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Gee4orce · Oct 14, 2003, 08:55 AM

I'm impressed with the Address Book in Panther - very impressed. I was importing some contacts from our corporate LDAP directory (which is a breeze to integrate with, BTW) when the following occurred:

I chose to review, and got the following:

...slick !

That's actually not the best example, because the card didn't contain much information. On other cards, it's clear which is the new info, which is the old. Really nice.

Plus, I iSynch it over to my phone via Bluetooth, and voila - no need to dig out the bosses phone number next time I take a sickie

!!

gorickey · Oct 14, 2003, 09:07 AM

Nice indeed....Apple finally got "Address Book" right in Panther IMHO...

- - e r i k - - · Oct 14, 2003, 09:30 AM

Indeed. I love how it's integrated with bluetooth too: Send and receive messages without taking your phone out of your pocket. Logging of calls. Go to adress book card when calling. Logging calls, SMS. Mmmmm....

Gee4orce · Oct 14, 2003, 10:10 AM

Another thing - the picture editor for an address card has the same interface as iChat AV and you can take a snapshot from your iSight camera. Now you can run around with your laptop and iSight putting all your friends faces to their names !

Another totally cool, but totaly unrelated Panther thing - I love it how when you drop something on to a folder in the Finder sidebar it kind of does a little arc as it shrinks away into the folder. It's just so neat, and great attention to detail. Makes me smile every time.

schalliol · Oct 15, 2003, 03:03 AM

Yeah, it was really nice for me when bringing in addresses from a desktop to powerbook, because you can't replace the user's card, just makes it eaiser. I wish there were a good way to sync computer to computer though and I don't think there is.

DigitalEl · Oct 15, 2003, 05:13 AM

It'd be great if Apple would be less Microsoft-like and let Entourage users dine on Address Book's creamy goodness. I love Address Book, but I'm not giving up Entourage for it. Currently I use both, even though Entourage has its own address book.

Diggory Laycock · Oct 15, 2003, 05:53 AM

Originally posted by DigitalEl:
It'd be great if Apple would be less Microsoft-like and let Entourage users dine on Address Book's creamy goodness. I love Address Book, but I'm not giving up Entourage for it. Currently I use both, even though Entourage has its own address book.

Oh na�ve fool - The Address Book and all its creamy goodness has always been available to all apps - It's just MS hasn't yet taken advantage of this - I would hope that the next version of Orifice would do this - unless their code is so spaghetti-fied that they can't.

schalliol · Oct 15, 2003, 08:12 AM

Name calling's not necessary...I would love to see address book usage for Eudora though and a good sync to my hiptop.

kcmac · Oct 15, 2003, 08:34 AM

Diggory L is correct. AddressBook was designed to be the central repository for all contacts.

Software devs have been very slow to adopt this feature/concept. They have tended to stay with their own proprietary system.

I made a decision to leave Entourage because mail works with addressbook. I don't like having contacts in multiple apps. I want them in one place.

If you want your app to have AddressBook tie ins, ask the dev to use the coolness of AB.

Gee4orce · Oct 15, 2003, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by DigitalEl:
It'd be great if Apple would be less Microsoft-like and let Entourage users dine on Address Book's creamy goodness. I love Address Book, but I'm not giving up Entourage for it. Currently I use both, even though Entourage has its own address book.

There's a whole chapter of the developer tools documentation devoted to how to use address book in your applications. It's entirely down to Microsoft if Entourage doesn't support it !

mitchell_pgh · Oct 15, 2003, 09:39 AM

I HATE ALL OF YOU AND THE "DID YOU SEE PANTHER DO THIS AND THAT!!!

I'm holding out... I know I could download it and install, but I got on board late and now just want to feel the WOW when I install...

torifile · Oct 15, 2003, 09:43 AM

Originally posted by schalliol:
I wish there were a good way to sync computer to computer though and I don't think there is.

iSync.

schalliol · Oct 15, 2003, 09:44 AM

If you hate everyone here, don't waste your time and cancel your membership

SMacTech · Oct 15, 2003, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by Gee4orce:
I'm impressed with the Address Book in Panther - very impressed. I was importing some contacts from our corporate LDAP directory (which is a breeze to integrate with, BTW) when the following occurred:

!

I am trying to get mine to integrate with our ldap server too, but cannot. Where did you do the import?

