Database Users

alternative to outlook and activesync.

i'm pretty fed up of outlook and how it screws with my contacts *i recently updated, and it removed all the titles from the names which is VERY annoying.* not to mention when i add contacts to my phone, it does NOT add them to outlook (maybe i'm just stupid but when i tried to set it to phone, it DELETED all my contacts sans a few) are there any alternative programs that are a bit easier and funner to use?
thanks in advance.

in one word: no.
Outlook is the easiest way AND the most perfected.
There are a few other possibilities to avoid outlook but in my opinion a pda without outlook is useless.
If you encountered problem it might be
-correct active sync version ?
corresponding to that : correct outlook version ?
-correct settings in active sync ?
If you fail to syncronize with ac....dont even try other solutions.

i'm using activesync 4.5 and the outlook version 2002, i copy contacts and settings from outlook just fine, with the exception of it screwing with the titles and names a bit, it's the other way around that's giving me a headache.
what do you recommend the optimal settings be so that if something is new on my computer, it transfers to my phone, and if something is new on my phone, it transfers to teh computer
(also anyway to stop it from seperating the names and removing titles?)
thanks in advance.

seems to be a settings problem
So i only have a german verison of ac i don't know the english name for the settings.
But you have to tell ac to sync in both ways and give the mobile thing the priority.
Then your problem should be solved.

did that, and once more it deleted all the contacts on my phone except for like 3-4 .... either this install is screwy or something is going wrong, or i'm just an idiot.

i refuse to sync with outlook!
i used to, and i ended up with half a dozen duplicate contact and calendar entries for each one!!! i tried settings, etc, finally said to hell with it and set the phone to not sync with outlook. i feel your pain.

Good, now i don't feel like an idiot

I had similar frustration. I eventually set up my 8125 to its own email address, and turned off the sync-ing of contacts. I have two separate contact lists now, but I'm not losing contacts from my phone all the time, either.
I do not have problems with duplicated events, but I publish my Outlook calendar to the phone, not the other way around.
I never schedule from my 8125. I always tell people to send it to my email, so I can control it from my PC. I only use the handheld on meeting-heavy days, and then I'm only checking email, and not accepting meetings.
Using: WM5, ActiveSync 4.5, Outlook 2003 on Desktop

Well, there is an alternative. I run linux so AS isn't even an option for me. I have been using FinchSync since I got the phone and it has worked great. I can even sync anywhere I have a network connection without being at home.
FinchSync uses an http connection to sync contacts with Mozilla's Thunderbird email and address client as well as your datebook with Mozilla's Sunbird calendar. So far it has worked great. One hint though, take the time to read the install and configuration instructions on their website!
Hope this helps!
PhilD

I absolutely hate Activesync. I update my phone contacts and appointments via my Tilt, and then hook it up to my computer only to find that Activesync is deleting them on my phone and restoring the older files on my two PC's. I think, "oh, well I must have the sync settings set improperly," so I check them on my PC and my Tilt... it turns out that it only goes one way: from the PC to the mobile device. (Please correct me if I'm missing something.) You can just disable the sync settings, but then what's the point of having the program installed?
Personally, I have few complaints about Outlook.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to be giving PDASync a try. They seem to advertise all of the features I'm looking for, although it does carry a hefty price tag of $50.
http://www.laplink.com/pdasync/

I'm still not 100% sold on PDASync. It seems to lack the ability to sync internet browser favorites/bookmarks and custom file folders. The quest continues.
On a slightly brighter note, this seems like quite a useful list of syncing software.
http://pocketpccentral.net/software/sync.htm

i must use lapsync because i don't want all 1500 outlook contacts into my phone, so i filter them by category and only sync a certain category.
i dont sync bookmarks, but i know you can use AS to sync ONLY bookmarks. to sync custom files and folders, try mobsync - its free.

