Fr. Ignatius

The following is an e-mail that I received:

From The Desk Of: *PocketMac's Lauren Samuels*

Dear <your name>,

**** Have you ever had the feeling that accomplishing a project is like climbing a large mountain? Each rock you hold onto, the farther you are away from the ground below. Well that's how the PocketMac team and I have felt as we've grappled with Windows Mobile 5. I finally have some very, very, very, very good news though...

...we have a public Windows Mobile 5 beta available now.

**** That's right. It's finally here. I've had to pinch myself a few times too. But it's here and available for free for existing customers. After you download it, we'd really appreciate any feedback you have. Can you enter all your feedback in our support site @ http://www.pocketmacsupport.net*in the Windows Mobile 5 queue. We expect a full commercial release in 1-2 weeks max after this beta.

Go here to download the Windows Mobile 5 public beta now...
http://www.pocketmac.net/products/pmforwm5/index.html

**** Thank you! Thank you! We're really excited about this and hope you enjoy this new version.

Thank you,

Lauren Samuels
PocketMac® Team

__________________________________________________ ____________
Serial Number for Beta Test: How to get one?
Synopsis: If you don't currently own a copy of PocketMac, here is how you can get a license number to use for the beta test.

The following comment is mine:
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT! -

Article Content:
If you would like to beta test PocketMac for Windows Mobile 5, but you don't currently have a serial number to use, you can purchase a copy of PocketMac Pro or PocketMac Phone.

When you purchase PocketMac, the order processing system will send you an Order Confirmation email with a serial number in it.

HINT: Don't install the version 2002/2003 software from the link in email. Just ignore that one.

INSTEAD:

When you sign up for the PocketMac Windows Mobile 5.0 beta test, our Test Manager will send you a link to download the Windows Mobile 5.0 Beta Test version. Download and install that software and use the serial number that you received in the Order Confirmation e-mail.

Remember, when testing, enter your questions directly into the Request Support Section so our tech support reps can help you promptly.

REMEMBER:

Before you install PocketMac for Windows Mobile 5, first you should uninstall other sync applications and restart the Mac.

We're looking forward to your feedback!

Sincerely,

PocketMac Development Team

________________________
At first I was excited, but then I saw that I have to pay to test for them. Too bad they do not let us do a true Public Beta Test with a copy that will not work after the date that the Commercial Version is released. Other companies do this (ie. QuarkXpress). It is a good way to get a lot of feedback, from a large community of users. Too bad.

Unworthy Servant of God,

Ignatius - priestmonk

Fr. Ignatius

I bought the right to test this program. Ugghh.

So far things are going well. I am still not able to sync my contacts, calendar and tasks, but it may not be their fault. I sent a request for help (this morning - 8:00 am EDST), and I hope to hear from them soon (they say they will contact you within one business day - so, it may be sometime on Monday, but what can you do). The PocketMac people are in California, so I hope that they can return an answer to my problems before they go home (on PDST). If not, I'll get it on Monday - no big deal. I have waited since October/November of 2006, what is another couple days?

In all other areas, I have what I did when I used ActiveSync on my friend's PC. Since I could not sync his information on my Axim, I used it to download programs. Now I am able to download programs, .exe files and I can manually transfer files from the Mac to the PPC (like a USB Flash Drive). There will still be programs that I cannot download with PocketMac Pro (ie. Pocket e-Sword - Rick Meyers says that it can only be done with a PC), but I am a lot closer than I was a few days ago.

I like the way things look and work. In fact, I like it better than my time using ActiveSync 4.5. It seems to flow. The program just looks and feels nice.

So far I rate this program 8 to 8.5. When I am able to sync my PIM, then it will be 9.5 to 10.

I like the manual. It is very easy to read, step by step procedures. It tells you what you need to do before you do an action (ie. backup your PIM on the Mac first) then shows you each step during each procedure. I need that, so I have to say that I am satisfied with it, so far.

I am always using my Axim, so this will make it easier to use my Mac to help keep things straight on my Axim and the other way around.

Unworthy Servant of God,

Ignatius - priestmonk

Fr. Ignatius

Well, here I am again.

Today I finally was able to sync my Dell Axim X51v with my iMac G5 (PowerPC).

I have to say, "I really like this program!" We also have to remember that it is still a Beta Version, but it is a great program. I like it a lot better than ActiveSync. I have used ActiveSync a number of times on my friend's PC. Yuck. With PocketMac, everything is very straight forward. It now works (period).

I first tried to sync it with an Intel iMac Mini which is located in our office (this is an ongoing battle). I do not believe it is the program's fault - Let me say that again - I do not believe that it is the program's fault. I have a Standard Account on the Intel iMac Mini and we have been having Permissions problems. The My System Administrator downloaded the program and then I took over. I was able to set it up, connect with the device, browse the device, download programs, download themes, and get CAB files out of Executables, but I just could not Sync the two computers together (Dell Axim X51v with the Intel iMac Mini). My view of the way the program works, as it does currently, I rank it an 8 to 8.5. It is a good program. Now, the final thing is for it to sync. When it sync's with the Intel iMac Mini like it sync's with my iMac G5 PowerPC, well, I have to give it a 9.5 to 10.