- - e r i k - - · Oct 15, 2003, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by schalliol:
If you hate everyone here, don't waste your time and cancel your membership

I think he was just being ironically jealous. It's a humour thing.

voodoo · Oct 15, 2003, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by - - e r i k - -:
I think he was just being ironically jealous. It's a humour thing.

huuuumor huuumore? what is this huumoree thing you peeps keep talking about? [/Tubbs]

voodoo · Oct 15, 2003, 10:58 AM

PS. If u ain't seen League of Gentlemen - well then it is normal that you don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

parsec_kadets · Oct 15, 2003, 11:15 AM

Originally posted by schalliol:
Yeah, it was really nice for me when bringing in addresses from a desktop to powerbook, because you can't replace the user's card, just makes it eaiser. I wish there were a good way to sync computer to computer though and I don't think there is.

You could use iSync with .Mac. If you don't have .Mac though, there is a feature in the 10.3 version that allows you to backup your Address Book and also restore from a backup. This might be what you're looking for.

If you're just talking about taking new contacts from one computer to another, that's there now. Just select your new contacts and drag them to the desktop. Then just copy the file that's created to your other computer and drag it into Address Book. I love how simple that is. If this were a Windows app you would have to pour through at least three items on the menu bar, find the buried submenu, read the resulting dialog box, select some obscure option, then find the folder you want it saved to, then press Ok. Importing them would be just as difficult. Glad I use a Mac.

schalliol · Oct 15, 2003, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by parsec_kadets:
You could use iSync with .Mac. If you don't have .Mac though, there is a feature in the 10.3 version that allows you to backup your Address Book and also restore from a backup. This might be what you're looking for.

Yeah, that is the ONLY feature of .mac I'd like, as a result it's not worth the $, but this kind of syncing really should be standard. I think you're on to something with the backup. I noticed that feature now lets me decide where to save the backup.

If you're just talking about taking new contacts from one computer to another, that's there now. Just select your new contacts and drag them to the desktop.

The problem there is that I can't seem to get the groups to remain, but the contacts do transfer.

BurpetheadX · Oct 15, 2003, 02:05 PM

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I HATE ALL OF YOU AND THE "DID YOU SEE PANTHER DO THIS AND THAT!!!

I'm holding out... I know I could download it and install, but I got on board late and now just want to feel the WOW when I install...

sooo..download and install. You'll get the "wow" that way too...

wadesworld · Oct 15, 2003, 03:44 PM

Oh na�ve fool - The Address Book and all its creamy goodness has always been available to all apps - It's just MS hasn't yet taken advantage of this - I would hope that the next version of Orifice would do this - unless their code is so spaghetti-fied that they can't.

The address book API was not published until 10.2.

Wade

mitchell_pgh · Oct 15, 2003, 03:55 PM

No downloading for me... It's only nine days, three hours, four minutes and 34 seconds away...

OwlBoy · Oct 15, 2003, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
No downloading for me... It's only nine days, three hours, four minutes and 34 seconds away...

hehe that counter kicks ass.

-Owl

gorickey · Oct 15, 2003, 07:34 PM

Originally posted by OwlBoy:
hehe that counter kicks ass.

-Owl

No kidding, I am guessing Apple designed that themselves, because I can't find it anywhere....

Brass · Oct 15, 2003, 09:55 PM

Originally posted by wadesworld:
The address book API was not published until 10.2.

Wade

Ie, more than a year ago!

iDriveX · Oct 15, 2003, 10:50 PM

I just don't like how Address Book doesn't pop to the front anymore, like it did in 10.2. Apps that I'm not using I like to keep hidden. And when my phone rings, I'd like to have Address Book come to the front with the Dialog Box to show me who is calling. There isn't even an option in the preferences.

schalliol · Oct 16, 2003, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by iDriveX:
I just don't like how Address Book doesn't pop to the front anymore, like it did in 10.2. Apps that I'm not using I like to keep hidden. And when my phone rings, I'd like to have Address Book come to the front with the Dialog Box to show me who is calling. There isn't even an option in the preferences.

There are two products that interface with your phoneline via USB and will do that for you automatically if you have Caller ID, BTW.

hyperizer · Oct 16, 2003, 02:39 PM

Mailsmith uses the Address Book.

Brass · Oct 16, 2003, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by hyperizer:
Mailsmith uses the Address Book.

Yeah, there are a lot of applications that have been around for well over a year that use the Address Book database (eg, Envelope Printing applications, email application, PDA applications, PIM applications, etc).

