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Google Calendar Stops Syncing Outlook

D

dov_elyada

Lurker
My desktop calendar is MS Office Outlook 2003.
I've developed a dependence on it, due to its superb reminders system.
On my Android phone I use Google Calendar, with a pathetic reminders system, but which was so far wifi-syncing with my Outlook, using Google Calendar Sync app.

Five days ago Google Calendar Team announced that starting on Aug.1 syncing will no longer work. This developement renders Google Calendar useless to me. However, looking in Play Store for a replacement turned out complicated: there are zillions of calendar apps with no possibility of sorting them according to actual features or quality. I can use some help from experienced Android calendar users.

Here's my specs, prioritized: 1) Samsung Galaxy Nexus / Android 4.3 compatibility. 2) automatic wifi syncing with MS Office Outlook; 3) a reminders system emulating that of Outlook; 4) Lots of downloads with lots of stars.

Can anyone recommend a product? I'd be most grateful. Thank you.
 
I just installed gSyncit free on my PC. Google only announced that the official Google Calendar Sync app would stop working. However I assumed companies like gSyncit, Companionlink, etc would push updates to get around this since the software they're selling is one that syncs Google to your PC.

Edit: I use Outlook 2013. Not sure if gSyncit can support 2003.
 
dov_elyada said:
3) a reminders system emulating that of Outlook
Click to expand...

Since you're so dependent on Outlook's reminder system, you're probably more familiar with it than many of us, so it would probably help a lot if you identify the specific features you are looking.

Do you want to receive reminders on your desktop or other device(s), as well as your Android device(s)? Are you looking for reminders a set period of time in advance of each appointment? Do you want travel time from your current location taken into account when getting reminders? Do you want an email reminder? SMS reminder? Popup reminder? Reminders based on the content (description, key words, title) of the appointment?

I haven't used Outlook since Outlook 2000 was the latest version, and probably didn't make much use of the reminders then, so I'm interested to find out what I'm missing by using Google Calendar exclusively.
 
I use MyPhoneExplorer (MPE) to sync Outlook (2010) to my phone, though it's not automatic unless you do some work (see the MPE forums for that). For me, automatic syncing is not really an issue though. There's a client on the PC and an app on the phone.

As for reminders etc you'll have to play about with several calendar apps on the phone to see what suits you. I say that because MPE syncs with the stock Google calendar storage on the phone and "most" calendar apps read that same data - the differences between them are things like notifications. Oh, I have Google sync OFF so that the "cloud" doesn't mess up any syncs I do.

Dave
 
For years I've been synchronizing my Outlook calendar and contacts using the free method detailed at the following link.
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...id-without-3rd-party-app-exchange-server.html

If you don't want to employ that method, check out the list of 3rd-party apps at Syncdroid.net. It has a grid-view list of apps and features. Note that the "wireless" column header means cellular data like 3G, 4G, etc. Among those listed, you may want to check out gSyncit or Outlook4Gmail.
 
chanchan05 said:
I just installed gSyncit free on my PC. Google only announced that the official Google Calendar Sync app would stop working. However I assumed companies like gSyncit, Companionlink, etc would push updates to get around this since the software they're selling is one that syncs Google to your PC.

Edit: I use Outlook 2013. Not sure if gSyncit can support 2003.
Click to expand...

How did you install it for FREE? Don't you have to pay for it? I'm also looking for an alternative once 8/1 hits.
 
I would have used Google Calendar (GC) on my desktop, and discarded MS Outlook (MSO), were it not for the much-superior MSO reminders. Here is a comparison of features between the two reminder systems:

1) When setting an MSO reminder, it is clear that the time you enter is the time BEFORE the event to be reminded. In GC it is not at all clear whether its before the event or after the reminder setting. But because of the other GC drawbacks, I've never bothered to sort it out.

2) I only use the pop-up method. In MSO the pop-up panel pops on top of all open windows. In GC it stays below and its existence is made known only by a blinking IE icon on the taskbar.

3) An MSO reminder pops up accompanied by a sound, which draws your attention to it. A GC reminder, in addition to staying below, pops up with a "sound of silence."

4) And most importantly, when an MSO reminder pops up it gives you the option to make it snooze for a selected while. Since I tend to get totally absorbed in my work and consequently be late to, or altogether miss, events I've already been reminded of, I use the snooze option to re-remind in a decreasing geometric time progression. This feature and method are a to me life-saver. But the GC reminder has no snooze feature at all.

Taken together, these 4 drawbacks make GC reminders useless to me. That's THE ONLY REASON why I don't switch to GC as my primary desktop calendar and use it only in my Android mobile phone. Now, that GC Sync ends, I'm at a loss.

I'd consider any solution, preferably free, that would provide me with a useful reminder system on my desktop and calendar syncing with my mobile. That includes replacing MSO, GC, GC Sync, whatever.

Thank you so much
 
Above I provided links to:
1) A method where you synchronize your Outlook calendar through a Hotmail account-- which is what I've been doing for years.
2) A website that shows you all 3rd party software sync options.

Did you try any of those?
 
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