New 7610 suggestions

do you actually have outlook? for a simple first sync there >shouldn't< really be any problems.

Thanks for your reply, but no I do not have outlook 98 or above. I am still using 97 without outlook (and quite happy with it actually). In any case, AFAIK, outlook or OE does not accept more than one tel. no. in home, business, etc. While Palm and 6610/7610 accept more than one no. in any category and/or order. So even vcard files get messed up in OE/outlook - only part of the data is imported and the rest dropped without warning. I cannot afford to lose any tel. nos.!

I really like nokia because of their great phone books and elegant simplicity on the phone. e.g. I believe even SE s700 has only a 510 item phonebook.

I need a good phone/pim.

A friend has suggested that there is no option but to individually export all contacts as vcard files from Palm Desktop and then send them in batches of 15-20 or so and keep accepting and saving. Initially of course this will be tedious, but only way to ensure data integrity. Subsuequent additions on daily/weekly basis would not be that tedious.

erh. outlook accepts about 35 phone numbers etc. I don't know about outlook 97 though.

It's definitely not worthwhile for you to upgrade outlook simply for the phone. I must note that I ran out of memory on my old 6100 trying to synchronize my outlook address book 😉

Interestingly, right now there is a free service which allows contact and calendar synchronization, www.mobical.net. You will need GRPS/WAP on your phone, and contacts/calendar can be imported via vCard 1.2 and vCal 1.0 respectively.

I am not too sure about outlook's 35 numbers. OE does not have any flexibility about labels and has only one tel. no. for home, business, other, mobile. India now people carry 2 mobile, 1 cdma, 1 gsm.., plus no concept of hunting, many numbers for business.

Funny part is PC Suite's own contacts editor is very similar to OE and does not give option for more than 2 nos. for each type, but phone does! It also does not accept vcf files from Palm Desktop. But if I send the file to the 7610, it accepts very very nicely, all fields exact and correct.

This is going to be very difficult and PC Suite 6.4 seems worse than the 6.0 I was using for my 6610. Should I go back to 6.1 which came in the CD? Or is 6.3 available for download somewhere? If so link will be highly appreciated. Or then just wait till 6.5...

Also while most of the data went ok from 6610 to 7610, I lost default nos., groups, etc. info. Also address imported into wrong field. Messages and other files, incl. images/tones (mine, not nokia) also did not get transferred.

Seems lot of effort ahead to keep things in sync for me.

Hmmm...Whenever importing calendar entry files from Palm Desktop (exported as .vcs), everything is ok, except the start and end times are increased by exactly 6:30 hours., e.g. an appt. with time of 10:00 AM start time and 1:00 PM end time gets changed to 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM.

I had not set the GMT offset on the phone following reports of errors in the logs, so I thought maybe this was causing it and changed it in the settings to +5:30, same as on the PC. But still no go. I re-imported the file to Palm Desktop and it imports fine, with the correct times. BTW the correct gmt offset did not seem to cause any problem in the log, a test missed call gave the correct time in the log.

Any ideas anybody?

Edit: Come to think of it, the same thing was happening in the 6610, unless I beamed the event from the T|E by IR. Logically the problem seems to lie with Palm Desktop, but then it should not import it correctly again, the time would show wrong, if exported wrong. ...scratches head...

What about SmartvCard and SmartvCal

Yes, thanks for the links. But as I said, what SmartvCard does is already built in, from what I read in the documentation. I can export each contact as a vCard file and which the 7610 recognises perfectly. The same goes for the vCal file, except for the time difference issue.

Now if SmartvCard can do the entire thing at one go... maybe, but the problem will still remain in export from Palm Desktop which in any case I will have to do by each contact.

I can try out SmartvCal, but the bug seems to be in Palm Desktop's file export module, which SmartvCal would not be able to fix. I am going to send a vCal file to a friend who has Outlook to see if it imports correctly into it. If so, then SmartvCal may at least fix this problem.

Also in both cases, the export again seems limited to the built-in options, i.e. no additional export to file in phone/memcard is given. So again I need a bluetooth dongle if I need to send anything from the phone to the PC/Palm Desktop.

