Why should my data be left unprotected for more than two days? Devices should allow us to "prime the pump" for upgrades and migrations.

Upgrades are an inevitability in our modern technological world. A new phone comes out every year or two, and the migration process begins. So why don’t devices have a special mode, priming them for upgrade and migration? This really hit home recently, as I upgraded the hard disks in my Drobo, but it applies equally to laptops, phones, and services like e-mail.

So It Goes

Most well-designed devices are remarkably adept at recovering from errors, and some use this capability as an upgrade mechanism. Pop one drive out of the Drobo and replace it with another and the system will happily rebuild. But this process takes hours or even days, and data is left unprotected all this time.

Computer operating systems are also fairly capable of adapting to change. When I swapped the mechanical hard drive out of my MacBook Pro in favor of an SSD, I copied the data over, switched the drives, and powered on with little obvious impact on my work environment. But Microsoft noticed the change, and I had to reenter my Office 2011 serial number. Things were a lot more challenging when I moved from my old MacBook Pro to the new 2011 model. Storing data in the cloud made things much easier, but migrating between laptops remains problematic.

Thankfully, my last three phone upgrades have all been in the iPhone family. This has allowed me to leverage iTunes to move my applications and data without interruption. Switching from iPhone to Android is much more difficult, even with e-mail and contacts stored in Google’s Gmail cloud.

In-Between Days

It seems to me that the key to a successful migration is minimizing the time in between the old state and the new. Consider the Drobo: thanks to the devices beyond raid data protection technology, I don’t really worry about the integrity and protection of my data. But swapping out hard disk drives leaves my data in an unprotected state for 48 hours or more. This critical time is nerve-racking.

The same often happens when one migrates from one computer or phone to another. It is critical to immediately give up the old and adopt the new, but moving data and applications can take hours or days. I recently used Microsoft’s Easy Transfer utility to upgrade a friend’s computer from Windows Vista to Windows 7. But they never really got used to Windows 7, leaving the new computer unused on the shelf.

What is one supposed to do during the time in between devices? We may not be able to actively use the new device, but we cannot continue making changes to the old. Should we simply set things aside and take a vacation? And what if the migration goes awry or the user decides they can’t make the transition?

Prime the Pump

Why don’t devices have the ability preemptively to “prime the pump” for migration? Why can’t they prepare data and applications, and perhaps even the user environment, for a smooth transition? The obvious answer is that an old system does not “know” when a new system requires. But there are certain cases where this could be done.

Two years ago, I suggested to Drobo (then called data robotics) that they should have a pre-eject button in their management application, allowing the user to notify the array that drive was about to be ejected. The Drobo could then move data around and prepare for this major event without leaving everything unprotected for days. This feature still has not been implemented, however. And you can only upgrade one drive at a time, meaning my data will be unprotected for over a week while switching to four larger drives.

What if Windows Easy Transfer began packing up user data while the old system was still in use, perhaps synchronizing it to the new computer while changes were being made. It could even keep both devices in sync for a while, allowing the user to adjust to the new interface. Certainly, this would improve the user experience, and Microsoft may be able to entice more users to upgrade.

And wouldn’t it be nice if our favorite phone application developers offer the ability to trade in iPhone apps for Android equivalents, or vice versa? Apple hasn’t even allowed this in the Mac App Store, and the incentives are questionable regardless. But this is what the average user wants, so why can’t it happen?

Stephen’s Stance

Although it’s not really practical for all devices, manufacturers should consider that migration is a critical time of user frustration and the loss of future revenues. If they spent some time reducing the impact of migration, they might build a repeat customer base. And the ability to prime the pump for migration preemptively is one concept that might help make this happen.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Why Can’t We Prime Our Devices For Upgrades?
This post was categorized as Apple, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

As impressed as I am with Apple’s iPhone App Store, with its simple purchasing and automated installs and upgrades, it would be better if the thing actually worked reliably. Along with sometimes forgetting song purchases, there seems to be some gremlin that causes the App Store to forget that certain apps are installed and not check for updates. This left me scratching my head, as updated apps like Super Monkey Ball, Facebook, Evernote, and Cube Runner remained in their previous state.

