VersaMail Update for Palm Centro Smartphone

Just a quick note to let you know that we have posted an update to VersaMail for Palm Centro users that includes improved Gmail compatibility. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Product update includes:

• Enhancements to Gmail IMAP compatibility and an updated setup wizard with the new Gmail settings
• Improvements to help eliminate the silent failure of email when using Microsoft's Direct Push Technology via Exchange ActiveSync in VersaMail. Some users have reported that their email stops arriving, but they are not notified to press "Sync" to re-enable Direct Push Technology. This update helps eliminate the occurrence of this scenario.

If you do not use Microsoft EAS or Gmail IMAP for email, you do not need to download this new version of VersaMail. Visit the support page for details.

Steve J. - Product Manager, Email

Comments

[Kian Cheong Lim]

What about the Treo 680?
Isn't it recent enough in other parts of the world?

[ed]

yea the centro update does work on a 755p too.
But it is not worthwile to upgrade.

[Darryl L. Pierce]

I've downloaded the upgrade for VersaMail and still cannot access Gmail via IMAP. I followed the instructions exactly, but do not see the "build 77" piece in the about box, and cannot access IMAP.

When will a proper fix that actually works be available?

[Jeff S.]

If you followed the instructions correctly, you would have read to tap on the palm logo while looking at the about screen.

[Brad]

What happened to the "push" option with EAS? There used to be an auto-sync option that was "as you receieve it" or something like that. Now I only have the option to sync 5/10/15/30min. This is a bummer!

[Bret]

Build 77 is displayed if u press the palm logo on the about box

[Doris]

I just upgrades but not all my gmail folders show up in the IMAP folder sync box so I'm not able to get all my email that bypasses the inbox as I've set up on the desktop.

[Chad B]

As a devoted Palm user for the past 15+ years, I have been praising the versatility, convenience and user friendly Palm hardware/software to my colleagues and family for as many years. As a result many have purchased Palm products and have come to rely upon them as much as I do.

Recently I finally gave in and took the leap to consolidate my multiple media devices (laptop: email, phone: calls, Palm TX:notes,passwords,video,books,spreadsheets,contacts,calendar,etc.) into one unit with the Palm Treo 755p. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPOINTED IN A PALM PRODUCT! After transferring all of my info from my TX to my 755p, and activating the phone itself, I began the process of setting up my VersaMail account to enable me to sync my work email through the Exchange ActiveSync program. In typical Palm fashion, it was fairly easy to set up once I had obtained the necessary info from my IT department and I was soon getting my email in the Palm of my hand (pun intended). All was well! Or so it seemed...

Shortly after getting everything set up, I contacted my Dr. to set up an appointment later this month, and, in typical fashion, I opened my Palm Desktop Manager to update my calendar with the appointment so I could sync it up with my Palm during the next HotSync. After performing the HotSync, I realized that not only did the appointment NOT transfer from the Palm Desktop, ALL of my personal contacts and calendar events had been forced into my work email account!! I immediately became alarmed because I do not want my personal life (i.e. Dr. appointments, church activities, etc.) advertised to those whom I have granted rights to work on my work email account when requested to do so. I immediately sought out help from the Palm.com help forums and found that MANY people were experiencing the same problem. I performed all of the tricks that I could find (erasing everything, reloading software, hard resets, etc.) but no luck; I could not keep my personal information (contacts & calendar) in Palm Desktop and use my VersaMail for just that - MAIL. After researching further, I found that when using either the Exchange ActiveSync setup or the GetGood program, that the user is forced to surrender all options related to how the calendar and contacts are handled - DESPITE the options built into the program that indicate otherwise.

- I now have a phone/PDA that does not do what it was advertised to do.
- I have lost my confidence and faith in Palm (this did not come lightly; I have been attempting to work through this issue for the past two weeks in all of my spare time).
- I have no way to check my work email account remotely unless I lug around my laptop.

