FJ Software

Hi!
I've set up MPE to sync most most everything when the phone is in range.
This is all good and well, unless I move the phone outside bluetooth range while it's syncing.
This is where the fun stops. I get back in range, the MPE won't sync cause there's a prompt with and error message I have to clear before it, and then another one and another one and another one (one per each multi-sync item) even if I get back in range.

Either there's something wrong with my setup or that's one of the worst error handling routines I have seen.
It unnecessarily mars an otherwise excellent and very useful software.

It's really bad UI design to have a modal window pop-up on such a common event (going in and out of BT range is a part of normal usage). At most there should be an notification that it failed to sync and MPE should be ready to retry when the phone is in range again.

Your thoughts?

Why you go away when MPE is syncing ? This makes no sense for me.

MyPhoneExplorer is not designed as silent service and this is good. I'm not a friend of doing everything without notice of the user.

First off, let me say that I appreciate the effort and time that you put into MPE as I program and develop stuff, so I know it first hand.

Now, let me answer you:

FJ hat geschrieben:Why you go away when MPE is syncing ? This makes no sense for me.

BT has an effective range of a few meters at best (in mobile phones), so it's enough for me to go to the kitchen, and I'm out of range. If I go lounge on the sofa, I'm out of range, etc. If I just enter the room to get something, MPE starts syncing, I exit the room, and it won't sync again until I sit down and clear the error messages.

We can sit down an argue about the finer points, but this is the reality of mobile phone usage.

You're free to ignore it, but it won't change the realities of everyday usage.

MyPhoneExplorer is not designed as silent service and this is good. I'm not a friend of doing everything without notice of the user.

Syncing is very similar to mobile phone going out of network range. When you get back in range it automatically registers to the network and you can receive and make calls.
Do you think it would be a good thing if the phone waited for you to manually clear away messages before it would work? What purpose would that serve?

MPE syncing is something that happens automatically (entering the BT range) without user interaction, so the whole process should be handled without user interaction. If I did not initiate the process I should not be thinking about it.
Should I be thinking about MPE, every time I pass near my computer? It just doesn't make any sense.

When you think about it, the error messages serve only one purpose, to inform me that passed near my computer to fast for MPE to sync?? It's not a critical error, I won't lose any data, so what is the point?

As stated in the OP, instead of a modal dialog with syncing error messages, MPE should just abort the syncing and retry with a notification balloon.

FJ, have I offended you in any way?
I'm sorry if you took it that way, because I find MPE extremely useful (I do use it every day).
It's just that the issue at hand is also very frustrating, pops up like 4-10 times a day for me.

Sorry, i forgot to answer

In some cases you are right. I'm thinking of a way to make it better. Maybe to add the errormessages to the notificationwindow as missed calls or raised appointments. The question is how to implement it - maybe with normal timeoutmessage which disappears and moves the error into the notificationwindow after 15 seconds. In general its very much work cause the whole interface of MPE is not designed as "silent service".

You pushed me in the right direction, i don't know if or how i will fix it but you made me thinking. In the meanwhile maybe its better to disable automatic multisync.