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View Full Version : Competition on the Sync Front


Janak Parekh
12-20-2002, 12:57 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-1040-978408.html' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-1040-978408.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Apple Computer is refining a strategy for connecting cell phones and other portable devices to its Macintosh systems in an effort to boost sales. But a rival endeavor from Microsoft, expected to be unveiled early next year, could dim the company's hopes, analysts said."</i><br /><br />Apple's <a href="http://www.apple.com/isync/">iSync</a> product is an important long-term strategy as the company branches out into the lifestyle market, such as with their iPod device. However, Microsoft's building extensions to ActiveSync to support a wider range of devices too. While Microsoft has not yet decided to integrate ActiveSync into the OS, this may happen in the future, and the article asserts that it could spell the death for iSync and some of Apple's momentum in this area.<br /><br />Personally, I think it's <i>far</i> too early to call such shots. Besides, ActiveSync has to be made much more reliable. :twisted: Additionally, I would love to see an open technology like <a href="http://www.syncml.org/">SyncML</a> win. But this is an area definitely worth watching long-term.

JonnoB
12-20-2002, 01:38 AM
Some of the people I used to work with started up a new company called fusionOne (http://www.fusionone.com)... but they were funded in part by 3Com before Palm split from them and also Nokia. It is good software, but I can't use it with my Pocket PC. I think that sync software is one of the very under-valued tools that as the article points out, will become increasingly valuable with more mobile devices hitting the market.

Jason Dunn
12-20-2002, 01:43 AM
ActiveSync? A mature technology?

Bwahahahahahahaha!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

:pukeface:

Sorry. I shouldn't eat then laugh so much.

jweitzman
12-20-2002, 03:07 AM
OK, that was a weak attempt to invoke "Video Killed the Radio Star"

This article was mostly silly but it does raise the very issues at the heart of the MS antitrust trial. Any PocketPC user will attest to the, shall we say, progress-yet-to-be made in the Windows/PocketPC synchronization world. But Microsoft's monopoly on the desktop OS, combined with its insistence on using proprietary protocols, kills any real competition in the market.

As soon as the industry appears on the verge of agreeing on some great, open technology that many companies could use to compete on a level playing field, MS usually foists its own, closed, proprietary technology on the market and it only works with Windoze. If Microsoft wasn't a monopoly, that would be smart marketing. But they are a monopoly and that makes it unfair competition.

JW

serpico
12-20-2002, 03:10 AM
I read that too as well from C|net, what a joke. Who the hell wrote that, were they smoking something?

I agree that the beta version of iSync works well with say the T68i or iPod but not the palm devices. This is going to be an area to watch in the future, but not iSync's demise. Gimme a break, like XBOX is winning over PS2 just b/c Microsoft gets into the game industry. Dumb editors. :roll:

st63z
12-20-2002, 03:31 AM
I'm clueless of course, but I thought I remember reading that iSync was based on SyncML?

klinux
12-20-2002, 04:13 AM
Yup, iSync is based on SyncML. Although they boast that they work on multiple platforms, unlike ActiveSync, I don't really buy Palm+some cellphones = multiple platforms. I want to iSync Mac to PPC and Zaurus!!

Janak Parekh
12-20-2002, 06:55 AM
Yup, iSync is based on SyncML. Although they boast that they work on multiple platforms, unlike ActiveSync, I don't really buy Palm+some cellphones = multiple platforms. I want to iSync Mac to PPC and Zaurus!!
Or, ideally, since MS would never officially support iSync, we'd like SyncML support on PPC's and Zaurus'es, and then iSync would just work. Or ActiveMLSync. Or whatever. Long-term, I think it's necessary for consumer devices to reach the next level. To some extent, Bluetooth's OBEX protocols are designed to satisfy this, but something a bit higher-level would be nice.

