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iCal on Droid (for a newbie)

T

tonyproscio

New Member
I really have to have a desktop calendar that works on my computer when I'm offline, and that syncs with my phone when I leave the office. I use Macs at home and work. I know the Droid is set up to use Google Calendar, but that doesn't sync well with iCal (you can sync only one way, from Google to iCal, but not in reverse). So that's not an option for me. Is there some other calendar program that will sync smoothly between the Droid and my desktop? (I'm not married to iCal, I just need something that works on a Mac.) This is kind of a deal-breaker for me -- I'll have to return my Droid if I can't use a calendar (and my 30-day clock is ticking!). But it seems so basic, I'm sure there must be a solution. Has anybody solved this problem?
 
Thanks, jc - it looks like you're luckier than I am. :) It definitely won't work for me - whenever I sync, everything from Google shows up in iCal, including tons of duplicates, but nothing entered in iCal appears in Google. There's also a thread of other users on the Apple web site with the same problem, and no answer from Apple. I guess it must work for some people but not others. Anyway, it's not something I can gamble with (my income depends on this), so I wonder if you'd have any idea: Is there any other sync-able calendar option, or is it Google or nothing? Anyhow, thanks again for responding.
 
I did the iCal->Google thing too when I moved from my Storm. I guess I got lucky as well because it worked out relatively well.

I know... I know... this doesn't help you.
 
atomicwedgie said:
I did the iCal->Google thing too when I moved from my Storm. I guess I got lucky as well because it worked out relatively well.

I know... I know... this doesn't help you.
Click to expand...

Actually, it might help a lot. Did you use BlackBerry's desktop software when you had the Storm? Did you like it? (I know the phone wasn't great, but maybe the software was good?) If I have to return the Droid, I figured I'd get a Storm2 and use BB's calendar/contacts/etc. But I don't have any way of knowing if that will really make my life better. If you spent some time in BlackBerryland, I'd be grateful for your review. Thanks!
 
tonyproscio said:
Actually, it might help a lot. Did you use BlackBerry's desktop software when you had the Storm? Did you like it? (I know the phone wasn't great, but maybe the software was good?) If I have to return the Droid, I figured I'd get a Storm2 and use BB's calendar/contacts/etc. But I don't have any way of knowing if that will really make my life better. If you spent some time in BlackBerryland, I'd be grateful for your review. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes I used DM but on the PC just for backing up. I never used the Mac version so I cannot speak from experience. I used Google Sync to get everything up to snuff because I like the idea of a web based interface to update all things. Then I used PocketMac back when it was required but I don't think you need that anymore.

And let me just say this... while I have a Droid and am overall happy with it, I do kind of miss my Storm in some ways. If there was no Droid, I'd be Storming it for sure. I think the Storm handles Email and Contacts better than the Droid. As well I miss the ability to have custom sounds for SMS and calls from each contact. I think the Storm had more flexibility in this area. Since I am talking about my S1, the S2 has to be even better.

Google Sync with iCal and Contacts has been proven to work so I would have to imagine it's just something little that is causing your issues.
 
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Thanks! That makes me feel a little better about dumping the Droid, which I'm sure I'll miss in some ways. But business trumps everything else, so it's good to know I can rely on BB. Yes, I'm sure my problem is minor -- but it's such an essential function I don't dare take the risk. It seems weird to have a phone that will shine my shoes, mix a martini, and put my kids to bed ... but won't keep my calendar up to date! LOL. Anyhow, thanks again for your help.
 
tonyproscio said:
It seems weird to have a phone that will shine my shoes, mix a martini, and put my kids to bed ... but won't keep my calendar up to date! LOL.
Click to expand...

LMAO! That was an excellent (albeit stretching the truth in both ways) analogy. :)

If you're using it for business, I'd give the Storm the nod. Sure you could get by with the Droid but the Storm is more seasoned in this area. With a couple of add-on apps, the Storms Contact/Calendar features are first rate.
 
Having come from a BB, I believe the Droid with Google is nearly the perfect solution. I use Busysync ($20) to sync my iCal with Google and other computers on my home network. Push technology. Works perfect. I can add an event via google, ical, or Droid and they show up almost instantly on all my devices.
 
Skywaterbanjo said:
Having come from a BB, I believe the Droid with Google is nearly the perfect solution. I use Busysync ($20) to sync my iCal with Google and other computers on my home network. Push technology. Works perfect. I can add an event via google, ical, or Droid and they show up almost instantly on all my devices.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that!
 
I am having the EXACT same issue! Can you tell me if you bought the software and did it work? I'm also interested in the person that said the storm was more conducive to business, when all I have heard is the Droid is the best for business!
 
I ended up solving the calendar problem for free -- and I'm very happy with the result. In iCal, you can create a Google account that will cause the Apple calendar to sync with Google (and thus with your Droid) every 15 minutes. You can also force an immediate sync anytime you want to. Here's the Google help page that tells you how to do it:

Get Started with CalDAV - Google Calendar Help

As for using the Droid for business, I've had only one complaint so far, and it's minor: It's nearly impossible to sync my Apple Address Book with the Droid. For some reason, they made the calendar easy to sync and the contacts hard.

But this is minor. For one thing, I'm told that Snow Leopard (the latest Apple OS) offers an automatic sync between Address Book and Google Contacts, and I plan to upgrade eventually. So that will be solved. As an alternative, I could use Busysync or The Missing Sync to keep the Droid contacts current. Friends have particularly recommended Missing Sync, which you can read about here:

Keep your life in sync with The Missing Sync for Android from Mark/Space

But pending my upgrade to Snow Leopard, I've just been updating my contacts manually on the phone -- a pain, but not permanent.

All in all, I'm really glad I got the Droid. I've found it very hard to get used to -- a good deal more complicated than the BlackBerry -- but once I figure things out, I find the features work well and the phone is more comfortable to use (plus cooler) than the BB.

Hope this helps. Bear with the Droid -- the getting-acquainted phase is rough, but you'll come to like it.
 
Oops - forgot to mention one really crucial factor in syncing iCal with Google: You have to delete your old Google calendar first, before you create the account in iCal. If you already have a Google calendar set up, it will sync only in one direction -- which is the problem I was having when I started this thread. Start by backing up your iCal calendar and deleting your Google calendar, then you should have no trouble. Let me know if you run into trouble.
 
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