I suspect that the App Store did not update its internal record of my purchases when I wiped and re-set up my iPhone shortly after upgrading to OS 2.0. When I did this, I reinstalled all the apps from iTunes’ backup copy rather than re-downloading them from the App Store, and perhaps this caused them to be overlooked.

While I can’t be sure of the cause of this forgetfulness, I did discover a workable solution. For each questionable app, follow these steps:

1. On the iPhone (or iPod Touch), go into the App Store and search for an app you already purchased.
2. If the “purchase” button does not say “INSTALLED”, then the App Store isn’t tracking its updates.


Fail: The App Store forgot that this app has already been installed

3. In this case, go ahead and re-install the app. Apple (thankfully) won’t charge you again even for paid apps.
4. Now, the phone will note that the app was already installed. This is good – let it download and upgrade.


The App Store discovers that this app has been installed

5. Now you’re golden. The App Store should again be tracking updates to this app.


Correct: The App Store recognizes that this app has been installed and will track its updates

Repeat this procedure for all questionable apps and you should be all set.

Note that this procedure only seems to work for apps that have been updated. If you have the latest version, but the app store isn’t tracking updates (as indicated by the lack of a “Purchased” button), you should be able to make it work by first deleting the app and then installing it fresh. Once again, Apple shouldn’t charge you again for the app when you do this, and it should begin tracking correctly.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2008. | iPhone App Store Forgetting Purchases
This post was categorized as Apple. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

This blog post is probably out of date. If you want to set up Exchange ActiveSync, you should instead consult one my guides:
	iPhone Exchange ActiveSync Setup		iPad Exchange ActiveSync Setup
	iPhone ActiveSync Troubleshooting		iPad ActiveSync Troubleshooting

It’s finally here!  The iPhone now has most of the functions of the BlackBerry – over-the-air push and sync of Exchange email, contacts, and calendars!  Apple let the 2.0 OS out of the bag earlier today, and intrepid souls (and me) have taken the plunge and installed it.

While most people, including me, headed to the (also active) App Store to try out the native games, I quickly turned the other way – towards the new Microsoft Exchange integration.

Read on for my first impressions and instructions on getting it up and running.

For the most up-to-date information, see my iPhone Exchange ActiveSync Guide!

This post is part of my series focused on integrating the iPhone with Microsoft Exchange using ActiveSync:

• iPhone OS 3.0 information:
  1. First Look: iPhone 3.0 And Exchange ActiveSync Integration
  2. How To Subscribe To Internet Calendars In iPhone OS 3.0
  3. How To Access LDAP Directories In iPhone OS 3.0
  4. iPhone 3.0 Exchange ActiveSync: Better But Not Perfect
• How To Set Up iPhone Exchange ActiveSync
1. A Few iPhone Exchange ActiveSync Gotchas
2. Can the iPhone Sync With Multiple Exchange Servers?

By the way, the apps are great!  Sega’s Super Monkey Ball is touchy, but I think I’ll get the hang of it.  And my 4 year old loves Jirbo Match!  Too bad the Red Sox weren’t playing or my test of MLB At Bat would have been much more exciting!

Up and Running With Exchange

Seriously, why are you still reading? Head over to The iPhone Exchange ActiveSync Guide for current/useful information!

Here’s the quick how-to for getting Exchange up and running on your iPhone.  Note that this works on any iPhone with the version 2.0 software – the iPhone 3G comes with this out of the box, but original phones will need to be upgraded.  Update: You do not need to buy the Enterprise Data plan from AT&T in order for this to function – it will work with any plan, and even works on the iPod Touch! Update: The process is pretty much the same with iPhone OS 3.0!

We will set up the mail account first, then enable sync for Calendar and Contacts.

1. Install iTunes 7.7 and upgrade your phone to iPhone OS 2.0 if necessary
2. If you already have your Exchange server running with IMAP, disable the account in Mail Settings.  I left mine set up – no telling when or if I’ll need to revert!
3. Set up a new mail account, selecting Exchange as in the photo above.
   
