Desktop Software for Mac

[MB007]

 I've got the updated PocketMac installed but cannot get my address book to sync. Have already spent a whole morning at Verizon and have spoken with Blackberry mac support. They said it was my address book.

The sync starts up (when i ask it to sync all categories), goes for a tiny bit, and then cuts out. I've tried having the log open while it's running and I can see it 'downgrading' certain entries, and then it all just disappears. One question I have is whether the fact that some of my phone number entries also have text in them is causing a problem. For instance, next to a number I may have written, *23, or 'ext. 23', or the name of the person who the number belongs to, etc. 

At  any rate, I'm nearing my wits end with this.  Suggestions on what to do or who to contact next?

[PocketMacAnne]

Hi,

Have you contacted our support team at the web address below? They may be able to directly assist you with this issue.

Thank you!

Anne 

[Biff]

After running through an un-install, re-install, and data and sync purge, I started syncing each component one by one starting with Mail and working my way backwards through the various tabs until I got to contacts which is where my previous syncs seemed to be hanging. Everything synced fine until I enabled contact syncing where it continued to hang.

After trolling here a while I found a post about setting the connection to Serial instead of USB. This gives you a drop down menu which allows you to select your BB device. I did this and my contacts now sync properly. Bizarre but it works.

Now if I could only get my SD card to mount properly. Everything was fine with OSX 10.4.11 and the previous version of PocketMac but now with 10.5 and the latest PM version it's painful.

[f8lee]

Hi, Anne - I just found this thread now while looking for an answer to my inability to sync my address book with my Curve. This is not something I do regularly; the last time was some months ago (before I upgraded to 10.5 no doubt), but when I connect the Curve to the Mac (a 3.06GHz iMac) and start the sync the "thermometer" starts up, jumps to about the halfway point, and then jumps to the 90% completion point, and then never moves beyond that.

When I open the Force Quit window, it does not indicate that PM is not responding. After the first few times, I downloaded the latest version and the same thing occurs. I long ago gave up trying to sync calendar or any other area, and have set PM to overwrite the device rather then perform a 2-way sync, but now I can't even get that much synced.

Any ideas? 

[RNPARIS]

f8lee,  I'm having the exact same problem.  By any chance do you have MobileMe installed?  I was wondering if it could be anything to do with that...  PocketMac is pretty flaky software.

[f8lee]

Hi, RNPARIS (nurse Paris?) - I have a dot-Mac account (predates MobileMe) but there's nothing pecial on the Mac having to do with that, so far as I know. And I am not trying to sync e-mail, or even calendar any longer - just the contact file. The thing is, it used to work - admittedly I didn't use it every day; more like once a month - but even so, for at least the past few months it just goes into an endless looop of some kind and nothing gets updated. I am THIS CLOSE to getting an iPhone (my company doesn't support them yet, so I'm holding off)

[scablackMAC]

Man,

this IS depressing.  I am an AVID MAC user, and I was going to buy the iPhone....but I wanted Verizon service, so I chose the Blackberry Storm.  I figured, 100% internet should allow me to check my MobilMe account... NOT.  

THEN, I head of PocketMac... Perfect, I thought, I can sync my iCal and Address book, and then sync that to MobilMe... NOPE>  Blackberry created items will not show up on iCal, Addressbook, OR .mac/MobilMe as promised in the literature.. and i DO HAVE all the latest downloads etc.  Then, to make a punch in the gut a slap in the face, the iTunes library WILL NOT show up unless it chooses to... meaning SOME DRM music shows, others do not... SOME have cover art, others do not, and it is all a mish mash of burned music, purchased etc etc etc... dissapointing Blackberry... get your PC hat off, and start making stuff for MAC users!  I may just have to buy an iPhone now... especially after reading these posts.

[smackberry]

I don't know whether to scream or cry I don't think I could hate my BB more than I already do. When I search for solutions I usually only find people posting their problems (like I'm doing here because I have to vent or I'm going break something in my office when I throw this ****ing BB at it!)

I LOSE CONTACTS when trying to sync with PocketMac.

I'd rather pay $99 for a sync program that works than have PocketMac for free. Someone in a different post said that the free PocketMac costs too much and I could not agree more!!!

BlackBerry doesn't support its small business users, like myself, or its individual non-commercial clients. Shame on you BlackBerry.

[smackberry]

I don't think there is anyone more frustrated with this issue than I am... With sync problems I have run the gamut (it stalls, or won't connect, or I get all kinds of errors with the latest being "skipping", and I lose contacts)   I've tried just about every solution I could find in virtual-land and below is what I found to increase the chances of a successful sync:

• Disable any password you have on your BB (you shouldn't have to, but I found it causes less headaches)
• The order of the process DOES makes a difference: I know how stupid this sounds, but it's true. DO NOT connect your BB before opening the PocketMac application.
  
  1. 1st open PocketMac application
  2. 2nd connect the USB cable to your computer
  3. 3rd connect your BB.
  • Sometimes when that doesn't work I swap the order of steps 2 and 3 above.
  • If that doesn't work try turning off your BB before connecting it to the USB, then turn it on for the sync (I find this step doesn't make a difference, but it was often recommended in other website posts).
• Do not sync anything else at the same time while syncing your Address Book (e.g., sync Calendar, Notes, etc separately).
• Contact Fields: You'll greatly increase your chances of a successful sync if the Contact Fields in your Address Book are the same as those in your BB AddressBook. 
  • Field names that you set in the Mac AddressBook DO NOT sync with the Blackberry. Some of the standard fields will not transfer either, and some field names will get changed.
  • NOTE  Only 1 individual field name per contact will sync with the only exception being email addresses: PocketMac SyncManager cannot handle it if you have more than one of any field name for a contact. For example, say you have a contact in your Mac AddressBook with more than one mobile phone number, well it will only synch  one of the moblie phone numbers and drop the other one and you don't get to choose which one. You can work around it by changing one of the mobile phone field names  to "Other," but only if you haven't used the "Other" field for that contact yet (nice, huh!?)
  • Following are Field Name Changes from Mac AddressBook to BB as found on this site http://worldtv.com/blog/guides_tutorials/syncing_the_blackberry_pearl_with_the_mac_address_book.php :
    
    • Main ---> Work 2
    • Home Fax ---> X
    • Work Fax ---> Fax
    • Other ---> X
    • Custom ---> X
    • Work E-Mail, Home email, and Other email ---> email
    • Friend, Assistant, and Instant Message Fields --> X
  •                                                                                          

[RNPARIS]

Thanks Smackberry for your input.  This remains a terrible frustration.  My current solution is to walk around with my BB Bold AND an iPhone... Not great. I will try following your system, and report back, but each time I tackle a BB sync with my MBP I end up pulling more hair out.

RIM would be very very kind if they could try to help small business owners like me / us out with some support.