Sharing Calendars between Mac & Win

Photek · 08-18-2008, 04:21 AM

Does anyone have any good ways of sharing Calendars between Mac and Win ?

The Macs have iCal (Leopard)... an the PC's have various shades of Outlook.. we have an aging Win2000 server too...

a free solution would be ideal....

agentx · 08-18-2008, 07:33 AM

he he dream on.....

we will have to wait for ical to be exchange compliant in 10.6....or wait for outlook 2009 to have caldav....no chance

Photek · 08-18-2008, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savage


	he he dream on..... we will have to wait for ical to be exchange compliant in 10.6....or wait for outlook 2009 to have caldav....no chance

hahahahaha... yeh... but then I may need a Win2007exchange box...!

I may look into plugins for iCal/Outlook that use Google Calendars or something like that.. we have Entourage 08 ... but thats a real last resort... I can't stand even looking at it.. its so clunky..

Might try Sunbird... but I think I need to setup WebDav on our server....

anyone got any 'low hassle' solutions?

tlarkin · 08-18-2008, 10:28 AM

The new version of iCal is suppose to support CalDAV open source standard. I think there is possibly a way to share that. I think most calendar systems (exchange, outlook, groupwise, etc) all support that standard.

edalzell · 08-18-2008, 11:16 AM

GCal works great. Or were you looking for an in-network solution?

Photek · 08-18-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edalzell


	GCal works great. Or were you looking for an in-network solution?

you got a link for GCal?... had a google for it... but it seems like a popular name..

edalzell · 08-18-2008, 11:34 AM

Oh, I meant Google Calendar!

http://calendar.google.com

agentx · 08-18-2008, 02:09 PM

The only way we have managed to have a fully integrated/Collaborative calendar system in a cross platform(mac/pc only) environment ( in last 3 years) without thing going very wrong is to use Exchange/Outlook/Entourage, of course there are issues but overall everyone can do everything they need to.

Indeed iCal does support Caldav but the proof in the pudding...lets wait and see what happens with that....of course in a pure Mac environment then iCal works well....but really only very small companies have the luxury to be Mac only.

Maybe Mobile me could work....but have not really tested in in a multiuser environment and for sure it will probably only work in very small workgroups 5 i think.....

To be quite honest this is a bit of a holy grail and Apple know it....
as 10.6 should have exchange support in (Active Sync) which will really help but still Google could really clean up with a fully featured system that just worked on the Mac/PC...again a shared address book is very important too.

It is also about time that Mail/Address book/iCal/Notes etc are in the same window ( like mobile me ) or certainly the option.

Rant over for the moment......

edalzell · 08-18-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savage


	again a shared address book is very important too.

No kidding!

I want to know how this can not be in the current OS. I can't be the only person with one computer and two user accounts that need the same iTunes, iCal, Addressbook, iPhoto libraries.

I have got it all to work, but most people would not be able to do that.

wdympcf · 08-18-2008, 02:29 PM

Quote:


	It is also about time that Mail/Address book/iCal/Notes etc are in the same window ( like mobile me ) or certainly the option.

I emphatically disagree! I don't want Apple to do to Mail/Address Book/iCal what Microsoft has done to Entourage. I think that Apple has logically separated the different functions into different apps. I don't want one app that does everything, as it winds up being a clunky mess (see Entourage for an example)! Rather, I favour the Unix paradigm of each app performing one main function.

edalzell · 08-18-2008, 02:34 PM

I agree with the vowelless one

wdympcf · 08-18-2008, 03:17 PM

<jingle> ... and sometimes letter 'y' </jingle>

Photek · 08-18-2008, 04:24 PM

at the risk of answering the question on my own thread....

http://www.xcnetwork.com/

this looks like it could be a good'en

edalzell · 08-18-2008, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photek


	at the risk of answering the question on my own thread.... http://www.xcnetwork.com/ this looks like it could be a good'en

It does look like a good solution, assuming the price isn't an issue.

mclbruce · 08-18-2008, 07:38 PM

Here's a couple more links regarding Google Calendar. You can sync to Outlook and sync to iCal (if you are running Leopard).

http://www.google.com/support/calend...n&answer=98563

http://www.google.com/support/calend...n&answer=99355

agentx · 08-19-2008, 05:32 AM

It does look promisising.....i am always dubious if these things work or not but will give it a test.

Collaborative working environments are expensive, to be quite honest there is no cheep option IMO
and also i feel that it is very bad practice to use a beta product in any SME/SOHO workplace.

