I need your geekhood.

Gawd, that didn't come out right at all.

I'm in the market for a new cell phone. Has to be Verizon. Has to be this weekend. Don't talk to me about the iPhone. I've had good luck with Motorola Razrs. I don't consume TV or internet using a phone. Mostly, it's just a phone, but I wouldn't mind using it for a music player and it's cool to be able to get GPS services if I need them.

The question is:

Has anybody had a satisfactory experience synchronizing Outlook calendar events with a non-PDA phone? If so, what model and what method?

I can get a Moto Q or a Palm Centro, but the form factor is pretty big.

Thanks for your wisdom.

Well, if you're syncing Outlook calendar events, you're going to be paying for data. Just be aware of that. Data is verra spensive.

No no. I just want to do it at the desktop level using one of them universal burial sub things.

I use an iPhone and my wife uses a Blackberry, so I don't have any really current advice.

But I used to (a year ago) have fairly good luck with Outlook synchronization with a couple of different Samsung phones. Most specifically the Samsung Sync. They would have been GSM phones.

Samsung has a free software suite that handles syncing calendars & contacts (it's own address book/calendar, Outlook, or Palm Desktop, I think), uploading ringtones, up/downloading photos, etc. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good. It would occasionally do some really weird things with my calendar entries though, so I didn't sync all that often. I can only assume that it would work with a CDMA Samsung phone.

Going further back in time, I used to have a couple of Nokia phones. If I recall correctly, there was a Nokia software suite as well that would allow syncing to Outlook. I can't remember if it worked all that well, but it's been several years.

I would bet you dollars to donuts that the overall sync experience will be far superior using the Centro or the Q. Both of which were designed from the beginning to sync with your PC. Rather than the somewhat clumsy work-arounds that a 'dumb' phone will be.

And no, you shouldn't incur any sort of data charges if you're just syncing with your desktop PC via a USB cable (or whatever).

If you use any type of smartphone running Windows Mobile or similar, it shouldn't be too difficult to get Outlook synced up via a USB cable. The Moto Q, Samsungs and Treo Centro should be fine. Though I've never tried it w/ a non-PDA phone.

Blackberries and iPhones also connect, though some may require an extra app. I've used a Treo w/ Outlook so that's not an issue either.

Thanks, guys. I may just have to (gasp) compromise somewhere.

I have the original "Q" does the job syncs fine through data cable (no charge) well it charges the phone (power) but does not charge you (money) lol

Well, bumpity.

We have Centros at the moment, and man, what a great solution.

Problem is, Mrs. Tuttle dropped hers about 20 feet onto concrete yesterday. Amazingly, it still works, but the screen is shattered.

Might want to look at the next generation of Verizon phones. I like to have the same phone as the missus, because supporting fewer platforms and fewer chargers is good for the Tuttle Tech Department.

Syncing with Outlook contacts and calendar at the desktop level is still the litmus test.

What's the deal with Andriod, anyway? Is that relevant to my question?

So, Verizon phones and Outlook desktop syncing. Go.

Thanks.

Curious. Why next gen Verizon phones? What do they have different from other carriers?

In order to get Outlook Sync, you need something that runs a smart OS, like WebOS (Palm), OSX (iPhone) Android, or WinMo.

An alternate solution is to use Google Calendar. I'm sure you can get Outlook conduits to sync w/ Google. Then all you need is a phone that supports Google Apps or at least a web browser so you can navigate to Google.com.

...and since Android is from Google, it has a native interface with all of Google's products.

Dude, how tall IS she?

About 50 feet. Why?

Murph, perhaps my terminology was inexact. I just meant that I want to get newer phones, and that I want to keep Verizon for now.

And I don't want to pay for a data plan. I don't need or want to use my phone to browse the web, so I'm not sure that the Google thing is helpful. I want to sync with Outlook at the desktop level. Can I sync to Google via Android on the desktop level?

I'm looking at the Samsung Omnia (or Omnia II due out soon) or HTC Touch Pro (currently out of stock, naturally).

Dude. Your wife is hot!

Am I helping here?

The problem you will have is that you can't get most smartphones w/o a data plan. I can't recall any that you can, although it may be possible to forego a blackberry plan (BIS).

Chances are not. Android would sync with Google Calender on the Internet, and then Outlook would also contact Google Calender and sync there.

As stated above, most cell providers want you to get a data plan with your smart phone. You can usually get around that, except with the iPhone, part of that contract with AT&T is you must carry the unlimited data package. It's not that bad, I carry unlimited data for my Palm Treo. The data rates are so high for overages, that I wouldn't want to risk anything lower. Of course I'm always hitting Google Maps, and other various sites from my phone.

IIRC, most Android phones have Wifi. So you could use that rather than rely on a USB connection.

Verizon lets me have a Palm Centro without a data plan. Unless things have changed, the only phone they REQUIRE a data plan for is the Crackberry.

I think any phone running the mobile version of Windows would sync up fine. I had a Samsung Blackjack II that synced up with no problems as does my Blackberry Bold.

Thanks, BigHonu.

Okay, I was Wrong. I saw the Verizon rep today, and ANY new smartphone now requires a data plan. I haven't heard such colorful language from my wife since before I got the MX-700 remote.

And I think we're stuck on Verizon for a while.

So, perhaps I'll look for a used Centro. Apparently, they'll let you slide on the data plan if you have a phone manufactured before about a year ago.

Bastards.

Yup, pretty much smartphone = dataplan.

You're other option is to get an iPod Touch and use that as a PDA, since no one makes a standalone PDA anymore. That is pretty much all Wifi.