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Quote:
Originally Posted by wkoffel

Basically, on launch, have OF check for a version on .Mac that's newer than the current local DB, and offer to download it and replace the current with it. It'd mean you could only run on one Mac at a time, you'd probably have to quit the app when you went to another machine, and there'd be a delay in sending up and retrieving the DB.
I strongly add my vote to this
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wkoffel
Basically, on launch, have OF check for a version on .Mac that's newer than the current local DB, and offer to download it and replace the current with it. It'd mean you could only run on one Mac at a time, you'd probably have to quit the app when you went to another machine, and there'd be a delay in sending up and retrieving the DB.
Chronosync

Not exactly the poor man's solution as it is commercial software, but it would be able to do just about what you describe (maybe even better if you set up the triggers right).

As far as .mac syncing is concerned, I'd question how strong the demand for that really is. Seriously, who pays for .mac? It's a complete ripoff. Aren't .mac subscription numbers plummeting right now anyway (last I heard)?

This sounds like a 2.0 feature to me, and then only a "2.0 if we have the time to schedule it around working on actually useful features".

I for one think that the built-in Ruby on Rails server used for the iPhone web app interface has more promise for multi-machine syncing. I'd much rather use something Omni cooked up themselves in Rails than anything related to Apple's wholly disappointing syncing services (it's a fantastic idea, the sync services tools, but the execution of that idea is half-done at best).

Last edited by MEP; 2007-07-26 at 12:40 PM..
 
Fair enough, MEP. .Mac may not be for everyone (it's worth it for calendar and bookmark sync'ing for me on a bunch of machines, but I may be a rare case).

I'm only suggesting *some* sort of sync. I think when talking about a productivity tool like this, it's really not a second-class feature. Having the lists of things I need to do at my finger tips in all my actionable contexts is really the whole point of GTD. It's exactly why people I know are (as David Allen himself describes) using note-cards instead of an electronic system. Notecards go everywhere with you.

A GTD system stuck on my laptop is fine for all my @laptop tasks, and rather useless for the rest.

Whether the sync is done through .Mac or through some custom setup is totally up to Omni, I'm not wedded to .Mac, but I think it'd be a natural and Mac-like solution, for better or for worse.
 
Come to think of it, couldn't you guys just use the iPhone web app now? I mean, Safari works on computers just like on the iPhone. The current interface leaves something to be desired on a PC, but that would be a lot easier to fix than adding syncing functions.

Why not just designate one of your machines the central OF repository, turn on the web server on that machine, and access it from everywhere else? No syncing required. Then you could use it not only on your own machines, but on any public terminals or work machines (or even *shudder* windows machines) that you happen to be using.

I really see the Ruby on Rails functionality fixing these problems with a lot less effort than .mac (and probably better results).
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MEP
Why not just designate one of your machines the central OF repository, turn on the web server on that machine, and access it from everywhere else? No syncing required.
You've missed a key point here, MEP. More often than not, the "central OF repository" isn't on an accessible machine.

1. Many of us run on laptops, which are typically closed when we aren't sitting at them, so it couldn't be busy serving up the iPhone interface at all hours.

2. Even if we have a desktop or an always-on laptop, this solution means 1) giving it a static IP, 2) opening ports on whatever firewall(s) it might be sitting behind in order to access OF.

Not a very good solution, especially for those of us who have a lot of other hosting options (.Mac, personal web-servers, corporate servers) where we could host an interface if the data wasn't trapped in our central OF repository.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wkoffel
Not a very good solution, especially for those of us who have a lot of other hosting options (.Mac, personal web-servers, corporate servers) where we could host an interface if the data wasn't trapped in our central OF repository.
I have to agree with this, if you are talking about personal sync, then having to leave a machine running and deal with personal/corporate firewalls is just not going to work. I mean do I as a SysAdm want to deal with my users leaving their machines on all the time and having to setup remote access to them? Not a chance.

The perfect solution would be an OF server that could cope with multiple users as a central data store, or at least a central OF sync server. Now I know this is now way a 1.0 feature, but it would be the best solution.

In the mean time for 1.0 some sort of solution is needed. It would seem that .Mac sync would be the most logical if not the best long term solution.

Absolute worst case as mentioned before would be some sort of Backup/Restore automation on exit and startup. This could use any webdav server not exclusively .Mac. Over to AppleScript gurus - Curt, got any ideas?

Cheers
Jason
 
I am very new to testing the OF alpha so my thoughts are not well thought through but as an immediate response I have to say that some kind of 'store in the cloud' (not necessarily true 'syncing' - the requirement to only have a single OF instance across the relevant machines would be tolerable - as per iGTD) seems to be a requirement for me in a trusted system.

If I always have to have a certain physical object with me then a moleskine plus some index cards seems (at first think through) seems to be a better object based system than my laptop. The knowledge that I need to crack a specific laptop to access my tasks (making the context for everything '@OF_laptop + @other') is uninspiring. The ability to reliably use any Mac would be a big advantage.

Anyway I look forward to testing the available features with an open mind but the prospect of well-thought through .mac integration (those who don't want .mac need not use the relevant OF feature) or even better a 'cloud storage' option provided by OMNI themselves would be an instant deal maker for me. The form of syncing or portable/cloud storage in OF V1 will be the decision point between iGTD and OF.

I could live with a lot less features in early versions of OF to have a good implementation of 'cloud storage' or some other method that achieves that. Perhaps the original file on a thumb-drive and the back-up on the hard-drive?

Anyway that's my initial thoughts. Time to go play hard with my options and see what educated opinions I end up with.
 
I'm playing with OF and I really like it but lack of sync is probably that main reason I'll end up sticking with iGTD.
 
My workaround is as follows:
1) Set preferences in all machines to make backup files (into folder of choice) on exit.
2) Take (either physically or electronically) the backup file to the second computer.
3) Open OF by clicking on the backup file (not the program itself)

Some difficulties/issues
a) you'll need to set perspectives on each machine -- they are apparently not saved in the file
b) proliferation of backup files -- so you'll have to delete the older ones (this is not a bug but a feature ha ha).

seems to work for me after nearly a week of playing
 
After a bit of thought about this and some work (mostly removing surplus steps) I have a couple of very simple Automator workflows that pretty much resolve my desire for a synced and portable database on a thumb drive and iDisk.

The perspective issue still needs some thought and I'd like to see if I can get the existing solution more sensibly implemented in one or more AppleScripts (although I'm slightly impressed with the graceful handling of missing volumes by Automator so that might end up being the easiest answer).

I want to play with this for a bit longer and see if it ends up being something I think is worth sharing here for others to build on.
 
 


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