[missing-sync-hiptop-talk] May 9th, What's The Status?

[Sean Graham]

On Wed, May 12, 2004 at 04:44:15PM -0400, Gregory Seidman wrote:

> I am much more interested in syncing *to* my Mac, not from it. Even once
> I've done the initial sync, I am much more likely to update information
> on the phone when I see someone in person than I am to update anything
> directly on my Mac.

I think we are all getting hung up on language:

Syncing: 
    - Short for Synchronizing
    - Provides a way to ensure that two (or more) databases contain the same
      data, as well as providing a method to merge changes in both
      directions.  In this situation, the first DB resides on Danger's, the
      other DB is the Apple PIM software (iCal, Address Book, etc.).
      (It is interesting to note that your hiptop is constantly syncing with
      Dangers servers, which is why changes made on the Desktop Interface
      webpage appear almost instantly on the hiptop and vice versa)

Importing:
    - A one time method for moving data between applications.
    - Danger provides support for importing data stored in CSV files, but it
      doesn't do well with resolving conflicts (one of the "new" address
      entries in the CSV file is already contained with the Danger DB).

Syncing is a fluid, two-way process of ensuring that two databases are
"mirroring" each other, just as the Desktop Interface and the hiptop device
does.

While I am replying: As far as the comment (from another poster) to the
effect "Developers can upload applications so they must be able to upload
data to the address book", this is just an ignorant statement.  One
definitely does not imply the other.  Danger provides a mechanism to upload
applications, but does not provide (or has obscured) a mechanism to edit the
PIM data.  

sean
-- 
Sean M. Graham - grahams at csh.rit.edu
http://www.sean-graham.com/