I Tried Laplink today, This needs ActiveSync to function properlyu (did not see my device attached). I am lucky I had trial software instead of paying $ 50

Why Google needs “Direct Push” for Google Apps

Direct Push with Google Apps?!?!?!
Hi everyone. I think I might have asked this question before but maybe something has developed in the last few months.
I am running my own IT consulting business and as I get more and more busy my calendar is becoming an ever more important tool. My dear wife went out and got me a good old-fashioned spiral bound day-timer but I have a sophisticated day-timer right here in my pocket in the form of my HTC Touch. As an IT consultant I think I should be using it rather then pulling out the pen and paper. Right now I am using the calendars in my Touch, Outlook, Google Apps and the calendar in the Exchange account I have with one of my customers. Too many calendars and all because I really want to use my Google Apps calendar and have it sync with my Touch.
I really want Google to develop “Direct Push” technology so that I can get my email, calendar and contacts all from my Google Apps account just like it was an Exchange Server. I am even considering switching my email back to an Exchange Server just so I can sync with my Touch. This way my wife could login and add stuff to my calendar and it will appear on my Touch. Right now I have my Email coming in from Google Apps via IMAP, my Calendar synching with Outlook (installed locally on my laptop without Exchange) and my Contacts syncing with my customer’s Exchange server. This is a pain and I want everything in one place that can be maintained/synced in real-time.
I will say this right now and keep in mind that as an IT consultant I like Microsoft’s products and install things like Windows 2003, SQL Server and Exchange on an almost daily basis. If Google develops “Direct Push” for Google Apps it will be an Exchange killer. The only, and I mean only reason I am thinking about switching my domain back to Exchange (I moved from Exchange to Google Apps about 1 year ago) is for the ability to sync everything (not just email) with my Touch.
On the other hand if Microsoft comes out with a version of Outlook/Exchange that dispenses with the whole “Inbox/Sent items/Delete” model and goes for the Google-style “conversation & archive” model along with the search capabilities I might fall back in love with Exchange.
The Fish

Oh and just in case anyone from Microsoft is listening, “threaded inbox” isn’t what I mean by “conversation style”. Come on Microsoft. Just admit that Google has actual built a better mousetrap and managed to improve on the age-old email model of “folders” and “sent items”. Go ahead and copy them… copy, copy copy! Oops sorry, I mean “embrace and extend, embrace and extend”

Something like that would be great!

matthew232 said:
Something like that would be great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And not to mention totally do-able. There is already an non-Exchange mail server out there called “KerioMail Server” that implements Microsoft’s Direct Push protocol. Check out this link http://www.kerio.com/kms_activesync.html
Microsoft’s Direct Push is entirely HTTP based. It shouldn’t be that difficult for Google to do.
The Fish.

I guess you have to wait for Google Android.

thefish123 said:
On the other hand if Microsoft comes out with a version of Outlook/Exchange that dispenses with the whole “Inbox/Sent items/Delete” model and goes for the Google-style “conversation & archive” model along with the search capabilities I might fall back in love with Exchange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The moment they do that (without giving an option) is when I would have to quit using Exchange. I **hate** Gmail's threading and forward those mails to another account that isn't threaded (and the fact that they don't let you turn it off).

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but have you checked out any of the 3rd party sync options? GMobileSync is a free little program that allows bidirectional syncing for your calendar (not push though). GooSync offers a free service level that also gives you calendar syncing. If you upgrade to their payed version (I think it is something like $30-40 for a whole year) you get not only calendar sync, but contacts, tasks etc. Might be worth a look.

jeffreycentex said:
The moment they do that (without giving an option) is when I would have to quit using Exchange. I **hate** Gmail's threading and forward those mails to another account that isn't threaded (and the fact that they don't let you turn it off).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Microsoft would never do it without making it an option. But I am surprised to hear you say that you head Gmail’s threading. Quite honestly you have got to be the FIRST person I have heard say that.
I have never (till now) talked to anyone who switched to Gmail who didn’t have anything but good to say about it. Most people I know who use Outlook or Outlook Express and who do ANY real volume of email spend at least an hour to two hours a day “organizing” their email. They have a whole list of sub-folders under their Inbox and then have almost the exact same set of sub-folders under their “Sent Items”. They spend time trying to decide how to file things or if they should file it in the first place or just delete it. Sometimes they delete and email and two of three days later the whole issue has ballooned into a big issue and they are filing the responses but no longer have their original email because they didn’t think it would become important.
Gmail lets me keep my Inbox clean while at the same time never worrying about filing or organizing or having trouble finding things back. I would probably hate Gmail if I was still trying to fit it into my narrow 20-year-old “I must use folders” paradigm of thinking (which I did when I first started using Gmail) but it was fun to give up on that and the new paradigm of “never file, never delete” is so superior.
I don’t really case WHERE my email is as long as I can find it back in a natural way. I think in years to come we are going to see the same thing happening on computers and to some extent we already are. The #1 reason most people hate Windows Vista is because of the way the new “Explorer” obscures the hierarchal folder model that everyone is used to from our Norton Commander days. It is really very Mac-like. Most Mac users couldn’t tell you where their pictures were in terms of a “directory” or a “folder” but they have less trouble finding them, or copying them to a USB drive, or attaching them to an email then most Windows users.
If we ever do see WinFS (Windows Future Storage) it is supposed to be a Microsoft SQL layer bolted on top of the file system and gives you database-style searchability with all kinds of meta data attached.
The thinking behind the Reiser file system is that any structure on top of the file system for storing data indicates that the file system isn’t doing it’s job. And I can kinda see the point.
The Fish