On a side note, how do I disconnect the phone from the PC? Everytime I close each PC Suite (6.4) application and pull out the usb plug, I get a red cross with MS c++ runtime error. The event ID shows the message "a low level driver returned an error."

nokia pc suite 6.4 seems to give alot of errors... i still use the on that came with the cd 6.1
just close the pc suite and disconnect the cable from the pop-port. then shutdown the pc if i need to. thats what i do

Well,if you find a way te export everything from Palm Desktop in one vCard file then you are set.

Also in both cases, the export again seems limited to the built-in options, i.e. no additional export to file in phone/memcard is given. So again I need a bluetooth dongle if I need to send anything from the phone to the PC/Palm Desktop.

I think you are mistaken.SmartvCard can export and store data anywhere on the phone's storage,whether its the internal memory or the memory card.

I am planning to buy 6670 ,could u just tell me why not 6670 or why to have 7610 ,dealer has told me 23k for 6670,
Which phone to buy,pl guide

sandeep108 wrote:After mobique's review of 6670, I have decided to go for the 7610 in a couple of days, after the sharp price drop in India last week. As a newbie, I have tried to browse these and other forums and will appreciate any guidance as to first steps to take.

I am currently using a 6610 (for about 6 months) and 5110 before that for 3 years!!! So this is a huge jump for me. I intend to use basic GPRS for e-mail/wap browsing. I am also using a Palm T|E (using Palms since Pilot days) with Palm

Desktop and very happy with stability, data reliability and screen/speed of T|E. It also worked well with the 6610 with IR.

I propose to keep Palm Desktop as my main base (cannot even think of using Outlook) and transfer calendar and contact entries as and when needed through vCal/vCard files via the cable. I may even import the Palm contacts to OE address book and sync once to transfer the huge list - 700+ contacts with 2/3 numbers+data etc. to the 7610. Of course, I may filter it down to the essential 300 contacts. The T|E will be used as mini office-Word/Excel editing is easily possible using DocToGo and mp3 player (sound quality is really good and loud).

What are my options really? Everywhere there are complaints about using/syncing with outlook, including PPC. Treo 650/P900 etc. are really too expensive to justify. I may try Oxygen Phone Manager, but it needs to mature. If only Nokia provided a simple desktop software... they will see their declining market share jump... Anyway I am tied to them - tried SE/LG na na na.

I do recollect I have an old copy of Lotus Smartsuite somewhere, if it contains Organiser 5.0 or 6.0, do you think that it may be worth my while to consider installign it, transferring the data from Palm Desktop and syncing with it thru Nokia PC Suite? Will it be xp compatible? Too many issues there again.

Anyway first steps:
1. Check with service centre for software upgrade, but dealer has said it is mfd. in Oct 04, so unlikely.
2. Take backup of memory card with card reader on PC.
3. Uninstall PC Suite 6.0 (using with 6610) and download and install 6.4
4. Transfer data from backup of 6610 to 7610 using it.
5. Install free games, utilities etc. as suggested in the freeware section of this site.

Tx all in advance.

There is not much difference in price between 6670 and 7610. Both also seem to be equal in specs as such. From what I know:

6670 is a newer model, may come with updated software (but this can be rectified in 7610 by trip to service centre)
6670 has word/excel viewers and netfront browser (about $30 value, if you have need for it. I already have a Palm with full editing for word/excel)
6670 comes with a pouch.
6670 last row of keys and keypad in general difficult to use

7610 looks far classier and better.
7610 has more multimedia software, themes, etc.
7610 has interchangeable covers/keypad - no need for pouch/covers
7610 comes off as a prestigious phone

I guess I will have to try SmartvCard and find out. Can anybody confirm this export of contact to any location/folder as file feature?

I did some more checking/testing. Here are the results (from my e-mail sent to Nokia):
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When transferring a vCal file via cable from PC to import into Calendar, all data imports ok, except the time. The start and end time are increased by exactly 6 1/2 hrs., i.e. if event start time is 10:00 AM, in the 7610 calendar or file manager it is shown as 16:30.

The same file imports correctly into Outlook, Palm Desktop.

The same time problem of +6 1/2 hours also occurs on my other 6610.

But if directly beamed over by another phone or PDA by IR or BT, all is OK. I requested a friend to import the same file to communicator, which worked perfectly. He also had another 6610, which received the file with same +6:30 hrs problem.

