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mattsgotredhair · Jul 16, 2007, 06:50 PM

I've been trying to get my head wrapped around why this isn't possible out of the box, and I've been thinking that it HAS to be possible some way or another.

I've come to terms with the music syncing situation, but for contacts and calendars this just seems silly. I was hoping that some bright person out there might be able to help me figure this out.

I run a recording studio and we solely use iCal, Address Book, and Mail as our tools for our business operations. I was under the impression that the iPhone would greatly increase our ability to stay synchronized while we are out of the studio, but am finding out that it might not be as easy as I had hoped. Currently, we use .mac to sync all of our computers so that any changes or additions to the address book and calendar are applied to all of the computers across the board. As I'm sure you're all aware, when I try to sync my iPhone at home to my Powerbook all is well, but if I take it to the studio and sync I have to merge the data since iTunes recognizes that my iPhone is already associated with another computer. I was thinking that I may be able to clone my studio's G5 user account and drop it on my Powerbook so that hopefully iTunes never knows a difference between the two. This is a big hassle at the moment, and I'd like to streamline things.

Does anyone have any experience with this, know if it will work, or have a different way of achieving the same results?

Big-C · Jul 16, 2007, 06:55 PM

Check out this guy - MonkeyBoy says it can be done and has shown a video:

iPhone Central: Video: iPhone Multi-Sync

I didn't feel like watching the whole thing - but hopefully it's helpful.

mattsgotredhair · Jul 16, 2007, 07:15 PM

Sorry, but that's not the solution. I'm battling a different beast than that guy is. I already do that sort of syncing across my Powerbook and G5, but what I'm looking to do is sync from both for my contacts and calendars. I need to be able to go across multiple computers so that all my changes are applied to each system.

Any other ideas?

digitalreality · Jul 17, 2007, 12:52 AM

Hi Matt -

Have you taken a look at .Mac? (Apple .Mac). For around $100 per year, you can synchronize your mail, address book, and iCal amongst multiple Macs. You also pick up automated off-site backup and a few other great features.

Hope this helps...
Eric

icruise · Jul 17, 2007, 12:59 AM

He mentioned that he already uses .Mac. Actually, I'm still a little unclear on what it is that you want to do, Matt. Can you explain why it's necessary to sync from the office computer as well as your home one? Is it that you want to be able to get updates on the iPhone more quickly?

mattsgotredhair · Jul 17, 2007, 04:26 AM

Yeah, that's exactly what I want. I want to be able to be at work, get a call, schedule the session on my phone, and then when I dock have it update my iCal which in turn will update .Mac and my websites public scheduling calendar. And I need this to happen at work, at home, my partners house... where ever we are typically docking our phones. I wish that you could just have your iCal tap the iPhone via bluetooth like my Motorola E815 did...

I guess it could sound a little needy, but when you're a small business like ours it takes a lot to keep it all together. All of the work is divided between my parter and myself from scheduling, bills, tours, questions, whatever... and the need to be able to schedule anyone at any time when I get a call and know that my partner will know the date was booked is important to me.

Seems like this should be sooooooo easily achieved!

Mrjinglesusa · Jul 17, 2007, 08:33 AM

It sounds like the iPhone, in its current iteration, is not the best phone for your needs...

mattsgotredhair · Jul 17, 2007, 05:26 PM

Well, I respectfully disagree with you. I think this phone is perfect for me, I just wish it had a little more going on.

I do think this should be easy to achieve though... Perhaps if I don't find a way to make this work soon Apple will release something along the lines of it.

::maroma:: · Jul 17, 2007, 06:58 PM

I reeeaaally hope that when Apple updates .Mac they throw in some really nice stuff for iPhone users. Something like what you are looking for would be great. Having your iPhone update data on .Mac on the fly (or maybe with just a tap on a "Sync to .Mac" button) would be a nice perk for us .Mac subscribers. The data could then be synced to your multiple computers at a designated time (set by the user).

I can't wait to see what Apple has for us .Mac users. I really hope it makes the $100/year price tag more worth it.

mattsgotredhair · Jul 17, 2007, 07:17 PM

That's exactly how I feel.

I can't believe that the .mac support stops at email. All of my calendars, contacts, and emails sync with .mac, and with the iPhone having complete internet support it makes no sense for it not to sync with .mac.

I still hope some knowledgeable person out there can tell me if it's possible to confuse the iPhone into thinking that it is only operating on one library across multiple computers...

ssipiora · 05:38 PM

I'm in the same boat. But, since work is Windows based I need to be able to sync with Outlook at the office and .Mac and my Mac at home.

That way I have a complete view of my contacts and calendars in one place.

Currently I still need to keep my Palm device to sync with Outlook at work and capture that information to sync with my Mac at home.

Big-C · Jul 23, 2007, 05:57 PM

So this is just a thought that I haven't investigated, but isn't Plaxo free software for synchronizing a bunch of calendars between each other? Maybe that would work:

plaxo.com

Good luck! Let us know if it works!

shearm · Jul 27, 2007, 07:23 PM

Here is a solution, though not entirely without cost.

