[Chestnut17]

I have a new Blackberry Pearl 8100 which I have just unlocked from the Vodafone UK network. My computer is a 24" Intel iMac on to which I have installed the free Pocket Mac download.

I am soon going to sync my Pearl with my iMac using Pocket Mac for the first time.

Any tips or anything I should know before I do this?

[mr_kitty]

Originally Posted by Chestnut17

I have a new Blackberry Pearl 8100 which I have just unlocked from the Vodafone UK network. My computer is a 24" Intel iMac on to which I have installed the free Pocket Mac download.

I am soon going to sync my Pearl with my iMac using Pocket Mac for the first time.

Any tips or anything I should know before I do this?

1. i recommend missing sync over pocketmac. missing sync can be found at http://www.missingsync.com

2. if you have ever had pocket mac installed on this computer, uninstall it before installing the new version.

3. Quit out of everything before installing. back up your contacts & calendar before syncing. also, quit all open apps before syncing with pocketmac. open activity monitor before connecting your phone and make sure "all processes" is viewed. if after you finished syncing you see a pcscd process taking up all your free processor(s) resources, you'll need to hard boot your computer. pcscd is owned by root and can not be quit. search pcscd in the forums for tips on disabling it. (btw if you have to hard boot the computer you should run disk utility from your system software cds to ensure it didn't damage your drive formatting)

4. results vary with pocket mac. i've always had best luck connecting the phone before opening pocket mac, some say connect after. some say connect directly to a usb port on the iMac, others say use a powered usb hub.

5. check all the panes in pocket mac before syncing. make sure you are only syncing what you absolutely want. stay away from bookmark syncing, uploading files, or mail reconciliation. for the most part they don't work. also, daylite and now support is unreliable or non-existant from what i read. even if you've set all your preference panes, click through them each time before you sync and make sure nothing has changed.

6. okay sync. and cross your fingers that it works, recognizes your phone and doesn't crash your computer.

7. missing sync actually works like you'd expect a mac app to... without all these scary but ifs.

[PocketMacAnne]

Originally Posted by Chestnut17

I have a new Blackberry Pearl 8100 which I have just unlocked from the Vodafone UK network. My computer is a 24" Intel iMac on to which I have installed the free Pocket Mac download.

I am soon going to sync my Pearl with my iMac using Pocket Mac for the first time.

Any tips or anything I should know before I do this?

Hi, it's not all that scary... there is a simple thing you can do to prevent any freezing by the pcscd program in the Mac itself. You don't even have to open the Activity Monitor.

The secret is that the Pearl, especially if you have a microSD card installed, is asking a question when you connect it to the Mac... do you want to use it as a mass storage device?

ALWAYS ANSWER YES. And do it quickly, or the Mac keeps trying to get an answer.

NOTE: This problem is not caused by PocketMac. It occurs whether or not PocketMac is installed. Apple and RIM are working on it together to improve the conversation between the devices.

In our next version of PocketMac (due any time now, as soon as RIM releases it), we have programmed around that problem. So, you will always want to start PocketMac before connecting the device to make sure all the extra driivers are up and running.

For now, just pay attention when you plug in the Pearl to make sure you answer that question about Mass Storage Device right away.

Also, the Pearl really needs 500 mA of power to charge, so if you hook up the Pearl before you launch PocketMac and its special drivers, you may see an error that the USB port isn't powerful enough to charge the device.

Of course, if you already have PocketMac version 4 launched, and you still have that error message, quit PocketMac, and disconnect the Pearl. Then start PocketMac, and connect the Pearl afterward.

As to database maintenance: no matter what database or sync software you use, or what device, moving data around is risky business. In a world where you are matching up systems that were not designed to match up, including customized databases, deviations from the standard designs can cause some problems. Also, some databases need to be rebuilt to keep indices fresh and stable.

So, even if you don't choose PocketMac as your sync solution for the BlackBerry, you should do everything in your power to back up your data frequently (weekly, or at least monthly), and make sure you follow your database administrator's instructions for regular maintenance procedures.

That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with PocketMac. Or any other program. It just means you have to be extra careful when you are putting your round pegs into the square pegs of your device.

I've personally helped thousands of users sync with PocketMac, and thankfully, only a few actually had problems with their data.

