[Charles63]

I'll be purchasing an 8800 as soon as TMobile has it in stock. As I have a mac, which program (Pocketmac or Missing Sync) would be the lesser of two evils as far as synching iCal, Address Book, Stickies, etc?

Thanks,
Charles

[mr_kitty]

In my opinion, pocketmac is free but missing sync costs less. The frustration I've spent on getting various installs of pocketmac to function is worth much more than the $40 for a functional app like m/s.

[berksgr]

For iCal and Address Book, missing sync works perfectly for me.

While pocketmac is easily the worst mac app i have ever used.

[PocketMacAnne]

Originally Posted by Charles63

I'll be purchasing an 8800 as soon as TMobile has it in stock. As I have a mac, which program (Pocketmac or Missing Sync) would be the lesser of two evils as far as synching iCal, Address Book, Stickies, etc?

Thanks,
Charles

Hi, Charles!

I work at PocketMac, and I can give you an insider's view. It's the easiest product we have ever had the pleasure of supporting. We have tens of thousands of Mac users syncing successfully with iCal, Address Book and Stickies. That is the most popular software chosen by BlackBerry users. (First runner up is Entourage.)

RIM (the maker of BlackBerry) recently posted version 4.0.20 of the software that includes improved support for the 8100 and 8800 models, and syncing with Now and Daylite, which were released after PocketMac was released, so users had to use some workarounds while RIM tested the updates in-house.

RIM licensed PocketMac for its own distribution free to users. It's available on the BlackBerry web site, here:

http://www.discoverblackberry.com/di..._solutions.jsp

Many users who have posted in online forums have not visited PocketMac for support when they have questions. Support via the web at http://www.pocketmac.net/support.htm is free, and our team is very friendly.

About 99.5% of the users never need support, thank goodness, or we'd be inundated. So, that's just a little fact to balance out the conversation a little. I hope it gives you a little perspective so you can weigh the risks of using PocketMac vs. the benefits (it actually works very well, etc.)

Hope everyone has a great day!

[dschwartzer]

I do not work at PocketMac but I am using the product. I tried Missing Sync for Blackberry in both the pre-release beta and the version 1.0. Like PocketMac, the Missing Syn product has a problem syncing tasks and reminder dates. That is the only problem I have with PocketMac.

As most of the Missing Sync users who are syncing with Entourage know, Missing Syn cannot syn an all day event properly, It is broken up into multiple 12 hour records spanning multiple days. While Missing Syn says you need only go back and fix the appointment on the BB that can be a lot of extra work. The syncing of calendar items in PocketMac works flawlessly for me.

I am not promoting one product over the other. I think each person should make their own decision based on their individual needs and their individual results. I just think PocketMac is getting a bad rap unfairly. Neither product seems to be 100% bug free. I take some comfort in the fact that RIM is promoting and supporting PocketMac. I would think they will help get the bugs out of this as quickly as possible. Given the choice of two products that have issues, I'm happy to use the one that is currently provided free.

Just my opinion.

[PocketMacAnne]

Originally Posted by dschwartzer

... PocketMac ... has a problem syncing tasks and reminder dates.

Thanks for mentioning this. I am forwarding that note to our development team so we can make sure it's resolved in the version that is in development now.

Have a great day!

[mac44069]

PocketMac is great. the only problem I have is syncing Pocket notes, it won't do it, but iCal and Address Book work fine. I just got my 8800 yesterday afternoon at 5:30 I came off a 7105t and it synced faster

[WFLDEng611]

Here is my two cents worth. When I had a Treo, is used Missing Sync. It worked great until I ran into a problem, then Palm would not support it because I was not using their desktop progam.

My advice is use PM, this way when you run into problems RIM will help you. If you us MS, your carrier will not support it and you will have to rely on MS support, which is very good.

But now you have the old Microsoft issue of it's not Missing Syncs problem it is a problem with your phone, and your carrier is saying it's not the phone, it's MS. Mean while your phone is still broke.

[marksponsler]

Hello Anne,
I bought Pocketmac in July of 05 because your company advertised it as able to sync with Daylite. I have yet to get it to work. Your tech support is abysmal. I agree with the previous poster who said Missing Sync is much less expensive than Pocketmac. My advice is to go ahead and pay for something that actually works as advertised.

I have sent my database to your tech support three different times. My last contact, before today, from your tech "Steve Z" was 12/1/06. His only reply was to point out that Daylite now syncs with AddressBook. They have done that for quite awhile. I emailed him back, but I won't expect to hear from him for another 4 months. From his response, I have to gather that you have given up on syncing with Daylite directly. Is that true?

PocketMac 4.0 syncs the Daylite calendar, but contact syncing results in error: [07:13:17.022] An unexpected error has occurred: *** -[NSNull bytes]: selector not recognized [self = 0xa07ba218]

Version 4.02 is out, but I don't see much encouragement to use it out in the forums. Any help you can give would be appreciated.
Mark

[WFLDEng611]

Originally Posted by marksponsler

Hello Anne,
I bought Pocketmac in July of 05 because your company advertised it as able to sync with Daylite. I have yet to get it to work. Your tech support is abysmal. I agree with the previous poster who said Missing Sync is much less expensive than Pocketmac. My advice is to go ahead and pay for something that actually works as advertised.

