iSync icon in menu bar is for .Mac Sync, not iSync.

Question

iSync icon in menu bar is for .Mac Sync, not iSync.

Sure, syncing with .Mac is great, but what I do all the time is sync with my mobile via Bluetooth. Thing is, with Tiger, the sync icon on the menu bar exclusively initiates syncing with .Mac, and nothing else. It took me a while to figure out why my phone wasn't sending or receiving updates, and I can get around it by opening up the iSync program, but it is really, really annoying. Strange thing is, I can add the menu bar icon from iSync's prefs., and it will spin around when I initiate a sync from the iSync program, but issueing the command through the icon will not cause a sync with my phone. Great.

Is there any way to make the menu bar icon work the way it used to, so I can sync my phone with a single command, like I could with Panther?

Posted on Jun 18, 2005 11:59 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 18, 2005 10:35 PM in response to Nathan Sanzone-Mcdowell

That's not strictly true. The Sync Now command should be used to initiate any synchronization, but iSync 2 must be open for it to include mobile handsets and Palm devices. A stupid as this seems, it was an intentional design element of the 'improved] iSync 2.

Julian Wright wrote an application that will automate the multi-step process now required to launch a synchronization session:

http://tinyurl.com/dabhl

The iSync logging function - as much as it works at all, and it doesn't much compared to prior releases - will not work unless iSync 2 is launched prior to initiating the synchronization. And, without iSync 2 running, any additional devices - other than .Mac and any attached Palm device - will be ignored.

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Answer 2

Jun 19, 2005 2:51 PM in response to Nathan Sanzone-Mcdowell

I wish the programmer at Apple who thought this was a bright idea would post on here his explanation for doing so. I'm beginning to think that Apple placed all of their poorest performing engineers on the iSync project. I can hear it now, "Tim, we just don't think you've been meeting our standards designing the Widgets. BUT, personnel thinks that you will be a good fit with the iSync group, because we are going to release an iPhone some day soon, and we want everyone else to get so frustrated with their phone, that they will purchase iPhone. Just go write random code, and don't bother to test anything."

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Answer 3

Jul 11, 2005 1:35 PM in response to OrangeMarlin

Hear, hear. I can't believe this happened. I've been used to sync my phone like that all the way from when it was introduced, and I thought something was terribly wrong with my setup - tried resetting iSync and everything.This is a major leap backwards in usability. Why?? I can't see any logic behind this...

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Answer 4

Jul 11, 2005 1:39 PM in response to Massimo Fiorentino

APPLE has always been somewhat paternalistic in its design of software or hardware.

I have iSync in my Dock, so I've gotten used to it.

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Answer 5

Aug 22, 2005 9:14 AM in response to Michael Lafferty

WOW! Thank you for that info. This hobbling of the iSync menu item made no sense to me, and I couldn't find any info on what had gone wrong with it. Seems it's a "feature," not a bug.

How idiotic.

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Answer 6

Aug 27, 2005 4:55 AM in response to Nathan Sanzone-Mcdowell

Another example of downgrade like QT7, as much as anyone wants to see it as a feature, it's annoying and user-unfriendly

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