Best PDA Option for MAC

Hey folks. I felt I needed to open a new topic for this.

I've been using apple computers since the 1980's and, even after marrying a PC-loving computer engineer, am devoted to the company's products.

I also have been using PDAs since the mid-nineties. I've had Palm, visor, Clie and even a DaVinci at one confused point grin. I spend a lot of time on the road, have an awful lot of lists and do a fair bit of writing.

My last solution was the Sony PEG-S360. Paired with missing Sync software and a Targus full-size foldaway keyboard (PDA in one pocket, keyboard in the other) I could maintain my contacts, lists and even work on short stories wherever I went, backing it up onto my mac when time permitted. A normal battery charge would power the grayscale unit for sometimes more than 2 weeks of heavy usage. It followed me through the OSX conversion and around the world (literally). I loved that little thing. Had some language dictionaries & even lo-res video games installed on it. I read 20,000 leagues under the Sea and Ovid's Metamorphasis on that thing. Bought 3 in a row as they broke from various accidents.

Admittedly, the connection cables/docking station were notoriously unreliable; lots of wiggling and praying for the unit to sync/charge. With the onset of iSync my memos disappeared from the palm desktop program and didn't seem to appear anywhere in the Mac OS. I found my To Do's (eventually) in iCal. On the Mac, my contacts appeared bereft of their carefully sorted Palm categories and any notes I'd attached to them. Annoying, yes, but everything remained where it was on the PDA, and that's where I needed that information most of the time anyway.

Well, the third S360 has died. I figure it's time to move on. Problem is, there doesn't seem to be a good solution for a user like me who cares little about multimedia; I just need a pocket-sized organizer with a long battery life that I can attach to a foldable keyboard when I feel like writing.

It seems everything out there has a battery-draining color screen and insufficient resources to run all pointless sound & video features included . . . IF it even works with a Mac.

And I realize that unless I find a solution, I'll have to re-sort all my contacts, consign my writings to lost (WHERE does iSync put memos & notes??!!) and give up on maintaining the illusion the PDA gave to those around me that I'm extremely well organized.

I'm so demoralized I've even started musing over whether Mac will ressurect the Newton, and that's a long dark hole I don't want to fall into.

Posted on Oct 8, 2005 5:04 AM

22 replies

iMac Fox

Level 1

30 points

Oct 11, 2005 2:26 PM in response to Sean Lightholder

Based on your needs you should take a look at the Palm Zire 21 ($99 USD) or the color version Zire 31 ($129 USD). Unlike your Sony, the Palm's are completely compatible with Mac's using Palm Desktop or iSync.

Marc D

Level 2

321 points

Oct 13, 2005 12:40 PM in response to iMac Fox

Hi iMac Fox,

when you say "completely compatible" are you referring to iCal, Mail and Address Book, or also Entourage? Does it require Missing Sync software?

Thx.

-marc

Oct 13, 2005 4:50 PM in response to Sean Lightholder

well, I have a palm ZIRE 21 and NEITHER .MAC or iSync can see it. Am I doing something wrong?
Totally disgusted with the lack of support for this device. I end up dragging addresses from address book to my palm, and using hotsync for my calendar.

If there's something I'm not doing, let me know, but when I try iSync it can't find a device. When I use .Mac, it doesn't give me the option of adding my zire 21.

thanks for any advice

Judy444

Level 3

585 points

Oct 13, 2005 9:39 PM in response to Sean Lightholder

I've been using Palms for a long time and have never had any problems syncking with my macs. In my experience, Palm tech support has been generally good for the Mac, they have people who know how their way around macs.

A couple of days ago, i got a palm tungsten E2. I wasn't able to set certain things up so i called Palm tech support and they helped me, everything works now. I am hot syncking using bluetooth, it's fairly speedy, though less than with a cable, but convenient to be able to hot sync without a cable. I don't use iSync.
I just use Palm desktop. I don't have problems with it.

I have been impressed with the battery life of the E2. I just replaced a Palm m505 I used for years, which i seem to have lost. The battery life on the E2 is strikingly better than on the 505. I used it for the past two days. The battery was half charged when i got the Palm (i bought it on Craigs list from the original owner who only had it two months when his company gave him a blackberry and it still has one month left on the warranty and free tech support). I gave it a fully charge day before yesterday, before i started trying to set everything up. there was no sign of the battery charge going down at all all day yesterday. By tonight, it's about 2/3 full still. My 515 went down much faster than that. It was good on standby, but if i used it, it went down pretty fast.

