Palm Goon: Meet the Contacts app

**mobileman** · 05/26/2009, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by kilofoxtrot

I hate voicemail ...... period. It doesnt matter if its old fashion or visual.

I was seriously considering using GoogleVoice as my "voicemail" (it will sms a transcription of the caller's message) until I found out that Sprint charges $.20 per call forward, even in the case of "no answer" call forward.

I now have to see if I can convince people to use my Google Voice number to accomplish the same thing. However, my cell number is "so out there" I think it will be an arduous task in getting people to switch to the G Number.

Why do I hate voicemail? For every 50 voicemails I get, 49 of them are "Hey, its me call me." .... I know its you, I can see your caller ID.

If visual voicemail was free then I can see some value. But there is no way I would pay extra to here people say "Its me......."

Visual Voicemail would be free if Palm (and Sprint) decided to include it. Once you have it its a difficult feature to lose and have to go back to the old system.

**DougB541** · 05/26/2009, 10:29 AM

Hmmm...

Not sure whats going on with this whole sync thing is....but this is what i'm doing.

I'm currently using Google Sync on my Blackberry so I will do this.

I will delete all my contacts on my google contacts, then sync with my blackberry the day I get my pre.

Then it'll only be my contacts on my blackberry.....then i'll do the google sync and be done with it.

Its just odd to me as the google sync app only pulls "my contacts" why would they do All for the pre?

**baineteo** · 05/26/2009, 10:48 AM

I have a question that I could not find the answer to in the 12, long pages. Maybe I missed it. If so, do let me know. Thanks.

Anyway, my question for the Contacts App is, is it even possible for it to work without the use of (data) network? If I update my contact in my Pre, it will immediately (or at a later time) update the Gmail contact list, doesn't it? Even if it doesn't update the Gmail list, the Pre automatically updates itself of any changes in Facebook, GMail, AIM etc etc, which also translate into data movement. It's probably not a problem for Sprint users, since everyone will be forced into buying their 'Pre Plan', but this also means that even if other carriers (in other countries) get their hands on the Pre, they will have to sell it together with a data plan, which is definitely more expensive.

So, my question is, can the Pre's Contact App function like a "dumn phone's" contact app, without all the bells and whistles of "Synergy"?

Originally Posted by kilofoxtrot

I hate voicemail ...... period. It doesnt matter if its old fashion or visual.

I was seriously considering using GoogleVoice as my "voicemail" (it will sms a transcription of the caller's message) until I found out that Sprint charges $.20 per call forward, even in the case of "no answer" call forward.

I now have to see if I can convince people to use my Google Voice number to accomplish the same thing. However, my cell number is "so out there" I think it will be an arduous task in getting people to switch to the G Number.

Why do I hate voicemail? For every 50 voicemails I get, 49 of them are "Hey, its me call me." .... I know its you, I can see your caller ID.

If visual voicemail was free then I can see some value. But there is no way I would pay extra to here people say "Its me......."

Totally agree with you. My stand is if someone needs to contact me urgently but was unable to reach me, he could just text me "Please call me when you see this sms. Urgent." Rather than to go into my voice mail, leave a message, wait for me to see the notification that I've got a voice mail, wait again for me to feel like calling my voice mail to check what's in it, listen to the machine's "You have _ new messages", press the number to listen, press another number to listen to it again because I didn't really get the 4th word he tried to say, press another number to proceed to my next new message..."

I guess that's what the Visual Voicemail is - to remove that. If you ask me, it's just so much easier to send a text to the person whom you're trying to contact so desperately.

**dwhitman** · 05/26/2009, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Gekko

i once tried a CSV upload of PD Contacts to Google and i ended up with scrambled Contacts. fields were all fouled up.

I saw a similar thing once upon trying to export contacts from Palm Desktop to CSV. It's been a while, but I think at the time it looked like the issue was caused by the multiple fields in a contact record that can have variable meanings via a pulldown to the left (home/work/email/mobile/etc). I think those fields were just being exported in the order they appeared, NOT reshuffled to make everyone's home phone (for example) line up in a column.

