iSync ? Can I exclude certain contacts from syncing?
OK, here's my situation: I just got a Bluetooth-equipped cell phone (Sony Ericsson T610) and I'd like to sync my phone, computer, iPod, and Palm Pilot so that all my contacts and calendar info is in one place.
But there's one problem: I'm a reporter and so my Palm is full of contact info for dozens and dozens of sources. My cell phone is strictly for personal use (I rarely need to leave the office) and having all my sources' numbers on my cell phone would be very unwieldy, to say the least.
Having all those numbers on my Palm, iPod, Mac and available online would not be bad though; in fact, it could prove very useful. I just don't want them on my cell phone.
However (and I now how picky I must sound) I obviously want all my friends and family on my cell phone, as well as on all the other devices. On my Palm, all my sources' info is in a separate category called (surprise) "Sources."
So is there anyway to have the contacts in the Sources group sync to everything but my cell phone? And if there's not a one-step way to doing that, what's the most efficient way to acheive my desired result? Thanks for any help!
But there's one problem: I'm a reporter and so my Palm is full of contact info for dozens and dozens of sources. My cell phone is strictly for personal use (I rarely need to leave the office) and having all my sources' numbers on my cell phone would be very unwieldy, to say the least.
Having all those numbers on my Palm, iPod, Mac and available online would not be bad though; in fact, it could prove very useful. I just don't want them on my cell phone.
However (and I now how picky I must sound) I obviously want all my friends and family on my cell phone, as well as on all the other devices. On my Palm, all my sources' info is in a separate category called (surprise) "Sources."
So is there anyway to have the contacts in the Sources group sync to everything but my cell phone? And if there's not a one-step way to doing that, what's the most efficient way to acheive my desired result? Thanks for any help!
Comments
Seems simpler.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Er, if he already has the Sources group sectioned out, why not just *uncheck* that one and call it good?
Seems simpler.
Because there is no unchecking to be done.
It's all or one or none with iSync and the contacts sync.
Wow. Okay, color me naive, I use the Calendar selection all the time, so I just *assumed* that Contacts worked the same way... I just have it sync all of them.
Nebbermind.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Wow. Okay, color me naive, I use the Calendar selection all the time, so I just *assumed* that Contacts worked the same way... I just have it sync all of them.
Nebbermind.
Yeah, it's the dumbest thing ever. How hard would it be to make it a checkbox instead of a menu?
Time to find the iSync feedback page.
Originally posted by tetzel1517
Well that's lame. So, basically, I have to lump everyone who isn't a source into one category. How nonelegant, how... non-Apple.
Time to find the iSync feedback page.
If it makes you feel better, your categories aren't synced to the phone anyway, so they become one category where it really matters.
CHAAAAAARGE!
Uh, guys?
Apple gives you a rich user interface for specifying what contacts to sync to which device and you want a checklist? Why?
For every device that you don't want all your contacts synced you create a group in AddressBook. You then add all the relevant contacts to that group.
Even better, you can add whole groups e.g your phone group can simply be your family and friends group. And these don't get added just as a list of names but as a reference to the original group so names added to the group later will also join the new 'super' group.
Can anyone tell me *any* way in which the checklist is better? (disclaimer: I just had a fiddle about in iSync to confirm this feature existed and check how it works but I have not used it personally to sync subsets of my contacts.)
Originally posted by stupider...likeafox
Can anyone tell me *any* way in which the checklist is better? (disclaimer: I just had a fiddle about in iSync to confirm this feature existed and check how it works but I have not used it personally to sync subsets of my contacts.)
For the same reason it's better to have a checklist for the calendars: it's just easier. If I want to have a particular group for my phone, I can; the checklist doesn't obviate this function. But a checklist allows you to do the iSync what should be done through iSync. Otherwise I've got to go through another app to do something it should handle.
Originally posted by stupider...likeafox
Stop the press! What is the problem here?
Apple gives you a rich user interface for specifying what contacts to sync to which device and you want a checklist? Why?
For every device that you don't want all your contacts synced you create a group in AddressBook. You then add all the relevant contacts to that group.
Even better, you can add whole groups e.g your phone group can simply be your family and friends group. And these don't get added just as a list of names but as a reference to the original group so names added to the group later will also join the new 'super' group.
Can anyone tell me *any* way in which the checklist is better? (disclaimer: I just had a fiddle about in iSync to confirm this feature existed and check how it works but I have not used it personally to sync subsets of my contacts.)
Could you go into a little more detail about this, specifically as it pertains to the OP? Maybe it's the whole bottle of merlot I drank last night
Originally posted by torifile
For the same reason it's better to have a checklist for the calendars: it's just easier.
How many calendars do you have?
How many contacts?
But wait, you may be thinking, I've only got x groups and that's a manageable number. But if you already have to use AddressBook to create these groups (because you can't check/uncheck individuals) then why not use it to create one more for syncing and cut out the middle man.
I'll also note that calenders are 1-to-many and contact groups are many-to-many relationships. Also contacts don't have to belong to groups, unlike calendar items. Not really the same thing at all and so syncing just one calendar wouldn't work like it does for contacts.
Originally posted by tetzel1517
Could you go into a little more detail about this, specifically as it pertains to the OP?
Assume that everyone is your AddressBook is in one of three groups friends, family, or sources.
Say you want everyone but the people in the sources group on your T68i phone. Create a new group called t68i and then drag and drop the groups called friends and family into the new group. That is drag'n'drop the group icon, not the list of group members. They'll show up with a little 'group' icon (a stack of business cards), rather than a 'person' icon (a single business card).
If you then sync on the t68i group then as you add new contacts to the friends or family group they will show up on your phone. It's kind of like live updating for smart playlists in iTunes.
Originally posted by stupider...likeafox
Assume that everyone is your AddressBook is in one of three groups friends, family, or sources.
Say you want everyone but the people in the sources group on your T68i phone. Create a new group called t68i and then drag and drop the groups called friends and family into the new group. That is drag'n'drop the group icon, not the list of group members. They'll show up with a little 'group' icon (a stack of business cards), rather than a 'person' icon (a single business card).
If you then sync on the t68i group then as you add new contacts to the friends or family group they will show up on your phone. It's kind of like live updating for smart playlists in iTunes.
But then won't this t68i group (or, in my case, T610) also appear on my Palm and other devices, or does the Palm not detect the Address Book groups?
Well, certainly not the optimal solution, but a solution nonetheless.
Apple's still getting feedback though.