Anyone using MobileMe?

[sheila]

OK, so I bought an iPod Touch on Friday (or as I prefer to lazily call it, an iTouch). I've only had a bit of time to play with it so far, but I love it already. I can see this is going to be a great tool for me.

I'm looking at some productivity tools, such as OmniFocus (http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/) or similar, and a number of these seem to have a desktop tool and an iPhone app that synchronize. (Another one is Things (http://culturedcode.com/things/).)

Anyhow, it's the whole synchronization aspect that has me going here...
Some of these tools (none of which I've tried yet) recommend MobileMe as the synching tool for being "easiest". OmniFocus definitely recommends that. Otherwise you can use a WebDAV server, but you'd need to set one up. I don't think I want to run a WebDAV server out of my house and open it up through a firewall, so....

Interested to hear anyone's experiences in using MobileMe. How's it working out for you?

[Randall]

No personal experience, but they've been plagued by technical problems since it went live -- even Steve Jobs admits that they bit off more than they could chew, and with the iPhone 3G, the App Store and the 2.0 firmware launching at the same time, it's been pretty chaotic.

Until they get it firmly under control, you may have to wait awhile before people can give you their overall impressions of it. :hrmm:

OTOH, syncing OmniFocus with your Touch could be less complicated than other aspects of the service. You may get some useful input over at the Omni forums (http://forums.omnigroup.com/).

Randall

# Another happy Touch owner, just waiting for the perfect streaming audio app

[sheila]

Good point about the Omni forums. I'll try to pop over there and see what's what.

I'm also looking at Zenbe lists (http://www.zenbe.com) which I found round about way, starting from The Daring Fireball (http://daringfireball.net/linked/2008/08/19/things-touch) and then over to the Things Forum (http://culturedcode.com/things/forums) where Things users recommended Zenbe lists. John Gruber of the Dariling Fireball also says that the way Apple keeps giving out credits and extra trial periods for MobileMe, that it may end up being a free service (http://daringfireball.net/linked/2008/08/18/mobileme-extension). :P

[Randall]

John Gruber of the Dariling Fireball also says that the way Apple keeps giving out credits and extra trial periods for MobileMe, that it may end up being a free service (http://daringfireball.net/linked/2008/08/18/mobileme-extension). :P <Snort> It certainly isn't Apple's finest hour. The ongoing troubles with the iPhone 3G (http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/08/19/hope-you-didnt-plan-to-actually-make-calls-on-iphone-2-0-2) don't help either. (At least we Touch users don't have to worry about things like iffy 3G coverage and phones that can't make phone calls. :wink:)

An insightful article on the terrors of syncing data: http://www.mildmanneredindustries.com/blog/?p=148

Randall :eek:

[Evoir]

well, I signed up for mobile me, and the main reason I don't like it is there is such limited tech support. I have a applecare warrantee, so i called apple. Nope, they can't help me. So, I went down to my local apple store, spoke to a very nice guy and his manager. Nope, they couldn't help me. All i could do was sit on my computer and wait for a online chat line to open up. First time i did it i checked all day and it was "not available" and the next day, I waited 4 hours, and finally got some "support" that gave me very canned answers. basically, there is NO support for mobileme.

When I did speak to the guy at apple on the phone, he suggested that apple was having so many phone calls with people seeking support, that they had to limit it to online chat. Not even an email address, so it keeps you hostage for hours waiting for a "live chat" support rep....

other than that huge flaw.... it worked quite well. The syncing, iphoto.... but, I cancelled it because of the lack of human support.

[Randall]

Ouch. Not good, not good...

The guy in charge of iTunes is now running MobileMe. Hopefully when they get the bugs out, their support people won't be stretched so thin — but hiring a bunch more of them right now couldn't hurt. :hrmm:

Randall

[sheila]

Hey Evie,

Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't too keen on signing up for (or even trying out the trial) for MobileMe before I read your post, but now it sounds like a total waste of time. I'm sure a lot of their issues are related to the fact that they don't have enough support staff to handle the volume of support tickets they are getting. Still, why would I want to suffer through that?