I agree, Gmail should definately come out with direct push technology
I currently use gmail with pocket outlook with imap.
It's annoying having it set to check my email in intervals.
I didn't even know what direct push was until today, until i saw a friend using his phone w/ his private exchange server...my first reaction was wow...i want that!!
I'm hoping android will implement features like direct push, among others.

surgex0 said:
I didn't even know what direct push was until today, until i saw a friend using his phone w/ his private exchange server...my first reaction was wow...i want that!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s not even so much that I want “push” email (although that would be cool). The biggest issue is that there is no way to sync my Calendar and my Contacts with Gmail. This means I either A) have to use the Calendar/Contacts on my Touch in their “stand alone” form without syncing to anything or B) have to sync them with something else.
I really like being able to use my web-based Gmail calendar (Google Apps) but I wish like crazy there was some way to get this on my Touch.
The Fish.
PS: when you sign-up for Google Apps it asks you what (if any) previous mail system you used. As an example it says in brackets “Microsoft Exchange”. This makes me think that Google Apps is positioning themselves to take the SMB email market away from Exchange. I think if they really want to do this they will make Google Apps look just like an Exchange Server to the millions of WM devices out there. Currently I am seriously considering moving my email back to Exchange when I get my own server online (in a few weeks).

Google's apps for WM are all in java aren't they?
I know the gmail one is, and it sucks big c---.
I'd rather use opera and gmail html mobile than use their ****e java client.

surgex0 said:
Google's apps for WM are all in java aren't they?
I know the gmail one is, and it sucks big c---.
I'd rather use opera and gmail html mobile than use their ****e java client.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Googlemaps apparently has a native app now (altho I would rather use Livesearch), so no, they aren't all JAVA. I take it you visit the HTML site instead of using IMAP so that you can see the threading and other g-mail features?

If you want gmail to push, use SEVEN at
community.seven.com
john

Sync & Push
I use www.mobipush.com to push my gmail and it works instantaneously. Fantastic. This is free, perhaps only while they are in beta.
I also use www.oggsync.com for syncing my calendar. There is a free version, but I bought the software and daily sync about 11 calendars 2 months backwards and 2 years forwards. Hardly ever any issues. They are working on contact sync - have a public beta out now.

surgex0 said:
Google's apps for WM are all in java aren't they?
I know the gmail one is, and it sucks big c---.
I'd rather use opera and gmail html mobile than use their ****e java client.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don’t know if it’s really the Gmail client that sucks so much as that it just doesn’t run properly on the version of Java that comes on my Touch (the Bell Mobility Touch in Canada). I was pretty happy to have the Java Gmail client on my Razr back before I got my Touch.
That being said I keep hoping they will come out with a native Windows Mobile version like they did with Google Maps. But then again it seems kinda silly to come out with an email client for a device that already has a built-in integrated email client. The better solution would be to make the pre-exiting email, calendar and contacts features work properly (as in within their native capacity – meaning DirectPush) with their Gmail counterparts.
The Fish

