News.com: iSync out in early '03, Microsoft copies

it's about f'ing time isync 1.0 came out!

and by the way, since you mentioned it, i don't get all the hype about cameras in phones. WTF? who takes pictures with their phone? the quality bites, so it's not replacing a real digital or film camera. It's basically only for MMS'ing pics back and forth to your friends, which IMHO has basically no value whatsoever, except for the initial "coolness" factor.

Can anyone think of any situation where having a camera on their phone would add value and be useful?

why is everyone so damn excited about phone/cameras? (other than "because it's cool")

[quote]Originally posted by snazlord:
<strong>and by the way, since you mentioned it, i don't get all the hype about cameras in phones. WTF? who takes pictures with their phone? the quality bites, so it's not replacing a real digital or film camera. It's basically only for MMS'ing pics back and forth to your friends, which IMHO has basically no value whatsoever, except for the initial "coolness" factor.

Can anyone think of any situation where having a camera on their phone would add value and be useful?
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, duh, like because you can be at a yard sale and find some, like, ummm, ancient relic on sale for a buck. And then you can take a picture of it, send it to your in-house curator and have him tell you, like, ummm, that you should borrow a buck from your friend. Well, duh.



All that was in complete jest, of course. I think cameras in phones are completely worthless.

[quote]Originally posted by snazlord:
<strong>it's about f'ing time isync 1.0 came out!

and by the way, since you mentioned it, i don't get all the hype about cameras in phones. WTF? who takes pictures with their phone? the quality bites, so it's not replacing a real digital or film camera. It's basically only for MMS'ing pics back and forth to your friends, which IMHO has basically no value whatsoever, except for the initial "coolness" factor.

Can anyone think of any situation where having a camera on their phone would add value and be useful?

why is everyone so damn excited about phone/cameras? (other than "because it's cool")</strong><hr></blockquote>

I agree 110% with you. I dont get it at all? Sure its cool but hey I dont even bother with SMS, I honestly dont even get the obsession some people have with that

It's really for all those people who say, "Gee, I wish I had my camera right now!" It gives you the ability to at least snap a photo whenever you want, even if it's not high quality. And since it's part of the phone/PDA, you're always going to have it with you.

The iSyn beta works pretty well. Aside from bug fixes, I'd like to see a few extra features. I really think they should add support for pocketpc. I know this is a microsoft os and a competitor to Palm (Apple's ally), but Pocket Pc is gaining in popularity and it is worth supporting. In addition it should have the ability to sync computers on a network. For example if there are three macs on a home network and a user wants their account to be the same on each computer. So basically you hit a button and every home folder is cloned for the selceted computer. All your documents,prefs etc are on the local hard disk of all the Macs. It would also be cool if this was automatic, so for example every day at 5 isync automatically updates your document folder, so essentially backups beocme transparent. I think some sort of support for syning PCs with Macs would also be cool. Things like document's and browser favorites can be cross platform, and iSync would be smart enough to convert prefs from IE PC to IE mac,Omniweb,Chmiera etc. It would also be cool if a document copied from a pc contained the information of what program created it, not just the file extension. For example if a file created with a program on a PC were transfered to a mac and the Mac did not have an equivalent app, finder and isyn would tell the user what program created it on the pc , and make suggestion s such as an automatic search for Mac software supporting that file format using sherlock.

I only need to sync my iPod, and iSync beta seems to work rather well.

But it doesn't really matter. I sync for the sake of syncing. Not much use for calenders and address book in my iPod anyway. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

I use calendars and address book all the time in my iPod.

[quote]Originally posted by jdbon:
<strong>The iSyn beta works pretty well. Aside from bug fixes, I'd like to see a few extra features. I really think they should add support for pocketpc. I know this is a microsoft os and a competitor to Palm (Apple's ally), but Pocket Pc is gaining in popularity and it is worth supporting.</strong><hr></blockquote>

The problem is that due to Microsoft's closed standards Apple would have to re-engineer ActiveSync and would always tail behind - as Samba does in imitating SMB.

[quote]<strong>In addition it should have the ability to sync computers on a network. For example if there are three macs on a home network and a user wants their account to be the same on each computer. So basically you hit a button and every home folder is cloned for the selceted computer. All your documents,prefs etc are on the local hard disk of all the Macs. It would also be cool if this was automatic, so for example every day at 5 isync automatically updates your document folder, so essentially backups beocme transparent.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I don't think iSync is the appropriate tool for the task - it should handle syncing your moblie gadgets with your PC/Mac/centralized-files-on-network. How about Netinfo and LDAP? They should add features and ease of use to centralizing administration and common directories and files (e.g. users, groups, home directories, Adressbooks, iCalenders, E-Mails, prefs, iTunes etc.) on a small server in your SoHo-office so that by loging onto any computer on your network gives you the same environment.

Maybe this is allready built into OS X Server which I have not been working with.

[quote]<strong>I think some sort of support for syning PCs with Macs would also be cool. Things like document's and browser favorites can be cross platform, and iSync would be smart enough to convert prefs from IE PC to IE mac,Omniweb,Chmiera etc.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Basically possible with the suggestions above. They do this in our company: They store your prefs and configs on a central server. You also store your documents on the network.

RolandG

[ 12-20-2002: Message edited by: RolandG ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by snazlord:
<strong>and by the way, since you mentioned it, i don't get all the hype about cameras in phones. WTF? who takes pictures with their phone? the quality bites, so it's not replacing a real digital or film camera. It's basically only for MMS'ing pics back and forth to your friends, which IMHO has basically no value whatsoever, except for the initial "coolness" factor.

Can anyone think of any situation where having a camera on their phone would add value and be useful?
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hmmmm.....

1. Verizon has new 3G phone in the US. 3G phone has ability to transfer at speeds of 2mb per sec, a cable modem runs ay 1.5mb..... (So you have broadband)
2. As video technology gets better, which it is right now, cameras will be smaller. Just right for cell phones.....(Woah, watchout as I tie it in together...)
3. With a 3G phone and a camera you can have a video conference with anyone in the world whenever you want. Not only is this cool and practical its the way things will most likely end up in 3 to 5 years.
4. Hence - whoever really starts the trend will be the leader.
5. Do I hear Apple's design and particality put to use and thus possibly making a major market open to Apple? Yes.

Oh first I have nothing against Phil

[quote]"The next big thing happening on the cell phone is the digital picture stuff," Schiller said.<hr></blockquote>

Duh All you Marketing Bozos keep talking about Digitial Hub like it's some new thing you've discovered. Newsflash Columbus. Aside from Digitizing Audio or Still/Motion video what "new" thing have you brought to the table. The Computer industry is stagnant because old world ideals are being regurgitated as thought they're new and groundbreaking. Never before have I seen such trifling hyperbole about nothing. Show me the Money!

Of course Microsoft will copy. The whole basis of Digital Hub is generic and prone to overhyping.

With that in mind I do welcome phones with cameras. I do welcome PDA like features integrated as well. But please enough of the cheesy quotes that make me sick to know you make 7 figures a year. On to your regularly scheduled programming.