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

Start your own thread then.

Cheers

Pete

If the topic is problems with mavericks and syncing without icloud, valid alternatives have always included reverting to earlier OS, and also debunking the icloud myths. Open minded debate is valuable.

I don't know of any forum that is dealing with a replacement, sync services was a wide reaching framework - it was even part of OS X server. It was capable of syncing entire user home folders from server to any networked Mac - truly great (when it worked). It handled merging pref files & other complex data structures.

A replacement seems to be beyond what any individual could accomplish, even just syncing contacts & calendars gets hard when a user has many data items, many devices and wants them all to agree.

Take a look at the state of the many open source caldav/cardav solutions - those are the best that people can come up with when working collaboratively (for free).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CardDAV

http://caldav.calconnect.org/implementations/servers.html

You'd need a paid team to get anything made quickly. A Kickstarter campaign has already been suggested here, perhaps you can rally some support for one.

In the meantime I'd suggest you sign up for Eltima's mailing list if you haven't already done so (see banner at top ). http://mac.eltima.com/sync-mac.html

Hunt around for other 'Mac syncing' products & get on their newsletters (MissingSync by MarkSpace springs to mind).

To get an idea of the scale of the problem is stick this into Google…

why sync is hard

It really is easier to install an OS that already has this feature working, but since you are set on this path, I will wish you luck & leave you to it.

Drew Reece wrote:

 

I simply prefer iOS 6 to 7.

Agreed. Don't much care for the boring, flat, industrial look... I find 7 void of charm and it's former soul, if you will....

Sure is. I get it today........

Your point is correct, but I would say that every single thread on here goes off topic from time to time. It's inevitable, if sometimes unhelpful, I'll temper my future posts.

Feb 24 '14 - Just woken up to the fact that my calendar and contacts are not syncing between devices!  OMG!

Michael, you say one can still sync via USB cable, but this is seemingly not true with Mavericks and iTunes 11.1+.  Can anyone definitely tell me/us how to do this, and to continue doing this sync?

I had NO idea that this was the case when I bought a new MBP and iPad Mini a month ago.  If I'd have known that I couldn't sync locally, I would have seriously thought of dropping Apple. I am totally flabberghasted that Apple has done this.  Please tell me I'm wrong, and that there IS a way to sync calendar and contacts between my MBP, iPad and iPhone!  In the meantime, pessimist that I am, I'm going to Staples to buy a compact address book and a calendar/diary of reasonable size.  I will NOT use Cloud for anything.  Never will.

"You can still sync via USB cable or via wifi with iTunes.  ...

I still sync via wifi with iTunes, and I still ONLY backup with iTunes."

On 10.9 you basically have the 'choice' of using iCloud or any alternative internet based service (like Google, Fruux, many email providers…) or you can use your own local caldav/cardav server to sync contacts & calendars over a local network not USB.

Take a look at Barney15E's User tip…

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6311

It uses Biakal - an open source carddav/caldav server solution, there are many other open source servers.

Or you can look at Mac OS X Server, there have been many posts in here linking to how to set it up.

You don't need to dedicate a machine to running a server, it can run on your Mac & you connect & sync iOS over wifi (possibly via an ad-hoc network from the Mac). Personally, having used OS X server for several years, I don't recommend running it on a device that is portable, an Apple support staff member told a user here the same basic thing, but others here just know better.

However you decide to do it, it's not as simple as the old way.

You can also look at 3rd party solutions, eventually Eltima should release a solution, others should be working on something too.

I have no idea what Micheal Black was thinking of - it simply isn't true that you can sync contacts & calendars over USB on 10.9. App syncing & backups is not what is the issue here, if it was the issue the thread would be shorter

Why not use icloud just for contacts and calendar? It is 128 bit encrypted and Apple Inc. is a member of the Safe Harbor Scheme. Where is your concern?

It's not only a problem of trust in Apple securuty datat transfer.

I can't use contacts and calendar iCloud syncing because:

I've got an iPhone 5s and a 3GS. The second one I use only for personal calls and has in the same calendars and contacts of the first one, but it has no internet contract because it has for me no sense to pay 2 internet contracts for 2 phones.

You say, ok I could sync both to iCloud via wifi. Not possible for me, at home I have no wifi ( I use an internet usb key) at office there is only ethernet cable.

My company may be is not so high technological as the biggest… But this is my reality…

When I'm abroad for business, the roaming costs are too high! So I can't sync abroad through 3G network, neither the business (5s ) nor the private (3GS with has internet contract..)

You could say, ok when you are in hotel you could sync both throw hotel wifi . I say: not possible,

Infact, I sleep more than 110 nights per year in hotel and only 1 has protected wifi. It means my datas wouldn't "fly" safely.

I was asking Karen who said "I will NOT use cloud for anything. Never will".

  Ok you have a technical reason, just wondered what Karens reason was.

Hallo everybody,

let me share with you this article of David Pogue on Scientific American.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/were-forced-to-use-cloud-services-but- at-what-cost/

Also unsuspected people don't agree with iCloud syncing or how it was imposed without giving a chance of choice.

I have nothing to hide (well except for all my bank acct info etc. which is in my addressbook, i.e. Contacts), but I just do not like other people telling me I have to use something 'out there' that's not on my desk!  I want to stay LOCAL, on my desk!  I want to be able to plug my iphone cable and my ipad mini cable into my MBP 10.9.1 and have them sync with my MBP calendar. Call me paranoid.  I also like things to be simple... this forum is incredible, but the alternatives suggested throughout may just be too complicated for this little grannie!

Ok so icloud IS a safe and simple option for you. Your lifestyle choice now has consequences unfortunately. If you look at the article quoted above it suggests microsoft is going that way, as is google.

Well so far 10.9 will not allow the 10.8 installer to run.