Best phone to sync with Outlook

[SimpleSi]

One of my headteachers is going to get a new phone and he wants it to sync with Outlook on his office machine (he is running WorkGroupShare to share calendars between his computer and the other admin computers on a peer-peer network).

 

I know with my Windows Mobile Omnia all I have to do is plug it in and it syncs with Outlook using ActiveSync.

 

However, I wouldn't inflict a Win Mobile touchscreen on a user unless I had to - will the other contenders (IPhone/Blackberry etc) simply sync up with Outlook when you plug them in?

 

regards

 

Simon

[Edu-IT]

The iPhone will, I think, as long as you have iTunes installed. I've not tried with mine as I use the Exchange option.

[mac_shinobi]

I've not tried it myself either with outlook as far as the iphone is concerned but if it does not work then there is always the mobile me option ( if thats an option )

[ninjabeaver]

I use the Nokia E71 just for that reason. It also syncs with Google Calendars as well so I'm always upto date calendar wise at least.

 

Should be able to pick them up quite cheap now and they really do rate the phone.

[Ric_]

@SimpleSi: You have been unlucky with your choice of phone really. Windows Mobile is the obvious choice for Outlook sync and the latest generation of HTC devices are very easy to use. You also have the advantage of being able to sync over WiFi or bluetooth if you so desire!

[Haptic]

Agree with Ric any windows based mobile will sync will outlook no problems at all,

[Diello]

HTC Touch HD with Windows Mobile here - Syncs with Exchange/Outlook like a dream, and with TouchFlo3D interface, WinMo is perfectly usable.

 

Best phone I've ever had, & I've had quite a few! Any HTC WinMo phone is a great buy.

[Dos_Box]

HTC Touch HD with Windows Mobile here - Syncs with Exchange/Outlook like a dream, and with TouchFlo3D interface, WinMo is perfectly usable.

 

Best phone I've ever had, & I've had quite a few! Any HTC WinMo phone is a great buy.

 

Agreed. Any large screen HTC Windows Mobile powered device should be perfect.

[jc1875]

Although you have to have the blackberry service/package activated on your phone contract, I wouldn't swap my blackberry bold for anything else, tbh.

 

We're about to go from exchange 2003 to exchange 2007 so might have a look at windows mobile devices (it's an excuse as much as anything )

[oalcock]

Hi There,

I use a Blackberry Curve 8900 which you can get for cheap(ish) now on contract or buy a payg handset for around £220. I have 4 e-mail accounts configured at the moment, it doesn't need to sync through a program like iphones through itunes, you just add your e-mail account as you would on outlook except its easier as all you do is put in your e-mail address and password and the phone does all the smtp settings (etc.) for you. When ever i get an e-mail within 2 seconds I get an announcement noice on my phone. I can reply and create new e-mails using it, and e-mail people who are in my phones address book.

I personally think the blackberry range are the best for this are to be honest they are built for this type of work, kids have bloomin' iphones as they see them as toys. If you want professionalism and quality choose the blackberry.

Thanks

[SimpleSi]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I've found this page that shows setting up a Blackberry to sync, so that doesn't look too bad.

 

If he goes for an IPhone and uses ITunes to sync - r there any issues with having his main Itunes account on home PC and having another copy of ITunes on a work PC?

 

regards

 

Simon

[mac_shinobi]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I've found this page that shows setting up a Blackberry to sync, so that doesn't look too bad.

 

If he goes for an IPhone and uses ITunes to sync - r there any issues with having his main Itunes account on home PC and having another copy of ITunes on a work PC?

 

regards

 

Simon

 

Nope none at all - with regards to playing any or using any of his tunes / videos etc on his itunes on his work pc he will just have to authenticate against the iTunes store which is very easy.

 

As per attachment in iTunes go to the iTunes store - link down the left hand side and on the new iTunes window with a button named sign in click that and get him to sign in using his iTunes account and it should authenticate against the iTunes server ( assuming there are no proxy server or firewall ) blocking him / her doing this.

 

As for getting it to synch with outlook that would be down to the preferences made on the device which is done when the ipod touch / iphone or w/e is connected and you click on it in the list down the left hand side and you can configure everything that way.

