Push sync or customised sync : which do you use?
I am using Exchange ActiveSync on my Samsung Wave, running BADA OS. I set up my hotmail and gmail accounts without any problem, but over months of usage, I am noticing some differences in the way the two work.
To start with, here are my settings for sync. I get several options in sync schedule, allowing me to tweak the sync settings for peak and off-peak periods.
Enter into the peak schedule menu and I get an option to set the frequency of sync - either push (instant) or with varying degrees of infrequency (5 minutes or less frequently)
I like having these options. As per my understanding, push sync is instant ie. the mail server pushes the mail to my phone as soon as it arrives. When I set a 'sync' option, my phone checks the server and retrieves my mail, at pre-defined intervals that I can customise. Do note that in both cases, I can sync all settings like contacts, calendar, email etc. It is only the frequency of sync that we are discussing here.
Both options have their merits and de-merits. Push sync means instant delivery, and that is critical when I receive work-related mails, and when I am travelling. However, since I get a huge volume of mails, I have also observed that this can drain the battery life faster. And sometimes, it can distract me from work that I need to concentrate on. You know, the syndrome of constantly checking mail :)
Customised sync intervals give me more flexibility. If I set a sync schedule of 5 minutes, it should mean that delivery is almost as instant as push mail. And if I set a greater interval, mail delivery is less frequent. So for example, at night, I can set an off-peak schedule of 12 hours to sync my mail less frequently, as in any case I won't be checking mail till I get up. I would do the same when I want to save battery life.
So initially I set up varying sync schedules for both my mail accounts.
But I soon ran into problems. Since the last 3 weeks, I have been travelling a lot. On flights, I obviously have to switch off my phone. And in at least 3 instances I found after switching on the phone again, that gmail would not sync, despite repeated attempts. I had to give up and put it back onto push sync (where it works perfectly). Hotmail on the other hand, syncs perfectly with any settings. Of course, I am able to sync my hotmail only because Microsoft has implemented this feature since August 2010.
So at this stage, I have fixed my problem, but I am unable to identify the reason why I have problems with my gmail account alone. I thought it would be interesting to ask other users of ActiveSync what settings they are using for gmail and for other accounts.
To start with, here are my settings for sync. I get several options in sync schedule, allowing me to tweak the sync settings for peak and off-peak periods.
Enter into the peak schedule menu and I get an option to set the frequency of sync - either push (instant) or with varying degrees of infrequency (5 minutes or less frequently)
I like having these options. As per my understanding, push sync is instant ie. the mail server pushes the mail to my phone as soon as it arrives. When I set a 'sync' option, my phone checks the server and retrieves my mail, at pre-defined intervals that I can customise. Do note that in both cases, I can sync all settings like contacts, calendar, email etc. It is only the frequency of sync that we are discussing here.
Both options have their merits and de-merits. Push sync means instant delivery, and that is critical when I receive work-related mails, and when I am travelling. However, since I get a huge volume of mails, I have also observed that this can drain the battery life faster. And sometimes, it can distract me from work that I need to concentrate on. You know, the syndrome of constantly checking mail :)
Customised sync intervals give me more flexibility. If I set a sync schedule of 5 minutes, it should mean that delivery is almost as instant as push mail. And if I set a greater interval, mail delivery is less frequent. So for example, at night, I can set an off-peak schedule of 12 hours to sync my mail less frequently, as in any case I won't be checking mail till I get up. I would do the same when I want to save battery life.
So initially I set up varying sync schedules for both my mail accounts.
But I soon ran into problems. Since the last 3 weeks, I have been travelling a lot. On flights, I obviously have to switch off my phone. And in at least 3 instances I found after switching on the phone again, that gmail would not sync, despite repeated attempts. I had to give up and put it back onto push sync (where it works perfectly). Hotmail on the other hand, syncs perfectly with any settings. Of course, I am able to sync my hotmail only because Microsoft has implemented this feature since August 2010.
So at this stage, I have fixed my problem, but I am unable to identify the reason why I have problems with my gmail account alone. I thought it would be interesting to ask other users of ActiveSync what settings they are using for gmail and for other accounts.
I'm getting this as well. Switch off the Wave and when re-powered, there's a fair chance one of the push accounts will be corrupt. I have to delete the account and re-enter it to get it working again. :-(
ReplyDeleteI sympathise - had this happen to me as well! Never faced this with Nokia Messaging. And it keeps happening with only gmail which just happens to be my primary mail account. I wonder if it is Samsung/ bada specific, or a problem with Microsoft Exchange itself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commenting!