So what is problem with both 6610 and 7610 with vCal file receive from PC? Please note that this is through file transfer and not through any PC Sync.
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Therefore the problem does seem to lie with the phones and not Palm Desktop. Then it is possible that SmartvCal may be able to resolve the issue, especially if it also can send the calendar anywhere to card/phone folder.

Anybody else? PC Suite 6.4 or 6.1?

i have the 7610 and would remain with it, it is more stylish as for the extra bit of VPN software the 7610 can match that capability by having add-on third party applications

An update to the issue. As expected Nokia support was most unhelpful - they said to use Outlook and PC Sync...

I have tried out both SmartvCard and SmartvCal.

SmartvCal still gives the same problem of the time difference in import. Apparently it seems to use the same function call of the Symbian OS so the bug in it is again reproduced. Also while exporting a calendar entry as a file, the description or subject is put as a 'Note' in Palm Desktop and not in the main body. So I have to go there and do a cut/paste. The time is fine, however and so is the location. I have not tried more complications as alarm/repeats etc. since the basic function itself is not met. I may yet buy it however, simply as a means of backup.

SmartvCard is good. There does not seems to be an option of changing the sort order, though, but it works very well and most important, it works for multiple contacts at one go. So it now becomes fairly easy for me to select multiple contacts in Palm Desktop, send them to a file and re-import the same. It even gives you an option of retaining the vcf groups or changing it to any of the ones set in the phone. Also vice versa, i.e. from phone to the Palm Desktop works pretty well.

Yes, and I was mistaken, both apps have the Save As function to export to a file anywhere in the phone or memory card.

How am I the first to experience this issue? Is Nokia/Symbian OS developers not aware? Or am I doing something wrong here.

Try this on your 7610:

1. Go to clock
2. Options
3. Settings
4. Auto update time should be OFF
5. Make GMT offset as +00:00 and update the time and adjust the correct time
6. Daylight Saving OFF

Thanx Sandeep

As u said ab. price fall of 7610, whats the current price

i was told 22700 or it has gone further down

Thanks

Thanks for your response. After a detailed check, I was messing up 4:30 PM with AM. The wrong times were actually -5:30 hours, which is the GMT offset for India. Therefore the issue is certainly with the GMT offset, either not being handled correctly by the phone or by me in some setting.

I followed the procedure suggested by you. This has not helped at all. Actually my GMT offset was already +00:00. I therefore tried the other way around, set the GMT offset correctly to +5:30 and updated the time, then set it correctly again. Still no go, same problem. A 10:00 AM entry gets changed to 4:30 AM, ie. -5:30 hours.

My conclusion is that Palm Desktop resets the time to reflect GMT and puts a GMT flag in the file. This would be logical to reflect the same time globally. Then whoever imports the file, the PC PIM would add the correct offset according to their location so that the calendar would reflect the correct time of the event, irrespective of the location.

In case of Outlook and the 9500, it reads this flag and imports it correctly, adding the GMT offset. The 6610 does not have any concept of GMT and thus ignores it, importing it as -5:30 hours as done by Palm Desktop. The 7610 does have the GMT concept but somehow does not read the flag in the file and behaves similarly to the 6610.

In case of direct beaming by IR/BT, the question of the phones resetting the time according to GMT does not happen so it beams accross correctly.

Now the question is that can somebody update the SmartvCal program for checking this flag and ensuring correct import of the time? at least for phones which have the GMT offset? Which forum can I post this thread?

I am setting my GMT offset to +5:30 as it in any case does not seem to make any difference.

If anybody has any suggestions for any setting not being done correctly by me please let me know. I really need to get this working. If it is the phone, then there is nothing I can do about it, except hope that SmartvCal will be updated to provide an option to implement the GMT offset when importing as a option/default setting.

No this is about correct. It was around 27-28k in October.

Try e-mailing the developers of SmartvCal - www.symbianware.com

Thanks. Yes, I have now done so, with the link to this thread. I inquired about some issues relating to purchase and Synbianware Sales responded. So I have e-mailed them a reply with this link.

This is the reply I got from Symbianware Support:
SmartvCal
1,2 Most probably, vCal format supported by Symbian OS cannot be
entirely synchronized with Palm OS. Unfortunately, we cannot fix this,
because vCal import/export functions are implemented in Symbian OS.

Is it not sad that in spite of so much technology, simple PIM functions cannot be uniform across different platforms? After all it is just text based db stuff.