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[NewEnergy]

Just got my new Z10 and while some stuff is great I have already found major issues that affect me keeping this phone. I hope I am wrong but there is no sync for getting my calendar and contacts, tasks from my PC - great for getting music but I am a business customer first and use a desktop. Can anyone let me know if this is really the case - I hope I am wrong.

PS: using some crappy online contact or calendar just don't do it.

[sdgardne]

Hello,

You are not wrong. All indicators so far show that the tethered sync to a desktop PIM has been removed in favor of full OTA sync with various compatible service providers. Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail all claim some level of ability to achieve this...but I found so far that using Hotmail for Calendar and Contacts to be the best end to end (e.g., Outlook client through to Z10) 2-way synchronization solution.

This is indeed a major change from prior methodologies...but, honestly, I'd prefer a full OTA solution anyway since I don't want to have to tether to my PC to reconcile those databases. Doing so OTA is much more efficient for my purposes. (Others may feel differently.)

Good luck!

[mathewsd001]

This works

http://www.geeksquad.co.uk/articles/how-to-setup-gmail-sync-on-blackberry-z10

[sdgardne]

Sort of. That gets everything working fine between the device and the Google servers. But you still must do something to synchronize between the desktop PIM and the Google servers (in order to replace what was lost, as per the OPs desire).

With Google, you can get a free connector between Outlook and the Google servers for Calendar, but only paid Google Apps subscribers can get the same tool for Contacts. Yahoo claims to offer both for free, but I've tried for 2 days without success to use their servers as the conduit between desktop Outlook and my Z10. Today, I settled on HotMail and their connectors indeed work...I can OTA synchronize, 2-way, calendar and contacts between my desktop Outlook and my Z10 (and several other devices as well). I don't have to use HotMail for email...I can continue to use whatever email service provider I desire and use HotMail solely as the conduit for calendar and contacts.

Good luck!

[Freeskiken]

Is there any step by step information on how to do this ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jackkapica]

Just today I finshed a four-day marathon with BB tech support on just this issue. Let me share my experiences with you.

Yes, the over-the-air sync is what BB is now designed to do. It will be an ideal situation when everybody moves to any of the Web-app mail platforms (Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Sympatico and so on).

BB support, which was very patient and kind, fixed the problem. I can now get email into my Z10; to do this we had to disable the feature that erases email from the server after it is handed over to Outlook.  It was an Outlook Hotmail Connector issue.

The Calendar, however, is another matter entirely.

I use Sympatico, and was told bluntly by them the other day that it was "not possible" to handle a calendar with Outlook and sync it with the Z10. By "not possible" the guy really meant Bell doesn't support it, which means it might be able to work, but they haven't been trained on this. In short, they're all told to lie to anyone who asks. 

Every time I speak to Sympatico tech support I just lose it.

Anyway, BB tech support confirmed this was an outlook Hotmail Connector issue, and they too didn't know how to fix it. Instead, we made a workaround: we exported my calendar and inhaled it into the Hotmail calendar in Sympatico/Hotmail, routing around Outlook entirely. 

So that leaves me with one major problem: I cannot update that calendar through Outlook; as an issue of Outlook Hotmail Connector, it's Microsoft's problem, and Microsoft isn't about to get on the phone with you or me to work it out. 

I'm sure we will get a fix sooner or later, or perhaps through Outlook 2013 (I haven't yet installed my copy). In the meantime, I have to keep all my appointments on the Hotmail Calendar service so I can sync it on the BB Z10. I will keep sweeping the Net for this issue, and hope some person who has an understanding of Outlook Hotmail Connector can figure it out.

The Z10 is a sweet phone, and it works just as advertised. But it doesn't work they way it used to. And I find that difficult because I had become accustomed to working with Outlook. Perhaps if we all shouted really loudly that this phone is scaring people off Outlook, Microsoft might find a solution quickly enough. Yeah, I know -- I'm a dreamer. 

The best of luck to you.

Jack

[Freeskiken]

What about using companion link ?

http://www.companionlink.com/products/bb10-outlook.html

This should work should it not ?

[jackkapica]

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I'll give it a try and let this group know.

Have you tried it?

Jack

[Klaatu]

I have tried it previously on transferring and syncing contacts and calendar to Outlook; but haven't been able to do with Z10 yet. The DejaOffice app needs to be installed into Blackberry World, which is pending apparently... but once that happens I have high confidence that it will work well.

[sdgardne]

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Freeskiken wrote:
Is there any step by step information on how to do this ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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I am in the midst of writing one...I'm not sure when it will be complete.