Exchange Integration questions

I'm tempted -- the hardware platform seems to be very close to what I'd want. (Don't like that the front buttons aren't hard-buttons, but I can probably live with that.)
I'm waiting (for now) to hear some feedback about Exchange integration (calendar sync, push email, contacts sync.)
(I got (and returned) two Android phones so far: an N1 on the day they came out, and a Galaxy S (pretty nearly the day they came out) and ended up returning both. (History: Blackberry 857, Blackberry 5810, Blackberry 6710, Blackberry 7290, Blackberry 8310. Yes, I'm used to my Exchange email and calendar being rock-solid.))
Questions for anybody who gets their hands on one and has Exchange:
- Does calendar sync work? Comments?
- Can you: accept/reject/tentative meeting requests from email app?
- Can you: accept/reject/tentative meeting requests from calendar app?
- Can you create a meeting request?
- Can you view availability?
- Can you change the meeting reminder tone? (Believe it or not, on the Galaxy S running 2.1, there's no way to do this.)
- Does email push? Comments?
- Do email subfolders push?
- Can you move messages into subfolders?
- Can you view and/or search server subfolders?
- Can you get a unified view of your Exchange and Google/GAFYD inbox?
- Can you access the GAL?
- Do contacts sync?
- Do contacts in subfolders sync? Can you choose subfolders to sync or not?
- Can you do these things in the stock apps, or do you have to use Touchdown or K9 or Moxier to get the results you want?
Thanks.

From what you list, Touchdown would be your best bet I think. Granted, I haven't used (or have ever heard of) K9 or Moxier so I don't know how they are but I have used Touchdown since Android 1.5 and it's been fantastic. Last night I got my G2 and decided to try the stock Exchange in Android to see how well it fared and it's fine for basic Exchange email but that's about it. A co-worker of mine swears by it but I'm wondering if he just doesn't want to pay for Touchdown? Then again all he does is basic email. If you're doing more like meetings, availability, etc... then you'd need to look at something other than stock Exchange. In my case, I'm sticking with Touchdown. I don't know if you've used Touchdown at all but you can download it (fully functional) and use it for 5 (or is it 7?) days before it asks you to purchase it.
Now for K9 and Moxier...I haven't even heard of them but will check them out myself to see if they are a better way to go than Touchdown.

Exchange integration is very important to me and so far, this phone is outperforming the Blackberry that I used before I got the G2. Granted, I was not on a BES with the BB; I imagine that there's pretty much nothing better than a Blackberry on a BES when it comes to Exchange.
Here are answers to your questions:
Calendar sync works great. I create an event in Outlook and see it on my phone really quickly, and vice versa. I cannot say that the sync is instananeous but does the trick.
Accepting/rejecting/creating meetings and availability I've never had the opportunity to do, so I don't know.
You can change the overall meeting reminder tone, but not for each individual meeting. At least not natively....there may be an app available for that.
Email pushes. Sometimes instantaneously, sometimes with a bit of very reasonable lag (30sec - 1min).
I'm able to access my email subfolder on my phone. The sent messages sync between my Outlook and my phone, as well as my junk mail folder syncs also (unfortunately).
It appears I cannot move emails from one folder into another (bummer).
It also appears that not only can I not search through any of my emails, I also cannot copy/paste from the body of the emails I receive either (major bummer).
I only have one email address syncing right now.....but I believe you can have the inbox either split your two email addresses into their own respective inboxes, or combine the two and show all in one. I did this on the Vibrant while I had it for a very short time. I can say though that Gmail has its own icon and MAY not show in the general Email application. I don't know for sure as I don't really even use gmail and have not tried adding it under the general Email application.
The GAL is supported and it's pretty cool cause I can start typing a recipient's name in the "to" field in my email and it'll auto search the GAL.
Contacts sync in the same manner as email/calendar sync.
I haven't seen any options to choose contact subfolders to sync. I will say though that distribution lists/contact groups don't sync.
Everything I've said in this post deals with the native Email application of Android 2.2. I am not using any third party application.
Tasks and Notes do not sync.
Best of luck to you.

I have been using TouchDown for +1 year. Started on the MyTouch 3G and it is easier to use on the G2.
The G2 integration is basic: calandar, email and contacts only . Touchdown is a full fledged Exchange client that allows you do everything you can do from your desktop. Took less than 2 mins to configure and it was up and running. There was 0 issue transfering the license from the myTouch to the G2 as they have integrated the license to your google email account, not the phone you purchased it for.

^ Stock does contacts sync too.

