictures and many common fields like birthdays and anniversaries.

The only way I found to sync pictures is to disable syncing contacts over BES and use desktop manager. This seems to fix the issue a little. All the pics will sync and more fields get synced like birthdays and anniversaries but other fields like spouse name do not.

I know RIM has great market share but they have a long way to go to catch up to WM6 OS for real world business PIM functions. I hate the fact that if I set a task reminder time I can not snooze it for a later time. I hate the fact that when I have a calendar reminder the only snooze time is 5 min. On the desktop and with WM6 you can snooze for 5 min, 10 min, 30 min, 1 hour, 8 hours, ectxxx8230; Why would RIM leave out such basic functions?

[nobody7290]

Originally Posted by SeanH

I do not believe that this is true. With exchange server the pictures are stored with the contact info.

I am new to the Blackberry, I have used many WM devices for many years. Every WM devices would sync 100% of the fields including pictures with zero hassles. Using BES you can not sync pictures and many common fields like birthdays and anniversaries.

The only way I found to sync pictures is to disable syncing contacts over BES and use desktop manager. This seems to fix the issue a little. All the pics will sync and more fields get synced like birthdays and anniversaries but other fields like spouse name do not.

I know RIM has great market share but they have a long way to go to catch up to WM6 OS for real world business PIM functions. I hate the fact that if I set a task reminder time I can not snooze it for a later time. I hate the fact that when I have a calendar reminder the only snooze time is 5 min. On the desktop and with WM6 you can snooze for 5 min, 10 min, 30 min, 1 hour, 8 hours, ect… Why would RIM leave out such basic functions?

I can assure you that BES syncs pictures and Birthdays, because it does it on my own device.
I can make a photo with the BB, add it as a contact picture and it will show in outlook seconds later, the other way around it works also as long as I respect the limits. You can read this in the System_Administration_Guid_Exchange.pdf availible at the Rim Website.

[SeanH]

Originally Posted by nobody7290

I can assure you that BES syncs pictures and Birthdays, because it does it on my own device.
I can make a photo with the BB, add it as a contact picture and it will show in outlook seconds later, the other way around it works also as long as I respect the limits. You can read this in the System_Administration_Guid_Exchange.pdf availible at the Rim Website.

I have never tried to take a picture with the Bold and let BES sync to see if it shows up. I have over 600 contacts and half already have pictures.

Why does RIM put extremely odd limits on how pictures sync with BES. What are limits again, the pic has to be fewer than 32KB (who is going to spend the time to shrink 300 pictures to 32K) and before they are placed in Outlook they have to have the name "ContactPicture.jpg" (who is going to do this with 300 pictures. Are they any other wacky rules like it can only be done on Thursday if the temperature is over 32 deg F?

People just want stuff to Sync. All these limitations for BES are a mistake on RIM part. Birthdays do not sync over BES. I have tried it many times. The only way to get the Spouse field in Outlook to sync is to remap it using Desktop Manger.

For a PIM device you would think RIM would sync with 100% of the fields in Outlook.

SeanH

[greggov]

Originally Posted by SeanH

People just want stuff to Sync. All these limitations for BES are a mistake on RIM part. Birthdays do not sync over BES. I have tried it many times. The only way to get the Spouse field in Outlook to sync is to remap it using Desktop Manger.

For a PIM device you would think RIM would sync with 100% of the fields in Outlook.

Which is why I liked MobileMe for the iPhone. When it worked, it 'just worked'. Add a picture to a contact from the phone, it was instantly synced with the computer and online. Same for adding calendar events.

I miss MobileMe, but not enough to go back. I'm enjoying my Bold

[nobody7290]

The limit of 32KB is a very wise thing. Consider using your Iphone as normal if you go to vacation in Switzerland.
The BB might consume about 60E/Week if you do not have a special data-roaming agreement.
I have no exact estimate what the iPhone bill will be, but my guess is 4 Times of the Blackberry. If you heavily use email, it might even be 10x of the BB.
It is not enough that stuff "just works". Usability includes that things are affordable.
If there would be no limits for the picture, this would raise the bill.

[SeanH]

Originally Posted by nobody7290

The limit of 32KB is a very wise thing. Consider using your Iphone as normal if you go to vacation in Switzerland.
The BB might consume about 60E/Week if you do not have a special data-roaming agreement.
I have no exact estimate what the iPhone bill will be, but my guess is 4 Times of the Blackberry. If you heavily use email, it might even be 10x of the BB.
It is not enough that stuff "just works". Usability includes that things are affordable.
If there would be no limits for the picture, this would raise the bill.

Are you saying that RIM set a 32KB limit on pictures just incase one of their customers go on vacation outside the USA and Roams?

