[whpalmer4]

As long as they all do get synced, it should work fine with 4. You just want to avoid having a client that goes more than a few days without being synced, because the others can't compact their databases until the straggler catches up.

[curt.clifton]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

As long as they all do get synced, it should work fine with 4. You just want to avoid having a client that goes more than a few days without being synced, because the others can't compact their databases until the straggler catches up.

It can be useful to check the list of clients in the desktop app's sync preferences to see if you have an old client still lingering. OF will detect and report that a client hasn't been sync'ed lately, but it seems to wait several days before doing so. Several days without an automatic compaction can result in a lot of zip files. If you switched from using the iPhone app on your iPad to using the native version, then the old iPhone app is probably still registered as a client.

[xamevou]

Originally Posted by curt.clifton

It can be useful to check the list of clients in the desktop app's sync preferences to see if you have an old client still lingering. OF will detect and report that a client hasn't been sync'ed lately, but it seems to wait several days before doing so. Several days without an automatic compaction can result in a lot of zip files. If you switched from using the iPhone app on your iPad to using the native version, then the old iPhone app is probably still registered as a client.

Yes, true. I used OF for iPhone in the iPad for several weeks. After buying the iPad app, I went to the desktop app and realized that there were two iPad clients. I removed the old one, of course.

[xamevou]

Just a little thought...

I've been typing some notes in Evernote, just a few hours ago... Suddenly, I realized "damn, I have been using Evernote for years (desktop an iPhone) and, amazingly, I have never had a single issue with syncing"...

Why? I don't know but there is a detail: I have never configured how to sync or not in Evernote. The Evernote servers take care of that... Totally transparent. I think that is the way to go for OF, via sync.omnigroup.com, so I decided to ask for a beta and try it asap! (or as soon as the invitation arrives :-)

P.S. As far as I understand it, Evernote syncs on a record-by-record (note-by-note) basis, but OF does it on a file basis (the whole file at every sync). It that's true, it has surely a lot of implications for sync performance and reliability...

[curt.clifton]

Originally Posted by xamevou

P.S. As far as I understand it, Evernote syncs on a record-by-record (note-by-note) basis, but OF does it on a file basis (the whole file at every sync). It that's true, it has surely a lot of implications for sync performance and reliability...

Your understanding of OF sync is wrong, OF syncs every edit that you make as a separate transaction. It's extraordinarily fast and robust to changes on multiple devices.

The difficulties that people have with sync in OF stem from configuring access to various servers, not the sync mechanism or granularity. This problem doesn't happen in Evernote, because you have to use their servers; there aren't any other options. Using the Omni sync server removes the server access difficulties, because Omni controls the whole system. So, that's probably the easiest approach.

[xamevou]

Originally Posted by curt.clifton

Your understanding of OF sync is wrong, OF syncs every edit that you make as a separate transaction. It's extraordinarily fast and robust to changes on multiple devices.

The difficulties that people have with sync in OF stem from configuring access to various servers, not the sync mechanism or granularity. This problem doesn't happen in Evernote, because you have to use their servers; there aren't any other options. Using the Omni sync server removes the server access difficulties, because Omni controls the whole system. So, that's probably the easiest approach.

So the move to Omni Sync is very smart. Actually I've just started using the Omni server and everything seems ok. I guess all the problems I've found before were related to MobileMe (everybody knows how unreliable is MobileMe syncing, specially when compared to DropBox or any other alternative).

And Omni sync opens the path to new possibilities like browser access to the database from any computer (something I really missed when I was on a trip). I don't know which plans they have with regard to this.

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by xamevou

So the move to Omni Sync is very smart. Actually I've just started using the Omni server and everything seems ok. I guess all the problems I've found before were related to MobileMe (everybody knows how unreliable is MobileMe syncing, specially when compared to DropBox or any other alternative).

Careful, now. MobileMe sync of contacts, calendars, etc. is NOT related to using MobileMe as a webDAV server for OmniFocus sync. However, using MobileMe iDisk syncing to sync files from one computer to another can cause trouble for OmniFocus because the default location is in a spot that MobileMe iDisk syncing tries to sync, and because it does not understand how to safely sync OmniFocus databases (neither does DropBox), database corruption can occur (also with DropBox).

I've used MobileMe as the webDAV service for OmniFocus syncing for a couple of years. It has been essentially trouble-free. I've been using the Omni sync server since April to help test it out (I figure that there are plenty of people "testing" MobileMe, and my feedback to Omni will actually reach someone who cares and might be able to act on it). If I got an email from Omni tomorrow saying that they were going to start charging for the Omni sync server (without providing some other feature that I value sufficiently to merit the cost), I would switch back to MobileMe without a second thought. I've gotten comparable performance and reliability from the two.

[endoftheQ]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

If I got an email from Omni tomorrow saying that they were going to start charging for the Omni sync server (without providing some other feature that I value sufficiently to merit the cost), I would switch back to MobileMe without a second thought.

I agree completely, whpalmer4, another first! :p

I've suggested in a different thread, that if Omni decide to go for a subscription-based server service, then added value features such as a web interface, the ability to push-share actions, projects, etc. would be necessary before I'd consider coughing up.

Although, in the past, I'd have been happy to ditch MobileMe without a backward glance, it is beginning to develop into something that justifies it's price. The ability to push a message with a manic warning sound (even if the recipient's iPhone is set to silent running) has saved my bacon on more than one occasion!

[xamevou]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

Careful, now. MobileMe sync of contacts, calendars, etc. is NOT related to using MobileMe as a webDAV server for OmniFocus sync. However, using MobileMe iDisk syncing to sync files from one computer to another can cause trouble for OmniFocus because the default location is in a spot that MobileMe iDisk syncing tries to sync, and because it does not understand how to safely sync OmniFocus databases (neither does DropBox), database corruption can occur (also with DropBox).

...

Yes, they are different. Actually, in the last years, I had few problems with contacts and calendar MobileMe sync but a lot of problems with iDisk sync. I would never use iDisk sync for my important files (I use it for some pics, non-important pdfs and the like). Everytime I change the name of a folder or add a file bigger than 10 Mb, iDisk sync can't cope with it. That's why I still rely on a USB stick and Chronosync to keep my macs in sync.

For OF I changed the folder of my OF file and moved it to iDisk/Backup, instead of the problematic iDisk/Documents. The Backup folder is not iDisk-synched and OmniGroup recommended to use it, as gives more stability. Still, I was not happy... I've found that the notes attached to my projects and actions did not sync as expected...

Given those problems with iDisk and even DropBox, due to the nature of the OF files, it is clear for me that the best solution is a OG-owned sync server. I am happy with it, even when I only used it for two days... but I would never pay for that, unless they offer some amazing services on top of it.