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ddiokno · May 31, 2001, 09:00 PM

Finally.... PocketMac. It be much nicer if Apple came out with their own pocket sized PDA.... but I do really like the iPaqs....
dave

mattmarshall · Sep 7, 2001, 05:22 PM

anyone know when PocketMac is coming out? my sister just got an ipaq, and can't sync it with her ibook.....

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Sep 7, 2001, 10:21 PM

I've heard about this vaporware for a while now (at least 6 months)and always the 'progress' at that site seems about the same... 'coming soon... 'one of these days'. Possibly, maybe. Now fill out a survey.

As for now, I connect an older Windows CD 2.11 device with my Macs via Virtual PeeCee, Active Sync 3.1 and a Keyspan serial adaptor. Works fine for file transfer and such. As does a USB flash card reader. Luckily I have a Palm as well, which bridges the gap for sync between Mac and PC via Outlook and Entourage and therefore the WinCE device is synched as well.

mattmarshall · Sep 8, 2001, 04:03 PM

i e-mailed the guy who is making it, and he wrote this back:

"We're cranking to get it out for you very soon!

Terence
Information Appliance Associates"

hopefully, he's telling the truth. it looks like the web site for the thing hasn't changed in like 5 months.

"soon"....

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Sep 9, 2001, 01:30 AM

Some great info on syncing Pocket PCs and Macs (noteably a PowerBook or Mac with a USB card reader) using CF cards, without the use of ActiveSync. For everything but installing files (and sometimes even that is possible) and PIM sync, this method is the best anyway, as it's fast and accurate:
http://www.pocketpcmag.com/Jul01/activesync.stm

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Sep 9, 2001, 01:41 AM

Ingenuis method, from the above link, on installing files to the PocketPC from the Mac using VPC:

"As I mentioned earlier, most Pocket PC software comes as an installation program that needs an ActiveSync connection to work. Since I'm unable to use ActiveSync on my Macintosh, I assumed that most Pocket PC software was beyond my reach. Then Bill Moser responded to my post in the Pocket PC newsgroup and gave me a crucial tip. The key bit of information was that these installer programs actually contain .cab files that are "unpacked" during the installation process, downloaded to the Pocket PC via ActiveSync, and run on the Pocket PC to complete the installation process. I couldn't use ActiveSync to connect my Pocket PC to my Mac, but I could run ActiveSync on my Mac using Virtual PC. I clicked on the installer in Virtual PC and went through the installation process up to the point where it told me that I wasn't connected and that it would install the software the next time I did connect. Then I went hunting for the .cab files. The installer unpacks .cab files for each processor type and saves them in a user-specifiable directory on the C drive. The .cab files remain there patiently until the next time you connect to a Pocket PC (although, in the case of the Mac, you never actually do). All you have to do at this point is locate the appropriate .cab file on your computer, copy it to your CF card, and move it to the Pocket PC as described above. As far as I can tell, all downloadable software is available to you, even if you have a Mac and can't physically connect to a Pocket PC."

Sep 9, 2001, 03:02 PM

With a USB and Virtual PC, one can simply get a Keyspan PDA adapter (serial to USB converter) and then use Virtual PC and ActiveSync to synchronize, load programs, etc. It's just as though you are using a PC, in most senses. See my article, "Can These Two Be Friends?" at http://www.foxpop.co.uk/ (Go to the main page and then click on "Recent" and scroll down to the article.) I have used it on many CE machines as I am presently using it on a Jornada.

MacBook · Sep 9, 2001, 03:30 PM

The previous message was referring to late model Macs with a USB port.

Also, the direct URL reference to the article is: http://www.foxpop.ndirect.co.uk/pc/mac_01.htm/

MacBook