Computer Help - PDA synching...

[AndyL]

Ok,

Been going nuts lately since I spend 90% of my day outside the office - and all day wishing I had my calandar/contacts/todo list from outlook at the office with me.

So looking at buying a pda - but - of course there's a but right? Computer network we use at work is a client/server network - my 'computer' is a thin client (whatever that means), plug in a usb device other than a mouse/jumpdrive - and it can't do anything with it.

Is there any way to synch outlook via email (looking at a palm t/x - so it does have wifi) or by using a jumpdrive or similar? (I've got a directory on the terminal that is accessible from/to the server- meant to use for downloading digital camera, but the thin client recognizes my jumpdrive, so in a roundabout way it's possible)

Of course IT department's answer "outlook can't see the usb on the thin client, so no - you can't do that".

One of you know a solution right? :mrgreen:

Andy

[midgetwaiter]

Ohh look something I'm actually good at!

One thing, client/server and thin client are term that describe totally opposite concepts. It sounds like the system you company has setup is a classic thin client though. What this means is that all your software actually runs on on a server somewhere and all the thing on your desk does it show it to you. It's a nifty solution to all sorts of problems but makes things like this difficult.

A couple of things have to be true for this to work.

You need to be using Citrix Metaframe for this, the built in Microsoft Remote Desktop stuff doesn't handle it very well. If "Citrix", "Presentation Server" or "ICA Client" sound familiar then you are.

Your thin client needs to be a stripped down PC as opposed to a true thin client like a Wyse terminal. Those aren't too popular any more and if the jump drive works you probably have a PC.

Solutions exist for both Palm and Windows CE PDAs, but the Windows CE stuff works way better as Active Sync was built for this. If you have a Palm there is a product called USB-IT that you can purchase and install on the server that works around the problem but is costs around $1k so just getting a Windows PDA is a better choice. Either way it will require your IT department to both install software and do some fiddling around with the presentation servers so they will no doubt not want to do it. Depends on how good a case you can make.

Quick and dirty work around:

In lookOut 2003 go to file -> new -> outlook data file and create a new pst file on your network drive. It will now be in the left pane of you outlook window as "Personal Folders" . Click and drag your contacts and whatever else to the folder by using the RIGHT mouse button and selecting copy from the context menu that comes up when you release it.

Now take your .pst file and put it on your jump drive. Then take that home and put it in your PC. Now in Outlook go to file -> open -> outlook data file and select the .pst file on your jump drive. This will give you the same "Personal Folders".

Setup active sync or the palm software to sync those folders instead of the default ones and you're done.

You can actually do this with any Outlook version 2000 or greater, they just change the menu placements and names of stuff every version so I can't remember the exact steps. PM me if you need help.