[mseibert]

Hi,

unfortunately my OmniFocus does not sync any more with the mobileme-Server. I run Omnifocus on three Macs (iMac, MacBook Air and Mac Mini) without any problem.

The iPhone-app is a very unstable though. I won't sync since a couple of days. Before that I had a couple of other very annoying problems:
- It takes a very long time for the app to open on the iPhone. It is either always loading or updating.
- The application crashes within 5 minutes of usage 2 times.

I am actively thinking of using something else and more reliable on the iPhone. Why don't you use the resources you put in the Mac-software when updating the software almost daily (which is great) for iPhone-updates. The improvements are truly needed there.

I am looking forward to an answer from you.

Best regards from Germany

Martin Seibert
//SEIBERT/MEDIA/CONSULTING

[Toadling]

Hi Martin. I don't have an answer for the issues you are seeing. All I can say is that the problem is not universal. I've been using OmniFocus on my iPhone and on my Mac since the beginning and have had virtually no problems. While there's still room for performance improvements on the iPhone app, I really have no big complaints; it's been very reliable, is reasonably quick, and I haven't seen a crash in months. So don't give up hope! The system does work quite well!

It seems like your problems are specific to your system and you shouldn't have to live with that. You should get in touch with OmniFocus support and get some help from the ninjas.

- Dennis

[whpalmer4]

As you have time to come and complain about it, how about filling us in on the details of how exactly it sucks for you right now and making this exercise a bit more productive? Describe your setup and the behavior you are seeing. Which versions of the software are you using? Still syncing via MobileMe?

[mseibert]

As I initiated this thread I wanted to give an update on my situation. I am not using the iPhone-app ever since I wrote this thread.

The syncing simply does not work any more.

A lot of praise goes to the stunning support of OmniFocus-Ninjas, that tried to help me a lot. I did not invest enough time to say, that their tips did not help. So part of the problem is me. :-D

Unfortunately my OmniFocus-File has grown to 20 MB although have hardly 1.000 Tasks. No wonder the sync does not work. I am using 4 different Macs, that sync regularly.

Does anybody know how to reduce the file size?

[Brian]

Wow. 20 MB is very, very large.

Given that the iPhone only has 64 MB of memory to run the OS, any background applications (the phone, the ipod), and OmniFocus, that definitely explains why you're having trouble getting your database to load on the phone.

If the steps I mentioned in my post to dutch5050 didn't shrink it enough, contact the support ninjas via email and we can help.

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by mseibert

As I initiated this thread I wanted to give an update on my situation. I am not using the iPhone-app ever since I wrote this thread.

The syncing simply does not work any more.

A lot of praise goes to the stunning support of OmniFocus-Ninjas, that tried to help me a lot. I did not invest enough time to say, that their tips did not help. So part of the problem is me. :-D

Unfortunately my OmniFocus-File has grown to 20 MB although have hardly 1.000 Tasks. No wonder the sync does not work. I am using 4 different Macs, that sync regularly.

Does anybody know how to reduce the file size?

Read my post here for details on how to figure out if you have some enormous attachments in your database that are causing it to swell to such size. Maybe someday a sufficiently motivated individual will write a script or OmniFocus will have some built-in means to show you embedded attachment size, but for now, that will do the trick. I made reference to 1.0 and 1.1, but as far as I've noticed there haven't been any changes to the file format which would affect the instructions.

[jbkendrick]

I have to jump in here so others don't get the impression that syncing is a problem for everyone. After reading the many threads complaining of syncing problems, and the solutions offered to those suffering from the problems, I've found that most of the problems seem to have a common denominator, i.e., using OF on more than one computer.

I've also learned from those threads that daily synching each computer and the iPhone resolves most syncing deficiencies. I'll leave it to the more technically advanced and their threads to answer the why, but I simply sync my iMac, MacBook and iPhone within minutes of one another each night, and I have no problems the next day with syncing issues on any of the devices. And I have well over 100 projects and 2100+ tasks in my database.

If you're having problems, just keep reading the forum threads about this issue until you understand how not regularly syncing a computer on which you've used OF can lead to the dramatic syncing problems that many have experienced. John

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by jbkendrick

I have to jump in here so others don't get the impression that syncing is a problem for everyone.

Ahh, the voice of reason. Thank you, John. ;-)


-Dennis

[mseibert]

Originally Posted by Brian

Of course, if it's easier, feel free to zip up your database and send it to the support ninja you've been working with. We can remove the attachments and then send you back a shrunk version of the database. (A couple other folks have run into this problem and this is what we've done for them.)

I do not need my attachments either. How do I zip my database to send it to you? Is a backup helpful?

[Brian]

Originally Posted by mseibert

I do not need my attachments either. How do I zip my database to send it to you? Is a backup helpful?

Just go ahead and right-click (or control-click, if you have a one-button mouse) the database in the finder, selecting "Compress OmniFocus.ofocus" from the menu that appears.

(Your database is in
<home folder>/Library/Application Support/OmniFocus/)

Once that process completes, you can attach the zip file that is produced to an email and send it to the support ninjas. We'll take it from there.