Windows Phone Thoughts: Why I Miss ActiveSync...For Laptops

There was a recent thread in our forums where someone was asking if there was anything similar to ActiveSync, only for laptops. It's funny, as much as we bash ActiveSync, I was unable to come up with a piece of software that would do the same thing as we get with ActiveSync and our Pocket PCs. Being the new owner of a swanky laptop, I too am interested in a way of keeping my data in sync on the laptop and desktop. Years ago, I went through the struggle of copying my PST file from my desktop to laptop, trying to sync up all my folders, etc. It was a nightmare! Lately I've just been leaving my laptop empty of data and using it as a terminal to do Remote Desktop back into my home computer. Now that I have the P5010D, I want to use the thing.

So the question is, what sort of solution exists out there that will duplicate what ActiveSync does? That means a record-level synchronization of Outlook data, not a brute-force copying of the PST file from point A to point B. That also means synchronizing certain folders. The latter is easy enough to do with a backup/sync too, but record-level sync in Outlook? A tall order! OsaSync was pointed out in another thread, and it looks interesting, but the getting started document is about 50 pages long. 8O Not my idea of an easy to use product!

Any hints for laptop owners? How do you keep your data in sync?

UPDATE: I'm a SOHO user, so Exchange is not a viable solution for myself or the millions of other people like me. Despite what Microsoft believes, not everyone wants to have an Exchange server. ;-) Hower, a hosted exchange solution is interesting...