.KEYWORD pocketmirror
.FLYINGHEAD OUTLOOK SYNCHRONIZATION
.TITLE A step-by-step guide to configuring PocketMirror and Microsoft Outlook
.FEATURE
.SUMMARY Last month, Bob Draper discussed the pros and cons of synchronizing your Palm device with either Palm Desktop or Microsoft Outlook. If you’ve decided to go with Outlook, you can’t afford to miss this article. This month, Bob provides a step-by-step guide to configuring PocketMirror to ensure perfect synchronization between your Palm device and Outlook.
.AUTHOR Bob Draper
So you want to take the plunge into synchronizing your Palm device with Microsoft Outlook, huh? Can’t say as I blame you. As I discussed last month in my article "Palm Desktop and Microsoft Outlook go head-to-head," at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200012/outlook001.html, there are a number of advantages to synchronizing with Outlook. You just have to know what you want and be willing to put some time in upfront, configuring PocketMirror to match your needs.
This month I’ll discuss how to configure Microsoft Outlook using PocketMirror 3.0 Standard. If you’re still using PocketMirror 2.x, you can get the update for free at http://www.chapura.com/html/downloads.html. Chapura also offers an enhanced version of this software, PocketMirror 3.0 Professional, which I’ll review at a later date.
But enough of this administrative stuff–let’s get started.
.H1 Initial installation and set-up
One of PocketMirror’s great features is the ability for you to choose which conduits you want to use. But, as I discussed last month, the basic Palm installation program doesn’t give you that option when letting you choose between Palm Desktop and Outlook.
In order to choose specific conduits, you must run the PocketMirror setup application separately. However, before we go any further, let me remind you to HotSync RIGHT NOW! If anything goes wrong during installation, you’ll want to have your data backed up on your Palm device.
Now that you’ve done that, I’ll tell you where to find the PocketMirror setup application. It’s located in this directory on most installation CDs:
.BEGIN_CODE
E:\palmsfw\disk1\Pocket Mirror\setup.exe
.END_CODE
By the way, you do need to run the basic Palm installer first. If you don’t, you’ll get the message shown in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A One step at a time! You need to install Palm Desktop first.
After all, PocketMirror is simply a collection of conduits that allow you to synchronize with Outlook; it can’t do a thing if Palm Desktop and the other supporting files haven’t been installed first.
Once you’ve got Palm Desktop installed, you’re ready to run the PocketMirror setup application. After going through the standard litany of license agreements and installation locations, you’ll see the dialog box shown in Figure B. Choose the conduits you want and go on to the next dialog.
.FIGPAIR B Here’s where you get to pick and choose.
As you proceed through the installation, you may see the dialog box shown in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C You’ll be able to more fully use Outlook’s Categories if you choose the second option.
I recommend you choose the second option. This will allow you to fully use Outlook’s built-in category features. With this option selected, the categories on your Palm device will be synchronized to a custom field in Outlook, named PalmPilot Category.
After you’ve completed the installation, you’ll want to install the PocketMirror 3.0 Standard update. PocketMirror 3.0 Standard offers a number of enhancements that improve the way Outlook and your Palm device interact. When you run the update, you’ll notice that it’s similar to the PocketMirror 2.x setup application; go ahead and choose the same settings.
You’re now ready to HotSync again. However, before you HotSync, you should set the conduits for the four basic Palm handheld applications to "Handheld overwrites Desktop," as seen in Figure D.
.FIGPAIR D Be sure to set your conduits to "Handheld overwrites Desktop."
This will force Outlook to accept the categories and other settings as you’ve currently configured them. If you perform a normal HotSync after setting up Outlook, you run the risk of losing your categories or encountering other minor but annoying problems.
If you’re unsure how to open the Custom dialog box, simply select Custom from the HotSync Manager pop-up menu on the Task Bar, as shown in Figure E.
.FIGPAIR E This is one way to get to the Custom dialog box.
Oh yes, one more thing. If you ever want to change the handheld applications you’re synchronizing with Outlook, simply run the PocketMirror installer (or PocketMirror 3.0 Standard update) again and select a different set of conduits.
You’re now ready to configure PocketMirror and Outlook. Your first task is to add the custom "PalmPilot Category," which PocketMirror uses to track your handheld categories. Choose Current View->Customize Current View from the View menu.
In the View Summary dialog box, choose Fields, and then, in the Show Fields dialog box, choose "PalmPilot Category" from the list of Available Fields on the left. Select Add, to move it to the list on the right, as shown in Figure F.
.FIGPAIR F This is how you set up the all-important PalmPilot Category.
You’ll need to add this custom field in each of the Outlook modules with which you’ll be synchronizing.
Now you can begin configuring the individual modules. You’ll need to open the Chapura Settings. To do so, you can use the new Chapura Settings shortcut that’s now on your desktop. You can use the Palm device icon on the tool bar in Outlook, as seen in Figure G, or you can choose Tools->Chapura Settings.
.FIGPAIR G Here are a couple of ways to get to the Chapura Settings.