So for example if I had two records

John Galt
home: 123-456-7890
email: who@rand.com

B Banzai
email: buckeroo@thereur.com
fax: 111-555-1212

When you export this, you get:

Code:

name          home                          email
John Galt     123-456-7890                  who@rand.com
B Banzai      buckeroo@thereur.com          111-555-1212

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:03 AM

i think i figured it out. let's say you were syncing with your Employer's Exchange Server via EAS and you left that employer. your PIM data would still be in your Pre's cache under that EAS account. so all you'd have to do is go into that EAS account settings on the Pre and change the server settings to a new Exchange Server and re-sync and your data would show up on the new server. hence, you PIM Contacts etc. is portable from on Exchange Server to another via EAS and the Pre. the Pre does keep a synced up to date cached copy of your Exchange PIM data and updates it on every sync. if you lose that connection/feed, you don't lose your PIM data, you simply lose the ability to update sync with that feed. so just change the settings and re-sync to a new server. you only lose a specific EAS Account's PIM data from the device if you actually delete that specific EAS account on your Pre.

make sense?

**cardfan** · 05/27/2009, 08:07 AM

Since its been talked about here. Per userguide, voicemail is the old standard. No VV or alternate that i saw.

**mobileman** · 05/27/2009, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by cardfan

Since its been talked about here. Per userguide, voicemail is the old standard. No VV or alternate that i saw.

hmm, this still bothers me.

BTW, I love your avatar. Is she yours? I have one around the same age.

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by dwhitman

I saw a similar thing once upon trying to export contacts from Palm Desktop to CSV. It's been a while, but I think at the time it looked like the issue was caused by the multiple fields in a contact record that can have variable meanings via a pulldown to the left (home/work/email/mobile/etc). I think those fields were just being exported in the order they appeared, NOT reshuffled to make everyone's home phone (for example) line up in a column.

So for example if I had two records

John Galt
home: 123-456-7890
email: who@rand.com

B Banzai
email: buckeroo@thereur.com
fax: 111-555-1212

When you export this, you get:

Code:

name          home                          email
John Galt     123-456-7890                  who@rand.com
B Banzai      buckeroo@thereur.com          111-555-1212

not sure. CSV export/import was a mess that's all i know. however, the CompanionLink for Google seemed to work OK but i didn't check the fields real close. Palm's import tool may be OK too. and i'm just not a big fan of Google Contacts/Calendar. i like PD and Outlook.

in the end, i'm sticking with an EAS transfer because it's clean and easy and i'm fortunate to have access to an EAS Exchange Server at work. i simply synced my Centro to Exchange via EAS and i'm all set. when i get the Pre i'll just sync it via EAS and i should be good to go. and for desktop PIM access, i'll just use my corporate online Outlook for now.

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by cardfan

Since its been talked about here. Per userguide, voicemail is the old standard. No VV or alternate that i saw.

my guess is that it may be there at launch or added at a later date. should be a fairly easy feature for them to add. i've never had it so i don't know what i'm missing - so not a dealbreaker for me - more of a "nice to have".

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by baineteo

I have a question that I could not find the answer to in the 12, long pages. Maybe I missed it. If so, do let me know. Thanks.

Anyway, my question for the Contacts App is, is it even possible for it to work without the use of (data) network? If I update my contact in my Pre, it will immediately (or at a later time) update the Gmail contact list, doesn't it? Even if it doesn't update the Gmail list, the Pre automatically updates itself of any changes in Facebook, GMail, AIM etc etc, which also translate into data movement. It's probably not a problem for Sprint users, since everyone will be forced into buying their 'Pre Plan', but this also means that even if other carriers (in other countries) get their hands on the Pre, they will have to sell it together with a data plan, which is definitely more expensive.

