PocketMac for Blackberry sync to Mac... Terrible[Sept2005]
 

Having tried PocketMac for Blackberry, and application that claims to support synchronization to Macintosh computers, it was a complete disaster.

When I first purchased the application, I downloaded it and followed the directions. The software wouldn't detect my blackberry. I contacted customer support. After more than a week, with no response or update, I finally received an e-mail indicating a new version would address this and I should download and install it.

I did this, and the software detected the blackberry. It started a sync and it froze during the synchronization. After 25 minutes of waiting with no update or progress indicated on either my computer or blackberry screen, I quit the process from the cancel button on the application. I then tried to check my contacts. It had crashed my Blackberry, and I had to reboot it.
I then discovered that it had deleted more than half my contacts from Entourage, selecting only those contacts that I seem to have accessed in the last year or so.

I contacted customer support about the problem. After not hearing back from them after a week, I tried again. Finally one rep got back and requested me to send files to them of the synchronization. I did, but for the next three 3 days had message failure notifications issued back to me from their server. A second rep now contacted me from my first inquiry, almost two weeks after first writing. He requested me to re-enter my problem/question as their server has problems, and they have a record that I opened a ticket, but none of the message was available to them. I contacted the first rep to inquire about the status of the help and the files I sent. It appears that the address they requested me to send attachments to can't receive attachments. I was given another address. I sent the files off. It's been two weeks, and still no update. I inquired about a week ago about any progress. I received no response.

I since tried another synchronization figuring that it has destroyed my contacts, but the other areas of Entourage synced fine (the Calendar, Notes, Tasks). This morning I discovered on the last synchronization it has deleted every Calendar entry and every Task.

This application is a complete disaster. I would strongly advise that anyone looking to sync to a Mac avoid it entirely and wait for another company to try their hand at this.
(n)

Works fine for me
 

I am using PocketMac 3.12 (mac OS 10.4.1) and it works flawlessly. I sync at least once per day and have never had any problems. I did have a few duplicates and such show up the first few times I sync'd but thye were easly cleaned up and since them it works like a charm. At present I am syncing to the iCal, Address, etc but I have also used it to sync with Entourage

It sucks that you've had a bad experience with PocketMac, but calling the application a complete disaster just makes you look like an idiot.
I support a network of 140 blackberry users... 80 of which are on Macs... and not a single user has issues with PocketMac. I'd go as far as saying that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of satisfied PocketMac users.

It's a great application. Not perfect, but certainly far from being a disaster.

Gotta tell you, PocketMac has never once failed me here.

I used it to sync against iCal/AddressBook, Entourage, and Daylite.

I myself also support some 15-20 Mac users 12 of which are BB users no issue I've come across or have I been made aware of. All sync with Entourage and iCal.

I use PocketMac 3.12 on iMac G5 running OS 10.4.1 (Tiger). Yes, PocketMac is not perfect. Yes, PocketMac does not currently support categories for notes, etc. But, it works! And it creates a perfectly functional integration of iCal, AddressBook, Stickies, .mac mail, and entourage. It is also reasonably priced. I recommend trying it. I know others who use it and they too have enjoyed it's utility to the extent that is currently supported. Don't be afraid to try this software! Judge for yourself.

PocketMac does support categories for notes and such, but only with Entourage and Daylite.

Please Help w/ PocketMac
 

I am close to calling it "terrible", so if those of you who use and support it would help me with a few questions, perhaps I too could grow to love this tool. My questions are as follows...

1. It appears that synching is "one way" only. Everything I have on my powerbook overwrites my handheld on every sync. Is there a way to change this? More generally, could someone please tell me what governs conflicts in Address Book and Notes. I can see that when there are conflicts in Calendar it opens a seperate window and prompts me, but in Address Book it appears to be using some form of "latest" change based on time or date and in Notes as I said it just sets the Powerbook as the master and overwrites any changes on the handheld.

