why is synching of apps mandatory?

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Level 1

36 points

why is synching of apps mandatory?

I synch music and download apps at home using mac; I synch only contacts and calendar to PC at work. After 2.0 update, when I synch to PC, I see that the default setting for apps is to synch, and if I try to uncheck the box, it tells me my apps will be wiped from the iphone if I do. I don't get this -- why don't I have the ability to tell Itunes not to synch apps at work, just like I can do with music, videos, photos, and other files? It prolongs the synch process and requires extended backup time. I assume it has something to do with the difference between synching purchased files and synching purchased software.

Or am I simply doing something really stupid here? Thanks for the help.

Dell Dimension 4500, Windows XP

Posted on Jul 21, 2008 7:10 AM

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Answer 1

DaVBMan

Level 6

9,292 points

Jul 21, 2008 7:14 AM in response to palmerimoots

Many have been complaining about the long backup. However, one also has to remember, each app contains it's own data that could change (photos in an app, notes, settings, etc). If the backup (sync) is not done, then that data would be lost if you have to do a restore. So it is a toss between getting yelled at if a restore is done and all apps are back to defaults and data lost, or syncing/backing up applications to help users keep their data.

Would be nice if they could do some CRC checks etc and only sync back changed application data since last sync. Right now it looks like bring all back changed or not.

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Answer 2

palmerimoots Author

Level 1

36 points

Jul 21, 2008 2:08 PM in response to DaVBMan

Thanks for the reply. I still don't understand what the intended effect of checking the "synch apps" box is supposed to be when you are synching to office pc if the apps are not downloaded onto the pc from itunes to begin with (i.e., they were downloaded to mac and from mac to iphone). It appears to me that checking the box should cause the apps to be deleted from the iphone because the synch lets the pc control (the same thing that would happen if I synched songs and I had no song library on the pc). And yet, when I try to uncheck the box, I get a dialogue message warning me that if I uncheck it and synch I will lose my apps from the phone. And no matter what I do, I've now wiped my apps from the iphone twice.

It seems completely backwards to me. An Apple tech told me today that he thinks the dialogue box is a bug. I'm thinking the only solution right now is to download all the same apps from itunes to the pc, so my that mac and pc have mirror image sets.

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