So, my question is, can the Pre's Contact App function like a "dumn phone's" contact app, without all the bells and whistles of "Synergy"?

Totally agree with you. My stand is if someone needs to contact me urgently but was unable to reach me, he could just text me "Please call me when you see this sms. Urgent." Rather than to go into my voice mail, leave a message, wait for me to see the notification that I've got a voice mail, wait again for me to feel like calling my voice mail to check what's in it, listen to the machine's "You have _ new messages", press the number to listen, press another number to listen to it again because I didn't really get the 4th word he tried to say, press another number to proceed to my next new message..."

I guess that's what the Visual Voicemail is - to remove that. If you ask me, it's just so much easier to send a text to the person whom you're trying to contact so desperately.

there is a local cache of PIM data on the phone so in theory the phone doesn't need to continually sync it. it's not really a continuous live data feed, it's just a regularly updated silo cache updated through synergy. the point is probably moot because WTF would you buy this phone with no data plan? that's like buying a Ferrari and putting a lawnmower engine in it.

**cardfan** · 05/27/2009, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by mobileman

hmm, this still bothers me.

BTW, I love your avatar. Is she yours? I have one around the same age.

Yep, she's mine. Turning 3 in about a week. She's adorable.

**dbpaddler** · 05/27/2009, 08:20 AM

Yep. I have not done a migration away from PD yet that hasn't screwed up my fields, especially when you have a few contacts that don't have their phone numbers in the same exact default order.

Originally Posted by Gekko

i once tried a CSV upload of PD Contacts to Google and i ended up with scrambled Contacts. fields were all fouled up.

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by cardfan

Yep, she's mine. Turning 3 in about a week. She's adorable.

cute kid. she must take after mom. just kidding.

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by crogs571

Yep. I have not done a migration away from PD yet that hasn't screwed up my fields, especially when you have a few contacts that don't have their phone numbers in the same exact default order.

yeah in my 10+ years using Palms, i've switched up the default fields many times on many contacts database - especially because we all call each other more and more on cell phones now instead of other numbers - so i moved "mobile" to the top of the record list for many Contacts for ease of dial and so i don't accidentally call their "home" number. luckily, Centro---->Outlook via EAS is smart enough to interpret all of this and sync the records/fields correctly.

**dbpaddler** · 05/27/2009, 08:26 AM

isn't this yet another reason why they should not abandon PD. Cloud options aren't perfect. Had a Sprint person tell me I should unfriend people on facebook to clean up my contacts. Almost wanted to tell her to F-off with that comment. Seriously. FB is a social network, not an all encompassing PIM for my phone.

Originally Posted by Dieter Bohn

I think the fix for this is simple resignation. ...Or at least it is my fix being a longtime gmail syncer:

http://www.precentral.net/gmail-and-...extra-contacts

...just saying.

**Gekko** · 05/27/2009, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by mobileman

hmm, this still bothers me.

BTW, I love your avatar. Is she yours? I have one around the same age.

i wish EVERYONE would use an AVATAR here. it would help me keep track of who's who.

**dbpaddler** · 05/27/2009, 08:42 AM

I uploaded an avatar but it only shows in my UserCP, not in threads. weird.

Originally Posted by Gekko

i wish EVERYONE would use an AVATAR here. it would help me keep track of who's who.

**dbpaddler** · 05/27/2009, 09:17 AM

no, the FedEx guy

Originally Posted by Gekko

cute kid. she must take after mom.

**SirBC** · 05/31/2009, 03:27 PM

Do we know if the Pre will sync the Gmail contact photos?

**lynnfriel** · 06/07/2009, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by jonathan likes the pre

So if I sync my facebook contacts, they have to always be on my phone now forever? Can I atleast erase all?

I should really be able to delete the ones I don't want...PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALM!

This does suck

I went and deleted all of my random 'metro/mobwar' friends, told my palm to sync.

Guess What?

Mr. abudabidontknowhisname is still on my list. and all of his mobwar buddies too

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