RE: [Phpgroupware-developers] Palm synchro

[Brian Johnson]

You may be confusing support of multiple users with support of multiple
users concurrently connecting to Coldsync (one at a time vs all at once)

You're description is correct and support multiple users (not concurrently)

Concurrent support is on it's way - one coder claims he has done it


-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden
[mailto:address@hidden Behalf Of Ben Cottrill
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2002 8:31 AM
To: address@hidden
Subject: Re: [Phpgroupware-developers] Palm synchro


> 1. I have successfully used the windows hotsync software from Palm (came
> with my PDA) to do a network hotsync to Coldsync running on a Linux box

O.K...  I will have to look into this (when I get ahold of a windows box).
So
the sync works something like this:

|palm | <-> |palmdesktop|<-net->|coldsync|<-net->|phpgw|

It appears from this that multiple users for palmdesk to coldsync over
network
are not quite supported yet (as of last month).  This may be an option
though
shortly.

http://www.pilot-link.org/pipermail/pilot-unix-ng/2002-March/000019.html


> 2. If you have phpgroupware providing the groupware calendar solution and
> Palm sync conduits do you still need Outlook (I'm doing the conduits to
> completely abandon Outlook in favour of a phpgw solution)

The reason to keep outlook as part of the solution is not so much a
technical
requirement as it is a "marketing" or usability requirement.  Humans are
pretty much creatuers of habit.  We like having our little outlook reminders
pop up and tell us we have meetings.  We like that we put our palms in the
cradle and they can sync up at 3 levels (palm, outlook, and web portal --
this is a TrueSync / my-yahoo selling point).  If I understand it correctly,
the phpgw notify window just sits like another browser window (please
correct
me if I am mistaken).  There are some things a "thicker" client does better
than a browser such as notifications and  syncing (which is why you need
something like coldsync).

An example of why you might keep outlook is that it is easy to miss changes
in
a browser window, whereas outlook sort of hijacks things, makes noise, and
otherwise browbeats the user into acknowledging the appointment one way or
another.  (for some this make phpgw better ;) a palm pilot can beep at
meeting time if it is synced to the groupware)  Mostly though it is the
habit
thing.  Outlook is shipped with nearly every PC that is bought in the
corporate world, and seems to pretty much dominate desktop email and
scheduling.  Working within the system may be a better way to beat it than
to
just try and replace it outright.

I think that what has the potential to win lots of phpgw users in a hurry is
that it can be used from almost any desktop and provide MOST of what users
need (good for the road / home users) and provides a nice inexpensive easy
to
administer consolidation of calendering / messaging resources.  The value
lies as much in the openness of the server side solution as it does in the
fact that the interface is tailored to a web browser.  This messaging /
calendering discussion is not meant to slight the project management stuff
at
all.  MS Project is just as worthy a target as outlook/exchange...

Regards,
Ben

--
Ben Cottrill
BIOMEC Inc.
address@hidden
216-937-2800 x243

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