Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Mac Sync Finally Comes to the Danger SideKick

Posted by timothy on from the happy-now dept.

drenalin writes "After many months (years for some early adopters) of waiting, users are finally able to see the light of day for Markspace's, MissingSync for the HipTop. This is an iSync conduit which allows users to sync their calendar and address book over the Internet to their SideKick from T-Mobile. For many Mac users this is the one feature that now finally makes the SideKick a nearly perfect device."

37 comments

  1. Is it just me? by ravenspear · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Or does the submitter sound a bit too much like a Sidekick affiliate?

    1. Re:Is it just me? by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "Or does the submitter sound a bit too much like a Sidekick affiliate?"

      So?

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    2. Re:Is it just me? by Boccaccio · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's just you! The sidekick really is the most fantastic piece of technology ever released. Buying one will probably get you laid by the girl of your dreams too. (did I say that right boss?) ;o)

    3. Re:Is it just me? by solowCX · · Score: 2, Funny

      As long as the girl of your dreams is Paris Hilton...

    4. Re:Is it just me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You wouldn't need a SideKick for that...

    5. Re:Is it just me? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    6. Re:Is it just me? by outZider · · Score: 1

      I'd hit it.

      --
      - oZ
      // i am here.
  2. The holy grail for Sidekick-Mac synchronization by KillerB · · Score: 4, Informative

    Synchronization is the one feature that kept the Sidekick from being a just-about-perfect device. I switched from a SonyEricsson P800 to the Sidekick and it was painful not to have synchronization.

    I just downloaded and ran this program, and it works like a charm. It's even easier than syncing the P800 because I don't have to fool around with the Bluetooth connection. I only need an internet connection.

    It's well worth the $30.

    --
    the KillerB
    1. Re:The holy grail for Sidekick-Mac synchronization by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the review. I've been in the market for a cell phone, and the Sidekick looks very cool.

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
  3. "nearly perfect"? by SensitiveMale · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No bluetooth means no matter what other features it may have, it is far from perfect.

    1. Re:"nearly perfect"? by kongjie · · Score: 1
      Agreed; with bluetooth and iSync I don't need any other third-party, breakable synch applications.

      Internet synching is pretty much useless to me, as the only time I need to synch is when I make changes on my home computer; by definition, that means I'm at the computer and bluetooth is convenient to use.

      I suppose if you primarily used internet-based scheduling and address books you might feel differently.

  4. perfect != bulky, feature lacking, bad hardware by inblosam · · Score: 3, Informative

    I had a sidekick for about 2 years. Good and bad with it. It was one of those impressive gadgets for a while, flip it open and people said "whoooooa". But then the screen wouldn't light up when it flipped open. Sometimes it feels like a brick. I could SSH and chat on it, but no real other applications and of course no sync. Of course I got a blackberry a few months ago, and now they announce this. I wouldn't go back to a sidekick again. The blackberry is nice, but I long to be able to write with a stylus. And if you want to buy a program, everything is like 50 bucks! What happened to the $5 apps I used to buy for my handspring!!

    1. Re:perfect != bulky, feature lacking, bad hardware by LWATCDR · · Score: 1

      "What happened to the $5 apps I used to buy for my handspring!!"
      I have not looked but I would guess that it costs a good chunk of change for a Blackberry SDK.
      For the Palm you could get one for free.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    2. Re:perfect != bulky, feature lacking, bad hardware by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Treo 650==super awesome. The keyboard doesn't piss me off nearly as much as I thought it would, and everything else is bulletproof.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    3. Re:perfect != bulky, feature lacking, bad hardware by 94229a · · Score: 1

      Nope. BlackBerry development environment is free:
      http://www.blackberry.com/developers/index.shtml/

      And it's java, so it'll run MIDlets too.

    4. Re:perfect != bulky, feature lacking, bad hardware by 94229a · · Score: 1

      Ooops. Remove the trailing slash!

      http://www.blackberry.com/developers/index.shtml

  5. Grammar nazi by FirienFirien · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Markspace's.

    noooooo! It's Markspaces! Plural! Apostrophe is possessive!

    Markspace's implies that there is something belonging to one Markspace.
    Markspaces' implies that there is something belonging to multiple Markspaces.
    Markspaces implies that there are multiple Markspaces.

    Please donate all excess punctuation to the needy.

    --
    Browsing with +2 to insightful posts and a higher threshold makes the average post seen seem a lot more ingenious
    1. Re:Grammar nazi by mattnl · · Score: 1

      if you're commenting on the poor grammer in the submission i think you've made a mistake. he used the possessive just fine.

      the new missing sync software is markspace's project, there's no plural about it.

      what he did misuse is the coma in this sentance:

      "After many months (years for some early adopters) of waiting, users are finally able to see the light of day for Markspace's, MissingSync for the HipTop."

      there should not be a coma after "Markspace's" ...

      now who's nitpicking.

    2. Re:Grammar nazi by mattnl · · Score: 1

      also, just to make myself look stupid, i misspelt "comma" both times in my post. these are not the spelling mistakes you're looking for. please move along.

