My N900 is going to arrive next week, and since I will have to use Outlook to sync contacts from the iPhone I'm migrating from I'm greatly interested in that answer.
Another question: isn't there an alternate solution? Some cloud solution (like Google) we could use to circumvent PC Suite for that? (I mean usual contact info, not pretty colors, task categories and other related outlook-specific perfumery)
My N900 is going to arrive next week, and since I will have to use Outlook to sync contacts from the iPhone I'm migrating from I'm greatly interested in that answer.
Hi Bobbe,
I started a different topics on this community forum related to contacts sync and outlook syncronization. Finally I bought a N900 and use it daily so I can give you all the answer you need.
I must sadly underline how internet is full of enthusiast useless post focusing mainly on GUI FX or Icon colors than real device capabilities and interoperability so I was able to discover the real behaviour only when I bought it.
I can say: if you can cancel your N900 order do it, believe me.
About contacts sync
There is a big model mismatch between Outlook and Nokia. Nokia, from my point of view, has a correct approach (like the Apple iphone) allowing you to add n-details for each contact. It's really powerfull.
The problem is that syncronization fails and, as Nokia long tradition, it fails silently.
You simply have data loss without any popup or message: if you don't see device from a technical perspective you simply cannot understand or figure you'll have a big problem.
Doing some test I understood that Ovi Suite (now supports N900 too) works in this way:
Home and business phone number are linked to Outlook home and business number up to 3 entries. If you have the fourth you'll loose it syncing with outlook without any message. You have the same problem if a contact has more than 3 email addresses.
You loose any field not supported by Outlook.
If you really need to use Oulook you need unfortunately to forgot the Nokia Contacts Model and imagine you're using outlook even when you're playing with N900.
But the biggest problem is that PC Suite and Ovi Suite are not working at all.. They're really buggy and a nightmare. Even calendar and tasks syncronization fails.
PC Suite was simply terrible creating duplicates and duplicates each time.
Ovi Suite is better but is like working with an alpha/beta in a production environment.
N900 Calendar and email software is really a toy, good for spare time, bad for business or professional usage.
I think iTunes syncronization is better so I think, in your situation, iPhone could fit better your needs.
I love hardware keyboard and browser, really powerfull but N900 is really an immature device, forgotten by Nokia, not at level of other Nokia devices (specially E** series).
Another question: isn't there an alternate solution? Some cloud solution (like Google) we could use to circumvent PC Suite for that? (I mean usual contact info, not pretty colors, task categories and other related outlook-specific perfumery)
Thanks,
Bobbe
I don't use/like cloud service so I cannot give you this kind of feedback, I'm sorry.
Hi, in addition of software design issue, I'm unable to sync all my contacts/data/anything of my N900 by a bug freezing us from last may.
You can find details here:
Their are several cloud services that have been discussed in other threads. Nuevasync with Google Calendar sync, Hotmail Mfe, Sync evolution as well off the top of my head. I linked the Hotmail option because it's the most direct way to sync contacts and calendar with the n900 pretty flawlessly. You can do a search for the other options but they are all pretty easy to use.
I had a similar problem:
N900 synced to Outlook only once and never more.
Installed OVI suite afterwards and hoped that this will work
better - but no. Still no more sync.
Then I realized that I had done 2 mistakes:
I connected N900 to my computer already before installing PC Suite and I did that with mass storage mode.
And I used Outlook Express, somehow that got mixed up.
So I uninstalled OVI Suite.
Set back the system restore point that I made before OVI install.
Uninstalled PC Suite 7.1.51.0 .
Used Nokia_PC_Suite_Cleaner_7_1_1.exe afterwards.
But guess what: there was still stuff in the registry!
Also some .inf files from nokia were there, I removed them but be
cautious if you are using other stuff from Nokia! In my case it was easy because I never used Nokia items before.
Then I cleaned the registry from Nokia stuff. Be cautious there!
After one reboot I set a system restore point
installed PC Suite 7.1.51.0 and connected my N900 via cable as described in the manual for PC Suite (that I "forgot" to read previously ).
The drivers for N900 were installed once more (probably different ones from PC Suite?).
I choose Outlook and not the Express version.
I set N900 as "master" and Outlook (Office XP) as "slave",
Outlook needed set up (I used Thunderbird email up to now)
Afterwards I was able to sync my phone contacts and calendar
with PC Suite and PC suite with Outlook XP.
What I did not test was syncing Outlook back to PC Suite
and PC Suite back to N900.
, N900 remains for me a toy, nice and powerfull but just a toy.
).