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thanks for that Dave - but that scares me even more!!!! Most of what you said means nothing to me, and I suspect would be the same for many people. I just want to know can I plug my iphone into my macbook and get my iphone based omnifocus to sync with my mac-based omnifocus? Surely thats a simple enough question. I don't want to have to install anything extra or tinker under the bonnet. I came to macs because they worked and they worked simply. I didn't have to know about editing my registry! :-(
 
First, I'm not 100% certain of what's involved, but I wouldn't get too scared right now. Someone who knows all the details of what needs to be done to enable the webdav server (which I don't right now) should be able to make an installer program replaces the appropriate configuration files with ones that have it enabled. The first step is finding out what needs done - that's what I'm trying to find out now.

So my recommendation is for now, don't get too worried. Either OmniGroup or someone will likely make it easy to get the webdav server running if you do in fact need a webdav server to sync the iPhone and desktop versions of OmniFocus.
 
thanks Dave. I really appreciate your efforts to answer my concerns. It seems a bit strange that with less than a month before the iphone app store is due to launch this area appears not to have been thought through. I know the iphone version is not even released yet but what you talk about sounds a bit 'thrown together' for an award winning piece of software. Surely such functionality should be designed in? Are you saying that there is no built-in desktop sync between the iphone and the desktop programme? That to get this functionality which I consider essential ,users will need to add additional programmes or go under the hood?
 
In case it wasn't clear, I don't work for OmniGroup. I have no idea if there will be a built-in sync that happens when you dock your iPhone. Ken, who does work at OmniGroup, has stated in this thread that it will work with a webdav server on your Mac. My point is that even if OmniGroup doesn't provide an easy way to either sync w/o a webdav server running or an easy way to get the included webdav server running on your Mac then somebody else most likely will. There's a very good chance that someone who doesn't have .Mac and has the know how will create a little installer script that enables the webdav server. We just need to wait 3-4 weeks to find all this out.

I know it's difficult to be patient w/o knowing details, but that's the way things seem to work in the Apple world. I have a bunch of questions about the new iPhone that I can't find answers to. My wife is thinking she would like my iPhone (we're on the same AT&T family plan) so I would get the new 3G one. I can't find the details of how this will work (i.e., will I buy the new one with her existing phone numbers and then swap SIM cards or will I need to buy the new one with my number and then somehow transfer her phone number from her Razr to my original iPhone), but I'm certain we'll eventually find these things out.
 
I too would like the specify the very high need for a desktop sync. I got my Dad hooked on Omnifocus, and he doesn't have an iphone yet. He's looking to possibly get the 3G phones (or take mine so I can get a new one), honestly just for the Omnifocus app.

He's technical, but not a chance is he technical enough to set up a WebDav server (I could probably email him the steps, but not sure if that would fly), and he's not going to pay for the MobileMe stuff if he can help it ($99/year I personally think is way high for a sync..). I honestly can say if there's no way to desktop sync OF with the iphone app, it might be a dealbreaker for him because a really good todo application was one of the reasons he didn't buy an iphone in the past.

I really implore you to make this something easy to use and easy to set up.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dave256 View Post
So my recommendation is for now, don't get too worried. Either OmniGroup or someone will likely make it easy to get the webdav server running if you do in fact need a webdav server to sync the iPhone and desktop versions of OmniFocus.
Dave256 speaks wisely.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by greybeard40 View Post
Are you saying that there is no built-in desktop sync between the iphone and the desktop programme? That to get this functionality which I consider essential ,users will need to add additional programmes or go under the hood?
The method you'll use to sync with the iPhone/iPod Touch version will work via your wi-fi network - you don't need to plug your phone into your machine.

It involves activating some software which is part of the default OS X installation, but is turned off by default. It won't be as hard as you're worried it'll be. :-)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by greybeard40 View Post
thanks Dave. I really appreciate your efforts to answer my concerns. It seems a bit strange that with less than a month before the iphone app store is due to launch this area appears not to have been thought through. I know the iphone version is not even released yet but what you talk about sounds a bit 'thrown together' for an award winning piece of software. Surely such functionality should be designed in? Are you saying that there is no built-in desktop sync between the iphone and the desktop programme? That to get this functionality which I consider essential ,users will need to add additional programmes or go under the hood?
I promise you, just about every significant piece of software ships without functionality that someone, somewhere feels is essential, especially its creators :-) Furthermore, trying to add every piece of functionality that someone, somewhere feels is essential quickly leads to bloated monstrosities like Microsoft Office. That's just a general comment, in no way intended to denigrate your wish for direct syncing between OmniFocus and OmniFocus on the iPhone.

The chief honcho at Omni has stated in this thread that he is bound by a non-disclosure agreement with Apple on matters central to this discussion. If some other entity wants to interpret their NDA in a fashion that they feel entitles them to talk about something, well, that's their call, and their risk. Even if they completely spill the beans about whatever Apple hasn't yet revealed to us, it doesn't give Omni the all-clear to talk.

Yes, this state of affairs may leave you wishing for more information for a few weeks. I'm pretty sure that the plan has not been, as you suggest, 'thrown together' at the last minute, unless Apple has been holding back crucial details. You'd be surprised to see how many programs are doing similar manipulations out of your sight when you turn on some feature or another. I think you can pretty much guarantee that if there's some functionality that lots of customers want that can be implemented readily with software that comes on the Mac from the factory and you happen to need to configure a few things to make it work, Omni is going to give you a convenient way to do it.
 
whpalmer4 your understanding of the behind the scenes programming does help me see that often there are things built in that are easily activated later on.
I certainly wouldn't want omni to be foolish in working with the apple nda and I appreciated Ken's contribution earlier. My disappointment was that all the sync talk was about using .mac or webDAV. I didn't think I was asking something difficult; neither did I feel it was something only I was interested in. There have been several other questions about this in other threads over the last few months and no-one seems to have received a clear answer. Other programmes have talked a bit about it, I didn't think it was inappropriate to ask here.
Also I have used a wide range of programmes on my palm treo that synced flawlessly with my windows pc: bonsai, list pro, phatnotes all offered successful no-brainer sync between handheld and desktop. Thats all I was asking about. Sorry if I have ruffled feathers!!
 
Have you seen this article on Macworld today?

So how do iPhone apps save files?

If the Things developers are promising to sync data via iTunes and USB, they must know something Jason Snell of Macworld doesn't:

Quote:
And what about syncing data from your Mac or PC via iTunes? So far as we can tell, developers don’t have access to that syncing process either. But iPhone applications do have access to the Internet, via the cellular data network or Wi-Fi.
-Dennis
 
 


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