[hedges]

I'm just asking because I have the iBank application both for the desktop and the iPhone and syncing the iPhone app never takes more than 5 seconds no matter how many transactions I have entered. Same goes foe the desktop application.

[Toadling]

How long does your OmniFocus database take to sync? How many clients do you have? How recently have they been synced? Are you using WebDAV or Bonjour? Have you tired contacting support for help? It's free for licensed users and you can reach them by email or phone.

I ask all this because my OmniFocus database rarely takes more than 5 seconds to sync over MobileMe on a Wi-Fi connection. I have two clients (a Mac and an iPhone), both are synced a couple times a day, and my database has around 2200 actions and 330 projects with a file size of about 500 KB (no attachments).

I know there are further syncing optimizations/fixes planned, but in my experience, OmniFocus as it is today has been pretty solid/quick with syncing. I have no complaints whatsoever in that area.

-Dennis

[hedges]

I have 2 clients, MacBook and iPhone, syncing via MobileMe on WiFi. My database has 123 actions in 37 projects.

The iPhone client sync took around 25 seconds while the desktop client took only 5 or 6 seconds.

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by hedges

I have 2 clients, MacBook and iPhone, syncing via MobileMe on WiFi. My database has 123 actions in 37 projects.

The iPhone client sync took around 25 seconds while the desktop client took only 5 or 6 seconds.

That's a pretty small database and certainly shouldn't be taking that long to sync on your iPhone, at least not on a regular basis. Mine occasionally takes that long (i.e. when it's compacting a lot of transactions or I've got a glacial Edge connection), but most of the time it's only a 4-second sync or so.

How many zip files do you have? You can check this by going into the Settings screen in OmniFocus on your iPhone and scrolling down to the bottom. If it's more than maybe a couple hundred, you might have a stale client (an old client that's still registered but no longer syncing).

-Dennis

[hedges]

I currently have 7 zip files. I get no more than 20 zip files since I started syncing regularly.

I have the most recent version of both the iPhone and desktop apps, AFAIK (desktop app on 1.7.5, iPhone app on 1.5.3).

I'd like to emphasize that it's only the iPhone app that takes long to sync. The desktop app takes about 5 or 6 seconds only. It's set to auto-sync while the iPhone app is on manual.

[whpalmer4]

A couple of variables that haven't been pinned down here:

1) how large is your database (size in bytes, not # of zip files) -- do you attach files to any of your actions?

2) you say you are syncing to MobileMe with WiFi, but that doesn't really tell us anything about your network connection's throughput. What does the "Speed test" app on the iPhone (free from the Apple app store) or http://speakeasy.net/speedtest on your computer reveal?

[hedges]

How do I get the database size in bytes? Anyhow, none of my actions have any attachments.

I have a 6Mbps connection, and speedtest indicates I get better than 4mbps at any given time, up to 8Mbps on a good day.

[whpalmer4]

If you look in your Documents folder on MobileMe, there should be a file called OmniFocus.ofocus (possibly just OmniFocus if the extension is hidden). Do a Get Info on that and you'll have the size.

You're certain that the iPhone is connecting via your WiFi link and not a slow cellular data connection? Speed for upload is also important because when the database is compacted, the whole file has to be rewritten. Perhaps you have a symmetrical connection, but most people don't, usually the upload speed is a fraction of the download speed.

[hedges]

The omnifocus,ofocus file is only 20kb.

Yes, I'm certain that the iPhone is connected to the WiFi network. I even do an occasional speedtest before I sync and I get 4 to 6 Mbps DL speeds, and .8 upload.

What's a symmetrical connection?

[whpalmer4]

Well, it sounds like there's a decent possibility that you're running into a bug that causes some very inefficient sync processing (it happens on the desktop as well as the iPhone/iPod, but the greater processing power of the desktop tends to mask it). Ken posted a while back that he thinks he has a fix, but wanted to do some extensive testing internally before releasing it.

If you email the support ninjas (via Help->Send Feedback, or email to omnifocus-iphone@omnigroup.com) or call them up during normal business hours in Seattle at 1-800-315-OMNI, they can walk you through the steps to confirm that this is the only issue.

A symmetrical connection is one where the delivered upload and download speeds are approximately equal. Most residential users download much more traffic than they upload, so the telco's infrastructure budget goes farther if they don't try to provision the links to be symmetrical (and it gives them something extra for which they can soak the customers who need it, such as a business with a need to send more data).