  6. The forgotten law... by argent · · Score: 1

    OK, I know Godwin's Law, and I know Clarke's Law and the inverse Clarke's Law (AKA Benford's Corrolary), but I forgot whose law it is that every comment complaining about someone's speeling or grammer must contain at least one grammatical error or typo...

    1. Re:The forgotten law... by mattnl · · Score: 1

      it's called the karma law

  7. No. by argent · · Score: 1

    Everyone knows that the Sony Clie SJ22 was the closest any handheld manufacturer has ever come to a perfect device, and all others must bow before its near-perfect ergonomics.

    1. Re:No. by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Just out of curiosity, what makes that better than the Tungsten E2 or the Zire?

      I'm not trying to be argumentative, just curious. And I love my Treo 650. Had to say it.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    2. Re:No. by argent · · Score: 1

      Just out of curiosity, what makes that better than the Tungsten E2 or the Zire?

      The later Zire models and the Tungsten have much more powerful processors, to be sure, but the control layout and the poor screen protection on the Tungsten pretty much rule them out for me.

      Any handheld I'm willing to consider must have a thumb controller and a vertically pivoting flipcover. That way it can be used without a bulky protective case and can be used comfortably one-handed while reading e-books. It doesn't matter if the control is a jog-wheel like the Clie, a toggle like the Casio and early Jornadas, or paired buttons like the last Jornada.

      The collapsing Tungsten in particular is cute as a bug, but the design makes it impossible to protect the screen properly. The Zire models all, I believe, have a flipcover, but none of them have a thumb control.

      The fact that the SJ-22 is probably the last PalmOS handheld shipped without that abomination known as "Graffiti-2" is just the icing on the cake.

    3. Re:No. by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Graffiti 2==doubleplus bad indeed.

      I get you on the flip covers. I loved my Visor Edge with the aluminum shell. Wish I could find it. I'm still looking for the Right Solution for my Treo. That's all that separates it from nirvana. The one handed operation is very nice, it's compact, and the screen is totally awesome.

      And the keyboard, while I was ready to hate it, is actually pretty darn good.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  8. Well it's about fucking time by gseidman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've been waiting for this for, literally, years. I kept hearing that it was coming, then wasn't, then was, then wasn't. Very frustrating. Since I'd heard it was coming early on I'd put all my information on it, but some stuff I could only bring to it by hand (e.g. my list of friends' birthdays that I'd imported into iCal), and everything on it I could only get off by hand. For that matter, I'll be moving soon and intend to get a nextgen HipTop (not sure if I'll wait for the one that should come out some time this year, if they keep to their release-every-year schedule) cheap by taking advantage of a new activation and a new number, but I need to take my info with me. At long last, I can.

    I guess I'm happy, but it might just be relief from years of frustration.

  9. not compatible with Tiger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...and Tiger is due for release in 9 days. It's like a bad joke.

  10. I don't know about you but... by ABaumann · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This thing syncs over the internet. That means you're gonna wasting your data transfer quota by using this thing. With other sync devices, your PC connects to your phone, no middle man. (Free ringtones!)

    For a list of good phones to use with OS X, check this out.

    1. Re:I don't know about you but... by ssewell · · Score: 2, Informative

      The "T-Mobile Internet" plan, which is required for the SideKick, is Unlimited data for $29.99 / month.

    2. Re:I don't know about you but... by milkman_matt · · Score: 1

      The "T-Mobile Internet" plan, which is required for the SideKick, is Unlimited data for $29.99 / month.

      And it should be required as well. I almost didn't get the unlimited wireless package from Verizon for my Treo, but I'm damned glad I did. These PDA/Phone devices are actually pretty good when it comes to their wireless PDA duties. I have IM clients, email clients, SSH, txt messaging (which is BEAUTIFUL on a Treo) and so much more that uses the data connection, without it you'll probably be slapped in the face with a gigantic bill at the end of your first month, because the wireless data stuff is just that useful and convenient.

  11. Not Tiger compatible by unlinear · · Score: 1

    as sorry as I feel for having to possibly cripple Mark/Space's sales, Tiger compatibility is not coming until the end of june. Considering I'm most likely picking up a new PB with Tiger on it next friday, their timing is very awkward.

    Granted, they have been left hanging for forever from what I hear, but that doesn't explain why a company who develops for OS X only hasn't had the time to update either their newest product for Hiptop or their existing product for PocketPC to an OS that's coming out in 9 days.

    1. Re:Not Tiger compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wasn't Mark/Space that held up the release of this product. I believe it has been ready for over a year, but Danger and T-Mobile help up its release wrangling over details.

      It is unfortunate that it doesn't support Tiger, but it will soon enough. Besides, if you get a pre-Tiger copy, you can upgrade for free once Tiger support is available.

  12. support for other devices by NinjaCoder · · Score: 1

    Is there any mechanism to prod Apple to adding support for other devices? I'm specifically talking about my Sharp GX-25 mobile phone, which is a neat thing which I really don't want to have to keep in sync manually.