They say a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, and Windows Mobile's is it's sync software- Activesync (for XP PCs) or Windows Mobile Device Center (for Vista.)
From trouble connecting, to data that mysteriously refuses to sync from the PC to device or vice versa, Windows mobile users have struggled with Activesync for many years. Adding insult to injury, the new WMDC for Vista refuses to sync with older devices or older versions of Outlook, and the latest incarnations of the sync software no longer allow syncing over the Internet or WiFi, unless you use an Exchange server, which is overkill for those of us with one or two PCs and a mobile device. Worse yet, Activesync/WMDC only syncs with Outlook, which wasn't much of a hardship a couple of years ago when all WM devices included a licensed copy of Outlook, but today, most do not, so after plunking a few hundred bucks on a shiny new WM device, you discover you need to pony up another $100+ on a copy of Outlook.
Unfortunately, Activesync and WMDC, being free, have not motivated third party developers to exert a lot of effort creating replacements.
However, there are a couple of options available to sync your PIM (Personal Information Manager- contacts, calendar, etc.) data with a PC without Activesync, by using server-based PIM storage. One option, of course, is Exchange. If you don't have Outlook, this is a good solution, either with a free Exchange account at Mail2Web (covered a post or two ago) that will allow you to access your PIM data in a browser window, or a paid Exchange account which will include a copy of Outlook, the license for which is good as long as you subscribe to the service. At $7/month, you could buy hosted Exchange service from 1&1 (http://order.1and1.com/xml/order/MailExchange) for over a year for less than a boxed retail copy of Outlook at the local office supply store.
Of course, as you know if you've read any of my prior posts, I'm a big fan of "free" so let's take a brief look at free alternatives to Exchange.
I'm currently trying out Funambol from www.funambol.com. It's an open source sync system designed for a variety of cellular phones- not just smartphones like WinMo, Blackberry or Palm, but most "dumbphones" as well. You install their client software on the devices (and PCs) you intend to sync, and they all sync with a "Funambol" server- either a free one you can find online (www.scheduleworld.com or http://my.funambol.com, for example) or, if it offends your security sensibilities to store your data on somebody else's server, you can install the Funambol server software on your own PC and sync with your own server.
In addition, Funambol syncs with Outlook. I run Outlook on three PCs so Funambol keeps them, as well as my WinMo devices, all in sync without the monthly fees of an Exchange service.
If you're content to keep your PIM data "in the clouds" (i.e. Google Calendar, etc.) your WinMo device can sync directly with such Internet-based services. Goosync (www.goosync.com) lets you sync to Google Calendar for free, while syncing your contacts and tasks requires a "Premium Account" for about $40/year.
Another service I tried and have nothing good to say about is Emoze (www.emoze.com). Like Funambol, they are a multi-platform server-based sync solution. However, their software didn't recognize any contact with a company name but no first/last name (as a business user, HUNDREDS of my contacts are like that!) and created duplicates of all of these called "Unnamed," that I spent a good hour cleaning out of my device and PC, right after uninstalling Emoze! (My own fault- I generally backup my Outlook contacts before trying any alternative sync software, but that time, for whatever reason, I forgot, and completely "polluted" my contacts!) Like Funambol, they periodically update their software, so this may have been addressed in a newer release, but, as they say, once bitten...
I admit I'm fibbing a little when I say "life without Activesync" because I still use Activesync to sync files, like Word and Excel documents with my device, but I haven't synced my PIM data directly to my PC in a few months- it's all going through Funambol, which, since it syncs over the Internet, is very convenient- I can stay up to date without having to plug the device into a PC, all without any monthly fees from a hosted Exchange provider!
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