It's a shame Microsoft haven't got their act together with Entourage. It would be a VERY simple update. I guess they're just scared that it would make it easy for people to switch to something else. MS ver rarely uses any tools that involve open specifications or any means to migrate away from their own products.

schalliol · Oct 16, 2003, 05:19 PM

Agreed, I just sent this to Qualcomm because of their lack of support:

I am a long-time Eudora Paid customer, but I have one feature that I'd like or I won't be renewing my paid subscription: optional OS X Address Book support or syncing.

Address Book is used for many things in OS X and the email client should have support of this feature of the operating system. Apple has made available information to developers on how to use this software for over a year. I understand that it may make sense to offer extra items in the Eudora address book, but some method to sync between the two should be used if Address Book can't replace Eudora's Address Book.

alex_kac · Oct 16, 2003, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by schalliol:
There are two products that interface with your phoneline via USB and will do that for you automatically if you have Caller ID, BTW.

I know of one...what's the other?

I'm wanting this very much.

mitchell_pgh · Oct 16, 2003, 10:01 PM

I'm a little unhappy with 10.2's address book. I sure hope 10.3 makes it just that much better. I would like birthdays along with more stuff...

Westfoto · Oct 16, 2003, 10:53 PM

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I'm a little unhappy with 10.2's address book. I sure hope 10.3 makes it just that much better. I would like birthdays along with more stuff...

You can have Birthdays right now in 10.2
Card>Add Field>Birthday. It will show the day that the person was born. Kind of cool, but it does not show up in iCal - Palm does this. It would be nice if the iApps could too.

West

iDriveX · Oct 17, 2003, 12:15 AM

Originally posted by schalliol:
There are two products that interface with your phoneline via USB and will do that for you automatically if you have Caller ID, BTW.

That'd be good if I had an actually phone but I don't have a phone line at all. All I have is my T616 as my one and only phone. So I like that feature.

schalliol · Oct 17, 2003, 12:29 AM

One is ovolab, I forget the other, ovolab is a bit cheaper, the other one came out I'd say perhaps 4 months prior. If you still need it i might be able to track it down. I think that other one was like $120 per line and the ovolab hasn't announced US pricing, but it's proab. about $100 after conversion from euro.

Gee4orce · Oct 17, 2003, 05:06 AM

Originally posted by SMacTech:
I am trying to get mine to integrate with our ldap server too, but cannot. Where did you do the import?

In the Address book preferences, you can specify and LDAP server. I just gave it the address of our server (and I think a password also).

If you then click on the Directories section of the Address Book, and type something into the search box, you should see the matches appear on the right. Nothing is shown until you start a search though !

jersey · Oct 22, 2003, 05:00 PM

i like the new features in the address book,but i dont necessarily like that apple places its own card into the address book.

maybe its just me...but i think thats kinda lame. or at least very unexpected.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 23, 2003, 01:49 AM

Originally posted by jersey:
i like the new features in the address book,but i dont necessarily like that apple places its own card into the address book.

maybe its just me...but i think thats kinda lame. or at least very unexpected.

It's just an example card (and introduces the new company checkbox as well). Is it really that hard to delete?

I don't find this any more unexpected than the notes on the iPod explaining how to use notes and adresses.

LightWaver-67 · Oct 23, 2003, 02:03 AM

So... wait... are we saying that in Panther... Address Book and iCal STILL don't communicate Birthdays so that they show up from AdressBook into iCal...?

Isn't that the whole POINT to having a centralized repository of information...? To SHARE it and make it accessible for different apps to utilize that data...? I'm no development wizard, but isn't that rudimentary stuff...? Or am I missing something here...?

How difficult is it to tell iCall to display Birthdays based on the BDay field in AddressBook...? I just don't understand these things.

They can make a killer music player that handles complex purchasing issues and makes it as easy as 1-Click... but they can't make their own calendar app display birthdays from their own Address book.

What am I missing here...?

lngtones · Oct 23, 2003, 02:29 AM

Originally posted by LightWaver-67:
So... wait... are we saying that in Panther... Address Book and iCal STILL don't communicate Birthdays so that they show up from AdressBook into iCal...?

Isn't that the whole POINT to having a centralized repository of information...? To SHARE it and make it accessible for different apps to utilize that data...? I'm no development wizard, but isn't that rudimentary stuff...? Or am I missing something here...?

How difficult is it to tell iCall to display Birthdays based on the BDay field in AddressBook...? I just don't understand these things.

They can make a killer music player that handles complex purchasing issues and makes it as easy as 1-Click... but they can't make their own calendar app display birthdays from their own Address book.

What am I missing here...?

Maybe they have more important things to take care of at the moment? I doubt they have something against the idea.