The Froyo email client supports Activesync version 12, that eliminated some of the limitations that the stock exchange intergation had. On my G2 I have 3 exchange accounts setup. all sync'ing calendar, contacts, email add, moves, changes and invites. In addition to that I can sync my public folders, most particuarly my GALs.
So that there is no confusion on what I am saying:
Here are important points:
- It is possible to synchronize ALL public/shared folders to the devices. This
includes emails, contacts, calendars and tasks.
- The folders must be explicitly selected for synchornization
- Only few devices can display more than one calendar or contact folder, so all calendars, and contacts even shared will be contained in the native folder. Only a problem with you use multiple accounts.
The only current Activesync limitations with contacts are as follows:
Activesync can synchronize up to 3 email address. Phone number synchronization is limited to 2 Home numbers, 1 Home Fax, 1 Mobile, 1 Pager, 3 Work (one will be labeled 'Company Main') and one Work Fax number."
So you do have options, but as you can see from the other posts, what you want to do can definitely be supported.

I call BS on you syncing tasks and being able to move emails between folders natively.

I bought a license for Moxier Mail back in the days before Android 2.x. I don't keep any third party EAS clients around anymore thanks to the built-in EAS. However, if you absolutely need features like GAL, accept/reject meetings, availability, basically anything beyond mail and very basic calendaring, then you better get one of the third party EAS clients.

aedv said:
I call BS on you syncing tasks and being able to move emails between folders natively.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exchange server version are you trying to do it on, and what is the version of Activesync?

markdurant said:
What exchange server version are you trying to do it on, and what is the version of Activesync?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea......my school runs it.

aedv said:
I have no idea......my school runs it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other than your phone how do you connect to your email account?

For what it's worth the implementation of ActiveSync on the G2 is not supporting any security provisioning.
Passcode lock is not enforced, and I am not 100% about remote wipe. I will be testing at some point in time tomorrow.
I will be contacting HTC tomorrow, T-Mobile didn't have any info about the lack of support for these features.
I was surprised as this is the only 2.2 phone I have tested that does not support these features. (Droid 2, Droid X, HTC 4G, CM6 on my HD2)

Remarkably HTC was even less help than T-Mobile
I was basically informed that not enough people had complained about the bungled implementation of ActiveSync yet, so they didnt have any further information and were not investigating a fix.
It was a nice 12 hours G2, but it looks like you are going back to Tmo

markdurant said:
Other than your phone how do you connect to your email account?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Outlook 2010 direct to the exchange server

mark925 said:
From what you list, Touchdown would be your best bet I think. Granted, I haven't used (or have ever heard of) K9 or Moxier so I don't know how they are but I have used Touchdown since Android 1.5 and it's been fantastic. Last night I got my G2 and decided to try the stock Exchange in Android to see how well it fared and it's fine for basic Exchange email but that's about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried Touchdown back on the N1, and I recall being very unimpressed with the UI; I'm afraid I don't remember specifics, but it didn't leave a good taste.
When you say "it's fine for basic Exchange", can you clarify what you consider non-basic? (I would, for example, consider everything I mentioned to be "basic"; non-basic would be delegate management, category administration, rules....) Thanks.
I tried Touchdown when I tried the N1, and was so unimpressed that I don't think I tried it again on the Galaxy S. Moxier doesn't appear to be updating MoxierMail, but it worked pretty well. K9 was new to me, but appealed because it was rapidly evolving with a strong, tech oriented, development and discussion community -- a couple of small bugs I found were reported, tested, and fixed during just the week I had the Galaxy S.
UPDATE: Just saw this on the Touchdown site: "TouchDown does not work with POP3 or IMAP servers". In other words, I couldn't use it as a single client for Exchange and non-Exchange accounts; for me, that's a killer.
aedv said:
Exchange integration is very important to me and so far, this phone is outperforming the Blackberry that I used before I got the G2. Granted, I was not on a BES with the BB; I imagine that there's pretty much nothing better than a Blackberry on a BES when it comes to Exchange.
Here are answers to your questions:
Calendar sync works great. I create an event in Outlook and see it on my phone really quickly, and vice versa. I cannot say that the sync is instananeous but does the trick.
Accepting/rejecting/creating meetings and availability I've never had the opportunity to do, so I don't know.
[...]
Email pushes. Sometimes instantaneously, sometimes with a bit of very reasonable lag (30sec - 1min).
I'm able to access my email subfolder on my phone. The sent messages sync between my Outlook and my phone, as well as my junk mail folder syncs also (unfortunately).
It appears I cannot move emails from one folder into another (bummer).
[...]
The GAL is supported and it's pretty cool cause I can start typing a recipient's name in the "to" field in my email and it'll auto search the GAL.
[...]
I haven't seen any options to choose contact subfolders to sync. I will say though that distribution lists/contact groups don't sync.
Everything I've said in this post deals with the native Email application of Android 2.2. I am not using any third party application. [...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aedv, thanks for your response -- I'm a little confused though. You say you don't have BES, but your back end is Exchange? If that's right, thanks -- valuable info. I'd appreciate it if you'd check the contacts subfolder thing; if you're willing, PM me your email address, and I'll send you a test meeting invite so we can see if you get the option to accept/decline.