This will open a window that lists all users who’ve performed a HotSync operation on your computer. Select your name and choose Settings. The dialogue box shown in Figure H will appear.
.FIGPAIR H This is the gateway to making the most of your Outlook experience.
Select the Outlook module you want to customize and choose Change. You’ll then be able to modify a number of settings that control how Outlook and your Palm device interact. In the next section, I’ll begin with Outlook Calendar.
.H1 Configuring Outlook Calendar
The Preference Settings in the Outlook Calendar dialog box offer a number of options (referred to as "topics").
.H2 Categories/Folders
Selecting "Categories/Folders" from the topic list displays the dialog box shown in Figure I.
.FIGPAIR I If you decide you want to change your category settings you can do so for each conduit.
This topic allows you to determine on a conduit-by-conduit basis whether you want to synchronize the categories on your Palm device with the custom "PalmPilot Category" or with Outlook’s Category field. But, as I stated earlier, you’ll be able to more fully use Outlook’s category features if you stick with the custom "PalmPilot Category."
You’ll also notice that if you’re using PocketMirror 3.0 Professional, you can synchronize with folders in Outlook.
.H2 HotSync Action
At first glance, this seems to duplicate many of the same functions found in the HotSync Manager’s Custom dialog box. But a closer look at Figure J shows that this topic offers several unique options.
.FIGPAIR J The HotSync Action topic lets you carefully control your Palm device’s data.
For example, under permanent action you can choose to synchronize just once every day (or any other daily interval you choose). This can be quite useful if your calendar doesn’t change much and you want to speed up the HotSync process. Admittedly, it makes more sense to use this feature with modules like Outlook Contacts or Notes.
This topic also gives you some additional one-time HotSync options. "Backup to Palm Desktop" safely archives your data, providing a convenient backup. Should you need this backup, simply select "Restore from Palm Desktop" to recover.
"Backup Private Records" and "Restore Private Records" function in a similar way. These choices will be active or grayed out depending on the settings you choose under the Private Items topic.
.H2 Location Delimiter
PocketMirror adds the text in Outlook’s Location field to your handheld appointments using the delimiter you choose from the drop-down menu, as shown in Figure K.
.FIGPAIR K Thanks to the Location Delimiter, you’ll always know where your meeting is.
Once you’ve chosen (), [], {}, or <> as the location delimiter, you should be careful how you use those symbols in the text of any appointment you create on your Palm device. Any text you place within the chosen set of brackets will be synchronized to the location field in Outlook. Also, in some cases, misuse of the location delimiter may generate a synchronization error when you HotSync.
.H2 Meetings
PocketMirror can add a "Mtg:" prefix to all appointments to which attendees have been invited, as shown in Figure L.
.FIGPAIR L The "Mtg:" prefix lets you know which appointments are meetings.
This can be quite helpful, as the note in this dialog box points out.
.H2 Multi-day appointments
As you know, Outlook supports multi-day appointments, but the Date Book application on your Palm device doesn’t. This topic lets you choose whether you want to have multi-day appointments split up, or leave them intact in Outlook and only show the multi-day appointment for the first day on your Palm device, as shown in Figure M.
.FIGPAIR M Multiple multi-day appointments can be handled with ease.
.H2 Multiple PCs
If you happen to synchronize your Palm device on multiple PCs that also happen to access the same Microsoft Exchange server, you can specify that in the topic shown in Figure N. This will prevent data duplication but will slow the HotSync process somewhat.
.FIGPAIR N For a select few, this setting can save both time and trouble.
.H2 Offline Use
If you have a profile for offline use and want to synchronize with it, this is where you’d set that up. Since this is an extensive process and the PocketMirror Help file provides a thorough explanation, I won’t detail it here. If you’re interested in setting up a profile for offline use, you can access the help file by selecting the Help button, as shown in Figure O. Here, too, PocketMirror 3.0 Professional can provide additional functionality.
.FIGPAIR O This topic shows how to handle offline profiles.
.H2 Private Items
The Private Items topic, pictured in Figure P, lets you specify whether the items you have marked as Private on your Palm device will be synchronized.
.FIGPAIR P You can discretely manage your private items here.
Again, the PocketMirror Help file provides a thorough explanation, so I won’t detail the ins and outs of handling private items here. To access the help file, simply click the Help button.
.H2 Progress Monitor
If you’d like to see the synchronization progress, simply check the box shown in Figure Q.
.FIGPAIR Q The Progress Monitor can be an interesting bit of eye candy.
It can be interesting to see what’s going on, but hardly vital, unless you’re trying to troubleshoot a HotSync problem.
.H2 Other Calendar changes
One additional change that you might like doesn’t involve PocketMirror. As I mentioned last month, one of my favorite features is Outlook Calendar’s Work Week View. To configure the Work Week View, select Options from the Tools menu, and when the Options dialog box appears, choose Calendar Options. The Calendar Options dialog box is shown in Figure R.
.FIGPAIR R Here’s how you can take advantage of my favorite feature.
Under Calendar Work Week, you can choose which days comprise your week, as well as the start and end times of your workday. Finally, you’ll need to select the Work Week view from the standard toolbar in Outlook Calendar.