4. Enter your email address (e.g. “billg@microsoft.com”) in the Email box.
5. Enter your Exchange domain and username (e.g. “msexec\billg.microsoft”) in the Username box and watch the text magically shrink to fit.
6. Enter your password (e.g. “OuttaHere!”) in the Password box and marvel at the nifty new “show the last letter entered” feature.
7. The iPhone will now try to automatically discover your Exchange server.  If you don’t have Exchange 2007 with Autodiscovery turned on, it will fail and warn you that it couldn’t validate your account.  You will have to manually enter your server name in the window.  Make sure you enter your ActiveSync server name, not the OWA server (as in Entourage) or the real Exchange server (as in Outlook).
8. Now tap the home button and go into Mail.  You should see your new account appear, and it should show your folders and email messages within a few moments.  Congratulations!  Email is now set up!
   

Next we will enable sync for Contacts and Calendars.

Note:  You can’t sync Contacts and Calendars from both Exchange and iTunes! You must choose one or the other! And the iPhone will delete your old entries when you enable this! Update: You can do both desktop and over-the-air calendars in iPhone OS 3.0!

Ok, enough shouting, on with the show!

1. Once you’re sure email is working, go back into the Exchange Account Settings tab (shown above) and tap Contacts to “ON”.
   
2. The iPhone will warn you about deleting your existing entries, just like I just did!  If you’re sure, tap “Sync”.
   
3. Now the iPhone will enable Sync.  Do not go running up to the Calendar or (new!) Contacts App and expect to see everything there immediately.  It took my phone about 5 minutes to populate these, and I was worried when I saw nothing there at first.
4. Do the same for Calendar and you’re all set.  Wait a few and you will have pretty much full over-the-air Email, Contacts, and Calendar integration!

Initial Impressions

Prepare to be confused by the new Calendar and Contacts apps.  They now include categories, and you can find yourself scratching your head at seeing no entries when you’re in the wrong category.  I left my calendar in “Home” and there were no entries.

I had to tap “Calendars” at the top to return to the screen at right and select “All”.  This could be really nice – I could organize multiple calendars here for work and home.  But it’ll take some getting used to.  Update: Don’t bother with multiple calendars! Update: Multiple calendars rock in iPhone OS 3.0!

Note that calendar entries are color-coded in the calendar, too, which is a nice touch.  I don’t remember any similar functionality on my BlackBerry, but it could be that I just never discovered it.  It took me about five years to figure out how to see missed calls, after all!

The same problem appears with the Contacts application.  Here again, we have groups of contacts, and what you see is dependent on which group you’re currently “in”.  I’ll have to work out how to manage these using Outlook or Entourage.

Thankfully, Apple finally includes a Contacts application on the home screen in OS 2.0.  It was always frustrating to have to go into the Phone app just to look at someone’s info!

The App Store is good, but a little perplexing.  There are about 500 applications up for sale right now, and not all are worthwhile.  There are three “flashlight” apps, for example, all at different prices.  I think the App Store will be quite a mess once all 25,000 or so applications have been added!  It’s already hard to locate anything.

Apple released just two native apps:  A $5 Texas Hold’em game, and a free remote control app for iTunes.  The latter is pretty nifty – it seems to use Bonjour in reverse to present itself to iTunes instances running on the network.  The iPhone shows up in the sidebar and you have to enter a PIN to activate it.  This would be much cooler with an AirTunes device – maybe I’ll have to snap up one of the old 802.11g AirPort Expresses currently offered at MacMall for $59!

There are some other worthwhile apps, too.  MLB At Bat is great – live game updates and video clips of major plays.  I think I’ll be using this a lot!  Definitely worth $5 to me.

I already mentioned a couple of games, but I was more interested in trying out the social networking applications.  AOL released a free version of Instant Messenger, but I’m not sure if it (yet) supports Apple’s always-on push service.  There’s a FaceBook app, too, but it doesn’t look much better than the web version.

This brings me to a major concern about the App Store.  Why make a native app to do something the web does just as well?  I can see where an offline book or map reader would be handy, but why MySpace?  There are lots of Bibles in there already, but where is the off-line/on-line version of Wikipedia that I had hoped for?

Google added a search app, covering both the web and local content on the phone.  But where’s Google Talk?  Shockingly, after literally sharing the stage with Google at the iPhone’s introduction, Yahoo! is entirely absent from the App Store.  Microsoft isn’t there, either.

But there were some nice surprises.  Yelp, Pandora, and Paypal all have free clients that look useful.  Time will tell which of these apps really get used!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2008. | How To Set Up iPhone Exchange ActiveSync
This post was categorized as Apple, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.