mac & all PDA's (ipod too)

[markmac]

So here is my question. May sound stupid but here goes. I'm a mac owner since the early 80's. Never owned a PDA more or less because forums like these and others have worried me about so many different potential problems and aggravations and head aches. So for 6 years I've postponed getting one. My primary need would be for contact phone numbers and I want a color screen. 2 years ago I bought a Newton 2100 on ebay and had loved that but it is too heavy and bulky to carry around & I would want color.

I've also been waiting in the hopes that apple would finally come out with their own PDA and then I'd have a marriage of PDA and imac made in apple heaven. Alas, that's not going to happen.

I have considered using the ipod for contacts since it is so easy to add and subtract names and addresses but I am also waiting for the new ones to come out whenever they do.

But I still like how smaller most PDA's are compared to even an ipod.
So here is my long winded question?
I don't want to buy missing synch! But I like the clies' look, size, screen, color, speed and the sj22's new low price. I just don't want the potential synching or graffiti headaches. Anyone's help and experience would be more than appreciated. I've been procrastinating on this for years and now I really do need one. I'm sick and tired of turning on my computer to access the palm addressbook for phone numbers.:confused:

[poisonberry]

Why don't you want to buy Missing Sync? I've got an NX70, am running 10.2.3 and Missing S works like a dream with it (also works fine with my other machine, running 9.2). Fast, smooth, transparent. Forums like these are full of people who've run into difficulties because that's what the forums are there for. The majority of people don't have any problems at all. If you do have a problem, chances are someone here might be able to help you iron it out. Then, when it works, the trick is to *never change anything again, ever* ;-)

[blueflame]

missing sync works great, yu dont even realize its there, it really works as eadily as the ipod with itues, it just works, have no fear.
blueflame

[markmac]

OK, then my next question is: Is there a quality difference between the sj33 and sj22? If I'm going to have this PDA for a couple fo years ( I can afford the extra $100 difference in price), where will I have the least regrets?
Re: Missing Synch, if I have a modem connection and I buy it, do they send me a disc or do I have to download it?
Lastly, should I get an extended warranty; I hate how the sales people basically imply it's going to fall apart after the 30 day return policy. True or False? Warranty or no warranty? Circuit City or Best Buys. The BB warranty on the SJ33 is $50 for 2 years! That's alot of insurance money.

and thanxs again for the m.s. info and your confidence in using it.

mark

[markmac]

Poisonberry,
which version of MS do you have. I am running 9.2 on my imac and 10.2.3 on my powerbook. Does the same version work for both systems?
Did they send you a CD in the mail when you bought yours?

I'm a bit more confident, just have to decided which model.

[poisonberry]

Hi there markmac -
No, you need different versions for the two operating systems, but that's okay as they come together as a package. The version of MS I have is 3.0.4 for OSX. 3.0.5 is now out, and I've downloaded the update, but haven't installed it because .4 is working just great. The OSX version includes an installer for version 2.2.1 for OS9 - which didn't work for me. There's an updater on their site to take it up to 2.2.2, however, and now I've updated it works just fine. No, I didn't get a CD (I live in the UK) - I just downloaded it. There may be an option to do so, though...

$50 for a warranty? That's half a memory stick! For what it's worth, my constant experience is that these things are generally dead out of the box or chug along for ages. So I never bother with extra warranties. Your mileage may of course vary... ;-)

[gideon-J]

Hi folks,

I am a happy owner of a new SJ-22 which I synch with a mac running OS 9.1

I am very happy with and amazingly the switch from my old palm was quite painless ! I have not ussed the Missing Synch, although may purhase it in the future. For standard synhcing with a non mp3 unit, it is not neccisary.

I had a handspring and was running an older version of the palm desktop.
To switch over I just backed up my user folder (and then ziped it so that it would stay safe and sound and not get messed with). I then upgraded to palm desktop 4.0 for mac. I then synched with my old unit to make sure that was working. No problems. I then synched to the Clie with options to overright the PDA. No problem, basicly everything transfered just fine (almost).

What didnt transfer was my catagories, both in calander and contacts. So I had to re do this manually. Maybe there was some way to get this to transfer but I didnt find it and fortunatly it wasnt a big problem for me as I only use a couple of categoires and it just took a little while to re do this on the clie. I use both action names and DateBook 5.