But hey that's the way it goes.

dduggan · 08-19-2008, 07:46 AM

I use a service called Plaxo to sync my iCal to Google Cal, which people can then subscribe to on their iCal or whatever. I don't know if you can subscribe to a Google Cal feed in Outlook though.

mangomango · 08-19-2008, 09:08 AM

I've worked with XC Connect (you referred to them) - like it. My environment is really scattered (Outlook, Ent, and OSX AB/iCal users) so this fits the need. Also I liked that I could install the software server on any box (Win, OSX, or Lin) - I picked Linux. They also do a "hosted" version if you don't want to install the software server - which was easy btw. Well worth the price of $79/user (perm lic). good luck
- mangoman

Photek · 08-19-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclbruce


	Here's a couple more links regarding Google Calendar. You can sync to Outlook and sync to iCal (if you are running Leopard). http://www.google.com/support/calend...n&answer=98563 http://www.google.com/support/calend...n&answer=99355

cool... gonna give that a whirl tomorrow.. if I get time... thanks

08-18-2008, 04:21 AM	#1
Photek Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Warwick, UK Posts: 4,833	Sharing Calendars between Mac & Win Does anyone have any good ways of sharing Calendars between Mac and Win ? The Macs have iCal (Leopard)... an the PC's have various shades of Outlook.. we have an aging Win2000 server too... a free solution would be ideal....

08-18-2008, 10:28 AM	#4
tlarkin League Commissioner Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kansas City Posts: 11,347	The new version of iCal is suppose to support CalDAV open source standard. I think there is possibly a way to share that. I think most calendar systems (exchange, outlook, groupwise, etc) all support that standard. __________________ sudo make me a sammich http://www.tlarkin.com "It just told me what I already knew, that I'm a great and amazing guy, didn't I tell you baby, I'm Zaphod Beeblebrox."

08-19-2008, 05:32 AM	#16
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	It does look promisising.....i am always dubious if these things work or not but will give it a test. Collaborative working environments are expensive, to be quite honest there is no cheep option IMO and also i feel that it is very bad practice to use a beta product in any SME/SOHO workplace. But hey that's the way it goes. Last edited by agentx; 08-19-2008 at 06:39 AM.

08-19-2008, 07:46 AM	#17
dduggan Major Leaguer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Telford, UK Posts: 350	I use a service called Plaxo to sync my iCal to Google Cal, which people can then subscribe to on their iCal or whatever. I don't know if you can subscribe to a Google Cal feed in Outlook though. __________________ \|- dduggan.com -\|

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08-18-2008, 07:33 AM	#2
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	he he dream on..... we will have to wait for ical to be exchange compliant in 10.6....or wait for outlook 2009 to have caldav....no chance

08-18-2008, 11:16 AM	#5
edalzell MVP Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,370	GCal works great. Or were you looking for an in-network solution?

08-18-2008, 11:34 AM	#7
edalzell MVP Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,370	Oh, I meant Google Calendar! http://calendar.google.com

08-18-2008, 02:09 PM	#8
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	The only way we have managed to have a fully integrated/Collaborative calendar system in a cross platform(mac/pc only) environment ( in last 3 years) without thing going very wrong is to use Exchange/Outlook/Entourage, of course there are issues but overall everyone can do everything they need to. Indeed iCal does support Caldav but the proof in the pudding...lets wait and see what happens with that....of course in a pure Mac environment then iCal works well....but really only very small companies have the luxury to be Mac only. Maybe Mobile me could work....but have not really tested in in a multiuser environment and for sure it will probably only work in very small workgroups 5 i think..... To be quite honest this is a bit of a holy grail and Apple know it.... as 10.6 should have exchange support in (Active Sync) which will really help but still Google could really clean up with a fully featured system that just worked on the Mac/PC...again a shared address book is very important too. It is also about time that Mail/Address book/iCal/Notes etc are in the same window ( like mobile me ) or certainly the option. Rant over for the moment......

08-18-2008, 02:34 PM	#11
edalzell MVP Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,370	I agree with the vowelless one

08-18-2008, 03:17 PM	#12
wdympcf MVP Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 1,183	<jingle> ... and sometimes letter 'y' </jingle>

08-18-2008, 04:24 PM	#13
Photek Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Warwick, UK Posts: 4,833	at the risk of answering the question on my own thread.... http://www.xcnetwork.com/ this looks like it could be a good'en

08-18-2008, 07:38 PM	#15
mclbruce Hall of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 3,870	Here's a couple more links regarding Google Calendar. You can sync to Outlook and sync to iCal (if you are running Leopard). http://www.google.com/support/calend...n&answer=98563 http://www.google.com/support/calend...n&answer=99355

08-19-2008, 09:08 AM	#18
mangomango Prospect Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2	I've worked with XC Connect (you referred to them) - like it. My environment is really scattered (Outlook, Ent, and OSX AB/iCal users) so this fits the need. Also I liked that I could install the software server on any box (Win, OSX, or Lin) - I picked Linux. They also do a "hosted" version if you don't want to install the software server - which was easy btw. Well worth the price of $79/user (perm lic). good luck - mangoman