Windows Phone Thoughts: PocketMac Pro 3.0 released

Information Appliance Associates has announced the release of a new version of PocketMac. The list of improvements over the previous versions is pretty impressive. In addition to enhanced support for the existing contact, calendar and tasks sync (with Entourage, iCal & OS X Address Book) they have added tons of new features. With this feature set, this program will go head-to-head with Missing Sync for the Pocket PC. And that's a good thing, since end users like us sure do benefit from competition. Currently the price of PocketMac Pro 3.0 is $41,77.

The enhanced support exists of:
• iCal Calendar Synching--PocketMac 3.0's iCal synching supports multiple calendars, is faster, and is more reliable as well.
• iCal To-Do/Task Synching--PocketMac 3.0 now offers iCal "To-Do" sync with the Pocket PC's Tasks.
• Entourage Synching--PocketMac 3.0's Entourage synching is 83% faster than in version 2.0 and much more reliable as well.
• Entourage Synching--PocketMac 3.0's Contact, Calendar & Tasks sync with Entourage synching is 83% faster than in version 2.0 and much more reliable as well.

The new features included with PocketMac Pro 3.0 are:
• The PocketMac Theme--PocketMac 3.0 transforms the Pocket PC into a Mac PDA--it actually changes the look & feel of Pocket PCs with Macintosh buttons & backgrounds.
• Complete Support For Pocket PC 2003 Edition--PocketMac 3.0 has full support for the new Pocket PC 2003 PDA without sacrificing support for models previously supported by PocketMac.
• E-Mail Synching--PocketMac 3.0 offers complete e-mail synching with Entourage and Apple's Mail.app.
• Bluetooth--PocketMac 3.0 offers complete support for wireless synching with Pocket PCs over Bluetooth or Airport (802.11b).
• Installation Of Pocket PC Software--Pocketmac 3.0 offers rich support for the installation of Pocket PC software whether the developer has provided a Windows EXE or a CAB file. The install process is even simpler than on a Windows-based PC.
• Installation Of Pocket PC Themes--PocketMac 3.0 offers one-click support for the installation of Pocket PC themes.
• Avantgo--PocketMac 3.0 has built-in support for Avantgo's channel network.
• Mazingo--PocketMac 3.0 has built-in support Mazingo's channel network.
• WebFavorites--PocketMac 3.0 offers the ability to sync users' favorite websites to the Pocket PC for offline browsing.
• iSync Integration--PocketMac 3.0 offers integration with Apple's
iSync.
• iTunes--PocketMac 3.0 supports the synching of users' MP3s with their Pocket PC with iTunes.
• iPhoto--PocketMac 3.0 supports the synching of users' photos and pictures with their Pocket PC using iPhoto.
• Desktop Mounting--Now, PocketMac 3.0 can mount the Pocket PC's memory and/or any of the Pocket PC's storage cards on the desktop for greater integration with Finder.
• Sync on Connect--When PocketMac 3.0 users put their device in their USB cradle, PocketMac will automatically sync their Pocket PC
with their Mac; they do not have to manually initiate a sync each time.
• Internet Passthrough--PocketMac 3.0 allows users to have their Pocket PC "piggyback" on their Mac's internet connection, allowing
them to exchange email, view websites and more directly from their Pocket PC while it's connected to their Mac.
• Custom File Copy--PocketMac 3.0 allows users to ensure one or more files they select will be copied from the Mac to the Pocket PC
every time their device is synched. This is useful for "publishing" Word documents, spreadsheets or other data to the Pocket PC only.
• Support For Now Contact--PocketMac 3.0 now includes support for synching Now Contact with your Pocket PC contacts (Requires Now
Contact).