Thursday, March 28, 2002
The Wonders of ActiveSync
Posted by Jeff Kirvin in "THOUGHT" @ 08:45 PM
http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/activesync35.asp
ActiveSync often gets a bad rap it doesn't deserve. I see threads all over the boards about connectivity problems, but the fact is, ActiveSync works pretty darn well for what it does.
This point was driven into my thick skull recently when I tried to setup my Sony Clié so that it would sync with Outlook and Word just like my Pocket PC does. I'm starting a business as a mobile computing consultant, and it pays to be well-versed in both platforms.
Two hours and two system crashes later, I gave up. I'm an old hand with PalmOS, and but it just wasn't worth the trouble. I'll still keep the Clié around to play with, but I won't sync to it.
It's weird that what really separated the original PalmPilot from the competition was that it synchronized with the desktop better and more completely than anything else. Now, six years later, HotSync is a mess of often mutual incompatibilities while ActiveSync works without a hitch. On not one, but three different Pocket PCs. I know everything stays in sync without my having to hit a button, and I can do other things on my device while it's synchronizing.
That's not to say I haven't had the occasional USB glitch, but most problems I've had with ActiveSync can be fixed simply by removing the Pocket PC from the cradle, then re-seating it.
So what do you think? Am I just lucky, or has Microsoft really outdone one of the biggest strengths of the competition?
ActiveSync often gets a bad rap it doesn't deserve. I see threads all over the boards about connectivity problems, but the fact is, ActiveSync works pretty darn well for what it does.
This point was driven into my thick skull recently when I tried to setup my Sony Clié so that it would sync with Outlook and Word just like my Pocket PC does. I'm starting a business as a mobile computing consultant, and it pays to be well-versed in both platforms.
Two hours and two system crashes later, I gave up. I'm an old hand with PalmOS, and but it just wasn't worth the trouble. I'll still keep the Clié around to play with, but I won't sync to it.
It's weird that what really separated the original PalmPilot from the competition was that it synchronized with the desktop better and more completely than anything else. Now, six years later, HotSync is a mess of often mutual incompatibilities while ActiveSync works without a hitch. On not one, but three different Pocket PCs. I know everything stays in sync without my having to hit a button, and I can do other things on my device while it's synchronizing.
That's not to say I haven't had the occasional USB glitch, but most problems I've had with ActiveSync can be fixed simply by removing the Pocket PC from the cradle, then re-seating it.
So what do you think? Am I just lucky, or has Microsoft really outdone one of the biggest strengths of the competition?
