Sync Windows Mobile with a Mac?

I installed Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac this weekend and have been giving some thought to syncing my Windows Mobile smartphone with a Mac instead of Windows XP (I have Vista running but don’t want to use WMDC). Unfortunately, all of the solutions have issues. Here are my options.

Sync my smartphone with Mac OS X’s iCal (calendar) and Address Book (contacts) using Missing Sync for Windows Mobile ($39.95 download). I believe I lose the ability to sync notes and tasks. And, I definitely can’t sync OneNote Mobile.

Sync my smartphone with Microsoft Entourage 2008 using,again, Missing Sync for Windows Mobile. Mark/Space said that Microsoft doesn’t provide a conduit/plug-in to work with Apple Sync Services. The effect of this is that all category information is lost (all categories are consolidated to the category “Entourage”). I use categories a lot. So, hmm. Everything except for OneNote Mobile should sync minus the category information.

Install Windows XP a virtualized Guest OS using either Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMware Fusion. This means I could install Microsoft Office for Windows along with OneNote Mobile. Unfortunately, VM virtual disk drives can take up a lot of disk space. Do, I really want to dedicate a VM and its associated disk space just for syncing a smartphone?

The last alternative is to dump Windows Mobile and buy a phone supported by Apple’s iSync. It is an interesting idea. But, I really like what Windows Mobile has to offer me (despite my disdain for ActiveSync and WMDC). So, that is not a reasonable alternative for me (although it seems to be a valid one for many other people).

If you are syncing a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone with a Mac, please let me know how your solution is working for you. Thanks in advance!

11 thoughts on “Sync Windows Mobile with a Mac?”

  1. Wendi

    I have downloaded both SyncMate and Missing Sync and neither will fully install. I have:

    Uninstalled one before installing the other;
    Purchased the pay versions of both programs;
    Done a hard reset on the phone and the mac;
    Spent countless hours going through every blog, support site, etc. looking for, and performing each “fix” and solution.

    My setup:

    HTC Touch Pro 2 running WM 6.5
    iMac MacBook Pro running 10.6.2

    HELP!

  3. Gene

    Lynn, on USB to PC, try disabling (or unchecking) the “Enable advanced network functionality”.

  4. Lynn

    Some help please!! I have a MacBook (10.5.6) & a Dell Axim x51 (Mobile Windows 5). I found SyncMate & it seems like I am almost there with the syncing, but I am having some trouble. I am definitely not a super savvy techie, but am learning slowly. When I connect my Axim to my Mac, a “connecting” message with USB symbol pops up & SyncMate opens automatically. That’s good. But then nothing happens on my Axim. I can’t get a connection between the two. The Action Log says:

    Build 1.4.1.367
    BackService version: 0.4.2b19
    USB driver version: 0.2.4b9
    Can’t activate RAPI session.
    Cant connect to Pocket

    I think I have to do something with my Axim, but I have no clue what that would be. I have the following settings:

    — ActiveSync : enabled “Synchronize all PCs using this connection” USB
    — Remote NDIS : Use server-assigned IP address
    — USB to PC : enabled “Enable advanced network functionality”

    What now? Any suggestions?

    Thanks.

  5. John V

    I am in the same boat. Here is what I recommend. Check out PocketMac. It is another company that has produced software to sync WM6 Blackberries… They are a stand-up group of guys and are currently working on a program that will sync with Entourage 08. You can sign up for an e-mail that notifies you when they release it. So I am just going to wait till either company releases something that works will syncing with Office O8 on a Mac

  6. Yulio

    I use SyncMate for my HTC S710 and it works pretty good and syncs contacts, folders, iCal, iPhoto, iTunes and a lot of other stuff without problems.

  7. Fr. Ignatius

    I have PocketMac. I have been using it for over a year, syncing my Dell Axim X51v with a iMac Intel Mini and iMac G5 PowerPC (both are running Leopard 10.5.1).

    Nothing is perfect, but it works fairly well. Addresses, iCal, Tasks, iTunes, iPhoto and others.

    Sometimes I get duplicates, but then I run SKTools on the PocketPC, sync again, and this clears it up.

    When the iPod Touch can do native Word Processing, read eBooks and save items on the Flash drive, I will migrate back to Mac for my PDA use.

    Overall, PocketMac is a good program.

    One downside, they are slow in getting updates, but their Tech Support is usually very good.

    Unworthy Servant of God,

    Ignatius – priestmonk

  8. Mike Piatek-Jimenez

    I used The Missing Sync 3 with my Dell Axim for about a year, and I regret the purchase of that software. Does it work? Kinda. Contacts and calendars synced okay with Address Book and iCal, but sometimes it would get screwed up and just refuse to sync all day events. It will sync notes, but only ones that are all text and don’t have any kind of drawing in them. A couple of times I ended up with 2 copies of all my notes, which was a pain to clean up. The Missing Sync is supposed to be able to sync Safari bookmarks, but that never worked for me, which was also frustrating.

    If I could do it again, I think I would try something else like Pocket Mac. I recently went out and bought an iPod touch, because Apple finally added Mail support and I liked the idea of Apple-supported sync software. I’m definitely happier with my mobile computing now.

  9. todd Post author

    Stephen/Frank: Thanks for your feedback. Frank: I completely forgot about the option for a hosted Exchange Server.

  11. Stephen Darlington

    I use Missing Sync with my HTC P4350 and it works pretty well. Mail, Address Book and iCal (including tasks) sync just fine, including categories. Missing Sync comes with a Notes application so those can be edited on the Mac too. They recently added a call log and text message sync that’s proved to be quite handy.

    Downsides: I have come across some stability problems. And I’ve not tried it with Entourage.

    I am, however, considering a new phone because WM6 is not what I hoped. It does well on a feature check-list but is wanting in the usability stakes.

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