You need to get two pieces of software: Plaxo and Spanning Sync.

1. Plaxo is free, installs very nicely on Macs, and will allow you to keep all of your Contacts in sync on all of your Macs. As a bonus, it also installs on windows machines and will keep Outlook or other contacts in sync as well. You then can choose one computer to sync up with your iPhone and the changes will be replicated across your network to all your other contacts. (Plaxo)

2. Spanning Sync is a beautiful piece of software and service that runs in the background and syncs iCal with a google calendar. Why do that? Because once you set up a master google calendar, you can sync all of your iCal calendars with Spanning Sync off of the one, central google calendar. Then sync your iPhone to one of those computers (the same one you chose to sync your contacts with) and everything is perfectly in sync. Spanning Sync (Spanning Sync) costs $25 for a year or $65 for a lifetime. Google calendar is free.

Disclosure. I do not work for, nor get any compensation from, any of these companies. I am just a very satisfied customer who finally has everything in sync.

Good luck.

briandunning · Jul 28, 2007, 11:32 AM

Just have everyone use the same .Mac account for syncing. We do this in my family and it works beautifully. I told a friend about it, and now he does it at their company. Every employee has the same address book and calendar, all syncing perfectly. It's awesome.

The .Mac account that you select in your .Mac preferences pane for syncing does not affect whatever .Mac account(s) each person uses for other things on their computer.

analogika · Jul 28, 2007, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by briandunning

Just have everyone use the same .Mac account for syncing. We do this in my family and it works beautifully. I told a friend about it, and now he does it at their company. Every employee has the same address book and calendar, all syncing perfectly. It's awesome.

The .Mac account that you select in your .Mac preferences pane for syncing does not affect whatever .Mac account(s) each person uses for other things on their computer.

Please read the thread you are replying to.

That is what he is doing, and it does NOT do what it is supposed to - because the iPhone cannot be connected to more than one computer.

I assume .mac sync is coming in the next iPhone/.mac update.

It has to!

briandunning · Jul 28, 2007, 12:53 PM

It should work already, it does for us. I sync changes with my iPhone to my Mac, my Mac syncs to .Mac, my wife's Mac sync with .Mac, my wife's iPhone syncs with her Mac. Everyone gets both our changes. I guarantee it works.

analogika · Jul 28, 2007, 02:54 PM

Jeezus.

YOU CANNOT CONNECT THE iPHONE TO MORE THAN ONE COMPUTER.

READ THE F*CKING THREAD for an explanation of WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.

He wants to enter a calendar event on the iPhone, plug it into the work machine to sync it, enter another event on the way home, and then plug his phone into his home machine to sync it.

The idea is not to have to wait until he gets back to work or home to get the damn calendars to sync up.

msuper69 · Jul 29, 2007, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by analogika

Jeezus.

YOU CANNOT CONNECT THE iPHONE TO MORE THAN ONE COMPUTER.

READ THE F*CKING THREAD for an explanation of WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.

He wants to enter a calendar event on the iPhone, plug it into the work machine to sync it, enter another event on the way home, and then plug his phone into his home machine to sync it.

The idea is not to have to wait until he gets back to work or home to get the damn calendars to sync up.

I dunno about the rest of you but for some reason I feel great after reading your post.

mattsgotredhair · Jul 30, 2007, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by shearm

Here is a solution, though not entirely without cost.

You need to get two pieces of software: Plaxo and Spanning Sync.

1. Plaxo is free, installs very nicely on Macs, and will allow you to keep all of your Contacts in sync on all of your Macs. As a bonus, it also installs on windows machines and will keep Outlook or other contacts in sync as well. You then can choose one computer to sync up with your iPhone and the changes will be replicated across your network to all your other contacts. (Plaxo)

2. Spanning Sync is a beautiful piece of software and service that runs in the background and syncs iCal with a google calendar. Why do that? Because once you set up a master google calendar, you can sync all of your iCal calendars with Spanning Sync off of the one, central google calendar. Then sync your iPhone to one of those computers (the same one you chose to sync your contacts with) and everything is perfectly in sync. Spanning Sync (Spanning Sync) costs $25 for a year or $65 for a lifetime. Google calendar is free.

Disclosure. I do not work for, nor get any compensation from, any of these companies. I am just a very satisfied customer who finally has everything in sync.

Good luck.

Um... yeah, you didn't read anything I wrote either.

Please guys, don't just read the words sync, mac, calendar, contacts, and then suggest something that has nothing to do with syncing my iPhone across multiple computers...

analogika · Jul 30, 2007, 04:09 PM

Why don't you just use .Mac?

I kid, I kid...

Sherman Homan · Jul 30, 2007, 04:51 PM

Why don't you just get an iPhone?

I kid, I kid...

mattsgotredhair · Jul 31, 2007, 03:16 AM

I think I might do that. I hear they're pretty swell.