OK, I have my mac mini, my Sony CLIE, and my Nokia 6126 phone. I use my phone a lot for calendar notes and contacts and sync it to my MacMini iCal and AddressBook. I updated my PalmOS or CLIE, transferred my old CLIE data into my new CLIE and syned tem both to my MacMni. Then back to my phone. Total time taken was 15 minutes. Seems all nice, neat and easy right?
WRONG! What I did not factor in was the different ways my data was stored on each of the different programs and how merging them put THREE entries of each into each device. Now I have to go back through one of them and delete the two duplicate I wish to discard. We are talking about a couple hundred entries. At least I am smart enough to figure out that if I went through each of the devices again, I would end up with the same problem all over again. Total time taken to undo the confusion? We are going on our 4th hour of sorting through my data.
So to those of you who want to sync their life from several devices into a few should consider the following. 1. Decide which records you need to keep on each device first. 2. Compare records and fill in missing data on ONE device (PC, PDA, Phone, Laptop, etc) 3. After manually updating the records, delete the duplicates form the other devices, keeping only the ones not on your primary device. Once you have done all that, sync your devices one at a time. This way you can check for errors & duplicates before adding a new set of data. Do this for each device you are planning to sync, even if only sporadically. You will spend less time preparing a little ahead of sync that you will repairing after sync so make it easy on yourself.
Oh, as for my devices:
WRONG! What I did not factor in was the different ways my data was stored on each of the different programs and how merging them put THREE entries of each into each device. Now I have to go back through one of them and delete the two duplicate I wish to discard. We are talking about a couple hundred entries. At least I am smart enough to figure out that if I went through each of the devices again, I would end up with the same problem all over again. Total time taken to undo the confusion? We are going on our 4th hour of sorting through my data.
So to those of you who want to sync their life from several devices into a few should consider the following. 1. Decide which records you need to keep on each device first. 2. Compare records and fill in missing data on ONE device (PC, PDA, Phone, Laptop, etc) 3. After manually updating the records, delete the duplicates form the other devices, keeping only the ones not on your primary device. Once you have done all that, sync your devices one at a time. This way you can check for errors & duplicates before adding a new set of data. Do this for each device you are planning to sync, even if only sporadically. You will spend less time preparing a little ahead of sync that you will repairing after sync so make it easy on yourself.
Oh, as for my devices:
- My MacMini I LOVE! Bluetooth and WiFi are wonderful things and they work great.
- My Sony CLIE UX50 is an upgrade from my other CLIE SJ22 and I am learning all its nuances, plus how to read micro-text since the screen is a higher resolution but the same size as my SJ22 so everything is smaller. But again, I love its bluetooth and WiFi capabilities.
- My Nokia 6126 phone is what I carry with me everywhere so it is my main calendar and contact data device. Why not use an iPhone? You cant use the other features when ou get a call, and it is too costly to have on a pay-as-you-go plan. I don't use my phone a lot, unless I talk with my wife so we have the best phone plan for our calling needs. Otherwise I use it for emergencies and important calls when i am out.
- My Sony CLIE SJ22 deserves its props for its usefulness and longevity. I bought ours new in 2002 and 2003 (wife's). We have used them regularly over the past six (5 for wife) years and only recently my wife's touch screen stopped working. This was the catalyst for getting our CLIE UX50s. That and more capabilities like music player, camera/video for basic use, and updated games for waiting rooms and passing time.
There's a few things I must say about batteries and their life. Our SJ22 batteries still last about five days on a charge and we have NEVER replaced them! (I have a Panasonic home Phone from 2003 that has its original battery that only now needs replacing.) My secret? ONLY charge the battery when it gives you the "low battery" alert. This trains the battery to fully discharge, then fully charge again. Over a few hundred cycles this keeps your battery conditioned properly. My phone battery is also pretty good since it is going on 2 years now. There is NO battery out there that is "no memory." They ALL have a memory and over time you will teach it how to behave. So remember to always wait for the "low battery" signal before recharging them. If you worry about a cordless phone and you use it during the day, keep it off the hook for 3 to 7 days and recharge it overnight.
Speaking of powering down, it's time for me to recharge. Good Night!