Anyhow, I tried out both Things (http://culturedcode.com/things/) and OmniFocus (http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/) (to some extent). Watched the tutorial videos on both and tried using the desktop clients. Things was easy and intuitive. OmniFocus not so much. And I really didn't feel like wasting time figuring it out.

I've been using Things for the past 3 days, and it is just nifty. It is a hands-down winner in the synching department. I purchased their iPhone/Touch client, and it synchs with the desktop client over my home wireless connection. It's pretty smooth. I like. I'd recommend giving this a look if anyone is looking for a GTD tool for the Mac. Right now the desktop app is free (they haven't released the 1.x version yet) and if you sign up for their mailing list now, you save $10 on the final price of their app ($39 vs. $49) and if you purchase the iPhone/Touch client now you save $10 there, too ($9.99 vs. $19.99). So Things vs. OmniFocus: Things is easier to use, cheaper, and synching over home wireless requires no external server. Yeah! We have a winner!

In other frustrating technology news, we bought a new iMac for our daughter (old Win2K Gateway desktop gave up the ghost) and I cannot get outbound Mail connections to work on that #$*(&@#*$( thing. Beats me why. Also having trouble getting IRC to work, too. Ahhhh, technology is wonderful. It makes our lives so much easier!

[Randall]

I've been using Things for the past 3 days, and it is just nifty. It is a hands-down winner in the synching department. I purchased their iPhone/Touch client, and it synchs with the desktop client over my home wireless connection. It's pretty smooth. I like. I'd recommend giving this a look if anyone is looking for a GTD tool for the Mac. I've resisted this whole GTD thing (:wink:) so far. I seem to get along pretty well with iCal, so I'm not sure what it really brings to the party.

Wireless sync is a neat feature — the SplashID iPhone app does that too. (I'm so happy that I can finally carry my password manager in my pocket again — it was the one real hole in my life after I retired my Palm.) But it's less convenient than iTunes syncing would be. I hope Apple provides a proper sync API soon, so you can plug your iPod in and everything is synced, music and otherwise. In other frustrating technology news, we bought a new iMac for our daughter (old Win2K Gateway desktop gave up the ghost) and I cannot get outbound Mail connections to work on that #$*(&@#*$( thing. Beats me why. My only experience with Mail is with Leopard, so this may be something you already know. But I've noticed how it defaults to SSL for both incoming and outgoing mail, and the SMTP settings are hard to find. They really ought to put that in the account setup assistant.

Speaking of iPods, last weekend I dragged myself onto the treadmill for the first time since, oh ... June '07 (http://www.aota.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=159067#post159067)? I think this is the first time I've used my iPod for exercising (which I believe was my original rationale for buying one). I just use the same 50-55 minute playlists I designed for my commute and then spend some quality time in a lukewarm shower...

Randall

[sheila]

I've resisted this whole GTD thing (:wink:) so far. I seem to get along pretty well with iCal, so I'm not sure what it really brings to the party.
Yeah, I tried just using the system provided tools, such as iCal for a while. Actually for a long while. But it just doesn't work real well for me, because I don't like to put every single thing I need to remember todo in there. The todos in iCal are OK, but not as easy to sort, annotate, schedule, select different views. Maybe I'm just scatterbrained. Oh, heck. I am. Something about the interface/arrangement of the Things GTD app just really works for me.

There was a small blip with it this morning. I got some of my tasks duplicated. Apparently something to do with the iCal/Mail sych that it offers. I've reported the bug, but it seems they were probably aware of it before, anyhow. Maybe I should just turn the iCal/Mail synching off, as I'm not really using it anyhow and it just provides additional complications.

Wireless sync is a neat feature — the SplashID iPhone app does that too. (I'm so happy that I can finally carry my password manager in my pocket again — it was the one real hole in my life after I retired my Palm.) But it's less convenient than iTunes syncing would be.
Hunh. I think the wireless synching is actually more convenient.

