Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

11 points

Forced to upgrade to new Mobileme Calendar and lose iCal calendar groups

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email saying that all MobileMe members MUST upgrade to the new calendar by 5 May, 2011.

Up until now, I have deliberately held off from upgrading to avoid losing the calendar groups function on iCal.

Now, not only is Apple forcing me to upgrade, they also don't seem to address the issue of current users who rely on calendar groups in iCal to organize our calendars. Why is Apple doing this?

I have sent them email on this issue. But as usual, no reply from anybody. How do I reach someone there to tell me what to do?

Macbook Pro, Mac Mini, Macbook, iPhone4, iPad, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 15, 2011 11:01 AM

43 replies

Apr 13, 2011 5:00 PM in response to misso1

I agree. Apple this was one step back. Big leap. Really sorry to see the publish to internet function go. And Groups!! Why why?

Jayson

Level 2

244 points

Apr 13, 2011 8:58 PM in response to MacKyver

AAAAAAAAAAAAA ***? my life revolves around my calender, it has to work! I have felt that apple is a Communist company for years, not giving the people a choice, forcing stupid white computes on us. Now you are telling me I have to purchase an update os to run a fully functioning calender program. Maybe its time to look at windows at least they offer backwards compatibility! I mean my 10.5.x laptop is only a year old and now I am being strong-armed into an os upgrade that will cost me money, not to mention my first edition iphone that works fine with the old os, I don't want to upgrade it. IT ALL WORKS FINE NOW!

Apr 13, 2011 8:59 PM in response to MacPatrik

Publish is now sharing. I've not worked with it much. I have two sharing needs. (1) To share with my wife my calendar, and hers with me. (2) To put another calendar I maintain on notebook and iPhone onto a web site. The way we've done it is to subscribe the web site.

Apr 13, 2011 9:03 PM in response to Frank Rader

To get sharing to work for me properly I need to combine several calendars that were grouped. I've exported the calendars and want to import them into a new calendar. On the Mobleme site import/export does not appear as a command, so I'm trying to do it on the MacBook Pro. Any experience with that working?

If I can get it done the result on the web will look the same as the group did because the group showed as one calendar when published on the web so I'm combining those calendars on the MacBook.

Apr 13, 2011 11:04 PM in response to misso1

Making progress. Some tips. After loosing Groups I had all the components of groups, 5 to 6 calendars in a group. I exported every calendar I had. I opened iCal and moblemecal with windows showing for both. I found I could delete and add calendars in moblemecal. I could change the order in moblemecal. I could not delete the top calendar in moblemecal because it is the default. To delete it I changed order putting a calendar I want to keep in the top slot. After a min or two, these changes were reflected in iCal since it was set to sync dynamically (Push). Knowing this, I created the calendars I wanted in mCal. Some were brand new, some holdovers with data, some old names formerly deleted so they had a familiar name but no data. I began importing by dragging .ics files into the mCal choosing the calendar I wanted for destination. So I started out with a Group "SigEp Davidson" composed of four calendars. I exported the four, then deleted the Group name and the four calendars from mCal. I created in mCal a new calendar named "SigEp Davidson" (the old Group name) and imported each of the .ics files into SigEp Davidson, watching the screen to see what happened. NOTICE that importing/exporting is done in iCal, not mCal. Even if you drag (my technique) the .ics file to mCal, it activates iCal asking which calendar you wished to import into. CHECK KEEP A COPY on your computer is an option in mCal in preferences. You want a copy on your computer. I have not checked if the copy on the computer backs up in Time Machine, but it should. UPDATE PUBLISH/SUBSCRIBERS. I think the link will work using the new mCal setting but will not know until I check with a web site guy.

qwert qwe

Level 2

270 points

Apr 13, 2011 11:14 PM in response to Frank Rader

Watch out Time Machine doesn't work with new iCal...

Apr 18, 2011 6:42 AM in response to qwert qwe

Some of this covers earlier posts. I've converted to "No Groups", Mobileme based calendars in iCal.

> Export each calendar. (iCal>File>Export)

> Convert to new Mobileme calendar (mCal, I call it.)

> To preserve groups, import exported .ics files into either existing mCal calendars or new ones. For example, I had a group called "SigEp Davidson" made of "SigEp Chapter", "SigEp National", "SigEp Alumni" and "college". I created a new mCal calendar called "SigEp DavidsonX" and imported each component calendar into it.

> Visually compare "SigEp Davidson" with "SigEp DavidsonX". I did this by syncing, then opening "SigEp Davidson" in iCal and "SigEp DavidsonX" in Mobileme and comparing the two windows. Syncing up to Mobileme may be very slow depending on the number of events. I decided to sync and check after each import as that made it easier to check. Be patient and let the sync do it's job. I did not do it, but a faster way to check would be to print the "SigEp Davidson" and "SigEp DavidsonX" files and comparing them while they sync.

> When I began I had three groups and all calendars, grouped or not, totaled 29 including subscriptions. When I concluded I had 11. I like the 11 more than the 29. The reduction was combining groups and combining some individual calendars. I've found it easier to manage fewer calendars.

> Syncing works much faster from Mobileme to mCal rather than mCal to Mobleme. For this reason I entered calendar events that were new into Moblileme rather then mCal during the process when I had both windows open.

