Keeping in sync: the Motorola Q9m and The Missing Sync September 3, 2007
Posted by jumpingship in Bluetooth, Macbook Pro, Missing Syc, Motorola Q9m.trackback
So I’m with Verizon, and my new every two upgrade recently came up for redemption, which meant it was time for a new phone. I had been using the LG VX8100 for the past two years: a great phone, but I wanted to get a little more out of it, namely a way to keep track of all of my class assignments and appointments. My answer came in the form of the Motorola Q9m; the new version of their popular Q smartphone, which was just released in stores this past Wednesday. This new handset runs Windows Mobile 6, and I at first wondered if there was any way for me to sync it with my mac, or if I would have to resort to booting into Vista via Bootcamp in order to keep myself organized.
Fortunately, I found the perfect software solution, and this week’s App of the Week: The Missing Sync. This unique app acts as an interpretor of calendar, to do list, and contact information, syncing the information you enter in iCal and address book on the mac end with the appropriate Windows Mobile apps on your respective phone. The result is surprisingly effective, even with a phone as new as mine, the transition was nearly flawless. The Missing Sync offers numerous connectivity options for the wide variety of phones they support, including wifi, USB, and Bluetooth. To date, I have been syncing exclusively with USB, due to the fact that I have been unable to get bluetooth syncing to work. I have a feeling that this is mainly a pairing problem though, as bluetooth file exchange works between my mbp and my handset.
For those of you who are here about the handset, I have been very satisfied with it so far as a first-time smartphone user. When the initial specs were first released, I was slightly disappointed to see that the components were not the same as the Q9h, which is the GSM version of the phone first announced in Italy. Ultimately though, it hasn’t mattered: the phone is very responsive, and the new keypad is a godsend for texting and message composing compared with the old T9 input. As for battery life, I have more than enough charge to get through the day with moderate call usage and calender input. I can’t comment on performance during web browsing as I had a data block placed on the phone; but I probably will purchase a SD wi-fi card for those rare moments when I don’t have my laptop with me. Feel free to leave your questions about Missing Sync or the Q9m in the comments section of this post, and I will try to answer them as quickly as I can! Cheers!
The Motorola website says the Q9 does WiFi.
Is their published product spec wrong or did Verizon have Motorola disable WiFi on the Q9?
To my best knowledge, the Wifi option on the Q9 series, both in the GSM and CDMA series, have access to it via an SD card expansion. Verizon is well known for not making it obvious that Wifi or any other connectivity options are available, in the interest of promoting their EV-DO service. To answer your question, yes, the Q9m can be connected to WiFi, you just need to find the SD expansion card (I believe Spectec is the most popular manufacturer.
How did you get the Missing Sync to see the phone over USB? I’ve been trying for a while and can’t get beyond one dot on the connection screen.
Gene,
I have to admit that much of my findings were based on trial and error. First, a few basic things: make sure you have the latest version of Missing Sync, as the moto Q9m was just recently added. Then, try checking the settings on the Q9m itself: Start–>Settings–>Connections–>USB to PC, and try unchecking “Enable advanced network functionality. ” This should disable any tethering abilities that may be interfering with your straight USB data connection. Hope that helps.
I do have the latest version and have tried all the connections. You must be doing something right. I only get one dot and then it stops connecting.
Gene – go to settings -> connections ->usb device type and change it to ActiveSync Serial. That will fix your issue
For others who navigate to this page looking for help (as I did), consult this article…https://support.markspace.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=178
Basically, I was having a problem with it not installing the .CAB file the first time I connected, and so I had to create a Bluetooth connection to the phone, then went to the bluetooth menubar icon, chose the Motorola Q9m, and chose send file. I sent the missingsync.CAB file and clicked it in file explorer, and…MAGIC! IT WORKS!