The E2 has a color screen and good resolution, and does take mp3s, i haven't put any on yet. But still, the battery life is good.

Marc D

Level 2

321 points

Oct 13, 2005 9:51 PM in response to Judy444

Hi Judy,

what applications do you sync with your Palm? Will it sync to Entourage?

-marc

Billy J.

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2005 10:43 AM in response to Sean Lightholder

I can only speak for the palm I have, a Treo650. I will now never buy any Palm product after my experience with this device and their support.

First I use isync with missing sync to sync my address book and ical information. The information never syncs properly. Work addresses don't sync and multiple days in ical will not sync to the Treo. Nightmare. Part of the problem with support is when they sell a phone, you are pushed off to the cell carrier. However I purchased the phone directly from Palm paying $500 plus for it when it came out. Palms service was great for a month, it took three overnight shipments of new Treos that finally get one that worked. But after a month you are pushed off to Cingular, and well I'll refrain from going any further.

I can't speak for any other Palm products, but in my 20 plus years owning a Mac the Treo is the worst supposedly Mac compatible product I have ever used. This device was suppose to help make my life more organized but I find I spend way too much time rebooting it, erasing it and reloading, updating, searching forums for fixes, dropping calls, correcting calendar sync problems, looking for an address that didnt sync right, deleting duplicate appointments and well, warming up my arm so when I find a new device I can toss this one off the Santa Monica pier....

Good luck in whatever you choose...
Billy

Oct 14, 2005 11:06 AM in response to Billy J.

I certainly won't dispute your criticisms of Palm support, Cingular support [and that of wireless providers in general] or the Treo 650 platform. But, it's only fair to call your attention to this statement:

i "I use isync with missing sync to sync my address book and ical information. The information never syncs properly. Work addresses don't sync and multiple days in ical will not sync to the Treo. Nightmare."

Both of the problems you point to are well documented issues with the iSync Palm Conduit, and are clearly the responsibility of Apple to address. And Apple has steadfastly refused to do so. The 'work' address label issue is simply a problem of mapping in the iSync Palm Conduit, and while multiple day synchronization is more complicated to address, it too is an issue involving the choices - well, compromises - made by Apple programmers.

So, while there is lots of blame to go around, you failed to cite the party primarily responsible for the two problems you pointed to as root causes of your adverse experience. I just don't think that Apple should get a pass, when it is clearly Apple personnel who are primarily at fault for these issues, and for the clear failure to address them.

Oct 14, 2005 11:34 AM in response to Michael Lafferty

Hello,

I used to sync with Palm m500, m515, Tungsten T2 and now with the Treo 650 (via Desktop) which works flawlessly.

I have tried iSync once but was not convinced of the functionality;-( Apple still has some work to do.

Regards from Leipzig, Germany

Ralf

Billy J.

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2005 11:52 AM in response to Sean Lightholder

Michael,

You are correct. I should have mentioned when it comes to syncing Apple is somewhat responsible. The isync conduit for Palm is a half-baked piece of software. Nonetheless, the Treo is the worst piece of hardware I have ever purchased. If you can tell by my tone, I have spent half the morning reloading the phone because it locked up and wouldn't work..... Maybe some of their other products are better, I dunno, I dont have experience with them. Yes part of my problem is I chose to use address book and ical instead of the supplied Palm Desktop or Entourage. My fault absolutely. I use 3 Macs that I keep synced via .Mac, one of my reasons to use address book and ical, which work flawlessly. The problem is throwing my Treo in the mix... If anyone has a better solution I would love, I mean LOVE to try it....

Billy

Marc D

Level 2

321 points

Oct 14, 2005 11:58 AM in response to Billy J.

I keep thinking that Apple may have plans to come out with their own PDA device. I know the iPod can carry some of that data, but it's not real user friendly. Based on Apple's recent product announcements, an Apple PDA would fit in nicely -- how about the "iPal" or the "iCon"?

Billy J.

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2005 12:03 PM in response to Sean Lightholder

I wouldn't doubt that they are cooking something up. Ipod/pda/phone... If it works better than the Treo I'm there.

Oct 14, 2005 6:04 PM in response to Sean Lightholder

WHERE does iSync put memos & notes??!!

