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

Do not agree with you, snozdop.

On my old laptop (Windows operating system, Outlook) I use to synchronize contact and agenda locally by iTunes with no problems what so ever. Lately I purchased MacBook with Mavericks believing I can continue to use it on same way (without Exchange server or any other Cloud application) - finally very disappointed.

This discussion give impression that majority of users did not experienced any problems with local synchronization. Otherwise they will not apply for making this option available again?

Talking about "majority": employed users are mainly connected to some kind of company exchange server instead Cloud application and will probably not have problem with not being able to synchronize locally. In my opinion this problem mainly effecting private users and small ("one man") company's.

With other words: lets not play down this problem and number of users influenced by it.

@snozdop

Local sync via SyncServices was notoriously unreliable and prone to causing duplicate data due to the way it worked. That's why a Apple (and all other sync solutions) don't attempt to sync data that way anymore - it just wasn't dependable. Conflict resolution was awful and resulted in lost data frequently.

LOL. Interesting. Why it works for millions of users since iPhone come to the market? I never ever had a problem and I don´t know one had have. But problems needs solutions. Apple got money, they can do it in all the ways. (if they want)

The server-client sync method (like iCloud, Google Sync, Yahoo, Fruux, Exchange and all the others) is far more reliable and avoids complicated conflict resolution programming.

Could be but isn´t helpfull for our situation right now.

I was out of the discussion for some weeks/month and I should better left again, there is nothing you can do against the politics of Apple and all we do here is playing a sandbox game. No statements, no replies on the appeals to Apple, nothing.

I try to use Syncmate Eltima some time ago with SL, works sometimes, sometimes not. I think I am out of all, back to oldschool with calendar already and I will use a small contact book for syncing with iCloud to have the ability to work proper or find a solution for windows and use a notebook just for that.

Why make matters simple when they could be complicated? Where is my good old Apple company working for the profit and for the user. Disappointing.

Yes, that seems to be the techy response to this problem - skirt the issue and then complain when people push back.

As of the last time I contacted Apple, they have not offered any technical problem requiring the removal of local syncing over USB or wifi from iTunes.

If you are claiming the reason local sync was removed is due to a technical problem, then you either have nonpublic information which you aren't willing to share, or you're the one trolling a forum that has been exploring how to do local syncing. This is why I jumped in here, because you are misrepresenting the issue that has people upset and disappointed.

That comparison to floppies and ADB is what really reveals your mindset. You see "the cloud" as a future that replaces all other options, as necessarily better, when it's not. Internet connectivity is actually unreliable in many use cases, privacy is worth protecting where reasonably possible, and the business model of software requiring internet access is a bad trend in personal computing. Local syncing is not an obsolete technology; it is a parallel method of connection for those who want to maintain local control of their information easily. The easily part is critical for mass consumption.

Of course that requires a ton of work 'behind the scenes'. That's what is being purchased, a superior user experience.

DGobac wrote:

 

Do not agree with you, snozdop.

On my old laptop (Windows operating system, Outlook) I use to synchronize contact and agenda locally by iTunes with no problems what so ever. Lately I purchased MacBook with Mavericks believing I can continue to use it on same way (without Exchange server or any other Cloud application) - finally very disappointed.

That's correct, on a Mac running Mavericks it is not possible to perform a direct synchronization of Contacts and Calendars to an iPad or iPhone via iTunes over a cable or WiFi. It is still possible to do it on a Windows machine or on any of the millions of Macs that are not running Mavericks.

Additionally, as Outlook for Mac can not support iCloud you can't use that method either.

So, what is it that you do not agree with, it's not very clear from your post.

OAADKTBA wrote:

When Apple introduce Mac OS X they manage ton introduce Classic to support OS 9. This was a nice smooth transition.

I wished they kept the same approch with iCloud.

lol

you should go back to using your 3.5" floppy disk to transfer files.

ndawg wrote:

 

Yes, that seems to be the techy response to this problem - skirt the issue and then complain when people push back.

 

As of the last time I contacted Apple, they have not offered any technical problem requiring the removal of local syncing over USB or wifi from iTunes.

Do you really think that Apple are answerable to you?

This kind of response is what we saw when Apple removed the floppy drive, the optical drive and changed from the Classic environment, it's really simple. Things change, you can adapt or complain.

It is not "or" but "and" !!! Give customer possibility to make his own choice!

"They all do on same way" is not excuse. Imitation of mayority (Microsoft & Co.) is the way to brake down heritage of Steve Jobs. I wonder if he will agree with it if he was still around?

Do you really think that Apple are answerable to you?

That's incredibly cynical. I do believe that if enough people are talking to Apple in enough ways, they will ultimately hear this and change course - or at least provide an explanation, which would be a useful starting point. For example, if this is pressure from the US government, that would be really useful to hear officially from the company.

This kind of response is what we saw when Apple removed the floppy drive, the optical drive and changed from the Classic environment, it's really simple. Things change, you can adapt or complain.

But moreover, those examples you describe are exactly what I want. When Apple removed a floppy disk drive from the iMac, they didn't remove the ability of the computer to read floppy disks. All you had to do was attach a USB cable to an external floppy drive, and voila, you could read floppies!

...for example.....? (beside exchange servers and other Cloud-like applications)

dchao99 wrote:

you should go back to using your 3.5" floppy disk to transfer files.

No

Pen & paper

DGobac wrote:

 

...for example.....? (beside exchange servers and other Cloud-like applications)

How many times do you need to read the same answer?

There are no comercially available Apple supported methods to locally (ie: NOT over the Internet) synchronize any more.

2 Different free solutions (OS X Server or Balkavi Dav Server) have been posted in this thread that you can use if you wish.

Other solutions: Go back to a previous version of OS X or use Windows.

 

But moreover, those examples you describe are exactly what I want. When Apple removed a floppy disk drive from the iMac, they didn't remove the ability of the computer to read floppy disks. All you had to do was attach a USB cable to an external floppy drive, and voila, you could read floppies!

Apple have not removed the ability to sync your calendars between the Mac and iOS device.  All you have to do is to remove the USB cable and voila, everything is sync'ing.

ndawg wrote:

 

 

When Apple removed a floppy disk drive from the iMac, they didn't remove the ability of the computer to read floppy disks. All you had to do was attach a USB cable to an external floppy drive, and voila, you could read floppies!

Just as they haven't removed the ability to sync calendars from your Mac to your Phone, your problem is that you don't like the many methods available and expect Apple to change it to suit you.

So send feedback to Apple, if enough people send feedback change can be effected.

Snoxdop

I hate to contradict you, but it was when I originally used iCloud for syncing that I ran into problems with duplicates and such issues.  That never happened when I used local syncing.  While that was a while ago, things don't seem to have improved.  A friend recently bought an iPad mini and when originally syncing with her iBooks account ended up with up to 54, yes 54, copies of some books!

I chose local syncing because it was dependable and did work.  I don't think a lot of us would be here on this thread if that wasn't the case.

KAGrinde0504 wrote:

 

Snoxdop

 

I hate to contradict you, but it was when I originally used iCloud for syncing that I ran into problems with duplicates and such issues.

You neglected to set your account defaults and account display correctly, you had multiple accounts (On My Mac, iCloud etc) and you viewed them as a composite (default view on IOS and OS X) so you saw the duplicates, and unless you chose iCloud as the default account (unlikely) you were putting events and contacts in the wrong account.

iCloud works, once you over the idea that it 'syncs' and use it correctly.