Palm Goon: Meet the Contacts app

[Darth Pooh]

Getting closer.

If you use Nuevasync (following the iPhone/iPod Touch instructions) you should be able to bring in only the MY Contact list and your calendar. Not the All Contacts list.

However, the next problem is... if you go and add your gmail account (in the email program) you would think it would bring in just the mail portion, but the WebOS likes to bring in contacts/mail/calendar with it as well, which = ALL Contacts. A-Boooooooo!

On second thought, I don't think all those contacts are horrible with universal search. I like that fact that I have a semi-desktop experience with my Goggle Contacts.

[palmdoc2005]

Anyone know how Contact categories are organised on the Pre?
One of the problems I face with "cloud syncing" is that Outlook Contact categories don't sync with Google contact groups

Thanks

[mobileman]

I always thought "Syngery" was complete nonsense. But to each their own.

[TomD]

All this complaining about all or nothing contacts from Google an Facebook is missing the point.

You manage your contacts in Google and Facebook, not on the Pre.

If you don't want a contact delete it on Google and Facebook then the sync will remove it on your Pre.

If people don't manage contacts at the source they will have a mess. This is not a problem with Synergy. This is a problem with your contact management on Google and Facebook.

[mobileman]

Originally Posted by TomD

All this complaining about all or nothing contacts from Google an Facebook is missing the point.

You manage your contacts in Google and Facebook, not on the Pre.

If you don't want a contact delete it on Google and Facebook then the sync wll remove it on your Pre.

If people don't manage contacts at the source they will have a mess. This is not a problem with Synergy. This is a problem with your contact management on Google and Facebook.

The problem is people want to use their device as they want to. If they dont want their 400 facebook contacts loaded on their device, then they shouldn't. Just because you disagree, doesn't change the fact that most people want Palm to include an option to do this.

[hypocaffeinemia]

Originally Posted by TomD

All this complaining about all or nothing contacts from Google an Facebook is missing the point.

You manage your contacts in Google and Facebook, not on the Pre.

If you don't want a contact delete it on Google and Facebook then the sync wll remove it on your Pre.

If people don't manage contacts at the source they will have a mess. This is not a problem with Synergy. This is a problem with your contact management on Google and Facebook.

The problem is that google puts anyone you've ever sent an email to in your "all contacts" bucket.

The customer support agent for an online purchase you talked to three years ago isn't exactly something that should reside in your contact list.

And while it's easy to go and remove all these contacts from "all contacts" in gmail, it's kind of silly when the technology already exists to create a "my contacts" list and the API already supports only retrieving that list.

[Kyusaku]

Originally Posted by Darth Pooh

However, the next problem is... if you go and add your gmail account (in the email program) you would think it would bring in just the mail portion, but the WebOS likes to bring in contacts/mail/calendar with it as well, which = ALL Contacts. A-Boooooooo!

On second thought, I don't think all those contacts are horrible with universal search. I like that fact that I have a semi-desktop experience with my Goggle Contacts.

Yeah, if you add a GMail it adds it as a full on sync, it acts as if any gmail account is some kind of MS Exchange server.

I think the All contacts thing is a bit excessive and handy, but I think that depends more on your Gmail activity. If you send out a lot of one shot emails it can be pretty excessive. I use my Gmail accounts mostly to just receive emails so I'm not too bothered by it. The thing about Facebook profiles bothers me though. Because I kinda would prefer the Facebook data would merge with my other contacts from different locations at my default location but it remains separate.

[gabbott]

I've been thinking about this and I'm going to wait to actually use the phone and see how the contacts work. It sounds like palm is trying to make a paradigm shift in the way contacts are handled/used. This sounds similar to when gmail came out and it was different in that they didnt use folders, instead they came up with the idea for labels.
I'm a creature of habit and since I always used folders I resisted changing my ways for a long time because it was different and what I did before worked for me. Finally I gave in, and decided to try using the labels. Turns out, I really liked the concept and found it more productive for me than using folders.

Anyway, my point is that it looks like Palm is doing the same thing with WebOS, trying to change our idea of what a phone contact list is. Is it for the better? I think that has yet to be determined until the phone gets into the hands of actual users.

[hypocaffeinemia]

Originally Posted by gabbott

I've been thinking about this and I'm going to wait to actually use the phone and see how the contacts work. It sounds like palm is trying to make a paradigm shift in the way contacts are handled/used. This sounds similar to when gmail came out and it was different in that they didnt use folders, instead they came up with the idea for labels.
I'm a creature of habit and since I always used folders I resisted changing my ways for a long time because it was different and what I did before worked for me. Finally I gave in, and decided to try using the labels. Turns out, I really liked the concept and found it more productive for me than using folders.

Anyway, my point is that it looks like Palm is doing the same thing with WebOS, trying to change are idea of what a phone contact list is. Is it for the better? I think that has yet to be determined until the phone gets into the hands of actual users.

Well even if I end up with 1000+ contacts from these imports I'm going to roll with it and see what happens.

I just would like to see a bit more choice available on the part of the user when no technical limitations to said choice exists. Artificial barriers to how I manage my data bother me.

[realistdreamer]

Originally Posted by Wayenberg

Another basic feature not appearing in all PIM screenshots previously posted:Categories.

Well, if they're gone (which could be, tell me if I'm wrong, I see no category in all those "cloud servers" whether for Tasks, calendar or contacts...) managing hundreds of items will be a pain...

