Filed under: Rumors, .Mac, iPhone
.Mac syncing coming to iPhone 2.0?
One of the biggest questions that I had following the iPhone SDK event was how we non-Enterprise users were going to get the cool new wireless syncing features promised to ActiveSync Exchange users. My first guess was that Apple was planning to fold something like that into .Mac, and now iPhone Alley has unearthed something to suggest this might be right.In the just released SDK beta 2, iPhone Alley found a string within a preference bundle that reads: "Syncing with this Dot Mac account will turn off syncing for other Dot Mac accounts and delete any existing synced data." This suggests the possibility of wireless syncing for non-Exchange users. Frankly, this would make a lot of sense. It would add considerably to the (presently somewhat questionable) value of .Mac and give us consumer types access to some of iPhone 2.0's neatest features.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
VeganTnT said 11:19PM on 3-28-2008
Even if the new 2.0 firmware had wireless .mac syncing I'll have to say "No Thanks"
my iphone plan is already a bit much. it may be for a whole year but 100 bucks is still too steep for me to justify it.
Now, if they had wireless sync with Google apps then we will have a kind of functionality that could make an iphone indispensable.
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David Chartier said 11:35PM on 3-28-2008
Well hot diggity, you're right. Hosted Exchange support for .Mac members to sync the typical information? How killer would this be if it extended to 3rd party apps, like MobileNetNewsWire? All my feeds synced between Macs and now my phone?
Sign.me.up.
Oh wait, I already am. Come to pappa, .Mac wireless iPhone syncing and Exchange.
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stet said 10:05PM on 3-29-2008
NetNewsWire already syncs to iPhone. Turn on syncing in preferences, then go to m.newsgator.com in Mobile Safari. It's a great interface
David Chartier said 10:12PM on 3-29-2008
Right, but I was referring to the syncing of the inevitable NetNewsWire iPhone app, hence the "Mobile" prefix. Most of Apple's built-in iPhone apps are officially referred to this way; MobileSafari, MobileWeather, etc., so people are kinda picking up the system and running with it.
The web app is nice, but a dedicated iPhone app will be nicer. Especially with the possibility of doing an RSS feed download over WiFi at home before heading out for the morning. EDGE is way too slow for downloading the amount of feed content I want to take mobile with me.
Steve said 11:36PM on 3-28-2008
Hmm... what about "Enterprise Customers" who use Mac OS X 10.5.x Server..?
I would think the ability to sync OTA with Leopard Server would be a step in the right direction for Apple.
There are A LOT of Mac Server Admin who shook their head in astonishment that Exchange syncing was offered before looking after your own "back yard".
Lets hope Apple puts this right - and quickly!
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Galley said 6:40AM on 3-29-2008
That was my initial reaction. Why are they pushing Exchange support so heavily; doesn't Leopard Server do the same thing (and probably better)?
Ryan said 11:38PM on 3-28-2008
Come on, Apple! Give us WebDav (at least iCal-sync) support for iPhone 2.0!
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Reece said 12:32AM on 3-29-2008
The only way I would consider subscribing to .Mac was if it provided all the push/syncing capabilities to my iphone that a corporate exchange server would to employees. THAT my friends is worth far more than $99.99 a year to me at least. If this is true I'm sure .Mac email would not get pushed it will probably be iCal syncing wirelessly. Weak.
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PSM said 12:55AM on 3-29-2008
Already being a .Mac subscriber, I am strongly hoping for this feature. I don't yet own an iPhone but plan to when it goes 3G. I will be VERY disappointed if they don't implement something so obvious.
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max Walker said 5:22AM on 3-29-2008
Let's get push e-mail - as detailed by SJ recently.
We also want to be able to hook up the bluetooth iPhone with my bluetooth Laptop. Why do I need a Nokia to do this !!!
Hopefully those with the SDK will release an app that achieves this - even if Apple is reluctant.
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BabyGotMac said 8:39AM on 3-29-2008
Oooh! I called this last August. I love it when i am occasionally right!
http://babygotmac.com/a/why-the-new-mac-suddenly-matters/
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John Mc said 9:39AM on 3-29-2008
I'm all for this if I can get this functionality:
*) Shared AddressBook groups with my wife, so that we only have to maintain one set of groups for friends and family. Note, I said "groups" not the entire AddressBook, as neither of us is interested in the other's business contacts. Also both of us have to have read +write access to the common groups so we can update them on the move.
*) Multi-calendar support on the iPhone. Why is this taking so long? Ok it's not possible to see multi-calendar month views on a iPhone the way you do in iCal, but you could flick through them in serial fashion. A mutli-calendar day view would work on the iPhone, and so would a multi-calendar List view (Google has already shown how to do this).
*) Shared (multi) calendars, so my wife and I always have up to date, synchronised access to social events, birthdays, etc. Again, this needs to be read + write by both parties on the move.
*) ToDo support enabled in calendars, so we can share task lists, shopping lists, etc.
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Jonathan said 11:44AM on 3-29-2008
I'm also dying for push e-mail. It's time!
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Anthony said 4:51AM on 3-30-2008
"One of the biggest questions that I had following the iPhone SDK event was how we non-Enterprise users were going to get the cool new wireless syncing features promised to ActiveSync Exchange users."
What I've been wondering is when will those businesses like us running only Macs and Mac OS X Server get feature parity with Exhange Server?
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Bobnease said 9:57PM on 3-30-2008
I was wondering if this was going to be one of the new features. It only makes sense that they would give support like this to their current .Mac members. Not only would it help push .Mac, but I can only imagine that it might encourage .Mac members who don't currently have an iPhone to get one.
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
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