I have heard some wild answers but this one wins the prize for the most far fetched. We are talking about a Bold that is capable of 3.6Mb/s with 3G. If you are using BES you have to be on an unlimited data plan. I used about 500MB a month on my unlimited plan. A 32KB or 1MB pictures is nothing in the scheme of things.

What is 60E a week? KB=10^3, MB=10^6, GB=10^12, PB=10^15, and EB=10^18. There is no way you use 60,000,000,000,000,000 bytes per week.

SeanH

[MidnightDraven]

E - euros?

[SeanH]

Originally Posted by Midnightdraven

E - euros?

I guess he really did not mean the device would consume 60E a month. He meant he might spend 60E a month on data if he did not have a special plan. In the US you can not use BES unless you’re on an unlimited data plan. Are the rules different in Europe or is he really using BIS?

SeanH

[nobody7290]

I am in europe (germany) and the device is connected to a BES (which serves me and my wife).
The Data plans for mobile devices are rather complicated (not only in my case):
1. Basic charge for phone use: 20E/Month + 0.03E/minute for Phone-Calls to not mobile phones, 0.15E/Minute to mobile Networks
2. Basic fee of 8E/Month for allowing blackberry traffic - any additional MB 1E
3. Add on for Data traffic: 15E/month for 5MB (!) Blackberry traffic or alternatively 20E/month for 250MB - this is what I have.

But, this is only valid in the home network of the Carrier, and, Germany is a small country.

If I go to in some other european contry for work or vacation, I will be charged with unknown roaming charges depending on the carrier I am logged in.
These roaming charges are about 60E-100E/week only for data. 1MB might be from 1.50E to 10E/MB depending on country and carrier. Roaming-prices for Usage in the US are similiar, also, some providers will charge a minimum of 10KB, even if I use only 1KB per connection.

See The Register: Sci/Tech News for the World and do a search for "roaming charges".
one article sample:
Holidaymaker gets £31k data roaming bill • The Register

iPhone/Windows mobile users pay much more, because they dont have a BB server which will try to compress all data to a minimum.

I would think twice about submitting a 1MB contact picture for syncronisation, if I am not in my home network.

[SeanH]

Originally Posted by nobody7290

I am in europe (germany) and the device is connected to a BES (which serves me and my wife).
The Data plans for mobile devices are rather complicated (not only in my case):
1. Basic charge for phone use: 20E/Month + 0.03E/minute for Phone-Calls to not mobile phones, 0.15E/Minute to mobile Networks
2. Basic fee of 8E/Month for allowing blackberry traffic - any additional MB 1E
3. Add on for Data traffic: 15E/month for 5MB (!) Blackberry traffic or alternatively 20E/month for 250MB - this is what I have.

But, this is only valid in the home network of the Carrier, and, Germany is a small country.

If I go to in some other european contry for work or vacation, I will be charged with unknown roaming charges depending on the carrier I am logged in.
These roaming charges are about 60E-100E/week only for data. 1MB might be from 1.50E to 10E/MB depending on country and carrier. Roaming-prices for Usage in the US are similiar, also, some providers will charge a minimum of 10KB, even if I use only 1KB per connection.

iPhone/Windows mobile users pay much more, because they dont have a BB server which will try to compress all data to a minimum.

I would think twice about submitting a 1MB contact picture for syncronisation, if I am not in my home network.

It sounds like in Europe there are a lot of restrictions. We do not have those restrictions in the USA. You have to get an unlimited data package to use BES.

If you are worried about pictures over 32KB do not use them. RIM should not limit pictures down to 32K for the few in this world that do not have unlimited data plans.

RIM should support what ever Exchange supports for BES. 95% if BES users sync with Exchange the rest are Lotus Notes an there is that .05% of Groupwise clients.

SeanH

[greggov]

I'm not even so concerned about wireless on BES (I use BIS), but wired sync. If I import vCards that support contact photos into Outlook, Outlook displays said contact photos, and the device in question supports contact photos, there really is no reason to not have them sync via USB.

Many, if not most, people are unaware of all the limitations on this (including me) and such as the naming convention, size constraints, position of the moon, where you're standing in the room, and the color of the shirt you're wearing.

I know I just assumed "oh, the vCard has a photo. Outlook shows a photo. Therefore, the BB will display a photo" Incorrect.

Somehow MobileMe got that right, and I'm sure those photos were larger than 32k. No one complained about how much data it would use. In that sense, it just worked as the user expected.

[SeanH]

That is correct. But with time people start using more the features of a device and they become very aware of the limitations. People expect the same functionality on their desktop in a portable device. The only limitation should be the size of the device.

My second PDA was a Palm Pilot from 1995 to 2000. It only supported one address per contact. It did not support a home and work address. Back then I got the same response ‘people are unaware of all the limitations’. Over time people became aware of the limitations.

Look what happen to Palm.