This is my concern as well. I use categories and tags to manage what goes where. If I cannot put my 1000+ Outlook contacts in categories, I don't think I'm going to like this. My salesmen friends have over 10000 contacts and categories are extremely valuable. I'd have to believe that this is all database stuff and if the field existing in FB, Outlook or Gmail then it can be built into Synergy. At launch is a different story.

[crogs571]

you can choose for that not to happen, but if you've just used gmail for emails and not as a PIM (like I use yahoo and aol), you most likely haven't chosen that and have a ton of crap in your contacts. Personally the more I read about synergy and contacts, the more I think it just plain sucks. I'll continue to use my main PIM as my sole source of contact and calendar info and that's it. I think Palm has a lot more work to do on this aspect of synergy. And if I choose to get email from a source, it seems it'll automatically add in the contacts and such from that source? That just doesn't make sense. All or nothing? Maybe there was a reason all this info was kept under wraps for so long. We would've been b*tching and moaning for months instead of two weeks before launch. I can just imagine the average joe thinking synergy will be the coolest. He'll link all his different accounts and have so much crap to sift through on his phone he'll just be beside himself. Nice to see Palm is still Palm

+1 on the salesman point. I have my contacts, memos and appointments all separated in to categories. If I can't maintain those categories across the board, the Pre is useless. Wow...hard to believe I'm becoming far less excited about this phone.

Originally Posted by hypocaffeinemia

The problem is that google puts anyone you've ever sent an email to in your "all contacts" bucket.

The customer support agent for an online purchase you talked to three years ago isn't exactly something that should reside in your contact list.

And while it's easy to go and remove all these contacts from "all contacts" in gmail, it's kind of silly when the technology already exists to create a "my contacts" list and the API already supports only retrieving that list.

[mrjcarter]

Wow. I think everybody just needs to chill out for a minute. The emulator is obviously, as someone else stated, an unfinished, early build. Why don't we just wait until we have the real thing before we continue whining about an issue which may not, in all actuality, be an issue after all.

[Darth Pooh]

What's the fun in that?!?

[Beanis]

And now we know why Sprint, nor Palm, has never officially showed us the nitty gritty details of many of the Pre's features. Because, being unfinished, you'll have way too many posters saying "OMG - deal breaker". Instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt on launch.

[frediev]

+1 on the salesman point. I have my contacts, memos and appointments all separated in to categories. If I can't maintain those categories across the board, the Pre is useless. Wow...hard to believe I'm becoming far less excited about this phone.

For the last week I have been posting on the boards about the same thing, Isn't contact management the reason why they built the first palm anyway.
The categorical issue is a big deal if your a salesperson and you deal with alot of accounts not the multilayered calander stuff. In my 800w I can't manage categories at all "whats up with that" also the contacts do not connect to the calendar or can you make appts right out of contacts with link, it just doesn't make any sense.

The best program I have is ACT for palm with my 600p and 700p. I dumped it because they just don't support it but if they can do all these things you would think Palm or Microsoft could figure it out.

[heberman]

About a month ago I went through my "all contacts" list in gmail and deleted most of my contacts. I went from about 1,500 "all contacts" to 268. I have 195 "my contacts". I also keep my Facebook "friends" to actual friends.

So for me, I'm fine with the Pre importing all of my Gmail and Facebook friends.

[crogs571]

Agendus has done well by me. I used ACT ages ago. Was great when I was doing a lot of cold calling. Category and organization wise, Agendus does the trick. Color coded categories and everything. Contact linking is huge.

People say to take a wait and see attitude, but if I use the Pre for 30 days and return it, how do I get a month of updated info back to my Centro? I mean, I pretty much have to abandon Palm Desktop or pay money to have it sync to google to have google sync to the Pre. Not too fond of putting out for companionsync if there's the possibility of returning the Pre.

I feel like I spent the past few hours talking to this amazing girl only to see her reach into her purse and pull out a pack of cigarettes...blah.

Originally Posted by frediev

For the last week I have been posting on the boards about the same thing, Isn't contact management the reason why they built the first palm anyway.
The categorical issue is a big deal if your a salesperson and you deal with alot of accounts not the multilayered calander stuff. In my 800w I can't manage categories at all "whats up with that" also the contacts do not connect to the calendar or can you make appts right out of contacts with link, it just doesn't make any sense.

The best program I have is ACT for palm with my 600p and 700p. I dumped it because they just don't support it but if they can do all these things you would think Palm or Microsoft could figure it out.

[pavvento]

I think (and hope) that when the Pre is released it might give you the option on google contacts as well as facebook to select the lists you'd like to sync. For google you can click 'my contacts' or 'all contacts' and for facebook you can sync a list or all friends. I don't think (then again I don't know code) that that would be too difficult to do.

[Darth Pooh]

And that's the bottom line.

People with the SDK out there are simply going from what they can tell us, which is what the SDK can do.

We just don't know how they will change the game upon launch. The advocates I've spoken to can confirm the SDK acts like the device in terms of Goggle and FB syncing but OTA updates can be done.

[crogs571]

all I know is that the little checkbox next to "Contacts Synergy" will be left unchecked for quite awhile. I'll let others be the guinea pigs. I simply don't need it, and it's close to the bottom of the list of why I want a Pre.