Willing to pay for setup: Outlook/Gmail/Icloud

[atwnsw]

Here is my current setup:

Outlook 2007 on my desktop (currently where all emails saved)
Gmail: no contacts or calendars saved on gmail. Just use email.
Iphone: Manually syncing to outlook using cable
Ipad: ?????

When I had the iphone only, I would only manually sync and everything was fine. I would essentially update my calendar and contacts directly to oulook. I could receive and send emails from the iphone and have to do a manual sync daily which was fine since I had to charge the phone anyways. After outlook would open, the emails would download and disappear from the iphone which was fine.

Then I bought the ipad and things got more complicated.

I don't want to have to manually sync 2 devices daily to my computer if possible.

I tried to setup the icloud on all the devices and ran into multiple issues w/ outlook. My home screen changed, my categories disappeared, etc.... I googled the internet and lots of problems using icloud w/ outlook.

Here are some options which I am considering:

1) I was thinking that I could move my outlook as my primary storage facility to gmail. From what I understand gmail is friendly with both icloud and outlook. Then, in theory, all my calendars/contacts/emails would sync automatically and hopefully hope to keep all of my contacts which are categorized. I would also hope that my outlook homescreen on my desktop would remain the same. This approache doesn't require me to manually plug in both devices into the desktop daily to sync. However, I am not sure if either apple device would recognize my categories???????

2) I could do a microsoft exchange server but would be stuck paying a monthly bill indefinitely. This might be the simplest in terms of function but the most expensive in the long run.

3) I could retry icloud with outlook but I am not optimistic.

Does anybody have 2 or more apple devices along 1 windows desktop? How have you set your system up?

I would welcome a consensus on how to proceed with a windows desktop using outlook and 2 apple devices.

Once we have a game plan I would even pay somebody on this board for your help.

Thank you....

Anthony

 

[NoWorthWhile]

The easiest to do, is to move all of your contacts, emails and calendars either to Gmail directly, or to Windows Live Mail. Both solutions are supported on iOS, and pretty good actually. It is easier than to have en Exchange Server to manage IMHO.

The problem by using Gmail though, is that the integration with Gmail is kind of lacking. WL Mail is better in that regard, as it uses a connector add-in. Gmail uses a plugin only to sync your Outlook calendar to GCalendar.

The caveat to that is that you'll have to stop syncing manually with a cable both your iPhone and iPad to your desktop, and do it over the internet. If that is acceptable to you, than what I wrote earlier is the easiest.

I had to go through all of this when I bought a WP7. Let me know if that works.

 

[atwnsw]

When you did this through Gmail, can you see your categories on your ipad/iphone?

What is the downside to a plugin only to sync the calendar/contacts/tasks?

Please email me at tampaone@gmail.com if you would allow me to pay you to walk me through all the steps....

Thanks

Anthony

The easiest to do, is to move all of your contacts, emails and calendars either to Gmail directly, or to Windows Live Mail. Both solutions are supported on iOS, and pretty good actually. It is easier than to have en Exchange Server to manage IMHO.

The problem by using Gmail though, is that the integration with Gmail is kind of lacking. WL Mail is better in that regard, as it uses a connector add-in. Gmail uses a plugin only to sync your Outlook calendar to GCalendar.

The caveat to that is that you'll have to stop syncing manually with a cable both your iPhone and iPad to your desktop, and do it over the internet. If that is acceptable to you, than what I wrote earlier is the easiest.

I had to go through all of this when I bought a WP7. Let me know if that works.

 

[NoWorthWhile]

No need for payment, and I will post everything over here, so other can chime in and give their thoughts.

First I tried with Gmail, but I didn't like the implementation of it on my devices, and in Outlook. The categories didn't match, and overall, the layout of it irks me. The plugin only syncs your first calendar I think.

As for WL Mail, it is more similar to the functionning of Outlook. It will appear as any other account in Outlook pane, and in every device you have, everything will be the same.

Now, for your categories, you will have to recreate each category in WL Mail as in your Outlook, and copy over your mails to their corresponding folders. These folders will be available everywhere.

Essentialy, it boils down to what online based mail provider you will use. Gmail uses IMAP for Outlook (no contact sync, calendar only via plugin), and Exchange for mobile devices (everything is synced). WL Mail uses a proprietary system for Outlook, and Exchange for mobile devices (everything is synced on both systems). Out of the two, I went with WL Mail for two reasons: one is the WP7, and two was the broader compatibility with all my devices.

All of these solutions will mean that you'll have a new email adress.

I never tried iCloud. Never saw the benefit of it.

 

[atwnsw]

I have an existing gmail email address and would like to keep it.

So, it sounds like I have narrowed my options (per your description) to gmail or microsoft exchange server. But now I am not even sure if I can use MSE if I want to keep my existing gmail address and I don't want to do Gmail if the categories don't match and layout change......

Boy, this sucks. Each option has its major drawbacks............

No need for payment, and I will post everything over here, so other can chime in and give their thoughts.

First I tried with Gmail, but I didn't like the implementation of it on my devices, and in Outlook. The categories didn't match, and overall, the layout of it irks me. The plugin only syncs your first calendar I think.

As for WL Mail, it is more similar to the functionning of Outlook. It will appear as any other account in Outlook pane, and in every device you have, everything will be the same.

Now, for your categories, you will have to recreate each category in WL Mail as in your Outlook, and copy over your mails to their corresponding folders. These folders will be available everywhere.

Essentialy, it boils down to what online based mail provider you will use. Gmail uses IMAP for Outlook (no contact sync, calendar only via plugin), and Exchange for mobile devices (everything is synced). WL Mail uses a proprietary system for Outlook, and Exchange for mobile devices (everything is synced on both systems). Out of the two, I went with WL Mail for two reasons: one is the WP7, and two was the broader compatibility with all my devices.

All of these solutions will mean that you'll have a new email adress.

I never tried iCloud. Never saw the benefit of it.

 

[bearxor]

Wouldn't the better option to be to simply drop iCloud altogether and sync to iTunes wirelessly? When you first setup youre given the option to do a wireless sync to iTunes every night when you plug the iPad and iPhone in to charge. Things should work for you exactly the same way they did before except you won't have to physically connect each to the computer.

 

[atwnsw]

You are a genius. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
It works exactly as I would have hoped. Stupid me.

My only questions for you:

1) When I sync wirelessly using Itunes to the computer, do I need to initiate it from the desktop everytime?

2) Should I use the icloud for photo & video backup using cloud storage & photostream or am I looking for trouble?

Now i can finally enjoy this expensive piece of hardware.............

Wouldn't the better option to be to simply drop iCloud altogether and sync to iTunes wirelessly? When you first setup youre given the option to do a wireless sync to iTunes every night when you plug the iPad and iPhone in to charge. Things should work for you exactly the same way they did before except you won't have to physically connect each to the computer.