05-22-2002, 07:01 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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The ugly truth about ActiveSync and categories
About a month ago, I started writing one of my final PocketPC.com articles on category syncing, based on the ASSSUMPTION that it worked like I thought it would - you know, separate categories for each piece of data, only sync category "A" at work, and category "B" at home. You'd think that would allow you to keep your data isolated on each machine, right? It doesn't.
There is NO ability for the Pocket PC to isolate data from two separate systems based on categories. I wasted four hours trying every conceivable scenario, absolutely convinced that there was some way to make it work. Why else would they have categories? Would they really design ActiveSync to dump data from one PC to another with no regard for what the user wanted? I should have known better. :twisted: Surprise surprise, that's what people were complaining about for years, and I'd always assured them that "categories were the answer" because that's what the product managers told me - yet I never had two PCs to sync against because I work from my home and never tested my own advice. I owe the Pocket PC world an apology <sigh>.
I felt like such an idiot  ops: when I discovered the truth about ActiveSync: Microsoft never intended for a Pocket PC to sync with more than one computer and keep the data isolated. So the answer to people that ask about syncing to multiple PCs is that unless they want to co-mingle all their data, they should only create a partnership on ONE computer and be a guest on the other. How "real world" is that? Not very.
I think the entire Mobile Devices team should be given the task of taking their Pocket PCs home, creating a partnership, and not letting any Microsoft corporate data leak onto their personal computers - then they'd see the agony normal users go through, and what a significant problem this is.
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05-22-2002, 07:09 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 109
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Re: The ugly truth about ActiveSync and categories
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
So the answer to people that ask about syncing to multiple PCs is that unless they want to co-mingle all their data, they should only create a partnership on ONE computer and be a guest on the other. How "real world" is that? Not very.
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Yes, some time ago I also thought that I will use my iPAQ as a "outlook container" to trasmit appointments/calendar/messages from office to home - by syncing in both these places.
I also cannot understand why it is NOT POSSIBLE to sync with 2 PCs at once - this is THE BASIC USE CASE: 1 at home and 1 in office. What for this fancy Bluetooth, WiFi and other stuff if BASIC feature is not working?
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05-22-2002, 07:42 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 38
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Exactly...
That's why I got in the annoying habit of marking thngs Private, so when I sync at work, people don't get to see that I have to have my handheld remind this feable mind that I have take out the garbage every Thursday night.
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05-22-2002, 08:31 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
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You CAN use categories to filter contacts, addresses, tasks, etc but would have to use a third party sync app. I know that TrueSync will do it and I assume the other sync apps will as well.
dazz
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05-22-2002, 08:47 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 74
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I'm a little confused
I thought the point was to co-mingle that data. Originally I used catagories to filter my contact list, although I eventually stopped as it was easy enough to tap a couple of times on the tab and the scroll throught the list. The only complaint I had about activesync functionality expectations is that I can't sync mail between multiple computers, which ended up being much less of a hardship than I first imagined. Actually I've been quite pleased with the syncing of contacts, notes and tasks. (It's nice to be able to redo a system, snap in my ipaq, and have all of my contact information right there, actually I haven't lost an address since I started using pdas about three years ago).
Maybe my expectations were lower, but I don't have nearly as much venom for activesync as people seem to have.
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05-22-2002, 08:49 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1
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anything better
Is there anything better than Active-sink? While I have never suffered data loss, the 'connectivity' is as good as useless - sometimes it syncs, but other times you have to unset and then reset USB - sometimes it tells you that you don't have USB even as a possibility.
I'm not quite sure how Microsoft manages to engineer such first-rate junk, but I for one want to ditch it and shell out some cash for something that works! :cry:
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05-22-2002, 09:01 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 37
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COMPLAINS ALL THE TIME
how may computers do you need to sync from. you should do it from one pc (main one) only. the other sync should be guest. what kind of imbecile sync with 5 computers at the time for their contacts, task or notes. Geee, .. sync all your computers on one and then sync that computer with your pocket pc ... whta are you computer specialists or geek that don't know nothing about how to think ... i disapointed of you Jason !!!! :lol:
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05-22-2002, 09:16 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Re: I'm a little confused
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Originally Posted by PhillyPocket
I thought the point was to co-mingle that data.
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On the Pocket PC, yes, but not between a work computer and a home computer - that's the problem. See, if when you were setting up a partnership with a new PC ActiveSync would, upon first connection, let you select which categories from the Pocket PC you want put on the PC, and vice-versa, this wouldn't be a problem. But by default, it takes all the content from your Pocket PC and puts it onto the desktop - thus transferring all your personal contacts onto your work computer. How much does that suck? Worse, if you then go into Contacts options in ActiveSync and say "ok, only sync WORK contacts", it won't clean your personal contacts from the Outlook database. If you delete those contacts manually from Outlook, guess what it does? It removes them from your Pocket PC, even though you told it to only sync the WORK category. Words can't express how bad this all functions.
I say this with the deepest respect for everyone, but if you don't understand how dysfunctional ActiveSync is, you haven't used it in enough scenarios. 1 PC, 1 Pocket PC, 1 set of data - works well. Anything more? Painful.
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05-22-2002, 09:35 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Re: COMPLAINS ALL THE TIME
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Originally Posted by gmelfissg
how may computers do you need to sync from. you should do it from one pc (main one) only. the other sync should be guest. what kind of imbecile sync with 5 computers at the time for their contacts, task or notes.
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I complain when there's something worth complaining about - and ActiveSync is worth kicking up a fuss over. If we're silent, Microsoft doesn't think there's a problem. I once told someone at Microsoft that I felt ActiveSync was responsible for 80% of the frustrations people have with Pocket PCs, and I still believe that today. In terms of how many computers people sync with, while I bet the majority use one computer, is two so hard to fathom? One home computer, one work computer. Why do you think they sell extra cradles and power adaptors? So you can have two at your desk, one on each side of your monitor? :roll: I've talked to quite a few people that want to sync with three machines: work, home, laptop. What evidence do you have that people only use one computer to sync against?
I'll ignore the rest of your insults because in looking at your posting history I see you have a habit of blasting others so I'll assume that you have some deep need to do so and leave it at that. 
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05-22-2002, 09:46 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 28
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Quote:
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I think the entire Mobile Devices team should be given the task of taking their Pocket PCs home, creating a partnership, and not letting any Microsoft corporate data leak onto their personal computers - then they'd see the agony normal users go through, and what a significant problem this is.
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Amen! Brother!
I'd like to selectively synch with three computers...but can't. I'd like my system at home to have my calendar so my wife can check my schedule. I'd like it to synch completely with my desktop at work and then dump just the calendar and tasks to my laptop. But no go.
I also share your pain over the way you have to create a whole new partnership if you hard reset the PPC. I tried going into the registry and tweaking this, only to have ActiveStink make me rename the thing a third time. By that time it kindly deleted my devices "My Documents" folder and I lost a few important documents I had not backed up.
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