What is the Best Palm Desktop, Handheld, X, and Entourage 2004 Configuration?

[kurious_kevin]

OK, so a caveat or two.

I've spent about two hours searching and reading around the net for the
answer to these questions which must be relevant to tens of thousands.

What I find are incomplete answers everywhere. What I need is a set of
answers that presumes no other variables and the constants outlined
below.

My set-up:

ibook running 10.3.9
Entourage 2004
Palm Desktop 4.2.1
Palm - Zire 21

So what I want is for everytime I sync, all three objectgs (Handheld,
Palm Desktop, & Entourage) are updated. Can't find a straight answer
to these simple questions:

Do I still use the Palm Desktop software when I dump it's conduits, or
is effectively being bypassed by entourages sync?

I followed all the instructions twice for getting Entourage & Palm to
sync. No dice. Is this a frequent problem? I have since restored the
conduits so I can continue to sync the handheld with the desktop.

When and if it works, do I still get to use the Palm Desktop interface,
which is frankly better than the Entourage system? (Raise your hands,
those of you who owned the first Claris Organizer, upon which the Palm
Desktop for the Mac is built!)

In the initial sync process, does Entourage "figure out" that the
emails it has are associated with the same name & complete information
sets in the Palm Desktop? Or does it create all new records?

Is there any reason for me to use isync? I don't use icalendar etc.
Am I missing out on something?

Thanks in advance for your efforts. I have tried to anticipate
objections or concerns, so will end with the tidbit that I've used Macs
daily for 19 years. I'm competent, and not intimidated by them. MS's
sight is devoid of lots of basic information, including - call me wacky
- pictures of the process, and answers to the above question.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Jim Banks]

Here's what I know from using and syncing a Palm device and Entourage since
2001: When you set things up to sync with Entourage conduits, your Palm
device will no longer sync with Palm desktop. That is the way it has always
worked. It's a bit out of the mainstream to expect to sync a Palm device
with 2 different programs simultaneously on the desktop (meaning, syncing
*all* of the conduits for *all* of the data types 3 ways). Although
probably, if you wanted (for example) to sync calendars and to-dos *only*
with Entourage, and Notes *only* with Palm desktop, you could do it just by
having the appropriate conduits enabled/disabled. If there is some 3rd party
hack or workaround that can actually keep Palm Desktop, Entourage and your
device in sync with the press of only one button, somebody else will have to
dig it up for you.

I'm sure I'll be spanked by others if I am misinforming you or
misunderstanding your questions, so stay tuned.

Jim Banks

 

[kurious_kevin]

Thanks Jim - I appreciate you answering directly what MS, Palm, et. al.
seem to think must be obvious: if you sync your handheld with
Entourage, you no longer use the Palm interface. Duh! Those guys....

What about the other questions? Folks, can you help me out?

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Jim Banks]

Paul Berkowitz, who answers questions often on this newsgroup, has created a
ton of Applescripts for different Entourage purposes. He has a group of
scripts called Export-Import Entourage 1.3.7 which are intended to import,
export and sync Entourage databases with Palm Desktop, among other PIM
programs. I haven't used them, but they seem to be highly regarded. Read
about them here...
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/15279
(You can probably find his email somewhere within the newsgroup.)

This will not get you down to a one-button sync of Entourage, Palm Desktop
and your Palm device, but it's probably as close as you'll get.

Jim Banks