.KEYWORD questions
.FLYINGHEAD READERS RESPOND
.TITLE Questions and answers on Palm/Outlook synchronization
.OTHER
.SUMMARY Bob Draper was flooded with a ton of email in response to his recent PalmPower series on synchronizing a Palm device with Outlook. In this article, Bob shares some of the interesting questions he’s received in hopes that you’ll find value from the ones he was able to answer, and perhaps you’ll be able to answer some of the ones that had even him stumped.
.AUTHOR Bob Draper
Hello readers! I’ve received quite a few messages from you over the last few months regarding my series of articles on synchronizing a Palm device with Outlook, and I certainly appreciate your comments. I thought I’d take this chance to publish some of the questions I received, as I thought others might benefit from them and might be able to help out with some of the answers I wasn’t able to provide.
Not surprisingly, all of your questions fell into two categories: questions I can answer, and questions I can’t answer (but hopefully someone else can).
I’ve read through your email messages and selected a number of questions that, together, cover all the major issues you raised. In most cases, I was able to provide some sort of solution; however, for those of you who left me sitting at my desk with my mouth hanging open, I’ve included a request for answers from our readers.
So let’s get started.
.H1 Using Outlook Calendar with Palm Desktop
I just read your article on the comparison between Outlook and Desktop. At the end of the article, you mention the following: "…you can synchronize with Outlook Calendar and use Palm Desktop for everything else…."
Would you be able to direct me to some documentation that tells how to do this?
.H2 Bob’s response
I have received a number of questions similar to this one. The answer is in my second article. The three pieces in the series are:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET "Palm Desktop and Microsoft Outlook go head-to-head" at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200012/outlook001.html;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET "A step-by-step guide to configuring PocketMirror and Microsoft Outlook" at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200101/pocketmirror001.html;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET "PocketMirror 3.0 Professional offers an attractive collection of enhancements" at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200102/pocketmirror0201001.html.
.END_LIST
If you have any further questions about configuring PocketMirror (at http://www.chapura.com), the second article, "A step-by-step guide to configuring PocketMirror and Microsoft Outlook," is where you’d want to look first. The final article covers the additional features that are included in the PocketMirror 3.0 Professional upgrade.
.H1 Entourage synchronization
Is there any chance of you also commenting on Microsoft Office 2001 and the use of Entourage with a Palm device? I upgraded from Office 98, and I tried to synchronize Entourage with a Palm device. What a mess! It took me days to recover the data and debug. Could you offer some tips on how to handle all this?
.H2 Bob’s response
I have not yet had a chance to use Entourage. However, in the December 2000 issue of Mac Addict, they cover Office 2001. You’ll find it on page 44 (the abridged manual) and page 58 (product review). They offer some tips for working with Entourage that might help you. Visit their Web site at http://www.macaddict.com. There’s also a MacFixIt forum on synchronizing a Palm OS device with Entourage at http://www.macfixit.com/ultimate/Forum28/HTML/000042.html.
.H1 Outlook Express only
Nice comparison article, but I only want to use Outlook Express. I don’t need the other features. What’s the best way to synchronize with my Palm device?
.H2 Bob’s response
Outlook Express (for both Mac and Windows) is only an email client. You can’t use it instead of Palm Desktop. If what you’re trying to ask is how to set up Outlook Express as an email client that talks with Palm’s built-in email program, the key is to configure the email conduit when you install your Palm Desktop or configure it from the Custom menu item located on the HotSync system tray tool.
.H1 Small correction
I had to write a quick note to correct one thing you say a few times in your article: You mention that it’s difficult to change the categories on Contacts, Tasks, and Notes when using Outlook.
Not so. Create a new tabular view (call it "by PalmPilot category") and set grouping by the custom "PalmPilot" category. Now, to change the category of an item, you merely drag it from one category to the other. I have hundreds of items in many categories, and this works great.
.H2 Bob’s response
Thanks for the information! While I consider myself to be quite proficient in this area, I don’t claim to know it all (though my wife might take issue with the "know it all" part!).
