[Peter]

Okay my Mum needs a solution for a digital diary, my Mum and a collegue are both chiropodists (foot butchers) at the moment they have two diaries, one for each person. They are looking for a high tech solution, my idea is that you have a program that will automaticly update itself without opening/closing the file, like iCal only it would have two calenders and the ability to update itself, via a network, on its own.
If this calender could update itself it would stop double bookings on the same time.
Does anyone have a clue what I am on about?
If it is possible, on a mac we might have to purchase a couple of Apple macs *sighs* ...
Cheers ...

[cpac]

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
my idea is that you have a program that will automaticly update itself without opening/closing the file, like iCal only it would have two calenders and the ability to update itself, via a network, on its own.

Couple of thoughts:

(1) - the meaning of diary between the US/UK might be confusing the issue here a little - if I understand correctly, you're looking for a calendaring application (and not a program to record memoirs, etc.).

(2)iCal can, in fact, do this quite easily - you just need to have two calendars (one for each person). One calendar can be broadcast from each mac, and subscribed to by the other - updates to broadcasting calendars get published almost immediately, and one can set iCal to check subscribed calendars for changes as frequently as every 15 minutes.

The iCal approach is a little limiting however in that it involves maintaining/broadcasting/subscribing to multiple calendars.

(3) Other options include DayLite, Now Up-To-Date, and the like which support central databases of info accessed by multiple clients. This is more expensive and involved however and might be overkill where/if iCal can do what you need it to. Finally, if you've got an M$ Exchange server doing calendaring etc. a future version of Entourage will function as a full client.

[Peter]

Originally posted by cpac:
Couple of thoughts:

(1) - the meaning of diary between the US/UK might be confusing the issue here a little - if I understand correctly, you're looking for a calendaring application (and not a program to record memoirs, etc.).

(2)iCal can, in fact, do this quite easily - you just need to have two calendars (one for each person). One calendar can be broadcast from each mac, and subscribed to by the other - updates to broadcasting calendars get published almost immediately, and one can set iCal to check subscribed calendars for changes as frequently as every 15 minutes.

The iCal approach is a little limiting however in that it involves maintaining/broadcasting/subscribing to multiple calendars.

(3) Other options include DayLite, Now Up-To-Date, and the like which support central databases of info accessed by multiple clients. This is more expensive and involved however and might be overkill where/if iCal can do what you need it to. Finally, if you've got an M$ Exchange server doing calendaring etc. a future version of Entourage will function as a full client.

1. When I say diary I mean well appointments ie.
10.00 Mr Blah
10.30 Mrs Blahette
11.00 Dr Blah
and so on

2. That would possibly work, 15 minutes would be an okay time gap. The two macs would be networked in some kind (prolly cable). So I guess iCal may just work ...

3. Hmm it seems they are too complex, when iCal is free

Thanks, if anyone else has any ideas please do post.

[midwinter]

Yes, you should be able to have each create a calendar and then the otehr subscribe to it. If all they want to do is have access to the other's appointments, then iCal would probably be all they need. If they use some kind of Palm PDA to schedule everything, they probably wouldn't even ever have to open iCal.

Hmm. I think we've just hit on the brilliance of iCal.

Cheers
Scott

[Brass]

iCal would do the trick, but you should keep in mind, that for each Calendar, you can only edit it on ONE Mac (and read it on as many other Macs as you want). This is probably fine for you what you want. You can view as many calendars as you want on any one Mac (optionally view them together in the same calendar template if you want).

It does not have to be the same Mac that is the master Mac for each calendar - you can have one mac the master of one calendar and another mac the master of a second calendar, and both mac's can view each other's calendars (but can only edit their own).

[Drizzt]

You'll need to set up a WebDav Server. a cheap Linux Box could do the trick, with DHCP and other services like that..

[jasong]

Why use a cheap Linux box? If they are using iCal, they are using OS X. OS X can run as a WebDAV Server.

-- Jason

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by jasong:
Why use a cheap Linux box? If they are using iCal, they are using OS X. OS X can run as a WebDAV Server.

In that case, both users could edit the same calendar and have it automatically synced via iSync.

-s*

[Drizzt]

Originally posted by jasong:
Why use a cheap Linux box? If they are using iCal, they are using OS X. OS X can run as a WebDAV Server.

-- Jason

There was a 'could'.. just to remind you..

That was, in case he would have like to have a dedicated server put somewhere in the basement/warderobe and didn't want to spend too much money on it..

[aaanorton]

Wouldn't a .Mac account be fine for hosting the iCal files?

[mark9939]

Originally posted by aaanorton:
Wouldn't a .Mac account be fine for hosting the iCal files?

Yeah, I think that would be the best solution to hosting the calendars.

[philm]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
In that case, both users could edit the same calendar and have it automatically synced via iSync.

-s*

I don't think I understand this, but I am intrigued. Is there someting about WebDAV which somehow allows them to be editing the same iCal file...?

[Drizzt]

Originally posted by philm:
I don't think I understand this, but I am intrigued. Is there someting about WebDAV which somehow allows them to be editing the same iCal file...?

Not that I know of.. maybe something I haven't think of yet..