Hi Sean,

A point of confusion with the
b iSync
conduit is that it
b only replaces three
of the many conduits supplied with the Palm Desktop software. i.e. depending on the version of Palm OS on your PDA, the Calendar, Contacts & Tasks conduits or the Datebook, Address & Todo conduits can be replaced by the iSync conduit (whose filename is confusingly: "Apple").

To sync
b memos
and
b notes
on your Palm with your Mac, you
b must
leave Palm Desktop's
b Memos
and
b Note Pad
conduits installed and enabled. Otherwise your memos and notes will never be copied between your Palm and Mac. The Memos and Note Pad conduits are installed when you install the Palm Desktop software. And of course the need to install the Palm Desktop software is another point of confusion. One has to install the Palm Desktop software package, even if one intends to use iCal/AddressBook instead, as iSync does
b not
replace Palm's
b HotSync Manager
application, which is also installed with the Palm Desktop software, and is b the component
that performs the
b actual data transfers
specified by all the various, enabled, conduits.
b Whew!

With respect to current PDAs and reduced battery life, if colour displays are not necessary, and you want multi-week battery life and a keyboard, there are still a few unusual PDA options worth a look, such as Dana's AlphaSmart.

And even current Palms like the T|E2 and especially the T|5 and TX with their larger batteries, actually last longer than their immediate color-screened predecessors (e.g. T|E, T3...), thanks I assume to flash memory. And they also don't lose their memory contents on battery depletion. And finally their battery life can be extended using external battery packs, intended not just for PDAs, but for phones and cameras too.

I
b definitely
miss the thinness, the sturdy metal case, multi-week battery life, and the beautiful lines of the Palm V/x design. But I do
b not
miss my Palm V's 2MB of RAM, all my programs and data on it disappearing on power depletion, squinting at its 160x160 black & green display, its inadequate backlight, or its lack of an expansion slot. So except for the fact that I'd like to upgrade to the new Palm T|X, I'm a reasonably satisfied T|E2, iSync, iCal/AddressBook user.

best of luck,
...ben

Marc D

Level 2

321 points

Oct 14, 2005 7:19 PM in response to Ben Schmidt

Hi Ben,

You seem to have a lot of information. Do you anything about which devices sync well with Entourage? And is that using iSync, Palm software or the Missing Sync?

Thanks much!

-marc

Oct 14, 2005 7:39 PM in response to Marc D

Do you anything about which devices sync well with Entourage? And is that using iSync, Palm software or the Missing Sync?

Hi Marc,

Unfortunately I'm a mail.app user, so while I know Missing Sync advertises Entourage sync functionality, so does LigatureTech and QueueSoft. What about opening a new thread, "Sync Entourage with PDA: Palm or PocketPC?", or whatever, where you could go into details about which components of MS Entourage data (mail, calendar, tasks?) you want to sync with which applications on your PDA.

best of luck,
...ben

PS. I will share that Missing Sync maintains a very active list server and works very hard to address all the questions raised on their lists.

Oct 14, 2005 8:01 PM in response to Gail Lawley

I have a palm ZIRE 21 and NEITHER .MAC or iSync can see it. I end up dragging addresses from address book to my palm, and using hotsync for my calendar.

Hi Gail,

If you can successfully sync Palm Desktop's Address window contents with your Zire21 addressbook, then you're more than half-way there. This means that you've successfully installed the complete Palm Desktop software package, including
b HotSync Manager,
which is the component of Palm Desktop software install that performs the actual transferring of information between the Palm and the Mac. The files that are sync'd are configured by whichever individual conduits are enabled in the
b HotSync Manager
application, under its
b Conduit Settings...
menu item.

When I use .Mac, it doesn't give me the option of adding my zire 21.

And frustratingly it won't...
...not until the iSync conduit has been successfully installed and then the iSync conduit enabled
b from within Palm's
b HotSync Manager
application, using its
b Conduit Settings...
menu. Enabling the
b iSync Conduit
from within
b HotSync Manager
will cause the Palm PDA icon to immediately appear in the
b iSync
application, and various settings additional synchronization settings will then become accessible in the iSync application.

best of luck,
...ben

PS. A search on 'Palm and iSync' in the Apple Forums will clearly indicate, what's been posted here: it's confusing! And by the time most folks arrive to the Apple Forums, their patience has been exhausted.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Best PDA Option for MAC