.H1 The two-step
You mention that there’s an option to choose conduits for Outlook Calendar to be synchronized along with the other Palm Desktop functions. If so, could you please explain how to do this? Better yet, I would rather use Palm Desktop as my primary synchronization software with the handheld and Outlook for secondary filtered synchronization with Palm Desktop. This is because I have quite a bit of personal data on my Palm V, even though I primarily use it for business, and I like the password protection of the Palm Desktop.
.H2 Bob’s response
The answer to your first question is in my second article, "A step-by-step guide to configuring PocketMirror and Microsoft Outlook" at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200101/pocketmirror001.html. As for your second question, I think DataViz Desktop to Go (at http://www.dataviz.com/products/desktoptogo/index.html) might be what you’d need, but I don’t know for sure. I’ll be reviewing that package for an upcoming article.
.H1 Outlook or ACT! 2000
I just read your article on the Palm Desktop versus Outlook in PalmPower Magazine. I have a quick question. I am currently trying to decide whether to use Outlook or ACT! 2000 (at http://www.act.com) as my contact manager. I will be synchronizing one of these databases with my Palm Vx. Which do you think would work better?
.H2 Bob’s response
I can’t really answer that, as I haven’t used ACT! 2000. You might need to buy separate conduit software to HotSync with ACT as well. See http://www.palm.com/products/compatible.html for more information on that. If any readers have used ACT! 2000 and can offer feedback, it would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to post any comments regarding this issue on the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article.
.H1 No Mail delivery
I am a proud new owner of a Palm IIIc. I can’t synchronize my Mail subfolders. I’ve upgraded from PocketMirror to PocketMirror Professional, but that only resolved my subfolder issue in Contacts, not Mail. Do you have any suggestions?
.H2 Bob’s response
I have an answer, but I don’t think you’ll like it. PocketMirror doesn’t synchronize with your Palm device’s Mail application (or any handheld email application, for that matter). Since I don’t use my Palm device for mail, I haven’t encountered this problem.
I do think that Intellisync (at http://www.intellisync.com) allows you to synchronize with your Palm device’s Mail application, but I’m not sure, as I haven’t yet used this product. I’ll be reviewing it in the coming months, though.
.H1 Palm IIIxe compatibility
The Palm Web site indicates that the Palm IIIxe is not compatible with Windows 2000. Is that correct? I’d like to purchase a Palm IIIxe, but I run Windows 2000.
.H2 Bob’s response
I think you may have misread that (and I can’t check it since I don’t know exactly what your source was). I have a Palm IIIxe, and I’m running Windows 2000 on my computer at work. I’ve experienced no problems so far.
Of course, when my work machine was upgraded to Windows 2000, I also upgraded my Palm Desktop to version 4.0. Perhaps the problem is with the 3.x version of the HotSync Manager.
.H1 Tough question
I’m having a problem with PocketMirror. The HotSync Manager is started when I start up my notebook. As soon as I start the HotSync process, it immediately gives me a "Server Busy" dialog box, at the Outlook Calendar synchronization step. The message is: "This action cannot be completed because the other program is busy. Click the appropriate button on the task bar to activate the busy program and correct the problem." The "Retry" button is enabled while the "Cancel" button is disabled.
I checked that the only other Palm Desktop program running is "c:\workpad\chapura\pocketmirror\dbmirror.bz." I just have to wait a few minutes before pressing the "Retry" button, and the HotSync process continues. I am also very sure that this PocketMirror program was not running before I started the HotSync process. Do you know the cause for this weird behavior?
.H2 Bob’s response
WOW! I have no idea what could be causing that. It might be a server problem with your network, but that’s just a guess. If any readers have found solutions for this problem, please let us know. Please feel free to post any comments regarding this issue on the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article.
.H1 Four doctors, one computer
I set up four doctors with Palm devices. They synchronize to one computer to send prescriptions. It works great, but now they would like to do email. I can set up each doctor with a POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) email account, but they want to be sure they are only getting their email while still synchronizing with the same computer. If I set up Outlook for all the POP3 accounts, is there a way to tell Palm device A to synchronize with POP3 account A and Palm device B to synchronize with POP3 account B?