And, if there is a problem... stop syncing right away, and contact PocketMac support at pocketmac.net/support.htm. We can help you use the built-in backup files to make sure your data comes right back, and then help diagnose what went wrong in the first place.

Hope this helps!

[mr_kitty]

You know Anne, you shouldn't contradict people that actually WORK with the product. i've set up around 50 8100's for clients, 30 of which have been with pocketmac. the pcscd problem comes up about 80% of the time with pocketmac and tiger. the pcscd problem comes up even if you don't have a memory card inserted, and even if you have the pearl set to always allow mass storage mode.

the fault is fairly clearly with your USB drivers seeing the **internal memory** of the pearl as an "unknown storage device". if pocketmac doesn't understand this, i have very limited faith in your promised fix.

[PocketMacAnne]

Originally Posted by mr_kitty

You know Anne, you shouldn't contradict people that actually WORK with the product. i've set up around 50 8100's for clients, 30 of which have been with pocketmac. the pcscd problem comes up about 80% of the time with pocketmac and tiger. the pcscd problem comes up even if you don't have a memory card inserted, and even if you have the pearl set to always allow mass storage mode.

the fault is fairly clearly with your USB drivers seeing the **internal memory** of the pearl as an "unknown storage device". if pocketmac doesn't understand this, i have very limited faith in your promised fix.

Hi, sorry I hurt your feelings. I understand your experience is different from mine, and so I intended to be helpful by posting the information the PocketMac engineers have learned working directly with Apple and RIM engineers and many customers.

The pcscd thing will happen without PocketMac installed at all. We were able to duplicate it many times, as was Apple, who identified a peculiarity in the BlackBerry architecture that didn't communicate with the Mac in an expected way.

I understand that your experience has left you with a sour taste in your mouth about PocketMac. I'm very sorry you have had that frustration.

However, I do think it's fair in a public forum to be able to set the record straight, even if that means that the facts involved happen to contradict someone's theory that the USB drivers must have been to blame.

The opportunity here is that we were able to work around that difference and provide an extra feedback loop for the 8100 and 8800 devices to cover for the fact that those 2 models speak a slightly different language when identifying themselves to the Mac during connection.

I have no intention of ever attacking you or denying your experience, so I'm very sorry if that was what you perceived.

I just came to offer some help and to listen to people's problems so I can make sure we get them solved. Really!

I sincerely wish you the best!

[boosting1bar]

Originally Posted by Chestnut17

I have a new Blackberry Pearl 8100 which I have just unlocked from the Vodafone UK network. My computer is a 24" Intel iMac on to which I have installed the free Pocket Mac download.

I am soon going to sync my Pearl with my iMac using Pocket Mac for the first time.

Any tips or anything I should know before I do this?

Yeah, install Fusion and Windows with blackberry desktop manager and save yourself the headaches of trying to get Pocketmac working. I gave it 3 tries. First time it wiped my device clean, the 2nd 2 tries it just hung while trying to sync and locked the machine up. BB Desktop manager is the only Windows app I'm still using as there unfortunately is no reliable sync/app loading solution for OSX yet.

[iHemiola]

Originally Posted by mr_kitty

the fault is fairly clearly with your USB drivers seeing the **internal memory** of the pearl as an "unknown storage device". if pocketmac doesn't understand this, i have very limited faith in your promised fix.

I'm unsure if this is a 3rd-party issue. Before buying my external microSD card I tried getting my photos from the internal memory with no luck. In System Profiler the Mac would read the device as a RIM product but wouldn't mount it. I took it to an old G3 with no sync product ever used and the internal memory still won't mount in the Finder. It may be a RIM issue?

That being said, the Mark/Space product can't read the internal memory on my set-up either.

The best advice for new users is to backup your iCal and Address Book apps prior to mucking around with either of these sync solutions. OS X 10.4.9 supposedly has some Sync Services updates. My latest attempt at syncing contacts in the M/S product offered me an opportunity to change nearly 25% of my contacts. Um, cancel, for now, I think.

I'm more suspect of Sync Services than any 3rd-party app. We'll see if the iPhone will help this process along!! If the 1-percenters who spend $600 on this phone can't sync properly then Apple will have more work to do in addition to Leopard.