No iPhone sync with Snow Leopard ???

Return the phones, iCloud is not supported on anything less that 10.7.2

iCloud is only available on the Lions. Period. Any iPhone running iOS 6.x needs to use iCloud for wireless sync. So if that is the only way you see fit to sync, you either ditch the ancient Operating Systems (good idea, as they are completely unsupported and get no security updates) or forget Apple phones.

However, have you tried wired sync thru iTunes?

spraine wrote:

I'm not sure what you're saying...

"iCloud is only available on the Lions. Period."

Then:

"Any iPhone running iOS 6.x needs to use iCloud for wireless sync."

** Is this a contradiction to the sentence above, or am I just totally not understanding?

MBP access to the iCloud service offered for free by Apple is only possible if the Mac is running Lion or Mountain Lion. iPhones can happily use the iCloud and can even sync amongst themselves. But the Macs won't be able to do likewise unless they are running a Lion. Clear enough now?

"So if that is the only way you see fit to sync, you either ditch the ancient Operating Systems (good idea, as they are completely unsupported and get no security updates) or forget Apple phones."

However, have you tried wired sync thru iTunes?

** Will this method let us sync my MBP & iPhone 4s with my wife's MBP & her iPhone 4s ?

Hers, yes. Yours, no. The minimum version of iTunes needed to support an iOS 6.x iPhone can only run on Snow Leopard or newer...

*** Do I have to try syncing Address Bk & iCal through Google...?

Good luck with that!

Inlined answers.

spraine wrote:

I'm not sure what you're saying...

"iCloud is only available on the Lions. Period."

10.6.8 is Snow Leopard

10.7.2 is Lion

10.8.3 is Mountain Lion

iCloud doesn't work with Snow Leopards, only Lions of one kind or another.

You can use Google (or pretty much any other service that supports CalDav and CardDav or MS Exchange)

spraine wrote:

However, have you tried wired sync thru iTunes?

** Will this method let us sync my MBP & iPhone 4s with my wife's MBP & her iPhone 4s ?

To add to Courcoul's response re: wired syncing iPhones with iTunes...

1. On the iPhone, go to Settings > iCloud and turn OFF iCloud syncing.
2. Then plug the iPhone to the MBP with OS 10.6.8.
3. Launch iTunes and click the Info tab and check the boxes for Calendar and Contacts (and anything else listed you want to sync)
4. Then click the Sync button at the bottom.

If you are NOT upgrading your MBP (10.5.8) to 10.6.8 and plan to sync your iPhone on your wife's MBP then consider looking at Apple's KB article about using multiple iDevices with one computer. After reading the artice, you might find it's easier to upgrade the OS on your MBP. 😉

FYI: iCloud System Requirements

HTH

Yeah, if you don't want to upgrade to the Lions and lose PPC compatibility, at least upgrade yours to Snow Leopard and ditch Leopard. Apple still remembers to put out a Security Update for it every once in awhile.

spraine wrote:

Next convoluted question >>>

We are both now using Snow Leopard.

And...

"iPhones can happily use the iCloud and can even sync amongst themselves."

So...

If I sync my iPhone to my iCal & Address Book, and...

my wife syncs her iPhone to her iCal & Address Book,

when we sync our iPhones, we'll be syncing our iCals & Address Books.

No, as there is no iCloud account on your Mac there is nothing to 'sync' with.

BUT... (with Snow Leopard)

we can only do Wired sync between iPhones & iCal/Address Book, right?

Yes, but this is independent of iCloud, it will sync the local Mac folders (On my Mac) with the equivalent iPhone folders (On my iPhone) which may be all you need.

spraine wrote:

Got it...

Good 🙂

It's not machines that you are syncing with, it is accounts.

Revised Plan:

Sync your iPhone to Your account using iTunes and a cable. Sync her iPhone to her account using iTunes and a cable

You can not accomplish step 2 without upgrading one or both machines to a minimum of 10.7.2 (Lion) (I thought we covered that already)

You can not use iCloud with your current Macs, they MUST be upgraded to a minimum of 10.7.2 (Lion) if this is unacceptable you should return the phones as you previously stated was your preference.

**If we cannot sync with 10.6, these phones are worthless to us, and will be returned.