My OperaNot so fast for Google Sync in Windows Mobile.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 6:03:43 AM
. . We all know that Windows Mobile is an office-centered Operation System, as so as many Microsoft's solutions. It's hopefully changing in Windows Phone 7, and Microsoft is already stepping in the more user-centric mobile software (Kin, anyone?), but currently we are still tied to lots of enterprise bloatware and bureaucratic procedures that don't really make sense.
. . Of course you want a phone backup on the cloud, fully accessible from every phone, everywhere. The problem is that current solutions from Windows Mobile were developed with company employees in mind--not you, not me. If you ever link your phone to an "Exchange Server", all the content shared in the Exchange Server belongs to the server, not you. It can make sense when the server is your company's one (all the company contacts, tasks and calendar would be shared through your colleagues), but, hey!, we're sync our contacts, here! Exchange doesn't care, anyway.
. . You sync'ed your contacts, everything works great. You check your Google account and there they are: with pictures and all the info. Someday, for some reason (maybe the "last name, first name" bug), you decide to change the exchange server (you can try the excellent service from NuevaSync) and finally Exchange will get you: you cannot keep your contacts when you break the partnership between your device and your server if you don't sync your phone with other source (like Outlook). It means that if you currently only sync your files with the computer, change that as soon as possible, or you're risking all the contacts, calendar appointments and tasks you have. Even when syncing with Outlook it can go wrong, so do it *really* carefully, backup as much as you can and next time try the ridiculously named (but still very useful) service from Microsoft MyPhone. I'm loving it--no exchange, no strings attached, simple and efficient backup of my contacts, calendar, tasks, photos and docs.
. . Of course you want a phone backup on the cloud, fully accessible from every phone, everywhere. The problem is that current solutions from Windows Mobile were developed with company employees in mind--not you, not me. If you ever link your phone to an "Exchange Server", all the content shared in the Exchange Server belongs to the server, not you. It can make sense when the server is your company's one (all the company contacts, tasks and calendar would be shared through your colleagues), but, hey!, we're sync our contacts, here! Exchange doesn't care, anyway.
. . You sync'ed your contacts, everything works great. You check your Google account and there they are: with pictures and all the info. Someday, for some reason (maybe the "last name, first name" bug), you decide to change the exchange server (you can try the excellent service from NuevaSync) and finally Exchange will get you: you cannot keep your contacts when you break the partnership between your device and your server if you don't sync your phone with other source (like Outlook). It means that if you currently only sync your files with the computer, change that as soon as possible, or you're risking all the contacts, calendar appointments and tasks you have. Even when syncing with Outlook it can go wrong, so do it *really* carefully, backup as much as you can and next time try the ridiculously named (but still very useful) service from Microsoft MyPhone. I'm loving it--no exchange, no strings attached, simple and efficient backup of my contacts, calendar, tasks, photos and docs.
