A smart phone pass Microsoft ’s Windows Mobile operating organization can put up feature lay out from edit Microsoft Office document to observe tv set . But when it comes to managing your calendar and store inter-group communication , the smart speech sound turns out to be pretty dumb : you ’re stuck with entering data on the earpiece ’s computer keyboard , because Windows Mobile wo n’t utter to your Mac .
The Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 2.5.1 , from Mark / Space , opens that line of communication . The software package launch and lay down an active connection when you plug in the speech sound via USB ( Bluetooth and Wi - Fi connection are also supported , though Microsoft disabled Wi - Fi synchronization on equipment hightail it Windows Mobile 5 ) . To synchronize information with iCal and Address Book , The Missing Sync uses the Sync Services engineering built into Mac OS X 10.4 .
A plug - in for syncing with Microsoft Entourage 2004 ( ) is also admit , and worked as expected . you’re able to enable or disable male plug - ins just by marking checkboxes , which leave the added benefit of mixing and equalise your software program ( such as using Entourage for your calendar and Address Book for your contacts ) .
During my first synchronization , a twosome of calendar records would n’t synchronize — for no obvious reason . I was able to identify them using the program ’s synchronization logarithm , cancel them , and re - produce them without incident . The Missing Sync also tender troubleshooting options such as performing a more comprehensive dumb sync , which was utilitarian but quite metre - consume : my aging 1.25GHz PowerBook G4 take intimately an hour to process 1,200 record . Also helpful is the software ’s battery status indicant , which warns you to recharge the battery before the phone goes idle .
impudent phones can also view photos and fiddle music , so The Missing Sync tie into iPhoto ( ) andiTunes ( ) when you get on the equipment on your desktop — though at time the phone did not stay mounted . The Missing Sync sparking plug - in for iPhoto work cleanly , placing the picture files into the proper folder on the Treo 700w I used for testing and letting me change image proportion .
The software system ’s iTunes fundamental interaction was problematic , though : the Treo show up as a gadget in iTunes 7 and properly simulate the song file I dragged to it , but not all Sung in the Treo ’s My Music folder appeared in the iTunes inclination . Also , I could copy songs or pic using iTunes or iPhoto only to the telephone set ’s build - in retentiveness , not now to an stick in memory wit . However , copying the files via the Finder proved to be a manual but successful workaround .
The Missing Sync for Windows Mobile also stand senior operating systems such as Windows Mobile 2002 and Pocket personal computer on a variety of phones from Palm , Motorola , Dell , HP , and others ; check Mark / Space ’s comprehensivelist of suffer phonesto ensure that the computer software works with your phone .
Macworld’s buying advice
If you want the advanced features of a Windows Mobile - based impertinent phone , The Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 2.5.1 construct them work on for your Mac , with features that go beyond just synchronizing phone numbers and calendar entrance . Although I stumble a few initial snag , locating and fix the problems were soft .
[ Jeff Carlson is manage editor ofTidBITSand a columnist for theSeattle Timeswho prefer any lineament other than voice when using a bright telephone set . ]