I do not want to give up on Palm. I still feel that they are a good company that cares about their customers and provides (for the most part) a quality product and I would prefer to give them the brand loyalty I have for the past years, and hopefully many to come. I have been working with a Palm employee in the Palm forums http://forums.palm.com/palm/board/message?board.id=synchronization&thread.id=1895 to attempt to resolve my issue and he has been nothing short of amazing. I would love to hire him as one of my own employees! Suffice it to say, it is because of employees like “Ridius” and my personal experience with Palm that reiterates why I am not giving up on Palm just yet. At “Ridius’” suggestion, I am leaving this comment in this blog today:

Are there any plans to release updates/patches in the near future for the VersaMail program to enable users to sync email through VersaMail/Exchange ActiveSync while using Palm Desktop Manager to manage/sync Calendar/Contacts? In researching this issue I see that I am hardly alone in this situation – it would only make sense that Palm would work aggressively to address it and improve the program to enable these options ASAP.

[Jonathan]

Ditto Brad. I'm disappointed that the Direct Push capability seems to have been taken away. This is really important at my office, so please tell us you're planning to fix!

[Ben]

I can get Versamail to see my gmail IMAP folders by putting [Gmail]/ as the root folder, but has anyone been able to map the Versamail trash to the [Gmail]/Trash folder automatically, so that when I delete something on Versamail it moves to the trash in Gmail?

[Brittany]

THANK YOU! I was having trouble with an error message whenever I checked my mail and this seems to have corrected that error!

[David Lerell]

It doesnt work to well for me. I can send an email with attachments but still cant recieve any emails on my gmail or any other account. Can anyone give me a tip that might be having the same problem? davidlerell@yahoo.com

[Neall D]

I installed this update on my Palm Treo 755p (Verizon version) out of desperation. The factory installed version of VersaMail (3.5) made my Treo sluggish and unreliable. Of course, this install is NOT for the 755p, yet I figured I had nothing to lose. Surprise... my Treo 755p is much more reliable now. There is much less lag now when switching into or out of VersaMail. I don't use the EAS or Gmail features, so I can't comment on those. Yet, it's not my imagination... my 755p operates much more smoothly and reliably with this upgrade. Given it's for the Centro... upgrade your 755p at your own risk. I'm pleased with the results I've acheived, however. I'm shocked that there is so little posted online (well nothing) about the stock VersaMail 3.5 on the new 755p, and how LOUSY that version is. That one turned my 755p into a dog. This one (yes it's 4.0.1 build 77) is a vast improvement. Something else got fixed other than Gmail and Exchange compatability. That's pretty obvious.

[Dale Phelan]

On my Palm 755p I use Outlook Web Access for my compainy E-Mail I would like a way for Versamail not to sync with my contachs and tasks. I would like to use palm desktop. Are there any plans to release updates/patches in the near future for the VersaMail program to enable users to sync email through VersaMail/Exchange ActiveSync while using Palm Desktop Manager to manage/sync Calendar/Contacts, and Tasks? In researching this issue I see that I am hardly alone in this situation – it would only make sense that Palm would work aggressively to address it and improve the program to enable these options ASAP.

[DanielP]

Does anyone know if this update will work with the Verizon 700p?

[Priscilla]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE create a workaround/patch/update to enable users who sync email through EAS to sync Contacts and Calendar with the Palm Desktop. I've used the Palm Desktop for over a decade and do not want to give it up to get work email on my Treo. If we must use EAS for the Calendar, then at least cut the cord for Contacts. I really don't need folks at my company to know the telephone #'s and addresses of my parents, siblings, and every friend/relative that I have in the world!

[Joel]

I must say there are better mail clients out there than Versamail. I've been testing out Snappermail and have been pleased. The only difference is these apps aren't free (they're actually pretty pricey). I use my Verizon Treo 755p to connect to my Gmail account through IMAP. Versamail was only able to do it through pop3. I just downloaded and installed this update out of desparation. My Treo started looping this morning after trying to open blazer. I had to hard reset to correct it. When I restored the phone it gave the the error "Please load AESLib library." After doing some research I found that this file belonged to Versamail (which I no longer use). Unable to restore of of the original CD (I originally installed the newer palm desktop download instead) I decided to try this upgrade. Even though its clearly not designed and tested for the Treo 755p, it worked great for me and my error message went away. BTW, if it does a good job of connecting to Gmail now, I might actually start using Versamail again.

