The BusySync 2.0 public beta is now open. We've blogged about BusySync 2.0 before (and we even managed to snag an interview with the developer during Macworld this year), so no doubt you are aware of the big ticket item: bidirectional syncing between iCal and Google Calendar.
When BusySync 2.0 leaves beta it will cost $24.95, which is a $5 increase to the price, however, if you buy it now you get the old $19.95 price (and users of BusySync 1.5 get the upgrade for free).
Thanks, Benni.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-05-2008 @ 10:11AM
Kwahnoom said...
Could you please do a Spanning Sync vs. BusySync comparison (how they work, how well they work, etc.)? I currently have one-year subscription to Spanning Sync, but if BusySync works well with syncing gCal, then I'd rather pay the one-time software price than subscribing to the Spanning Sync service.
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 11:17AM
Michael Rose said...
We'll see what we can do about a sync 'bakeoff.'
3-05-2008 @ 10:28AM
chiefmoamba said...
What does BusySync offer above SpanningSync?
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 10:30AM
Michael said...
I'm dying for Google Calendar iPhone over the air synchronization!!
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 10:38AM
tim said...
i sent this in weeks ago when it was first release and you guys didnt post it.... along with all the other things i sent in. great work... couldve had this up here when it FIRST came out.
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 11:01AM
Big John said...
No one cares. Seriously. They saw it, liked it and held onto it until they needed something to post.
3-05-2008 @ 11:17AM
Michael Rose said...
Tim, the beta wasn't officially released for public consumption until today. The developer asked us not to post anything until it was ready for prime time. Thanks for the tip!
3-05-2008 @ 10:52AM
Whiplash said...
What we need is ADDRESS BOOK syncing!
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 12:08PM
Spaz said...
Which address book are you referring to? OSX, Google, Outlook Contacts, etc...
3-05-2008 @ 12:39PM
Whiplash said...
Between Apple's Address book and Google's contacts.
3-05-2008 @ 10:57AM
jrflesch said...
I agree with the above. We need a comparison on here between Busysync and Spanningsync. I need one of the two for work, but of course i want the best one!!!
Which is the best Scott???
Also, Michael is right on with an iphone/gcal sync. Crackberry has it! Where is it for iphone. I understand that it requires native sw, so perhaps this will come shortly after the SDK (tomorrow). Which is almost 9 months too late for such a peice of sw!
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 11:05AM
Wayne Pascoe said...
Why do we call it bidirectional syncing ? Surely by the very definition, synchronisation HAS to be bidirectional ? Anything else is just a feed / dump of the data.
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 11:40AM
Lummox said...
Semantic differences.
A feed/data dump implies you are taking the data from source A and overwriting anything in source B.
One way sync implies that source A is the master, source B is the receiver, and any changes made in source A will be reflected in source B, but changes/additions made in source B will be kept, but not reflected in source A. If both source A and B make a change to the same record, you have a conflict you need to resolve (unless source A always overwrites, then yes, this would be similar to a dump).
Bidrectional sync implies that any changes in either source will be reflected in the other, conflicts aside.
3-05-2008 @ 11:10AM
Glen said...
I've used (and paid for) both Spanning Sync and BusySync. Some info may have changed since my experience. YMMV.
My comparison:
Spanning Sync: $25 per year or $65 "lifetime", goes through their servers to sync, so a third party has access to your data.
BusySync: $20 now or $25 after the 2.0 release. Doesn't require a third party server.
My opinion: I used Spanning Sync first and wasn't pleased with it. I deleted it before my subscription was up and did without. I bought BusySync last month based on the reviews of what v2.0 would offer. I've been using the beta and it works for me. Bi-directional sync, I'm not getting duplicate entries, fits into the "just works" schema just fine.
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 11:20AM
jrflesch said...
Glen, do you by chance have an iPhone, if so, what are your thoughts about that syncing process between the phone, ical and then gcal???
3-05-2008 @ 11:34AM
Glen said...
@jrflesch: No iPhone but a Windows smartphone (it's a work thing, not my choice). iCal and gCal sync automatically with BusySync, then when home I run Missing Sync to sync contacts and calendars with the phone. Because it's Windows and doesn't organize things the same way as the other apps, I only sync from iCal to the phone. Check out the BusySync website, they have graphics to explain why "circular" syncing isn't recommended. To make matters worse, I have a work calendar thorough Exchange. That syncs to gCal, which I then do an over-the-air sync with gCal of just that calendar. Confused yet? I also share the gCal calendars with my wife, who syncs to Outlook on her PC and smartphone.
3-05-2008 @ 2:10PM
Roye said...
@jrflesch: I use it with an iPhone and it works great. When I schedule something on the iPhone, it places the appointment on the default calendar in iCal, which is the same default calendar in gCal. But this isn't a BusySync issue. I just update my entries when I sync to place them on the proper calendar. New entries into gCal magically appear in iCal and the iPhone when the sync runs (q 5 minutes). Totally worth the $20, and it does SSL so the fuzz won't know about your dentist appointment.
3-05-2008 @ 11:38AM
jonathansmith68 said...
I blogged about my great experience with BusySync 2.0beta about a week ago. My review is pretty biased since I haven't used any of the other offerings. I was in the same position as a lot of you, was trying to stick it out and wait until there was a really good comparison post comparing gSync, Spanning Sync and BusySync. But basically what I experienced was a great set-and-forget-it solution that "just works."
http://jonathansmith68.blogspot.com/2008/02/bi-directional-ical-and-googlecal-sync.html
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 11:46AM
El Cartel said...
Quick question I installed spanning sync then uninstalled because it did not work for me, but I still have the spanning sync icon on the top. How do I remove that? thannk in advance.
Reply
3-05-2008 @ 12:02PM
Big John said...
Reinstall it, grab an application like AppDelete or AppZapper and uninstall Spanning Sync that way. Does a great job of smoking any remains of a program. I had a similar issue last year and this combination worked for me.