Microsoft re-releases Palm sync software for Mac

Microsoft has re-released a piece of software allowing Mac OS X users to connect their Palm handhelds to Entourage X, Microsoft's current email and information-management software for the Mac. The original sychronisation software, released in July, caused corruption of some users' data.

The new synchronisation tool, available on Microsoft's Web site since last week, works with any handheld based on Palm OS 3.x or later, according to Microsoft. However, the software requires Palm Desktop version 4.0 or later, which is not included in some Palm OS handhelds.

The software handles contacts, tasks, notes and calendar events, Microsoft said. It is compatible with Entourage X as long as Microsoft Office v. X, Service Release 1 has been installed. Entourage is the Mac OS X version of Microsoft's Outlook client.

Some users who tried the July pre-release software found that certain fields in their contact data had been rearranged. Others discovered that the size of their handheld-based database grew each time a synchronisation was performed, until the database filled the device's memory.

Microsoft pulled the original synchronisation conduit off its site in late July, about a week after its release.

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