My only experience with Mail is with Leopard, so this may be something you already know. But I've noticed how it defaults to SSL for both incoming and outgoing mail, and the SMTP settings are hard to find. They really ought to put that in the account setup assistant.
This is definitely new in Leopard, and it is not easy during the initial account setup process to find any way around it. Strangely, I set up for one of my FutureQuest hosted accounts, and walked away, forgot about it all day, and later that night it had managed to make the connection. I have no idea how long it took, though.

Speaking of iPods, last weekend I dragged myself onto the treadmill for the first time since, oh ... June '07 (http://www.aota.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=159067#post159067)? I think this is the first time I've used my iPod for exercising (which I believe was my original rationale for buying one). I just use the same 50-55 minute playlists I designed for my commute and then spend some quality time in a lukewarm shower...

Warm shower.... ahhhhhh.
;)

[Randall]

The todos in iCal are OK, but not as easy to sort, annotate, schedule, select different views. Maybe I'm just scatterbrained. Oh, heck. I am. Something about the interface/arrangement of the Things GTD app just really works for me. I suppose I'll have to stop ignoring it someday and give the GTD cult its due. :wink: Hunh. I think the wireless synching is actually more convenient. It would be if it's automatic ... SplashID is not. I have to remember to do it, and it only does it for that one app. :hrmm: Meanwhile, I'm plugging into iTunes every day to update my playlists, and it does my calendar and address book at the same time. I'd like to have my apps sync at that time as well.

Adding insult to injury, since SplashID is a password manager, I have to unlock it before I can do the sync. Oh, and the desktop client has to be open too — and unlocked — or it won't work. :blah: This is definitely new in Leopard, and it is not easy during the initial account setup process to find any way around it. Strangely, I set up for one of my FutureQuest hosted accounts, and walked away, forgot about it all day, and later that night it had managed to make the connection. I have no idea how long it took, though. After banging its head against the wall for a few hours, maybe it had an epiphany: "What if I try it without SSL?"

The way around it during setup is a little counterintuitive — you have to click Cancel (if I remember it correctly), which tells it to stop trying to talk to the server. Then you click on Next to continue on your way. When it's all over you can go in and fix the SMTP settings.

Could be smarter.

Another walk on the treadmill this weekend, and another warm shower. :winky:

Randall

[sheila]

I suppose I'll have to stop ignoring it someday and give the GTD cult its due. :wink:
Why? You feel like you're not getting stuff done well enough? I mean, if it ain't broke, you don't have to fix it. In my case, it was definitely broke. This is helping.


It would be if it's automatic ... SplashID is not. I have to remember to do it, and it only does it for that one app. :hrmm: Meanwhile, I'm plugging into iTunes every day to update my playlists, and it does my calendar and address book at the same time. I'd like to have my apps sync at that time as well.
Interesting. The Things synch happens whenever I open Things on my Touch (as long as the desktop version is open on my Mac, which it basically always is). I usually only hook the iPod up to my computer once a day (on average... some days not at all, some days maybe twice). But I synch the Things app usually a few times a day.

Adding insult to injury, since SplashID is a password manager, I have to unlock it before I can do the sync. Oh, and the desktop client has to be open too — and unlocked — or it won't work. :blah:
Does sound somewhat annoying. I'm considering an app/iPod-app combo from the same company for grocery list type of purposes. It's called SplashShopper. Somehow I think it would probably have similar synching issues.


After banging its head against the wall for a few hours, maybe it had an epiphany: "What if I try it without SSL?"
Yeah, that's kind of what I figured.

The way around it during setup is a little counterintuitive — you have to click Cancel (if I remember it correctly), which tells it to stop trying to talk to the server. Then you click on Next to continue on your way. When it's all over you can go in and fix the SMTP settings.