My System Administrator does not believe that it is a Permissions problem, but PocketMac and I disagree with him. In the PocketMac System Report it states the reason it does not sync is - Permission denied. We are still working on this. I hope that we will get this sorted out soon. The Tech Support (ie. Mike C) has been guiding me through this maze for about eleven days. He is a very patient and knowledgable man. We have tried every other avenue and we think have narrowed down the problem. I hope that we can accomplish our goal, soon.

After all this has been going on, I decided to move my attention to my personal computer (where I am the System Administrator - iMac G5 PowerPC). It has taken about 2 - 3 days of Tech Support, by Mike C (who, by the way, is very good at his job) to accomplish it, and we did it.

I have been waiting for so long to finally sync my data in the Axim with my Mac - this is a great day.

I recommend this software! It is not perfect, yet, but with Tech Support and the knowledge that each of us have in our fields, this software will be great. I hope that there will be others who will try this software.

Thank you for reading this post.

Tell me your thoughts. I'd be interested to hear what you have to say. If you have any questions about this software from a non-geek, then I will do my best to share my experiences with PocketMac Pro 3.0 for Windows Mobile 5.

Unworthy Servant of God,

Ignatius - priestmonk

Lumsdoni

"Now I am able to download programs, .exe files and I can"

Are you saying you can install programmes that come as a PC .exe file using PocketMac?

How does that work? I have to use VPC to do that!

Fr. Ignatius

Here is page 31 of the PocketMac Manual:

7.2 Windows Installers/PMCabTool
"The only problem with CAB files is that many Pocket PC software vendors like to find clever ways to package the CAB files in such a way that they're usually difficult to get to on a Mac. For example, they might put the CAB files into a pleasant Windows installer application, which of course, would keep it from running on a Mac.
If we don't automatically get CAB files with our purchase, we can always ask the vendor to provide them. After all, they've got to create them anyway, so they're usually quite willing to email them as a courtesy. Yet, while most vendors will provide the CAB files simply for the asking, some do not. To help deal with this problem, there is PMCabTool for OS X.

PMCabTool works by searching through Windows installer files such as EXEs (Windows
executable files, often used for installations) or MSIs (Microsoft Installer files) and looks for Pocket PC CAB files inside of those installer files.

Please note that this is very much a brute force approach and will only work some of the time. PMCabTool's operation is very simple. We can just use the buttons to locate a Windows installer file, and a Mac folder to hold any CAB files that it may find. Then we click the "Extract" button. PMCabTool will automatically attempt to install any CAB files it finds to the Pocket PC for you.

That's all there is to it.

Please note that PMCabTool is free to all PocketMac users, and can be accessed from the PocketMac status item menu by choosing "Install new software via..." and then selecting "EXE file". It's also in your "Applications" folder in the PocketMac Bonus Software folder."

I also have Virtual PC. If the PocketMac's PMCabTool cannot extract the CAB file (which usually happens for the Dell Updates and a few others), I then us VPC or a friend's PC.

It is not perfect, but what program is?

I hope that this has been helpful.

Lumsdoni

Thank you for a very clear and helpful answer.

How would you rate PocketMac vs MissingSync?

heybhouse

pocket mac didn't work for me at all. no reply from customer support.

Fr. Ignatius

Well, I have only used MissingSync with two of my friend's PDAs. I was not impressed with it. I am not trashing it, by no means. It, for the most part, does what it says it is suppose to do. Neither of them are truely happy with the program. It is not that it doesn't work as advertised, but there are gliches (like with all software in the PPC realm). Because of their reaction to the program, and my short experience with it, I decided to wait for PocketMac to come out with their WM5 version. I am not saying that PocketMac is perfect, but for my needs, it works at everything I have tried to do. So far, I can say that I am very impressed with PocketMac. I believe that the wait was worth it. Also, this is PocketMac Pro 3.0. I believe that they are working on 4.0 now also. I do not know when it will be ready to be released, but from what I have read, they wanted to get WM5 compliant first before they release the next update.

I do not know what to say to Heybhouse. Before I became a customer, they rarely e-mailed me back quickly, but they always responded (of course in this fast paced world - usually slower than I wanted, but they did respond). Now that I am a customer, if I e-mail them in the morning to early afternoon (I live on the East Coast, they are on the West Coast), I have always gotten a response (at least once, sometimes even two times). There are always people who seem to receive better service than others. Why, I do not know. I can only speak for myself and what I have experienced. I cannot complain with the service.

We still have not been able to sync with one of the computers (Intel iMac Mini), but that is a problem on my side. I am not the System Administrator of that particular computer, and until our System Administrator does some work that the PocketMac Tech Support has requested, we are at a stand still. Tech Support is waiting on my response.

Unworthy Servant of God,

Ignatius - priestmonk

marcstewart@be

Lauren Samuels and the PocketMac Support Team are ABYSMAL! Not once after several attempts did I receive any response. I was never able to install and successfully run PocketMac and perform a sync. I bought Missing Sync and it works like a dream. Now I am in what seems to be a never ending struggle to get someone from PocketMac to respond to my requests for a full refund. This company is looking very dubious to say the least! Actually the only responses I received were customer support surveys asking how PocketMac was doing! What a joke! I was honest in my response, VERY honest. One would think they would follow up quickly to such a disgruntled customer but there was NADA from them. I'm pissed!