 

Would be something a little like this maybe

 

Syncing contacts and calendars to iPod with iTunes for Windows

[Edu-IT]

it doesn't need to sync through a program like iphones through itunes, you just add your e-mail account as you would on outlook except its easier as all you do is put in your e-mail address and password and the phone does all the smtp settings (etc.)

So does the iPhone.

[spacevortex]

I got our head the HTC touch hd and this syncs with exchange 2007

 

i use the roadsync which came with my samsung 8510i the only thing i had problems was with the certificate which i had to install manually by downloading on my pc and uploading to my samsung.

 

but when i was researching people told me to forget about anything that was not a windows mobile otherwise i could always hit a snag.

[pooley]

I use an iPhone and it Sync's great with outlood, also has push exchange support. Works great here.

[gshaw]

My HTC Touch Pro syncs directly with Exchange and grabs the new mail every few minutes, straight in with Exchange ActiveSync.

 

Blackberries are a pain as unless you have the Blackberry service enabled from your mobile provider I thought it needs the RIM software installed on your servers? You get one free license then it costs after that... bit pointless imo as you're paying for that when it's free with Exchange basically

 

iPod Touch I know works with Exchange with no problems and iPhone users have no trouble either, although the thought of typing emails on a touchscreen makes me shudder

 

Edit: just re-read, are you running Exchange at the back-end? Better to sync directly with the server than with Outlook

Edited September 22, 2009 by gshaw

[SimpleSi]

No exchange server involved-just syncing with a desktop computer running Outlook.

 

I don't think I need it to sync emails - just the calendar.

 

regards

 

Simon

[armadillo]

Hi, here the head used a blackberry curve for the last couple of years and we had no major problems getting it to work. She now wants to change it for an i-phone as the tarrifs are much cheaper than the blackberry and i-phone has more features and huge memory (32GB).

 

I ordered the i-phone and tried setting it up with the exchange 2007 and is not having it, I have resulted into forwarding the emails from her mailbox to the i-phone. I set it up using outlook web access details (https url etc) with ssl certificate, it wouldn't connect to the server and keeps saying server not found. OWA is set up properly as it works fine from home and mobile device/pop3 and imap4 all enabled on all emails accounts. I started to think the problem could be with the front end exchange (LEA).

 

Thanks for all advice and suggestions in advance and I hope you can help.

 

Thanks Edugeek & Great Forum as ever!!

[SimpleSi]

Thanks for all the advice- it was duly passed on and the head went for a ...

 

Palm Pre

 

He bought on the basis that his old Palm PDA used to sync fine:)

 

I told him that the new one is a completely different device and doesn't even sync unless you buy an extra $30 program

 

I let you know how it goes!

 

regards

 

Simon

[SimpleSi]

Palm %*&$£*@# Pre

 

(and Chapura Pocketmirror as well )

 

Some companies deserve to go to the wall.

 

The Palm Pre doesn't come with software to sync with Outlook (unlike all previous Palm devices!)

 

Never mind - its only money to buy a $30 prog called Pocketmirror.

 

This prog will sync Outlook to the Pre but unfortunatley due to someone having one %^&*^%$$&*** of an idea it does it by the PC running software that talks to a server out on T'internet and the Pre doing the same.

 

Nothing wrong with that but then instead of PC sending to server - server to Pre and vice versa, the server just says - OK chaps don't send your data via me - send it between yourselves via your local network. Which is fine is your at home and syncing - your all on same network.

 

But of course it won't work between an admin network PC (with no WLAN) and the Pre connected to the curric WLAN

 

So I tried another prog called companion link (costs $40) that allows you to sync via USB lead. Although this does work, it would be quicker (and I mean that literally) to retype in any calendar changes by hand if you had less that 3 changes/day

 

I then decided to try syncing Outlook to Google calendar and syncing Pre to that - it did seem to work but by that time me and the head had lost the will to live and couldn't work out how to not have half the pre display taken up with Tasks instead of just calendar appointments so we've gone back to the Companion Link software.

 

What a pleasant way to spend 5 hours in half-term

 

Revolution, Wall, First comes to mind

 

regards

 

Simon

Oh - and no way of setting a proxy server for wifi - I know - you don't believe me - please prove me wrong

 

And for a bit of balance - its got a nice keyboard