Reviews
Windows
MobileöMac sync tools
The
vast majority of handheld-toting Mac people use devices running
the Palm OS. It's always been an agreeable combination and remains
so. An amazing number of Palm engineers and execs worked in Apple's
Newton division back in the mid-1990's, and the two companies
have stayed on friendly terms through thick and thin. Apple even
includes direct support for Palm devices in their iSync universal
synchronization utility that is part of every modern Mac. But
for some folks, Palms are just not enough; they crave the raw
power of Windows Mobile devices from HP, Dell, Toshiba and the
rest of the licensees.
I
won't go into my many reasons for preferring Macs over Windows
computers here, but I do count myself among the Windows Mobile-preferring
crowd for two reasons: (1) I don't like smartphones that rely
on tiny QWERTY keyboards instead of handwriting recognition, (2)
I like a big screen ÷ read my Smartphone column on page 74 to
learn why.
For
the longest time, it was completely impossible to synchronize
a Pocket PC and Microsoft Smartphone device to your Mac. Last
year, not one but two California-based independent developers
shipped inexpensive add-on software for Mac OS X that bridged
the gap: PocketMac from Information Appliance Associates and Missing
Sync for Pocket PC from Mark/Space. Though they started out very
different, they are now so similar that it is confusing trying
to figure out which one is best for you ÷ so I tried them both.
Though
both work as advertised, of the two, I prefer Missing Sync. Though
it technically does less, it does precisely what I want it to
do: sync my Address Book, iCal appointments and tasks, let me
install apps and back up my device, and allow me to easily copy
files to and from a desktop-mounted handheld. Missing Sync is
less intrusive in the way it accomplishes these tasks, making
itself almost invisible to me ÷ exactly what I desire.
Robbing
the cradle
I found both products easy to install and use. In either case,
a small utility program must be running in order for the connection
to take place. PocketMac runs in a menu bar process as an icon
while Missing Sync runs as a normal application process. Either
can be easily set as a startup item to make syncing always available
to you. Both products allow you to sync using a common USB connection,
Bluetooth, or WiFi. Though either wireless option is tempting
for the coolness factor alone, I found that the hassle factor
increases exponentially compared to boring old wired USB. Reliability
suffers and you have to manually initiate each sync from the handheld,
requiring multiple taps and a bit of menu digging ÷ it's just
not worth it for me, so I prefer using the USB cradle.
Both
products are integrated with iSync, though Missing Sync does a
better aesthetic job of it. You have the option in either case
to use the developer's own interface to initiate a sync, but why
anyone would want to is unclear to me. Apple's iSync is superb
and free, so why not use it?
In
addition to the core functions I listed above, both apps let you
sync an album of iPhoto images and iTunes MP3 audio files to your
device. I tested these features and they work just fine but as
a dedicated and ecstatically happy iPod Photo 40GB user, I have
no need for either function. My HP 6315 mobile is all about organization
and communication, not personal media. I like to use the very
best tool for the job at hand, a philosophy that virtually always
entails carrying more than one tool. So be it.
Both
products allow you to install Windows Mobile applications from
your Mac, saving us from the need to have a Windows box lying
around for this occasional task. You can also run a full backup
to your Mac, though I'd suggest this is a task better left to
software on your handheld and its SD or CF memory card. It's easier,
faster, and more likely to actually work right in case you have
an actual, data-loss emergency, as the files never leave the Windows
FAT32 disk format.
Deal
makers, deal breakers
PocketMac
is more ambitious in ways that may turn you toward this product
over the competition. The most obvious are Microsoft Entourage
and NOW Contact PIM support, followed by a special version that
supports Microsoft Smartphone devices. If you rely on these things,
then your choice is made, as these features do not exist in the
current version of Missing Sync for Pocket PC. But if you use
a standard Pocket PC device, ÷ Phone Edition or not ÷ and prefer
Mac OS X iCal/Address Book/iSync over the alternatives, then you'll
be happier with Missing Sync for Pocket PC.
öDavid
MacNeill
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