.H1 Configuring Outlook Contacts
Right off, you’ll notice that the Preference Settings for Outlook Contacts offers many of the same topics: the Categories/Folders, HotSync Action, Multiple PCs, Offline Use, Private Items, and Progress Monitor topics can be configured for Contacts just as they can be for Outlook Calendar. Of course, there are a few unique topics as well, which are discussed below.
.H2 Custom Fields
Since Outlook offers many more fields for data storage than your Palm device does, you’ll want to choose up to four fields to synchronize to your Palm device. The Custom Fields topic shows you how to make those choices, as seen in Figure S.
.FIGPAIR S Here’s how to get some of that extra data from Outlook onto your Palm device.
All the work is actually done in the custom.txt file, shown in Figure T. You can open it using the "Edit custom.txt" button.
.FIGPAIR T This simple text file is where the work gets done.
As the instructions in the text file explain, simply replace "User1" (and so on) with the name of the Outlook field you want to synchronize to that custom field on your Palm device.
.H2 Email Translation
This is a new feature in PocketMirror 3.0. By selecting the check box shown in Figure U, you tell PocketMirror you want the full SMTP email address to be synchronized to your Palm device instead of the display name.
.FIGPAIR U You’ll certainly want to configure this email setting.
With previous versions of PocketMirror, email addresses from your company’s Microsoft Exchange server weren’t correctly synchronized. This happened because those addresses are rendered in Outlook as an alias, and this alias was synchronized to your Palm device. Interestingly enough, although PocketMirror 3.0 corrects this problem, use of the SMTP address is not the default setting, so don’t forget to check this box.
.H2 File As
The File As topic, shown in Figure V, is fairly straightforward.
.FIGPAIR V This topic helps you define how your contacts will be organized.
This topic allows you to specify what information will be used to fill Outlook’s File As field, which doesn’t have a corresponding field on your Palm device. The File As field can be most helpful when sorting your contacts in Outlook.
.H2 Journal
If you use Outlook’s Journal, then this topic is an important one. By selecting the check box shown in Figure W, you can enable a number of useful features.
.FIGPAIR W If you use the Outlook Journal, you’ll be busy configuring this topic to best suit your needs.
.H2 Phone Number Priorities
As you probably know, Outlook can hold many more phone numbers and email addresses per contact than your Palm device. This leaves you with the all too common problem of determining which data will be synchronized. The Phone Number Priorities topic, pictured in Figure X, lets you prioritize which numbers should be synchronized to the five fields on your Palm device should a contact have six or more phone numbers and/or email addresses.
.FIGPAIR X This topic let’s you prioritize which numbers get synchronized.
So, if you have six phone numbers and two email addresses for your best friend, that’s no longer a problem. You can choose here which ones you want to carry around with you. But keep in mind that these settings apply to all contacts.
.H2 Other Contacts changes
Another change you might like involves sorting your contacts in the list view. This works for Tasks and Notes as well. As shown in the inset of Figure Y, you can drag the PalmPilot Category column heading to the area above the headings.
.FIGPAIR Y Outlook offers this handy way to sort and group items in a list view.
This causes the items to be grouped by the PalmPilot Category. You can collapse or expand each group, effectively replicating the "sort by category" feature of Palm Desktop.
.H1 Configuring Outlook Task List
The Preference Settings for Outlook Task List offers only a handful of topics, most of which we’ve already discussed. The Categories/Folders, HotSync Action, Multiple PCs, Offline Use, Private Items, and Progress Monitor topics can be configured for the Task List just as they can for the Calendar or Contacts. In fact, there is only one unique topic: Start Date, shown in Figure Z.
.FIGPAIR Z Do you want the due date or the start date from Outlook to be transferred to your Palm Device?
Outlook’s Task List is a bit more robust than the To Do list on your Palm device and offers a number of task tracking features that aren’t replicated in the handheld application. This topic lets you choose whether you want to use Outlook’s Task due date or start date as the due date on your Palm device.
.H1 Configuring Outlook Notes
Ah yes, the humble Notes module. There isn’t anything new here to configure, just the basic topics from the other modules: Categories/Folders, HotSync Action, Multiple PCs, Offline Use, Private Items, and Progress Monitor. These, of course, can be configured for Notes just as they are for the other Outlook modules.
.H1 Now to wrap it all up
I realize that there are many other ways to customize Outlook and that I didn’t cover some topics in great depth However, the items discussed are the changes I found to be most useful. If you’ve found something that works well for you that I haven’t mentioned, by all means share it on the Powerboards!
Chapura’s PocketMirror 3.0 Standard is a great tool for using Outlook with your Palm device. But, if you’re willing to pay for even more functionality, there are other packages you can use. In the coming months, I’ll be reviewing Chapura PocketMirror 3.0 Professional, DataViz Desktop to Go, Pumatech Intellisync, and Starfish Software’s TrueSync Plus. If you currently use any of these conduits and have tips, tricks, or secrets to share, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at palmguy@mac.com. Until next time
