Are you using a WiFi connection on your laptop or desktop? Do you sync your PDA to this PC through a USB connection? And does your WiFi, which was working just fine, all of a sudden stops working, or at best crawls? If you answered Yes to all these questions, welcome to the world of Windows Mobile and ActiveSync 4.5. What a bummer.

A year back, ActiveSync 3.x was a great software that we all took for granted. It did it’s job and no one cared about it’s future developments. Until ActiveSync 4.0 arrived. And with it, problems as well. When Entrepreneur.com recently ran an article on softwares that were great before their developers created on newer version, I reckon ActiveSync should be at the top of the list.

The Good Old Days

Those who have used ActiveSync 3.x would know what I am talking about. I can’t really say much for versions before 3.0 as I started on the magic 3. With AS3.x (for short), we could sync our devices over WiFi. Our PDA’s could be in another room and we could make sure it was always up-to-date when we on the computer in the other room. We could even sync our devices while we were outside for those of us who had our PCs turned on 24/7. Sure we can do the “Other-Room-Sync” with Bluetooth now but it still does not beat the ease of WiFi.

Then there were the times when we sync-ed our devices using the USB cable because we wanted to charge our devices at the same time. The internet worked well, whether the PC was connected via WiFi or LAN. You could hook up your PDA and get work done, knowing full well that when it was time to shut down, your device would be updated, it would have more juice and the work you set out to get done on that PC was accomplished.

The Turning Point

Fast forward to today when both these features are no longer possible with ActiveSync 4.x. AS4.x (for short), now makes it impossible to sync over WiFi, and to make matters worse, somehow cripples your WiFi if your PDA is connected via USB to your PC. The reason for this lockdown? According to Microsoft, it was because of security issues that they did it. And also because their Enterprise customers had requested for such removal. Which got me wondering, are the number of PDA users who got these devices on their own such a small number that Microsoft can easily ignore them? Even if so, couldn’t there be 2 versions of AS at least, just like Windows, where users can decide if they want the Home or Professional edition?

Alternatives

I have been on the lookout for alternatives to AS4.x that can do what AS3.x can but have yet to find out. If it syncs, it does not do WiFi and if it does WiFi, it does not sync like AS. Are we going to be stuck this way? Will there be no way to get my WiFi to work if my PDA is connected to my PC via USB? Will there be no way to sync my PDA with my PC over WiFi?

Someone please tell me this is not the case.

Tags: Personal