.H2 Bob’s response
Although I haven’t set up Palm email profiles for multiple users on the same computer, I think it’s a fairly simple matter. Try stepping through the email setup Wizard for each user profile.
If any readers have additional tips on this process, please feel free to post any comments on the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article.
.H1 Palm IIIc trouble
I was really excited when I read your article because I’ve been having nothing but trouble synchronizing to Outlook. So, when I read your article, I thought I’d uninstall PocketMirror and just start over, following your directions. However, I’m back to the same problem: error messages in the log and total failure to synchronize on the conduits. Which means that either my Palm IIIc is relegated to personal use only or I have to maintain two calendars. It’s quite frustrating. Do you have any suggestions? Are there other conduits for Outlook out there?
.H2 Bob’s response
You’re not the only Palm IIIc user who has written to me with similar problems. Of course, I don’t own (nor have I used) a Palm IIIc, so I haven’t encountered this problem. Yes, there are other conduits that you can try, and I’ll be discussing several of these in the coming months.
If any readers have found solutions for this problem, please let us know by posting to the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article.
.H1 A bundle of questions
Concerning the Multiple PCs setting: If you select multiple PCs, there are no instructions to tell you what to do for the second PC. I started this process from my home PC, so what are the steps needed on my work PC?
I’m also having a problem with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) email addresses. On some Contacts, I seem to be getting the full list of SMTP details put into the email field and not just their pure SMTP email address. For example: /o=ford/ou=fordna1/cn=recipients/.
Once you commit to using the PalmPilot Categories, you’ll loose the ability to have one person in multiple categories (as in Outlook). So any time you want to categorize someone, a note, or a task, you should do it from the handheld, right?
.H2 Bob’s response
Well, that’s quite a bundle of questions. First off, as I stated in my second article, the Multiple PCs setting is only needed if both PCs access the same Exchange server. If your home PC isn’t connected to the network at work, you don’t need to worry about this.
Concerning your second question, I have also had this problem with some email addresses for new contacts that I have added directly from the Outlook address book. I have found that if I correct the address on my Palm device, the problem doesn’t reoccur.
Finally, if you use the PalmPilot Category, you can still fully use the Outlook categories, including the ability to assign multiple categories to any item. Of course, the Outlook categories will not be synchronized to your Palm device.
.H1 Palm Desktop 4.0
I had been trying to decide whether or not to switch to synchronizing with Outlook at work (Windows NT 4.0 platform). The wrinkle was, I wanted to stick with using Palm Desktop at home on my laptop (Windows 95). I just downloaded Palm Desktop 4.0 at both home and my office and find it to have a lot of nicely improved features that helped me decide to stick with Palm Desktop on both my office PC and home laptop. You may want to do a follow up comparison for your readers.
.H2 Bob’s response
You are wise to approach this cautiously. Many experts recommend that you DO NOT HotSync your Palm device on multiple computers using different PIMs. On the other hand, it’s perfectly safe to synchronize a Palm device on multiple computers if they all use the same PIM.
Of course, I’ve been synchronizing my Palm IIIxe on my PC at work and my Mac at home using a number of packages. While I have encountered a number of idiosyncrasies, none have been serious.
As far as Palm Desktop 4.0 for Windows is concerned, I agree that it’s an excellent and compelling upgrade. Had I reviewed that instead of Palm Desktop 3.0, my review would likely have been somewhat different. For more information on Palm Desktop 4.0, check out David Gewirtz’s article, "How to use Palm Desktop v4.0 with your Handspring Visor" in the February 2001 issue of PalmPower at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200102/visordesktop001.html.
.H1 Weird error
I have synchronized about eight times (every two weeks during the past two months). The last time I synchronized, I got the following message: "Date Book–Some handheld records were not copied to your PC. Your computer may be full or you may have reached the maximum allowed records on the desktop. To correct this situation, delete some records and perform a HotSync operation again. Desktop = 97, Handheld = 94. OK Date Book with 1 message(s)."
I received this error message in both January and February. When I synchronize again, it works correctly. I recently bought a Visor Platinum; I have no hacker software. The only additional software installed is ePocrates (at http://www.epocrates.com) and ePatient (at http://www.target4.com/epmain_frame.html). Why is this happening? Am I doing something wrong?
