Q: How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

You've make a good point. Positive thinking doesn't hurt anyway. It's quite possible they will act upon Mavericks local sync nightmare complaints once the brand image starts to come under enough pressure.

Apple did take off address book and contacts skeumorphic styling after much ridicule...

In case you missed it there are well over 320 million iCloud users, so I wonder who Apple are catering for? I think they may be very happy with the results of their current direction, despite a few naysayers.

Cheers

Pete

Non technical question to anyone but where is the "this solved my question" button?  I never have that choice on any screen.  Thanks in advance

I think it's only available to the person whose question starts the thread.

I'm an iCloud user for Find My iPhone and Find My Mac, and would think of using it for syncing music, and possibly for photos - if I did much syncing of those media between devices and had reliable internet access in all the places where I would use those services.

OTOH some personal data Contacts, Calendars etc. I prefer not to put out on the internet en masse. That's why I'm unhappy at the loss of USB syncing, and glad that there is a workable solution which Barney-15E linked to on this thread.

The mere number of iCloud users doesn't tell you how many of them put confidential/personal data on iCloud, or how many of them are unahppy with the loss of the option of the USB sync. That might be deducible from the feedback going to Apple but I don't expect them (nor would I expect any other company) to go public about that.

tbirdvet wrote:

 

Non technical question to anyone but where is the "this solved my question" button?  I never have that choice on any screen.  Thanks in advance

You can only mark a thread Solved (or helpful) if you start the thread. If you are just riding along on someone else's thread, you can only reply.

And then of course add any Mac sold with Mavericks  preinstalled and those new users, especially the younger market, who never knew of the previous sync method anyway.........

Cheers

Pete

Here's a simple solution on the App Store. It's called "DirectSync" and it lets you copy your contacts from your Mac to your iOS device and vice versa with vCard export files using iTunes "File Sharing". It works directly using your USB cable from your Mac to your iOS device. Just US $0.99. Runs on all your iOS devices.

WhiskyWilly wrote:

 

Here's a simple solution on the App Store. It's called "DirectSync" and it lets you copy your contacts from your Mac to your iOS device and vice versa

Note that this is not a sync.

Yes, Chris, you have that right.  It is a way to copy the contacts file and transfer to another iOS device, but it isn't a sync.  A good one-time choice, but not good for someone who updates their contacts regularly.  Also not so good for the calendar. Thank you, Whiskey WIll, I will keep this in my back pocket for reference.

I never found the "sync" function to work that well anyway. It often duplicates contacts rather than replace them. For my purposes, keeping a consolidated address list on my Mac and distributing it out to all of my iOS devices works well. If I do create contacts on my iOS devices, I can export them back to my Mac and consolidate them there. I value security and privacy most, so DirectSync fits the bill for what I need.

Thanks for the tip WiskeyWilly!

Microsoft Defector wrote:

 

I never found the "sync" function to work that well anyway. It often duplicates contacts rather than replace them.

That's why Apple abandoned 'sync' and found a better method, iCloud.

Is this speculation on your part?  I haven't seen any reason by Apple of suddenly dropping local sync.

I find it hard to believe that a more complex infrastructure (iOS device, WiFi, DSL/DOCSIS modem, ISP, Internet, iCloud, Internet, ISP, DSL/DOCSIS modem WiFi/Ethernet, Mac) is better (in any way) than a simpler, arguably more direct infrastructure (USB cable).

I can't believe this thread is still going... or that I am continuing it!

  aps.

Armando Stettner wrote:

 

Is this speculation on your part?  I haven't seen any reason by Apple of suddenly dropping local sync.

They switched to the open source CalDAV and CardDAV methods. Compatible with any implementation of CalDAV and CardDAV.

That's ok.  As they control both sides of the 'equation' (Calendar/OSX and iOS), there was no reason to change.  CalDAV/CardDAV would have worked just fine via the local sync.