People are finite, they can only do a finite amount of things at one time. Meditate. Ummm. Ummmm. Ummmm.

lngtones · Oct 23, 2003, 02:30 AM

Originally posted by wadesworld:
The address book API was not published until 10.2.

Wade

That's right. Maybe because Address Book was introduced in 10.2?

LightWaver-67 · Oct 23, 2003, 07:06 AM

Originally posted by lngtones:
Maybe they have more important things to take care of at the moment? I doubt they have something against the idea.

People are finite, they can only do a finite amount of things at one time. Meditate. Ummm. Ummmm. Ummmm.

That has to be one of the LAMEST excuses that any software developer could EVER give regarding why a feature is or isn't available.

Both iCal and AddressBook have gone through numerous iterations and have had major and minor changes to each. Some, purely cosmetic; like the ability to use custom colors in iCal... I find that MUCH less important than the ability to share data between the apps.

Trust me, if THAT was the reason it wasn't getting done, then Apple (or ANY vendor) would fail as a software creator.

kman42 · Oct 23, 2003, 08:27 AM

I'm still looking for a way to share some AB addresses with my wife on the same computer. It would be great if our 'Family' addresses could be added/edited/removed by both of us. Anyone have any ideas? Is there a way to set up a local ldap server for some contact groups?

kman

hudson1 · Oct 23, 2003, 09:03 AM

You can easily move Address Book birthdays to iCal with either of these freeware apps:

iCal Birthday Shifter

ABtoiCal

Both can be found on VersionTracker.

clebin · Oct 23, 2003, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by voodoo:
PS. If u ain't seen League of Gentlemen - well then it is normal that you don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

When we get to heaven Edward, will it be like Swansea?

Great programme... Glad you can get it in Norway!

EDIT: oh, to keep on topic, I like the fact you can mark individual contacts as Businesses in Panther, so you don't have first name and surname and so on...

absmiths · Oct 23, 2003, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by LightWaver-67:
So... wait... are we saying that in Panther... Address Book and iCal STILL don't communicate Birthdays so that they show up from AdressBook into iCal...?

Isn't that the whole POINT to having a centralized repository of information...? To SHARE it and make it accessible for different apps to utilize that data...? I'm no development wizard, but isn't that rudimentary stuff...? Or am I missing something here...?

How difficult is it to tell iCall to display Birthdays based on the BDay field in AddressBook...? I just don't understand these things.

They can make a killer music player that handles complex purchasing issues and makes it as easy as 1-Click... but they can't make their own calendar app display birthdays from their own Address book.

What am I missing here...?

You are making too many assumptions here. Only Apple can tell whether it is truly trivial to share this particular data between the apps. Secondly, integration between apps is a rudimentary *concept* in software design, but rarely a rudimentary thing to *implement*. Thirdly, you are assuming that Apple has overwhelmning demand for this feature. Until I read this thread, I didn't even know that you could put birthdays in Address Book.

Apple has a lot of things to do, so they judiciously prioritize tasks/labor in order to meet deadlines.

absmiths · Oct 23, 2003, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by LightWaver-67:
That has to be one of the LAMEST excuses that any software developer could EVER give regarding why a feature is or isn't available.

Both iCal and AddressBook have gone through numerous iterations and have had major and minor changes to each. Some, purely cosmetic; like the ability to use custom colors in iCal... I find that MUCH less important than the ability to share data between the apps.

Trust me, if THAT was the reason it wasn't getting done, then Apple (or ANY vendor) would fail as a software creator.

In this regard, I do not trust you. You demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of how project management and software development in general are done. Apple has to determine what is desirable to implement in a particular version (based mostly on user feedback and future direction) within a particular timeframe, and possibly alter that as time goes on. Labor/cost is one of the biggest factors in software development and it is compounded by the cost of delaying a new release (thereby delaying vital revenue).

So, if you don't like the priorities they chose, lobby them to change it - your feedback just might be the one that puts this feature back on their radar (if it isn't currently).

kerrazyjoe · Oct 23, 2003, 10:45 AM

Originally posted by Gee4orce:

Kool

I love the slot where the sheet comes out.

schalliol · Oct 23, 2003, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by absmiths:
If you don't like the priorities they chose, lobby them to change it - your feedback just might be the one that puts this feature back on their radar (if it isn't currently).

This is the reason I started Address Book & iChat: Where's the comma?. I imagine that some Apple OS team employees do read some of these forum posts, and also others will submit to Apple where possible.