Syncing entourage with two different Mac

P

Paul Berkowitz

Use an IMAP server. m.
Click to expand...

That won't exactly help with contacts, calendar, tasks, etc.

If you just use one computer at a time - like moving from your desktop at
home or work to a laptop you take away with you - the simplest thing is to
copy the Main Identity (or whatever you might have renamed it to) folder in
~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2004 Identities/ (or Office X
Identities - why didn't you tell us what version you're using?) folder of
your most recently used computer to the same location in the other computer.
If the computers are both immovable desktops in different locations, burn
that folder to CD (or sip disk, etc.) an bring it with you to the other
location.

There are other ways to do it if there's some reason why this wouldn't work.
As Matt says, more or less, if all you're concerned with is email, an IMAP
account is the best way to go.


--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.
 
M

matt neuburg

Paul Berkowitz said:
That won't exactly help with contacts, calendar, tasks, etc.
Click to expand...

True - I just didn't think of that. Sorry.
If you just use one computer at a time - like moving from your desktop at
home or work to a laptop you take away with you - the simplest thing is to
copy the Main Identity
Click to expand...

Right, but that's not what I think of as "sync". Perhaps I didn't
understand the question. I do what you describe all the time - hand off
what I call "mastery" from one computer to another. But to me, "sync ...
with two different Macs" means: you want to use Entourage on two
different Macs, indiscriminately, more or less simultaneously, and yet
have them show the same contents afterwards. The method you describe
won't help with that: one Mac will simply wipe out the other. IMAP was
invented to solve exactly this problem.

Incidentally, this is a reason why people use Apple's own Mail, iCal,
etc. - you *can* genuinely sync them between machines. m.
 
P

Paul Berkowitz

True - I just didn't think of that. Sorry.


Right, but that's not what I think of as "sync". Perhaps I didn't
understand the question. I do what you describe all the time - hand off
what I call "mastery" from one computer to another. But to me, "sync ...
with two different Macs" means: you want to use Entourage on two
different Macs, indiscriminately, more or less simultaneously, and yet
have them show the same contents afterwards. The method you describe
won't help with that: one Mac will simply wipe out the other. IMAP was
invented to solve exactly this problem.

Incidentally, this is a reason why people use Apple's own Mail, iCal,
etc. - you *can* genuinely sync them between machines. m.
Click to expand...

Well, now that you've given me an entrée ;-). I happen to have published
some shareware scripts that can "piggyback" Entourage on top of Apple's
iSync to .Mac. My "Sync Entourage-Address Book" and "Sync Entourage-iCal"
scripts can sync Entourage to those two Apple application on Computer A.
Then use iSync to .Mac. On the other computer, Sync to .Mac then run the
scripts there. Of course there are more steps involved, but it works and
lets you use Entourage as your PIM. Fields that don't exist in Apple's
Address Book are synced to labeled notes there and then accurately back to
Entourage on the other computer. I think most customers of the scripts use
them more for syncing to cell phones via iSync, but they do work
computer-to-computer too. The scripts are available at

MacScripter.net <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

</end of plug>

Of course for email you just use IMAP, as you said.

Another possibility for contacts, calendar etc. in Entourage 2004 is to use
Projects. You create a Project on a suitable server (here an iDisk would be
too slow, I think) and include everything except mail (which still woks
better with IMAP): all your contacts, calendar, tasks, notes , and Share it
all. On the other computer you join the same project. Voilà! You now do all
your business on the server - effectively just like IMAP. You can access it
all from either location as long as you're connected. If you're not
connected, everything sync up to the server at the next connection.

Longer term, the details that Apple released last June with its "sneak peak"
at Tiger revealed very interesting ideas about its new
constant-sync-services that will replace iSync. They also said they were
opening it all up to 3rd-party developers. I'd guess that MacBU won't want
to be left out. Chances are (I have no idea, but it seems like a big effort)
that we might have to wait until the next major Entourage release to be able
to plug in, but the idea is that all your applications and devices on the
Mac will be able to share all their data. I think that the common format
would mean that it could all get shared via .Mac as well. Something to look
forward to...

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.
 
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