iTunes, iCloud, Gmail, Decisions...?

[rstark18]

So I'm trying to sort out the new workflow for using the iPhone. In the past I was dedicated to Google (exchange) as a one stop shop for email, contacts, and calendars. For the most part it was good and I could live with the small issues (low res contact photos, some fields not the same, etc.). Now with iOS5/WiFi Sync/iCloud Backup/iCloud Sync I'm trying to figure out what options I want to use and which ones I don't.

First off, I definitely want a local copy iTunes backup of my iPhone (I'm very backup anal retentive). So that looks like it eliminates iCloud Backup as I get a message saying it will no longer do a local backup when this is turned on. What I would like is to have it do both but it doesn't look like it works that way. Am I wrong?

Next I'd like to use iCloud for contacts but need a way to sync it back to Gmail contacts as I do a lot of email on my PC through Gmail. The reason I want to use iCloud is to get the full res profile pics and correct field titles. I was thinking to use iTunes to sync to Gmail and also have iCloud turned on so that it would hit both servers. Anyone see a flaw in this?

Looking for any other thought about how to manage this better.

 

[solidkevin]

Im really not sure if you can sync your contacts back to gmail, would be cool but I dont think its possible.

 

[uslsbmx]

No I really think your plan is gonna work

Although I do not sync my contacts and calendars with gmail. I plan to backup with iTunes and use iCloud to sync my contacts, calendars, notes ect.

 

[jakej914]

So I'm trying to sort out the new workflow for using the iPhone. In the past I was dedicated to Google (exchange) as a one stop shop for email, contacts, and calendars. For the most part it was good and I could live with the small issues (low res contact photos, some fields not the same, etc.). Now with iOS5/WiFi Sync/iCloud Backup/iCloud Sync I'm trying to figure out what options I want to use and which ones I don't.

First off, I definitely want a local copy iTunes backup of my iPhone (I'm very backup anal retentive). So that looks like it eliminates iCloud Backup as I get a message saying it will no longer do a local backup when this is turned on. What I would like is to have it do both but it doesn't look like it works that way. Am I wrong?

Next I'd like to use iCloud for contacts but need a way to sync it back to Gmail contacts as I do a lot of email on my PC through Gmail. The reason I want to use iCloud is to get the full res profile pics and correct field titles. I was thinking to use iTunes to sync to Gmail and also have iCloud turned on so that it would hit both servers. Anyone see a flaw in this?

Looking for any other thought about how to manage this better.

In my experience, Google contacts and Apple contacts don't play nicely. I would stick with Gmail/Exchange, if I were you.

 

[dougmcarthur]

I don't see a problem with using both iCloud and Gmail to sync - right now I use Exchange, Gmail and MobileMe on my iPhone/iPad/MacBook and they all sync with minimal issues. Yes, the lowres contact pics are troublesome, but I think that's something trifling to really put up a stink about. Obviously using only one sync system is ideal, but not realistic.

 

[zackawee27]

I don't see a problem with using both iCloud and Gmail to sync - right now I use Exchange, Gmail and MobileMe on my iPhone/iPad/MacBook and they all sync with minimal issues. Yes, the lowres contact pics are troublesome, but I think that's something trifling to really put up a stink about. Obviously using only one sync system is ideal, but not realistic.

Nice post, I agree!

 

[ivan1.ruiz]

I use both and I love it! I was a hard core android user with the evo 3D fully rooted and I love my iPhone and it's just a 3GS running iOS 5. Can't wait to get the 4S


"Think Different"
~ Steve Jobs ~

 

[rstark18]

I just did a test and I don't think it's going to work. So without the ability to get my contacts over to Gmail regularly it won't work. Also FYI, my date fields did not migrate to iCloud in my testing. The way I did it was to:
Disable Exchange Contacts (no contacts on phone)
Enable iTunes to sync with Google (makes contacts local to phone)
Turned on iCloud Contacts (everything migrated perfect except for all date fields)
Now iTunes says if I have Google Contacts sync in iTunes then I might get duplicates because of iCloud.