Thanks for the tip. There really is no way to see that as an intuitive option during the setup process. Probably my nature to follow directions and instructions doesn't help me any with that, either...

Another walk on the treadmill this weekend, and another warm shower. :winky:

:)

[Randall]

Why? You feel like you're not getting stuff done well enough? I mean, if it ain't broke, you don't have to fix it. In my case, it was definitely broke. This is helping. I guess because I don't really know if it's broke or not ... my undestanding of GTD is hazy at best. So there's only one way to find out. :wink: Does sound somewhat annoying. I'm considering an app/iPod-app combo from the same company for grocery list type of purposes. It's called SplashShopper. Somehow I think it would probably have similar synching issues. If it doesn't require a password to get in, then it may be no more annoying than Things. But you should ask them if it autosyncs.

Whether it's done over the air or through iTunes, Apple really needs to provide a sync framework. Things may not seem like a hassle now, but imagine if you have half a dozen apps that sync "automatically" — but you have to open each and every one of them to do it. Since apps can't run in the background, we need a central OS mechanism to handle the syncing duties.

My old Palm provided that framework — I never needed to tell SplashID to sync up. It just did it. :dunno:

Randall

[sheila]

I guess because I don't really know if it's broke or not ... my undestanding of GTD is hazy at best. So there's only one way to find out. :wink:

OK. I'm not sure I'm really doing GTD (which I've tried in the past, although probably half-heartedly, and didn't really work/stick for me at that time). I think this is more a tool which could be used for GTD, but you can use it just as a todo list without necessarily being a GTD groupie.

Whether it's done over the air or through iTunes, Apple really needs to provide a sync framework. Things may not seem like a hassle now, but imagine if you have half a dozen apps that sync "automatically" — but you have to open each and every one of them to do it. Since apps can't run in the background, we need a central OS mechanism to handle the syncing duties.

My old Palm provided that framework — I never needed to tell SplashID to sync up. It just did it. :dunno:


OK, I do see how this could get quite annoying if there were a number of such apps on my device that I wanted to synch up. :noddy:

[Randall]

I think this is more a tool which could be used for GTD, but you can use it just as a todo list without necessarily being a GTD groupie. Hmm. My biggest complaint about iCal is that you can't create to-do lists for an event — there's no connection to the calendar at all. Things looks like it would be good for event/project to-do lists, but I'm not sure how the iCal integration works. Does Things hook into iCal's calendar, or just to the to-do list? I can't really tell from their web site.

At work we're getting ready to use a really expensive project management system — and it's got enough complexities that we're paying for training, too. (Oh, I sincerely hope it's going to work for us and not turn into a boondoggle. :safegrin:) After spending some time with that, I'll have a better idea of what I'd want (or not want) in a personal to-do program.

Randall

[sheila]

Hmm. My biggest complaint about iCal is that you can't create to-do lists for an event — there's no connection to the calendar at all.
Not as such, no. It would be nice to be able to make links between events and todos. You can drag scheduled events into the todo list but that is a one-to-one correspondence, not a one-to-many correspondence.


Things looks like it would be good for event/project to-do lists, but I'm not sure how the iCal integration works. Does Things hook into iCal's calendar, or just to the to-do list? I can't really tell from their web site.

As far as I noticed, it was just the todo list. Although it schedules todos, if you had schedulee them already in Things.

I like the tags and the projects and areas. That helps me get organized. If I'm at home and I have some time and feel like accomplishing something, I can select the "home" tag to view things I could get done while I'm at home. I've tried to organize my tags in a GTD type of philosophy so that I can select a tool I have available right now, and see all todos that use that tool (such as phone, or computer or something), or a person I need to be with me in order to do certain things (like my Jenny to check her homework or do running training with her for her upcoming 10K). Etc...

Right now the iPhone/Touch app doesn't support tags, which is kind of annoying. I think they are working on adding that functionality (among many other features).