BTW, I do agree the article was highly fluffy. The underlying thought merits discussion though. :)

--janak

Ekkie Tepsupornchai
12-20-2002, 10:34 AM
Love the PPC, but ActiveSync is a disgrace... GO iSYNC!!

bcre8v2
12-20-2002, 01:36 PM
:idea:
1) Selective synchronization across many devices - this would allow me to only backup either outlook data or files to 4 or 5 computers (or more).
This would require extending the partnership capabilities of A.S.

2) A transfer optimization setting (for serial/wireless/pptp) connections.

3) The ability to recognize other sync-capable devices such as a "cough" Palm :?: :!:

4) Any others?????

-Steve

Pony99CA
12-21-2002, 01:59 AM
Apple's early synchronization strategy largely focuses on cell phones, which the company sees quickly displacing personal digital assistants as repositories for contact and calendaring information.

"We believe this (cell phone and iSync strategy) replaces the PDA," Apple's Schiller said. "The cell phone becomes your PDA."

I've used an old version of Starfish's TrueSync to sync with Outlook and my StarTac, so cell phone synchronization isn't really new.

Using TrueSync isn't perfect, mainly because of the StarTac's limitations (only 100 names, 4 phone numbers per name and something like 12 characters per name), but TrueSync has its flaws, too. For example, TrueSync only seems to allow using one category to synchronize on, so I had to add a new "Sync with Phone" category in Outlook, then set that category in the entries I wanted to sync.

Also, I don't buy Apple's contention that the cell phone with syncing will replace PDAs. I don't see many cell phones having screens that compete with PDAs, and people think PDAs are too small for much browsing. If you're only looking at the organizing aspects of PDAs, maybe a phone would be sufficient, but I think Pocket PCs have raised the bar on what people expect from a PDA.

As an example, I'd like a SmartPhone, and that will hopefully work perfectly with ActiveSync (or as perfectly as ActiveSync usually works :-)). However, I would not replace my iPAQ with the SmartPhone -- I'd use it as an emergency PDA or when I needed connectivity. And if a Bluetooth SmartPhone is available, I would only use the SmartPhone as the phone, using my iPAQ 3870 (or whatever I have in the future :-)) for the display.

Steve

Pony99CA
12-21-2002, 02:21 AM
:idea:
1) Selective synchronization across many devices - this would allow me to only backup either outlook data or files to 4 or 5 computers (or more).
This would require extending the partnership capabilities of A.S.

ActiveSync allows as many devices as you want. It's the Pocket PC that has a limit of two hosts (although there is software that gets around this limit).


2) A transfer optimization setting (for serial/wireless/pptp) connections.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. What kind of optimization do you expect?


3) The ability to recognize other sync-capable devices such as a "cough" Palm :?: :!:

You do realize ActiveSync is made by Microsoft, right? :lol:


4) Any others?????

Sure.

How about more synchronization options -- Boolean options with time ranges and categories, for example? Being able to synchronize only categories with Work AND Steve (vs. Work AND Spouse) could be useful, and allowing a time range would be more useful.

How about supporting multiple simultaneous connections? Being able to connect and sync both your Pocket PC and SmartPhone in parallel, instead of serially, would be great.

How about supporting synchronizing any E-mail accounts and E-mail clients, not just Exchange? I can connect Inbox to my POP3 account, but I'd love to be able to just sync those back to Eudora. Yes, because E-mail is left on the server, I can just download them again when I fire up Eudora, but synchronizing would save a step and allow me to delete messages on the server faster.

The above is just a more specific variant of allowing synchronization with other PIMs, of course.

Steve

Janak Parekh
12-21-2002, 03:26 AM
Also, I don't buy Apple's contention that the cell phone with syncing will replace PDAs. I don't see many cell phones having screens that compete with PDAs, and people think PDAs are too small for much browsing. If you're only looking at the organizing aspects of PDAs, maybe a phone would be sufficient, but I think Pocket PCs have raised the bar on what people expect from a PDA.
This is a Steve Jobs thing - it appears he doesn't believe in PDA's. I don't think we'll ever see an Apple PDA again with him at the helm.

--janak