[LJ]

What about TX users?? This is still Palm's top of the line PDA. Given the $300+ price tag I paid for it only a couple of years ago, and the advertisements extolling its value for checking e-mail on the road, shouldn't I be able to reasonably expect proper IMAP functionality with popular services like Gmail?

As lame as I think it is to charge for Versamail updates for such a new device, I might have been tempted to do so for Versamail 3.5 for $10 as advertised on Palm's site - but even that doesn't specifically mention Gmail IMAP and I am loath to pay it only to find out that it doesn't work any better than 3.1. Especially since the only version of Versamail that is actually advertised to work with Gmail IMAP is 4.0 which is provided only for Centro users. There is no word from Palm as to whether this update will or will not ever be offered for other units, so we are left wondering what to do.

Seems like I plunked down a large chunk of money for an aggressively marketed product, which was almost immediately abandoned in favor of pushing phone products... and now I'm faced with forking out $40-80 more for a properly functional e-mail client, which this unit *supposedly* had in the first place.

If this is not remedied I see no reason to ever buy a Palm in the future. I feel like now that they have my money I've been left to twist in the wind.

[Simon Hobson]

I arrived here via a forum post http://forums.palm.com/palm/board/message?board.id=synchronization&thread.id=1895

I'm under a lot of pressure at work to use a Windows Mobile device (spit), so I've been looking at the mail functions to see if I can manage what they want me to do without having to suffer the pain of WM. Email ? Got VersaMail - check. Set up account - see Activesync listed as an option, oh good (IMAP and POP aren't enabled and weren't reliable when they were).

Fill in all the details, then WHAT THE F*** - it tells me that it's going to sync my calendar and contacts as well ! NO WAY am I surrendering ANYTHING but email to the exchange rubbish I have to put up with at work, no way I tell you.

I assumed that it must just be me, I must have missed something, but no - download the manual and there it is is grey and white : "When you set up the VersaMail application to work with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, your email, calendar, and contact info synchronizes directly with the Exchange server".

How can this be ? How could ANYONE (except Microsoft of course) be so naive to believe that just because we have to use Exchange for mail, that we want to abandon the rest of our lives to it ? I'm a Mac user and have to suffer Entourage for work email - but I just refuse to suffer it's contact and calendaring stuff.

I'm trying to be positive (I really am), but it's getting more and more difficult to hold out against the WM crowd when the guys at work keep showing off things that aren't available on Palm.

So until you can do email, and JUST email, then I don't have email for work - and sooner or later I'll be told to go WM on some horrible device. I'll go iPhone rather than do that.

So here's the deal - allow me to do JUST the email and I can stay with Palm. It can't be hard to leave out an optional piece of functionality can it !

[Heathaaa]

I use the pop settings to send/receive from gmail and this fixed a problem that I kept getting unable to connect to server. So I don't know what's in this upgrade...but it fixed my connection! Thanks!

[WayToGoIdaho]

I have a Palm 755p on Sprint that I use to connect to an Exchange Server at work. I also use it to connect to my personal GMail account. I have installed the Centro software to update my 3.5 Versmail to 4.0. Changes to my work e-mail, calendar and contacts are pushed to me REAL TIME so I have no need for a desktop sync. I am getting better battery life with the Centro version of Versamail and everything seems to be working fine. I have been using this set-up for the last week and have had no problems. I use Sprint Mobile E-mail to connect to my personal GMail account. This allows my Gmail to be pushed to my 755p. I use the regular e-mail button to open the VersaMail e-mail (work) and have set-up my preferences to use the Option-E-mail button to open the Sprint Mobile e-mail (personal). Everything is working beautifully!!!

[Will England]

To view the 'Build 77' info, you MUST tap the Palm logo in the about screen. It's in the fine print of the app download page. Try it . . .

[kim scott]

are there going to be changes in bluetooth hook up on the palm? 1. you have to push the side button for blue tooth to make a call, that to me doesn't seem hands free. are there going to be updates to this problem?if so when will it be addressed?

[Tort]

I installed it on the 700p without a problem. However, the ability to delete e-mail from the Sprint PCS e-mail server does not work. And neither Palm nor Sprint were able to get it to function.

So I went back to 3.5.4.