.H2 Bob’s response
As I have never encountered this problem while using Outlook with my Palm device, I have no idea what could be wrong. Hopefully someone who reads this will, though. Please feel free to post any comments regarding this issue on the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article.
.H1 Finding the right platform
I am trying to decide whether to buy a Pocket PC or a Palm PDA. At the same time, I have one burning issue that has to be satisfied or it’s not worthwhile to get either machine. That issue is the ability to keep multiple calendars (business, personal, wife’s) in Outlook 98 and then synchronize them and be able to use them on the PDA. I can’t find any information as to whether or not Pocket Outlook works exactly the same as desktop Outlook 98. If that were the case, that would make my decision for me… assuming they would synchronize.
I think that I can use Pocket Mirror 3.0 Professional along with DateBk4 on a Palm device, but it keeps the calendars by category. I’m not sure how this would work, as I don’t use categories. I merely keep each calendar in a subfolder to the main Calendar in Outlook 98. If you could shed any light on the subject or point me to a site that can answer my questions before I spend my $500 to buy a new PDA, I would be most grateful.
.H2 Bob’s response
I think you already have your answer–and it involves buying a Palm device! PocketMirror 3.0 Professional, which I covered in the February 2001 issue of PalmPower, allows you to control your categories using subfolders. Although I haven’t tried it, I’d guess that since you’re already using subfolders, each subfolder would simply become a category in DateBk4. All items in your main Outlook Calendar would be considered "unfiled."
If anyone has tried this and can provide further knowledge and wisdom, this would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to post any comments regarding this issue on the PowerBoards. There’s a link at the end of this article.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Conclusion
Again, I’d like to thank all of you for your email. While I realize that I didn’t address each of your questions individually, I believe that I have covered all the key topics. If any of you have any further questions, or if you can answer any of the issues that left me baffled, please, by all means, take it to the PowerBoards. They are great way to communicate with the PalmPower community, either to share what you know or to learn from those who have already conquered whatever problem may be troubling you today. I’ll keep a close eye on the discussion and continue to post to it during the month.
Until later, all the best!
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For Bob Draper’s article, " Palm Desktop and Microsoft Outlook go head-to-head " in the December 2000 issue of Palm Power, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200012/outlook001.html.
For Bob Draper’s article, " A step-by-step guide to configuring PocketMirror and Microsoft Outlook " in the January 2001 issue of Palm Power, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200101/pocketmirror001.html.
For Bob Draper’s article, " PocketMirror 3.0 Professional offers an attractive collection of enhancements " in the February 2001 issue of Palm Power, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200102/pocketmirror0201001.html.
For more information on Chapura’s PocketMirror, visit http://www.chapura.com.
For more information on Entourage, visit http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/office/2001/entourage/default.asp.
Visit Mac Addict at http://www.macaddict.com.
For MacFixIt forum on synchronizing a Palm OS device with Entourage, visit http://www.macfixit.com/ultimate/Forum28/HTML/000042.html.
For more information on DataViz Desktop to Go, visit http://www.dataviz.com/products/desktoptogo/index.html.
For more information on ACT! 2000, visit http://www.act.com.
For more information on PIM applications are available for Palm handhelds, visit http://www.palm.com/products/compatible.html.
For more information on Intellisync, visit http://www.intellisync.com.
For David Gewirtz’s article, "How to use Palm Desktop v4.0 with your Handspring Visor" in the February 2001 issue of PalmPower at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200102/visordesktop001.html.
For more information on ePocrates, visit http://www.epocrates.com.
For more information on ePatient, visit http://www.target4.com/epmain_frame.html.
For the article, "ePocrates qRx helps doctors save lives" by Steve Niles in the March 2001 issue of PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition, visit http://www.palmpowerenterprise.com/issues/issue200103/spotlight0301001.html.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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.BIO Bob Draper is a technical writer at Westar Corporation’s U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground office. His favorite tax deduction (after his children, of course) is his Palm IIIxe. He can be reached at palmguy@mac.com.
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6f2c2
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