 

[bonesb]

I use a few Macs, a couple of PCs, and a couple of iOS devices. I'm testing iCloud, a longtime MobileMe user, and I use Google Premier Apps for my company. I just ditched the last of our WebOS devices.

I tried synching to Google's cloud and I gave up. Too many conflicts with data fields that just don't map/parse. Simply put, I now put all of my contact data in vCards, one at a time, and I keep an archive copy for backups. I sync all of my desktop and mobile devices to MM/iCloud, exporting new contacts as individual vCards and importing each vCard into my Google email accounts - the process only takes a few seconds.

I'm using MM/iCloud for all of my calendaring - Google's implementation of AS and CalDAV isn't feature-complete. Google does not implement "Exchange" or "EAS", and their calendaring delegate format is pretty dynamic - Google has made several changes to how they handle calendaring in the 4 years I've used their paid service. I gave up on their calendaring service. All of my devices are working well with Apple's system and data format. I've never had an issue with clients not being able to import an emailed iCal event. Don't even get me started on calendar delegate management (via their Safari web page interface - we still can't even delete shelved or deleted devices! - a real security problem IMO).

I use Google's service now only for email and hosting imported contacts, sharing the contacts with two Google Voice accounts (for a total of 3 accounts).

Since I gave up on trying to make Google play nice with Apple and MS products our IT effort has literally been nil - I've spent more time writing this email than I have managing my Google account this entire year since I "sandboxed" our Google Accounts. Google has a great product, and it's only getting better - their web app and iOS clients are improving by the month. I'm considering moving to Outlook in a couple of months, and will likely switch to MS's new Office 365 service from Google Apps.

 

[rstark18]

Where are you creating each vCard? iCloud doesn't have an export that I saw or did I miss it?

 

[bonesb]

Where are you creating each vCard? iCloud doesn't have an export that I saw or did I miss it?

Sorry for the delay. I use the OS X Address Book, using the 3.0 vCard format. If you use Windows, Windows Contacts is implemented as a special folder in Windows Vista and Windows 7. It is in the Start Menu of Windows Vista and can be run in Windows 7 by searching for "wab.exe" in the Start Menu.

I tend to keep my vCard files close to the standard format. I have a couple of older Moto Synergy cell phones as backups - I SEEM edit them to disable the nasty-ass AMR-HR vocoder ATTWS uses for GSM calls, and the older Moto phones (including the current Tundra) use the vCard 2.1 format, whereas the newer phones use the 3.0 vCard format. Then, for my iPhones - using the iCloud space, iOS devices, or Address Book edit the individual contacts for specific data fields (such as relationships, email types such as Evernote, ringtones) that Google and Exchange accounts don't "understand" as not all vCard data fields map or parse across platforms.

The bonus of keeping the vCard files unencumbered is that I can email them to clients or employees and they just "work".

 

[Laelipoo]

I didn't see it mentioned so I wanted to let you know that, YES, you can back up to iCloud and iTunes. What that message meant is that only one can be set for automatic backup, either iCloud or iTunes. I use both, but have iCloud set to my automatic.

 

[Brickman]

I don't see a problem with using both iCloud and Gmail to sync - right now I use Exchange, Gmail and MobileMe on my iPhone/iPad/MacBook and they all sync with minimal issues. Yes, the lowres contact pics are troublesome, but I think that's something trifling to really put up a stink about. Obviously using only one sync system is ideal, but not realistic.

I do this, been doing it for awhile, and the only problem I have is I will occasionally get double contacts. I haven't figured that out yet but I am working on it.

 

[shinbone]

I do this, been doing it for awhile, and the only problem I have is I will occasionally get double contacts. I haven't figured that out yet but I am working on it.

Same problem I was having also - Double, even triple contacts. This problem happens with contacts as well as calendars (multiple entries for birthdays, anniversaries and appts . . )

I disabled every option on iCloud (turned off) except: "Reminders" and Find My "iPhone". For everything else, I'm using my Google/Gmail/Exchange as I was doing before. This seems like my best option for now.