New users: one tip i would like to share, I dont trust the built in Synch to do a full and complete backup !
Built in synch is great and very usefull, unfortantly in my experience it oten does not do a complete recover in the event that you loose all your data from your PDA. That is i find it often does not bring the PDA back to the exact state you want it in. For this I use a program called JBBackup. It is excelent. It backs up you DPA onto itself, in the case of a Clie onto a memory stick. This can then be backed up onto your computer. It can also be sceduled for automatic backups. It can them be ussed to restore your PDA to its exact same state as the last time it was backed up. I havent ussed it on the Clie yet, but it was a life saver on both my old Handprings. I think it is a major porblem that new users dont understand that the standard backup conduits, for several reasons which i wont go into now, often wont to an exact restore.

Just my 2 cents.

wellness

Gideon

[poisonberry]

Agree with this: had an example just this morning. NX70 reset itself for no reason - by pure chance I had done a backup to memorystick using MSBackup only a few hours before. This kind of backup brings the device back to exactly the same state (including preferences) whereas restoring from a sync-ed backup most certainly won't. If you've got a memory stick and MSBackup... remember to use it!

[Unregistered]

i gotta say.

i bought my clie sj30 to replace my handspring visor deluxe. it was quite a worthwhile upgrade.

i'm running os x 10.2.3 on a powerbook. i'm using all the free software i can get my hands on and i don't need anything else to sync to entourage.

in fact, using the queue sync conduit and ms's own entourage conduit, i'm pretty happy.

right now i'm looking for a avantgo replacement (prolly isilox or something)

don't bother with missing sync, i'm not even sure what that program does differently than the hotsync manager that comes *free* with palm desktop.

you're choice. i'm always hearing about how great missing sync is but honestly, have you people even *tried* to sync via the software that came with your pdas?

i love my sj30 i think the sj22 is pretty similar.

the sj33 plays mp3s. i don't think it does anything better than the sj 22. although it does ahve a hard clamshell cover.

that could be useful, though i kind of like the soft stiff cover with the sj30.

go to a best buy try em on for size. and no, you probably won't need that warranty, unless you climb mountains or soemthing ridiculous.

-rudra
shoes@nospampleaseman_mindspring.com

[MaceList.com]

Actually, if you believe the recent rumors, Apple is about to release a very small (MP2K sized) handheld within the next few weeks.

[markmac]

Originally posted by MaceList.com
Actually, if you believe the recent rumors, Apple is about to release a very small (MP2K sized) handheld within the next few weeks.

MaceList. What rumors? Where did you see or hear this? When?

[markmac]

P.S. I am a member here.

[ffolio]

Re Missing Sync -- the reason to use it, is that it allows you to mount the MS on your desktop and transfer files, just like an external drive. It's great to move MP3 and photo files that way. As someone else said, if you buy and install it, it's invisible thereafter -- just an enabler.

Re extended warranties -- I got a great "open box" deal on a NX70v at Best Buy ($375) and got the warranty because BB will upgrade you to a higher model if they can't replace your Clie immediately (in the event of a repair).

One more thing -- the NX's and NZ's are faster and run Palm OS5, which is brilliant. I'm a committed Mac user and am furious with Sony for turning their corporate backs on the most creative sector of computer users. Even so, the Clie (imho) is so superior to other PDAs that I simply HAD to have one. My advice: get the very best you can afford, you won't regret it. Great tool, great toy!

[buzz2mv]

Hi Gang! My name is buzz and I am a SONYHOLIC...but only since my buddy showed me how cool the NX70 video w/camera was. He had almost an entire Hollywood film loaded onto a 128MB Memory Stick. I wanted...so I waited about 5 months until the NZ90 arrived cause I wanted the 2 MP camera for higher resolution (I was so excited when I learned upon opening the box I could do movies too...not sure if they are MPEGs or what level of MPEG or what...but I figure there's gotta be a way to get the movies into my MAC). Got an NZ90 at MWAVE for under $700. I am a MAC guy and have two networks I work off of...one at home which is an iMAC G3 400 DV running MAC OS 9.1 and just added a G4 - 800 which I will be upgrading to Jaguar (I think that's OS 10.2.4); the other is in my office and it's a bunch of iMAC G3 350's, one 400 mHZ and a couple of old 7300 Power Macs, one with an upgrade G3 card. OK, so it sounds like I need Missing Synch (MS) to get the Clie to work on my iMAC. Any ideas where I could get this program for not too much $$ so I can start the Clie talking to my iMAC's? Any other must haves I should get? I was intrigued by the aluminum cases which ClieSource advertises for sale. Also, forgive my utter lack of knowledge...but what's a launcher? Thanks for any replies in advance. Newbie..neophyte Buzz