BlackBerry® Z10

[maxfindlay]

As lots of people in these forums will remember, BB promised last month to introduce USB syncing of contacts / calendars with MS Outlook. This was meant to happen in two stages: (1) a one-time sync between the phone and computer and then (2) two-way syncing in a subsequent upgrade to BB Link. However, I can find no information about whether this promise has been kept or not. As I took my Z10 back to the shop over this issue but will rebuy once the USB sync issue is resolved, I'm obviously keen to know what progress has actually been made. BB's own website is seemingly silent on the issue (unless they've cunningly buried the answer in some hidden corner of the site). Any answers gratefully received. Thank you.

[ViciousFerret · Accepted solution]

Hey maxfindlay,

BlackBerry Link 1.0.1 was released tonight for Windows.  It features one way calendar and contact synchronization from Microsoft Outlook.

You can download the update from http://blackberry.com/blackberrylink

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Cheers.

[maxfindlay]

Thanks, ViciousFerret, for letting me know. That's great. I'll go and reget the Z10. PS Are there any particular problems with the 1.0.1 upgrade that I ought to know about before downloading it, though? Only asking because long experience teaches me that upgrades sometimes have flaws of their own. These may well be minor and not put me off rebuying the Z10 but obviously I'd like to know about them in advance. Thanks again.

Max   

[rat-7]

---

maxfindlay wrote:

Thanks, ViciousFerret, for letting me know. That's great. I'll go and reget the Z10. PS Are there any particular problems with the 1.0.1 upgrade that I ought to know about before downloading it, though? Only asking because long experience teaches me that upgrades sometimes have flaws of their own. These may well be minor and not put me off rebuying the Z10 but obviously I'd like to know about them in advance. Thanks again.

Max   

---

It is here but it works only from the PC to the Z10 for now. 

One thing that I found out when I tried it, is that it will sync every contact book in Outlook even those that are in the archive 

[Publisher]

Actually, for anyone thinking this is great news... think again. It's merely a patch by BB to correct an unforgivable mistake which should never have happened in the first place.

Yes, the latest BB Link allows the syncing of Ms Outlook Contacts and Calendar. BUT (and I'm afraid this is a big but...)

1. It is only one-way (PC to Z10), although BB are working on a two-way sync... coming soon

2. It does not allow you the option to select given profiles... so you get EVERYTHING transferred, including any archive Contacts and, perhaps, any profiles you may not want on your phone

3. As per (1) above, the PC is effectively the 'master'. That would be okay... if any subsequent changes you make to Contacts in Outlook were updated each time you undertake the one-way sync to your phone. BUT... IT DOESN'T. In fact, you get a message that says: "...will not update any existing records that have been modified." WTF!!!! So if Company A changes its phone number, or CEO, or address... it'll never get through to your phone!

Just like the user experience with the Z10 has been so dreadfully poor - and aside of the above - I'm aslo finding lots of problems with the new USB sync through BBLink 1.1.

My Z10 often gets disconnected for no apparent reason when syncing through BBL 1.1.

And some of the recurring calendar items aren't mirror-images. For instance, something on my Ms Outlook calendar which was a three-day occurence for 9/10/11 March (set on the PC as 'recurs>daily>end after 3 occurences')... keeps recurring 'daily' EVERY DAY SINCE when I've transferred the calendar data to the Z10!!!

Yesterday, I went in to my Vodafone shop and they have, very kindly, agreed that I can swap my Z10 for something else. I'm afraid that being a BB user for over a decade, and sticking with them through thick and thin, I am going to take them up on their offer. I suggest anyone who's waited patiently for the Z10 thinks very carefully about staying a BB user. IMHO, BlackBerry is now dead in the water and it would be a 'risk' to tie-up to any form of contract. This company now appears to be lacking in many areas - and as staunch BB users, our worst fears ARE about to be realised. RIP.

[marynelson]

To avoid 10,000 contacts being dumped into your phone, 1) drag all your Contacts subfolders into the trash (but DON'T EMPTY THE TRASH!), 2) sync Outlook with your phone, then 3) drag your subfolders back to Contacts.

[marynelson]

But, yes, Outlook sync is horrible. Except for that I LOVE this phone. Am waiting to see if they fix the Outlook interface. If yes, I'm keeping the phone! If no, I'll have to get something else. Everything I use (feels like, anyway) is in Outlook.

If everybody screams and moans about it loud enough, maybe they'll fix it (like, SOON). That would be the best solution for me and probably a lot of other people.

[TihwJ]

Any further news for USB Z10 2-way sync with Outlook 2010?

[TPW]

Yes Please .........Any further news !

I thought my days of checking two calendars where over !

[ViciousFerret]

Hey TihwJ,

Welcome to the BlackBerry Support Community Forums.

Currently there is only one way synchronization from Microsoft Outlook to the BlackBerry Z10 via USB.  There is no estimated time when two-way synchronization will be available.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Cheers.