My back end is Exchange, and I did not use BES while I was on my Blackberry. The Exchange server is run by my school and they don't have a BES.
I tried contact subfolders and that didn't work. I sent myself an invitation to a meeting and I was given the option on the phone to either accept or deny the invitation, so there's your answer.

markdurant said:
The Froyo email client supports Activesync version 12, that eliminated some of the limitations that the stock exchange intergation had. On my G2 I have 3 exchange accounts setup. all sync'ing calendar, contacts, email add, moves, changes and invites. In addition to that I can sync my public folders, most particuarly my GALs.
So that there is no confusion on what I am saying:[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
markdurant, thanks -- despite your great answer, I'm still a tiny bit confused. Can you clarify re:
- contacts subfolders: I have a main Contacts folder, with a subfolder "manufacturing contacts". Can I cause the subfolder to sync? (I understand from your answer that the appearance on the device may be "flat", i.e. all in one giant list; that's ok.)
- message filing: You are able to move messages from Inbox to other Exchange folders?
- Common inbox: You mention having three Exchange boxes; do you get a consolidated view, perhaps with color coding? Do you have any non-Exchange (e.g. Google) email accounts?
Thanks again.

Nothign can be worse than the Vibrant's exchange integration... for some reason it will NOT sync the majority my calendar entries on my exchange account. Email is fine but the calendar on the vibrant is just terrible. Worked fine on the nexus, and has sync'd fine on any nokia (symbian s60/maemo) phone I've used as well.
One of the reasons I'm ditching the vibrant and jumping to g2 goodness.

moxie said:
For what it's worth the implementation of ActiveSync on the G2 is not supporting any security provisioning.
Passcode lock is not enforced, and I am not 100% about remote wipe. I will be testing at some point in time tomorrow.
I will be contacting HTC tomorrow, T-Mobile didn't have any info about the lack of support for these features.
I was surprised as this is the only 2.2 phone I have tested that does not support these features. (Droid 2, Droid X, HTC 4G, CM6 on my HD2)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does it not support passcodes? It's a feature of Stock Android 2.2...

SuperFly03 said:
How does it not support passcodes? It's a feature of Stock Android 2.2...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point exactly...

Exchange Sync unreliable, almost useless

Hey guys
first off, I know all the BS posts i'm going to get so let me head them off right now:
- i'm working and living in exactly the same locations
- i've had Android 2.3.3 on my HD2 and this issue has not occured
- i've used Windows Phone 7 and this issue has not occured
- both my Exchange server configs has NOT changed at all
- i'm working and living in exactly the same locations
OK so, something I personaly have experienced is really poor Exchange sync with this phone. I have contacts sitting on my laptop (Outlook), PC at home (Outlook) and on OWA on my server which are just not coming down to the phone, no matter how many times I reboot. Thing is, and this makes this hard to solve, its only a few of them - in fact, VERY few of them.
I've also noticed Emails are sometimes very slow to appear on the phone from either of my two hosted accounts even though they are both set to push on peak and off peak schedules.
Baseband - I9100XXKDH
Kernal - [email protected]#2
Build - GINGERBREAD.XWKDD
I am new to this Android malarky so it could be something i'm doing (?) or there might be a newer firmware out there by now but, with the strange naming convention I don't really know.
Not sure if anyone else has seen this? Any clues? Any newer firmware?
Thanks in advance!!