2. The advanced options appear to be completely non-functional. Nothing I change seems to have any effect. The notification options, Backup feature and Synchronization with a specified iCal would be great, but this seems like a GUI that is not hooked up to the rest of the program. Any help in getting this to work would be appreciated.

Again, I'm really very frustrated with this product having just lost a lot of changes that I made on my handheld while away over the holiday weekend. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
SK

I just recentrly purchased an iBook and Blackberry (7250). After purchasing pocketmac for blackberry I have run into some issues which I'm hoping that someone can help me with. I am not sure which program I am going to use for my contacts (Entourage or Address). I fooled around with both of them and sync'd up a couple of times for practice. I have not gotten an exact sync, if that makes any sense. For one of my contacts.....I only received name, email and phone numbers on my Blackberry.......no addresses.

I am looking for the easiest way to sync my contacts with the iBook and Blackberry. I'm not sure if there are certain settings / preferences that I need to set or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I bought PocketMac and couldn't get it to sync. Everythign seems to work and sync fine, but then no data shows up on my BlackBerry. As a matter of fact, it deleted my iCal and Address Books twice, thank god I have .mac or I would have been screwed! So after all this frustration, I read your forums, saw I was using 3.1 and needed to go back to 3.0 whatever the older version is. So I deleted the original d/l and uploaded the older version to work with OS 10.3.9....guess what? Still not working! What do I do, I am at my wits end here.

--Sean

I have a 7520 and have had nothing but problems... It messed up my iCal and address book... I wish there was a way to control the way it syncs... I.E. BBerry to Mac, Mac to BBerry, and two-way... I wish I could start clean on my Mac and have my iCal imported from the BBerry as well as the address book... I am using Tiger with the latest PocketMac update... Anyone know how to do this and clean out my address book on my Mac to start fresh???

PocetMac on 7100 Worked Great!
 

I bought PocketMac about 3 weeks ago & it worked fabulously with my 7100t. I was more than a bit nervous after reading this thread, but it's not like there are a lot of options, so I took the leap and tried it. I had absolutely NO problems & I am new to both BB & to Mac, after starting my own company. I'd recommend PocketMac to anyone!

7100t and Daylite
 

I have been trying to get my 7100 and Daylite to work and to no success yet.
I have been talking with PocketMac support and they have made me try everything and still nothing.

I can however sync Ical, Entourage and Addressbook no problem! So I know PMBB works.

Anyone of you who have deployed it to many systems have recommendations.
What about Isync? What is the relationship with PMBB and do I need it?

Here is my config
Powerbook 1.5 1GB ram OS X 1.3.9
Daylite 1.7.5.b620
PocketMacBB 3.12

Thanks for any suggestions.

Desperately yours,

LC

I too have had problems with PocketMac. Syncs up to Entourage for everything but Notes. The first few times through the whole sync process, the Mac and the BB would lock up requiring a full re-boot. Now, it syncs everything but Notes. No Notes appear on the Mac. Their support is USELESS and I am filing a complaint with the BBB against them. FWIW, be careful with them.

PocketMac works well for me.

Matt

Hi LC,
I have a very similar setup to yours. I am having no success syncing with Daylite either. One of the guys here (Sempai) is having success with Daylite so maybe there's hope. He tried to help me himself, but I was unable to figure it all out. I appreciate his time.

Count yourself lucky that you are even getting a response from Pocketmac "support". I posted my first inquiry on 6/29. I received a reply that day. We went back and forth by email until 7/4 and that was the last I heard from them until 7/22. That post was an apology for slow responses and that things would improve. By the end of July, I was pretty steamed so I called their sales line to complain. I got a response from support on 8/2. I tried their suggestions and replied that day. Since then nothing.

LC, did you use a Palm before your BB? Were you using Missing Sync? If so, there may be yours and my problem. I'd rather not uninstall Missing sync, but I may have to. I use it so I can sync Avantgo. I'm keeping my Palm around because I have software on it unavailable on BB.

