ZappTek :: iPDA :: FAQ

How do I setup iPDA to sync the information I need on my iPod?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:55-06:00

iPDA provides the flexibility to only sync the information you really need and nothing more. The first step is to decide which information you want on your iPod. The preferences sheet for iPDA includes a list of the information that can be synced. Select those that you wish to sync (e.g. Events, Notes, Weather, etc). This tells iPDA which pieces of information need to be transferred when you do a sync.

That’s all you need to do, but iPDA allows for more control if you want it (if you don’t do anything else all entries for each selection will be transferred). Each type of information includes the ability to select which entries to transfer (for example, Events allows you to specify a date range to transfer so you only have the week/month/year you’re currently interested in). Click on the button for the information that you want to control and select the settings that suit your needs. Don’t worry about actually exporting the information, simply select what you want and click on the OK button. iPDA will remember your selections and apply them when you want to sync (the export is for people who want more control).

You also have the option of using iPod Launcher to automate the process to the point where iPDA is automatically launched and a sync initiated every time you connect your iPod to your Mac.

How can I access my Exchange Server account via iPDA?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:55-06:00

iPDA can only access one account within Entourage — your Default account. To set your default account go to the Tools->Accounts menu item. Select your Exchange account and click on the Make Default button. Now iPDA will have full access to your Exchange Server information.

Why doesn’t iPDA find my iPod?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:55-06:00

iPDA will automatically try to find your iPod when a sync or export is initiated. In order for this to work your iPod must have disk use enabled. This is done via iTunes with your iPod connected to your Mac — you can access your iPod settings via iTunes preferences. There is a checkbox titled “Enable disk use” that must be selected. Once selected your iPod will be visible to iPDA (and any other application — as well as yourself if you want to use it as an external hard drive for storing files).

Note that iPDA may partially work if you do not enable disk use in that it can sync while the iPod is connected but iTunes will eject the iPod when it is done syncing and iPDA will no longer be able to transfer to the iPod.

Finally, if you are having problems syncing and you have disk use enabled you may need to perform a Restore of your iPod.

I’ve lost the information on my Mac. Can I use the files on my iPod to restore the information and if so, how?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:55-06:00

Yes and no. Things like mail messages, tasks, stickies, and notes can be difficult to restore since they’re converted into a format suitable for the iPod (they are text files so you can open them in TextEdit and copy the contents).

Contacts can be restored quite easily. Simply drag and drop the .vcf files in your iPod’s Contacts folder onto Entourage or Address Book and they will be imported. Likewise, iCal files can simply be dropped onto iCal and they will be imported.

Entourage events are another matter. While the files generated by iPDA are standard iCal files that are readable by your iPod they cannot (at this time) be imported by Entourage (which in fact identifies them as invalid).

Can I get iPDA to automatically launch and sync when I connect my iPod to my Mac instead of having to doing it myself?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

Yes, iPod Launcher was designed precisely for this. It will detect the presence of an iPod and launch the applications you specify so you don’t have to worry about a thing. You can also set preferences in iPDA so that it will automatically sync when launched and quit after a sync has completed. All of this allows you to update all of your information simply by connecting your iPod to your Mac.

Can I Sync IMAP accounts from Entourage?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

Not directly. Since the IMAP messages are stored on the server there’s no way for iPDA to get Entourage to retrieve them to a local folder for the purpose of Syncing.

If you have an IMAP account and wish to Sync it’s messages to your iPod you will need to setup a Rule to copy all of the messages to a local folder and then tell iPDA to Sync that folder.

Can I stop a Sync while it’s in progress?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

Yes, pressing ⌘-. will stop the Sync after the information currently being transferred has completed (e.g. if your iCals are currently being transferred then the Sync will stop after the iCal transfer has been completed).

If you have iPDA setup to sync on launch but don’t want it to initiate the sync simply hold down the Option key while launching iPDA.

I have iPDA setup to automatically quit after a sync but I need to change my settings. How can I get at what I want before iPDA quits?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

While iPDA is syncing your data a progress indicator appears in the bottom right corner of the window. If you click on the indicator during the sync operation you will override the quit (for this sync) and be able to manipulate your settings when the sync has completed.

Does syncing delete all information currently on my iPod?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

No, any time you transfer information to your iPod only like information is deleted. This means that only the selected category, mail folder or city will be deleted and replaced with the new information. All other information will remain intact and available for viewing on your iPod.

Do I have to subscribe to iCals even if I’m currently using iCal?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

No, the subscriptions are meant for people who use Entourage but would like to take advantage of all the great calendars that people (and Apple) are publishing on the Internet. For people that are using iCal there’s the ability to include local iCals for transfer to your iPod. This allows you to select calendars that you are subscribed to via iCal (as well as any calendars you happen to have created yourself).

Are you going to add the ability to download movie/TV listings, etc?

ZappTek — 2007-11-12T13:54-06:00

At this point I’m focusing iPDA as a PIM tool with minimal Web Services for the information I (and hopefully you) find most useful. At the same time, iCal subscriptions were added just for this purpose. If you go to iCalShare you’ll find hundreds of calendars, including movie listings, etc. Use iPDA’s iCal feature to subscribe to the calendars you’re interested in and you’ll be able to get this information via iPDA.

Does iPDA support the new To Do feature found in 2.0 iPods?