Just to summarize
- You can sync alot of the contacts from the server to your phone, but not all.
- Those you can sync, are those consistently working fine (ie if you make any changes to them server-side, are those changes always synced to the phone)?
- The few contacts that cannot be synced, can you see any differences between them and the ones that do sync (the info added to them, certain symbols used, or similar)?
If you edit one of the contacts not synced, and remove all the info from them except for the name "a" and possibly the phone number 012345, does this in any way change the sync behavior?
- If you add a new contact, and give it exactly the same info as one of the unsyncable contacts, does that sync aswell, or does it also not sync to the phone?
- Probably not the case, and I'm not sure about behaviors across several different phone all running 2.3.3, but are your contacts all in the same folder on the server, or have you sorted them into different folders?
- Try adding your Gmail account, or a gmail account, to your phone as a new exchange account, and see if the same unsyncable outlook contacts, if you could possibly export them from your outlook and import them into your Gmail account, also fail when synced from the Google servers.
- try downloading either NitroDesk touchdown or RoadSync from the market, and try adding the same account to either of those and see if the behavior changes. Atleast that will show if the problem is general with the server, or if it seems to be only the stock/samsung exchange client causing this in some way.
Not sure at all what is going on, but some of the above might give some results that are useful.

TechNoir said:
....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, JUST before your post came it I discovered a tick box that corrected everything! Some how I had turned off Sync'ing but yet that still enabled mail!? I honestly couldn't remember how I got there or where it was, sorry
Although that doesn't explain why mail is unreliable....
Thank you for your detailed steps though! I hope they come in useful for someone

I'd imagine the Samsung e-mail app is just an overlay on the native Android client. All my Android phones have worked great with Exchange. If Samsung completely re-wrote the e-mail client and it doesn't work I'll be distraught. I rely on Exchange heavily and think TD sucks because it flattens the databases.

To be fair to it, it does work now ... maybe the tick box I discovered will encourage mail to be a little more prompt
For me it was Unuseable if I could not reliably sync contacts and schedule... which looks like I now can.

...and Tasks, which is an unexpected bonus for me!
I've been impressed with the speed with which the phone handles data, even on non-3G networks. No problems with Exchange either.
All good so far, in fact.
Worth adding a [SOLVED] to the title of the thread?

Gustopher said:
...and Tasks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, I'm thrilled. I read somewhere that Samsung really sweated the details on the Exchange app. In addition to tasks, it's supposed to be able to use the company directory and do a calender busy search. There's also Citrix integration and a lot of VPN feautres they've added to the phone. I'm guessing, especially in the U.S., that high-volume corporate accounts are going to be a big audience for the phone which is why Samsung included so many upgraded connectivity features.

Monty Burns said:
Sorry, JUST before your post came it I discovered a tick box that corrected everything! Some how I had turned off Sync'ing but yet that still enabled mail!? I honestly couldn't remember how I got there or where it was, sorry
Although that doesn't explain why mail is unreliable....
Thank you for your detailed steps though! I hope they come in useful for someone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problems at all mate, glad you got it working.

Tasks Exchange Sync

Hi,
I just got my Galaxy Note and am generally happy with it. It does not have any branding or software from a cell phone operator on it.
Exchange syn works with e-mail, contacts and calendar but not with Tasks.
It did work on my Galaxy S 2.
Do you have any hints?

gghiq said:
Hi,
I just got my Galaxy Note and am generally happy with it. It does not have any branding or software from a cell phone operator on it.
Exchange syn works with e-mail, contacts and calendar but not with Tasks.
It did work on my Galaxy S 2.
Do you have any hints?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 i have tried every possible trick and would not sync!!!
also try to enter a recurring event/calendar and see what happens...disaster!
i personally think, android is mot 100% compatible with active sync...except the email part works fine

It worked fine on my galaxy s 2.
It also works perfectly with all Apps that offer tasks exchange sync!
So it is definitely not Android.
Should we try to go to Samsung support?

I agree, I did not have a problem with galaxy sii it worked fine...wow also has HTC sensation and works perfectly
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

gghiq said:
Hi,
Exchange syn works with e-mail, contacts and calendar but not with Tasks.
It did work on my Galaxy S 2.
Do you have any hints?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have my Note set up to sync mail, calendar, contacts and tasks with a corporate Exchange server. I hadn't bother checking tasks until I saw your message.
Looked in S-planner (under Tasks tab) and they're all there...
Not sure what you problem could be.

