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How do you sync email to iPhone that is in Thunderbird?

iPhone Contacts Sync : my way or the highway

  • Looking for recommendations for a *private* "sync-your-iPhone-contacts/PIMdata-to-the-cloud" solution. (Yes, I'm using the term 'Cloud' loosely) I have an iPhone. I have linux server. I want to wirelessly synch the Contacts on my iPhone to the server. - Primary purpose is to quickly and frequently backup my iPhone's contacts (I don't connect my iPhone to an iTunes-capable machine very frequently. Hardly ever, in fact). - Secondary purpose is to have access to my Contacts from various client applications (e.g. Thunderbird etc) "Private" because I don't want my Contacts be sitting on someone else's server (e.g. Google). I've taken a look at a few solutions (Funambol, synthesis SyncML servers, along with their respective iPhone client apps) which at first blush seem do-able, but I'm hoping to hear of others' experiences before I dive in & make the investment of time. I'm willing and able to invest the time installing, configuring, and tweaking the necessary software, but I don't want to end up with a buggy "solution" where I end up with duplicate contacts, or can only add or delete contacts from one particular client, etc. * * I gave it a go with UbuntuOne's phone synch service. The PAID service. The iPhone client worked great but the web-interface sucked bigtime. So I scrapped it (no refund! bah!) and decided to roll my own. Thanks!

  • Answer:

    I sought the same thing. I ended up paying for MobileMe. Horde + Synthesis client proved unreliable (missing data on server or iphone) and had unusable deficiencies (very limited in what would sync back and forth with contacts). A paid hosted Exchange service would work. Exchange would limit what you can sync in terms of multiple calendars and what fields with contacts work. I preferred the fine print with MobileMe to the fine print from Google. Also, I can harass someone for support with MobileMe, not with Google.

armoir from antproof case at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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I've been happy with MobileMe for years. Still discovering little perks that make it worthwhile.

Mertonian

Unless I'm missing something (is MobileMe something I can install on my own server?) I don't think these recommendations will help fit the bill. Plus I have read of problems accessing MobileMe account from non-Mac browsers. FWIW, I did go ahead an install the Funambol server and got it up and running with very little mucking around. Together with the Funambol client 'app' for iPhone, I had my phones contacts synched (backed up) to the server in very short order and with little hassle. The funambol server package comes with a 'web demo' that so allows limited access to the contact data but it appears as though it might be possible to extend it. If I want to muck around all that much more...

armoir from antproof case

I forgot that I tried Funambol (18 months ago). It was less than good. The free version was unusable for me. Clearly I should look at it again. MobileMe is indeed a hosted solution by Apple. The reason I suggested it is I tried other options and they failed in non-trivial ways, plus they all had quirky restrictions on what data did and didn't sync. In the end, I gave-in to Apple with MobileMe because I wanted it to just work.

fief

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