GTD Wannabe

Syncing Google Calendar and Palm

Last week, I posted about how I wanted to be able to sync my Google Calendar to Outlook, and then to my Palm. Well, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’m still trying to get my Google Calendar and Outlook to talk directly, but I have found a way to cut out the middle-man. Today, I’ll tell you how you can sync Google Calendar directly to your Palm (or other handheld device).

There’s a lovely little service out there called GooSync, which “will seamlessly synchronize almost any mobile device with your Google Calendar.” It’s a great service, with two flavours:

• Free Service: Let’s you sync all-day appointments, recurring appointments, for a limited range (-7 to +30 days). As the name implies, it is free.
• Advanced User Account: This one takes it up a notch, with extended date range, support for multiple calendars, and even for shared calendars. I found this one a little pricey, especially since it’s a subscription system. You pay £19.95 (Pound Sterling) for 12 months. That didn’t sound too bad, until I did the conversion – $38 USD per year.

I signed up for the free version. Unfortunately, the total cost of syncing is not free, for someone like me, owning a Palm Zire. My Zire doesn’t “do” the internet, unlike many other devices out there. So, if I want to be able to sync, I have to do it through my cradle. As GooSync says, “the Palm HotSync software does not allow an IP connection to be established through the cradle/cable.” But not all is lost! GooSync points you towards a nifty piece of software from Softick.com, called SoftickPPP, which will provide the necessary functionality for you. And this is where the cost comes in. You could still use GooSync for free, but you’ll have to pony up $24.95 USD. On the other hand, this software lets you do more than just sync your Google Calendar. You’ll now be able to do other internety things, like surf the web, receive/send mail etc., while your Palm stays in its cradle.

Unlike the grief I had when trying to get Google Calendar synced with Outlook, this technique worked the first time I tried it. There are a few steps, but nothing onerous:

1. Download, install, configure Softick PPP. (Skip this step if your handheld device already talks to the internet.)
2. Sign up for a free GooSync account. During registration, you’ll select your handheld device, and be able to download a Palm installer .prc file, to put the GooSync client on your handheld. You also tie into your Google Calendar account.
3. Once you’ve got Softick PPP and the GooSync client on your Palm, syncing is easy:

1. Put your Palm into its cradle, or connect by cable.
2. Find the GooSync client program on your Palm.
3. Tap on the Start button. Because your Palm can now talk to the internet, it does so automatically, letting GooSync do its goodness.
4. Done. It really is that easy.

I really like this solution to my problem. First of all, I can actually synchronize my Google Calendar with my Outlook; I just have to go through my Palm to do it. (Doing so is easy – after you’ve done the GooSync on your Palm, do a regular HotSync.) In addition, it means that I’m not tied to Outlook. So, if I were to get a job where Lotus Notes was King, I could still have my Google Calendar on my Palm, without having to figure out a new solution.

Another reason I like this solution is that, although there are a few steps, especially if you need to put Softick PPP on your palm, once you’re set up – that’s it. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now (trial version of PPP), and I haven’t had any problems at all. Well, there was that time I forgot to connect my Palm to its cable, but that’s a user error ;) The whole process is clean. Yes, it doesn’t have autosync, but then again, neither does my Palm for its regular hotsyncing.

I’d have to say that the only downside is the cost of the advanced GooSync membership. I’m not a big fan of subscription-based pricing models, although I can see their attractiveness for the company providing them. However, even if I were willing to pony up some money every twelve months for the privilege of syncing to my Palm, there’s no way that I would be paying $40 USD every year. That’s way outside of my sweet spot, especially for something that really is non-essential for me.

I haven’t yet decided to commit to this solution though. I’m still harbouring a little hope that one of the Google Calendar-to-Outlook solutions pans out. However, I do like knowing that this solution is waiting for me, as soon as I decide I need it. After all, if I stay with the free version of GooSync, all it’s going to cost me is $24.95 for the Softick PPP software.