I have SBS 2008 at the office. I must say I have problems syncing tasks. At first they didn't show up.
Because I am in the office most of the day I only sync every hour, just to keep things up to date.
But tasks only started to show up when I changed to push. And now I've set it back to every hour it seems a bit hit and miss. I end up having duplicate tasks on my outlook in the office.
E mails & calendar seen fine. I'm not sure what the issue is. It seems a bit unreliable.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

Loftus said:
I have my Note set up to sync mail, calendar, contacts and tasks with a corporate Exchange server. I hadn't bother checking tasks until I saw your message.
Looked in S-planner (under Tasks tab) and they're all there...
Not sure what you problem could be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. Just to add on, to get to the Tasks tab, at the top right, press the circle within it a > sign, and all the tabs are revealed.

Loftus said:
I have my Note set up to sync mail, calendar, contacts and tasks with a corporate Exchange server. I hadn't bother checking tasks until I saw your message.
Looked in S-planner (under Tasks tab) and they're all there...
Not sure what you problem could be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After being able to sync task from my corporate exchange account for a few days, it stopped working for me.
My tasks are categorise as "office" in outlook and in S-Planner, the equivalent is "default". Since it stopped working for me, I decided to change the category in outlook to default and some of my tasks appeared in S-Planner, not all of them. New task in outlook with default category some times could sync to S-Planner only, and vice versa from S--Planner to outlook. I can't get a consistent way to make them sync bi-directionally. Can you share your situation?

I found that the tasks sync some times but not others. If the only change is in status (completion), it hardly ever syncs (and never from device to server). And I haven't ever seen it sync via push (or put it this way, I don't have the patience so I ended up manually syncing it again and again to see what happens).
Also, when tasks created on the device arrived at the server, the start date/time is lost. Makes them very difficult to locate.
At first I think it is an issue with all Androids, because google tasks do not support start date, but if it works on other models, then it is a Notes thing.

alex fung said:
I found that the tasks sync some times but not others. If the only change is in status (completion), it hardly ever syncs (and never from device to server). And I haven't ever seen it sync via push (or put it this way, I don't have the patience so I ended up manually syncing it again and again to see what happens).
Also, when tasks created on the device arrived at the server, the start date/time is lost. Makes them very difficult to locate.
At first I think it is an issue with all Androids, because google tasks do not support start date, but if it works on other models, then it is a Notes thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which firmware version are you on? I'm on 2.3.5 KK1.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

i am having the same problem.
I used Windows Mobile for some years and now changed to android.
Syncing seems to be really a problem.
sometimes it didn't synced my Calendar, and it never synced my Tasks.
After i stopped trying to get it working i just got to bed and when i woke up there where all tasks synced.
Not sure when it syncs or why it is syncing only when it wants to do.
I am using Zarafa on a private server with Z-Push to sync over active-sync.
//Edit: Ok. it seems it is also syncing from my phone to the server.
But only automatic and not with the push on any sync button.
Has everyone enabled "Automatic Sync for Applications" in the System Settings?
Maybe that is the option that needs to be enabled because i think i first had it disabled?

Sadly, if you want Task to sync with Outlook/Exchange you are going to have to install MobileIron.

which number is the firmware version?
Android 2.3.6
build number ZSKK1

RMXO said:
Sadly, if you want Task to sync with Outlook/Exchange you are going to have to install MobileIron.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried but it can't find my office server. :-(

add me to the list ! I am having the same issue, my tasks are empty :!
anysolutions

I have the exact problem.
Tasks only sync when it wanna.
Most of the time, it's blank.
Anyone tried to report to Sammy yet? If not, I will.

jackpalmer09 said:
I have the exact problem.
Tasks only sync when it wanna.
Most of the time, it's blank.
Anyone tried to report to Sammy yet? If not, I will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did but no leads yet. If you can do it from your end, it would be good. Hopefully that with more feedbacks from all over the world, HQ will do something about it.
BTW, do you have problem of "IRM not supported" ? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1375765 This is even more problematic for me because the only solution for me now is to delete and re-create my Exchange Activesync account.

I just wrote the Samsung on this issue.
This is such a shame for them to have this problem!!!
Galaxy S and S2 so far, as what I know, do not have similar issue.
Let's make it big so that they will act on this.

Has anybody experienced loss in formatting or crlf in your task notes? Since I started using Galaxy Notes, I found that at least one of my tasks keep losing these two. Bold words lost their formats, and some lines are joint into one.

I have the same problem "IRM not supported", have to delete the account of "microsoft exchange server" and recreate it again and again to keep active sync. Call Samsung Hotline but no answer! Shame on SamgSung .... can't believe this High Tech PDA Phone will have such pushing mail problem! really shame!!!