[Monadlug] cell phone sync w/Linux?
Bill Sconce
sconce at in-spec-inc.com
Sun Aug 21 13:29:01 EDT 2005
On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 14:01:18 -0400
Tyson Sawyer <tyson at j3.org> wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> Lurker on the list speaks. ;-)
>
> Can anyone tell me the state of the things for cell phones that can sync
> a phone/address data base w/Linux?
B: Hello, Lurker-on-the-list! Good to hear from you, Ty.
B:
B: Someone else will have to tell you "the state of things", since that's a
B: pretty broad topic. :) I can help to the extent of one data point:
B:
B: SOME cell phones can sync. So you need not give up easily, anyway.
> My old Handspring visor is getting a bit long in the tooth and I may be
> looking at a cell phone update. If I could get rid of one in the
> process that would be a big win. However, I'm not looking to spend a
> fortune and I haven't used windows in years.
>
> I most often use my phone on the road in places where Verizon service
> seems better than average and so would like an option that is available
> w/Verizon service.
>
> The main requirements are:
>
> - Address and phone # database that can sync w/Linux
> - Small and easy to carry
> - Tri-mode (I _might_ be able to do w/out analog)
B: My data point is the LG VX4400, which I've been using since it was
B: early current production, a couple of years now at least. I've
B: checked for support of follow-on phones (i.e., the VX4500, which
B: would be my likely candidate if I were to do an upgrade now), and
B: it's supported too. I sync the database (and back it up, and edit it)
B: on Linux. And reset the wallpaper to not be a commercial for Verizon.
B: And other good things.
B:
B: The package I use on Linux for it is BitPim,
B:
B: http://bitpim.sourceforge.net/
B:
B: I haven't used Windows in years either. So it was gratifying to
B: find that someone was doing GPL'd work to support a cell phone which
B: worked hereabouts. (BitPim was a primary reason I got the VX4400.
B: Another reason was that the VX4400 was tri-mode - a lot of the
B: places where I need a cell phone (read: back-country airports)
B: aren't covered by modern cell sites.
B:
B: (Nevertheless, like a lot of GPL packages these days, BitPim isn't
B: restricted to Linux: it runs on Macs and Microsoft PCs too.)
HTH,
-Bill
P.S. A. BitPim is written in (...surprise) Python.
P.S. B. (clipped from BitPim's Web site) - phones which BitPim
supports:
* Audiovox CDM8900
* LG VX-3200
* LG VX-4400
* LG VX-4500
* LG VX-6000
* LG VX-6100
* LG VX-7000
* LG VX-8000
* [some] Samsung Phones
* [some] Sanyo Phones
* [some] other phones
More information about the gnhlug-discuss
mailing list