I have sent my database to your tech support three different times. My last contact, before today, from your tech "Steve Z" was 12/1/06. His only reply was to point out that Daylite now syncs with AddressBook. They have done that for quite awhile. I emailed him back, but I won't expect to hear from him for another 4 months. From his response, I have to gather that you have given up on syncing with Daylite directly. Is that true?

PocketMac 4.0 syncs the Daylite calendar, but contact syncing results in error: [07:13:17.022] An unexpected error has occurred: *** -[NSNull bytes]: selector not recognized [self = 0xa07ba218]

Version 4.02 is out, but I don't see much encouragement to use it out in the forums. Any help you can give would be appreciated.
Mark

Somebody help me out here. You have to pay for MS, PM is FREE when you purchase a BB. Therefore how can MS be less expensive than FREE.

To try and help out a little bit, have you tried repairing your permissions. Second why don't you get on the phone with Cingular and get your problem escalated to tier2 support. When I call Verizon, they hook me up with RIM and they troubleshoot the problem. Another suggestion is to go to Apple's web site and search the discussion boards for help.

[marksponsler]

Hello,
If you figure your time is worth something, Missing Sync is much less expensive. This is only my opinion based on the user reports I've seen. At least Mark/Space has had the good sense not to advertise the ability to sync with DayLite. The one thing I remember from my college Econ 105 class is "There are NO free lunches." PocketMac for Blackberry is a great example of that fact.

I really don't mean this to be some kind of flaming response. PocketmacLauren popped up here in the BB Forum in early March. Once a couple of us started asking a couple of questions, she disappeared. Now Anne is here going on about how great their program is. Well, you can't prove that by me. I certainly don't expect immediate responses to email tech questions. A few days? Okay. Weeks or months? Not so good.
Thanks,
Mark

[csurfr]

Today I picked up an 8800. I installed PocketMac, restarted my pb and voila, all works as advertised. So, as far as missing sync costing less. . . Nothing beats free. I don't see where you are all having problems. iCal, Address Book, etc all synced just fine. YMMV.

-Dann

[marksponsler]

Hi Dann, I'm glad to hear you had good luck. My problem is with syncing to a PIM named DayLite. Both the makers of PocketMac and Daylite have advertised this feature. Finally, after two years, they seem to be backing away from that claim. If all you're doing is syncing with iCal and AddressBook, you'll probably get along fine. I have been able to sync the DayLite calendar via PocketMac, but not contacts. Once upon a time I thought Daylite syncing to Blackberry would work as well as DayLite to Palm. I was sorely mistaken.
Thanks,
Mark

[edh]

Anne, sorry, but PocketMac just doesn't work with the 8800. For some reason it begins to sync, but then quits and gives a message that MAC had to quit unexpectedly whenever it gets to Notes. It partially syncs with calendar and contacts, but only partially. A lot of the data does not sync. PockeMac is far from the easy to use app that you claim it is. I wish there was a true Blackberry to Mac sync available.

[Charles63]

Originally Posted by edh

Anne, sorry, but PocketMac just doesn't work with the 8800. For some reason it begins to sync, but then quits and gives a message that MAC had to quit unexpectedly whenever it gets to Notes. It partially syncs with calendar and contacts, but only partially. A lot of the data does not sync. PockeMac is far from the easy to use app that you claim it is. I wish there was a true Blackberry to Mac sync available.

I purchased an 8700 instead of the 8800, and got M/S. I've had no problems with either. Thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

[Cocooningweb]

I must agree with just about everyone. PocketMac just doesn't work. I was able to sync my Blackberry with my Mini but it won't see my Blackberry on my MacBook Pro. I tried the latest version, 4.0.20, but it's not better than the previous version.

What's weird is that I'm able to sync with Desktop Manager under Paralells on my MacBook Pro, so it's not the laptop that has problems recognizing the Blackberry; it really is PocketMac.

[iHemiola]

Originally Posted by WFLDEng611

Here is my two cents worth. When I had a Treo, is used Missing Sync. It worked great until I ran into a problem, then Palm would not support it because I was not using their desktop progam.

Heh, Palm? They're still in business?

OT, I have a nice collection of memos/notes and don't use Stickies for anything significant. Hence, it was MS for me.

[skills73]

PocketMac by far is the most useless mac app I've ever used..usually most apps on Macs work smooth and great...Pocketmac would never sync using my pearl but would just hang hang hang....but Missing Sync? worked perfectly.

Also, Missing Sync, you can just tell, is a better running program and more user friendly. My only gripe is that it's very pricey for an application download (40 USD) is steep!

[USArmyWife1982]

well hopefully I don't jinx myself here but I hve an 8100 and use Pocketmack and it's worked great for me everytime !

[PocketMacAnne]

Originally Posted by marksponsler

Hello Anne,
{snip} From his response, I have to gather that you have given up on syncing with Daylite directly. Is that true?

PocketMac 4.0 syncs the Daylite calendar, but contact syncing results in error: [07:13:17.022] An unexpected error has occurred: *** -[NSNull bytes]: selector not recognized [self = 0xa07ba218]

Version 4.02 is out, but I don't see much encouragement to use it out in the forums. Any help you can give would be appreciated.
Mark

Hi, Mark! I just wanted to let you know that I forwarded your comment to our support supervisor (Steve's boss) to see where your case is and to give them the error message you shared here.

And I wanted to let you know that there is no way we are giving up on anyone who is having trouble syncing data.

Sorry you have been having so much frustration!