Quote:
Originally Posted by amz1
I'm afraid I don't completely follow this. Having set up the sync with MobileMe, won't all three devices automatically sync to/from MobileMe without any further activation from me? And if so, what does it mean to say that I should "sync both when switching from one to another"? That sounds like I need to manually tell OF, hey, now sync any changes that I have made up to the cloud and download any changes in the cloud down to this device.
|
Yes, they will, if they have the opportunity. But if you quit the app before OmniFocus can sync any changes back to the central database, the others won't know about them. Or if you make changes on the iPhone when you don't have internet connectivity, then switch to another app, again, those changes won't propagate to the other client(s) until you successfully do a sync of the iPhone.
Brian is just saying that if you make a bunch of changes on one device, it's a good practice to sync that device (if possible) before you start making changes on another device. This has a number of good effects: it makes sure that the device you are switching to has all the latest data, it makes sure that your change isn't lost if something happens to the device on which you made it (you spill your coffee into the laptop, or forget your iPhone on the table, etc.) and it also helps keep the sync performance snappier.
Quote:
|
My understanding of the sync is that I can make changes on OF at home in the morning, on OF at work during the day, and on the iPhone as I go about the day, and still expect all three devices to show the same data (once they connect to the network if, as with the phone, they are sometimes out of range) without me doing something to maintain that sync. Is that incorrect?
|
Yes, essentially correct, although the automatic syncing can take up to an hour (by default, but the timing is adjustable) to catch up on a client that isn't being actively used (changes being made). The automatic sync behavior is essentially to sync automatically at startup (both desktop and iPhone), one minute after a change is made (both desktop and iPhone), every hour thereafter (both desktop and iPhone), and on quit (desktop only). So if you happen to make a change on the desktop at 1:59pm and walk away, it will sync at 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, etc. If you then made a change on your iPhone at 2:03pm and sync, the desktop won't become aware of that change until it syncs at 3pm. However, you can always click the sync button on either app if you want to make sure you've got the latest information in the central database.
Note that there is a setting on the iPhone app called Auto-sync which if set to "off" causes the iPhone not to sync at all unless you tap the sync button. The default value is "on" and that's probably where you should leave it until such time as you understand where and why it might be beneficial to have it otherwise, depending on your circumstances and working methods.