> Importing works only into iCal or mCal. I could not import into Mobileme. I imported into mCal, which went quickly, then synced with Mobileme, which went very slowly.

> I have an iPhone 3G which I cord synced to update.

> In the iPhone 3g go Settings>Mail, Contacts, Calendars>.Mac>Calendars and turn calendar syncing with mobileme On. Let iPhone update itself.

I've not used Time Capsule backups of iCal since I'm Mobileme. On another machine that is not mobileme I've used backup calendars found at Enter Time Capsule>Date>Home>Library>Calendars. The names of backup calendars are pure geek, not what you see in iCal.

My wife is Mobileme. She has no grouped calendars, using the calendars assigned by Apple. Converting her was letting Mobileme do the conversion then turning in syncing in her iPhone 3G. Her calendar continued to appear on my iPhone and MacBook Pro and my personal calendar after four imports continued to show on hers with the imports.

In each case we're running the most recent software.

Dana W

Level 1

45 points

Apr 20, 2011 9:05 PM in response to Frank Rader

Thanks for sharing your findings, Frank. I'm trying to plan ahead for this, but have hesitated, as I'm still liking the performance of my 3G iPhone, after a disastrous upgrade to iOS 4 last summer and a successful downgrade again to better performance. I was not aware of the "group" issue, but will research that, thanks.

My question is if you are managing the forced upgrade to iOS 4 on your 3G and if so, is your phone working reasonably well? I read nothing but complaints on slow performance, overheating, etc. after the upgrade to iOS 4, which is a requirement as of May 5th if you have MobileMe, as far as I can tell.

My 3G works fine and I don't want to upgrade the phone until iPhone 5 comes out, thus my concern. (I think this all fits roughly within this thread, since we are dealing with the forced upgrade to mCal.) I'm not sure if there is an option to stay on iOS 3 and just live without the calendar on iPhone, but still sync with the remainder of functions, ie, Contacts, Mail, etc.

Apr 20, 2011 10:00 PM in response to Dana W

iPhone is 3G (NOT s) model running iOS4.2.1 (8C148) on ATT. I am model MB702LL.

I sync via Mobileme Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks and Find My Phone.

I have a personal calendar shared with my wife and her personal calendar is shared with me. The sharing is Mobileme. I share two other calendars that used to be groups. I have four that show on the iPhone and two more I've chosen to show only on my laptop.

My iPhone is quicker syncing over Mobileme using 4.2 (current iPhone software) than it was under 3, but I am not quick overall. I think the iPhone 4 is about 4X speed of 3G. The 3G bugs me waiting for searches and the keyboard is sluggish to start. I recall skipping iOS 4 and upgrading at iOS 4.1 after reading a Tidbits article and seeing some forum comments.

Long way of saying plug your iPhone in and upgrade all the way. Export those calendars first.

Though I might have had 7 calendars in one group on my laptop or iPhone what showed on the web was one calendar made of events from the 7, not the 7 calendars so I see the change as consistent and housekeeping rather than a loss of a cherished feature. I like my calendar better after I reduced the number I was managing.

Dana W

Level 1

45 points

Apr 20, 2011 10:26 PM in response to Frank Rader

Thanks, Frank - I will try to enjoy a stable, relatively quick 3G experience until the last minute, and then follow your advice. Too bad they couldn't make it work better for the millions of 3G users.

Apr 23, 2011 9:31 AM in response to MacKyver

The calendar group functionality was critical for me, I'm seeking an alternative now.

This calls into question using Mobile Me or even an iPhone at all any more, unfortunately.

Apr 26, 2011 8:36 AM in response to Dana W

Thanks

Other than processor speed and diminished battery life I've had no issues. Stability is good. The battery probably is good but has to work harder than it would with a fast processor because it has to fuel the slow speed. I use GPS and search and URL's much, especially as I am traveling and on Edge system.

Apr 26, 2011 8:45 AM in response to John McPhail

The change to no groups is working for me because the number of calendars I have is less so management is simplified. I'm looking at what others look at (in the case of shared calendars) rather than a portion.

What I used to have was several calendars grouped into one for publishing. It was possible for me to show on my iPhone or laptop calendar some, but not all, the published calendars while the published calendar always showed all.

Now what I have is what is shared.

The change over should be easier. What I have works, but may not be the best.

I think it is like removable batteries in iPhones and laptops. 5% or fewer users did that and they were not happy when Apple went to sealed in batteries.

shabumi

Level 1

0 points

Apr 27, 2011 11:34 PM in response to MacKyver

I am so flipping mad! Removing the "publish" option from mobme calendar is moronic.

Why do you call this an upgrade? My word. Apple: Fix this. Now. Hurts to say it, but Google

makes this so very easy.

Apr 29, 2011 8:09 PM in response to shabumi

I am flipping mad too!!! My father... who is obsessed with where I am when I travel (he is 80 and bugs the heck out me all the time)... anyway, he used to just log onto a web address and it was easy. Now he is all in a lather because it's messed up. I've had to just go ahead and give him my MobileMe name and password and have him log in on his own. This "Upgrade" seems like a giant step backwards and I don't like it at all.

I'm going to go take a look at Google and see if I can get the App on my I-Phone or something. If that works with ease, I'm going to drop my MobileMe subscription.

Forced to upgrade to new Mobileme Calendar and lose iCal calendar groups