Here's how I sync my DL info to my BB. I'm sure there's a better way. Automator support for Daylite would help. It would be great if PocketMac worked as advertised. It's one way only. I don't try to make changes on my BB and sync back. I purge all contact and calendar data on my BB. I then export the calendar, then DL contacts as vcards. I then import the vcards into AddressBook and calendar into iCal. Then I sync with PocketMac. The second time you do it you'll need to delete all data from AddressBook and iCal. I know there's an AddressBook sync available in DL, but it didn't work very well for me. Some contacts would have all info, others not. That all cleared up when I exported vcards and imported them into AddressBook. It's tiresome, but it works for me. I do it about once a week or just before I go out of town. So, for me, PocketMac the program isn't completely useless. Not terrible, but close. Their support is another matter.
Mark

I can't comment on their support as I have not had to use it. Did come accross a couple of minor issues where it wouldn't pick up a 7100 but there were some problems with earlier versions recognising handhelds over USB. Apparantly the update (which I think was version 3.12 but don't quote me) fixed this probelm, which I tried and it worked. Have not had any problems since. I think RIM must trust it as they promote - not only that but they could make a version of Desktop Manager for the Mac themselves but choose not to - which kinda tells me they trust how robust it is, which must say something good for PocketMac. There is one other solution - BUY A PC!!!!!

Hello Mr. Admin, I can't say your response makes a lot of sense. Just because RIM advertises something, it doesn't make it robust. Your comment certainly isn't the help I'm looking for. Buyng a PeeCee isn't a solution, but I think you knew that already. I have to serve as my own admin. PeeCees are your job security, right?

You admit you haven't used their support, so you can't comment. Right now, it stinks so I hope you don't need it. I'm certainly glad my job doesn't depend on their response times.

PocketMac has never advertised itself as a replacement for Desktop Manager. I knew going in that if I wanted to install software to my BB, I would need to use Windoze.

LC and I would just like for PocketMac to work as advertised. They say they will sync a Mac to a BB with Daylite data, but we're having trouble. I didn't say PocketMac was useless, it just doesn't work as advertised for me...yet. Others here and elsewhere have reported success syncing with Daylite. I may have done something wrong or can't see the forest for the trees. My wife tells me all the time I have a real flair for the obvious.

BTW, the difference between my setup and LC's is slight. I'm using a 7290 on a PB17 with 10.4.2 and DL 1.7.6 b624. PM version 3.12.

BBadmin, please take my comments as a a gentle push back. This thread is about PocketMac. It isn't about Macs vs. PeeCees.
Thanks,
Mark

You're reply made me chuckle. You're correct, just becuase RIM advertises something does not make it robust, but business sense would make you think a company with 6 million users would check this software out.

As a Mac user of 8 years and a certified Windows admin for a couple of years I know enough about both sides of the coin....and I know how easy it is for a Mac user to take offence for no good reason, as you have done here (trust me I've been there). My reply had nothing to do with Macs vs PC's at all (obviously the Mac in you is reading between the lines). Perhaps when you've become accustomed to this forum a little more you'll learn it's about a collective of information and sharing our knowledge and experiences of BlackBerry. My post explained my experience and knowledge of PocketMac, if you don't want to hear it then don't post!!! I don't think the designers of this forum intended for it to be used merely for complaining about software, and if you wish to do that perhaps you should email PocketMac. My 'BUY A PC' sentence at the end of my post was not written in malice, but as a bit of light humour, which you quite obviously don't get - my apologies, no offense meant

Hi BBAdmin, no offense taken. Like I said, just a gentle push back. If you're going to give a Mac user a joshing hard time, can't I give back as good as I get? I don't think I'm "just complaining". I'm trying to find a solution to my problem. Since I can't get responses from PM support, I have to do this myself. Buy a PC isn't a solution for me. PM isn't useless or even quite terrible(just close). It just doesn't work for me as advertised: with DayLite. I guess a new thread may be in order.