At work we're getting ready to use a really expensive project management system — and it's got enough complexities that we're paying for training, too. (Oh, I sincerely hope it's going to work for us and not turn into a boondoggle. :safegrin:)

Boy do I understand that. I hope it works out, is well-received, that everyone uses it and it makes you all more productive and efficient. I also want world peace and a pony. :P

[Randall]

Boy do I understand that. I hope it works out, is well-received, that everyone uses it and it makes you all more productive and efficient. I also want world peace and a pony. :P We're also buying new furniture, getting ready to play musical offices (which will be repainted shortly thereafter) and attempting to hire a part-time bookkeeper (http://www.gracekeniston.com/contact/jobs.php). I haven't got any real work done since August. :eeww:

So I think that makes you eligible for two ponies.

Randall

[sheila]

So I think that makes you eligible for two ponies.
Cool.

I wanted to take my iPod Touch back and get the latest version (sort of return/trade-in type of thing), but my receipt said my return date was Sept. 5th so I missed it by 4 days. Yikes. Why did I let my spouse convince me to rush out and buy one?

<Maxwell Smart>Missed it by that much!</Maxwell Smart>

I've found a new fun toy for my iPod, though.
MobileFinder.

Let's me FTP files back and forth between my iPod and my computer. Supports Mac OS, Win XP or Vista. Reads PDF files, HTML files, images, text, excel files, Word files. Creates and/or edits text files. Nice little app.

[Randall]

I wanted to take my iPod Touch back and get the latest version (sort of return/trade-in type of thing), but my receipt said my return date was Sept. 5th so I missed it by 4 days. Yikes. Why did I let my spouse convince me to rush out and buy one? I've already forgotten. Was there anything really compelling about the new hardware?

Well, aside from the fact that it's $70 cheaper. :hrmm:

The real excitement for me is in the 2.1 firmware update. On of my biggest complaints has been the lack of info in the Playlists and Songs views. Now we get not only the song title, but the artist and the album as well. If I hadn't already sprung for the 2.0 update, this alone would have sold me. :winky:

Randall

[sheila]

Well, for the 16 GB version it's $100 cheaper. There's a speaker on the new one, so you can actually hear sound coming out of it without ear phones (for casual listening, as Steve says). Also it has the Nike Plus hardware built in so you can use it for running/walking data tracking. The old ones can't do that, even if you buy the accessories. I use a Garmin product for that, though.

Let's see... there's some new headphones (that I won't buy) that offer additional functionality for control that I *think* only works with the new iTouch hardware. Seems to me there might have been one or two other things. Nothing compelling. For me it was strictly the $100, although if I could get the newer features at the same time, I'd certainly take it.

So, I have the 2.01 software (or is it 2.02? I'm not sure atm). So what's great about going from the previous version to the new one? I've held back so far on upgrading my iTunes and iPod software. If it ain't broke, don't break it. :P

[Randall]

So, I have the 2.01 software (or is it 2.02? I'm not sure atm). So what's great about going from the previous version to the new one? I've held back so far on upgrading my iTunes and iPod software. If it ain't broke, don't break it. :P It's mostly got good news for iPhone 3G owners, but as Ars Technica put it, this one doesn't feel like a beta (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080912-first-look-iphone-os-loses-beta-feel-with-2-1-update.html). I never had the problem with interminable backups, but what I was hearing about it (among other "issues") made me nervous.

In any event, make sure you upgrade iTunes first — I've heard some people couldn't sync a 2.1 iTouch with iTunes 7.

Randall

[Buck]

I bought a new 32G Touch last week, right after washing my 20G Classic in a load of laundry!

I LOVE the Touch, what a fun little device. Incredible what it can do! And I haven't even really started playing with it, just got it home yesterday.

[Randall]

I LOVE the Touch, what a fun little device. Incredible what it can do! A Nano is cheaper, but interacting with the Touch is way more fun. (In his inimitable style, The Steve said it himself: "the funnest iPod ever.")

My condolences for your Classic's untimely demise. :sad:

Randall