In a desperate attempt to create a recurring feature, we have decided to start the Friday iFAQ, a list of inFrequently Asked Questions to help you, the Mac user, get more out of your software.
Q: A FAQ for iCal? Really?
A: Yes! iCal has so much to offer that people never know about!
Q: Okay. So, here goes: How do I sync my iCal and Google calendars?
A: You can easily track your Google calendar in iCal by publishing your Google calendar in the iCal format, an industry standard format that…
Q: No no no, I don’t just want to track my Google calendar, I want actual synchronization.
A: Don’t cut me off!
Q: Ummm, sorry? Anyway, how does that work?
A: Well, if you have a .Mac account, you can have your iCal calendars published in iCal format, which Google calendar can read, so you can conveniently see your iCal events on your Google calendar.
Q: That’s the same problem in reverse. I don’t want to see my calendar in two places, I want to be able to edit it in two places.
A: Did you know that Apple pioneered the iCal format?
Q: I guessed from the name. Also, your second option costs, like, a hundred bucks a year, so it’s not really all that convenient. Look, is there or isn’t there a way to actually sync your Google calendar and iCal?
A: The strength of the Mac platform is its developers. BusyMac has created BusySync, a convenient tool for syncing calendars over a LAN or even with Google calendar.
Q: So I need third-party software?
A: Or you could use Spanning Sync, except it costs more and has issues with Leopard.
Q: So you’re recommending slightly broken third party software?
A: Or you could just forget all about Google calendar. Forget…Forget…Foghat…Gorfet…
Q: Did you just accidentally hypnotize yourself?
A: Boba Fett…Jengo Fett…
Q: Okay, whatever. I’ma go read TUAW.
A: Zzzzzzzzzzz……
Ace Deuce on May 24th, 2008 at 2:16 pm says:
It looks like androids do dream of electric sheep.