by Al Sacco

BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 Brings Photo-Sync Features to PC; Mac Users Get Cold Shoulder

News
Nov 24, 2009
AppleComputers and PeripheralsData Center

A new version of RIM's free multimedia-oriented desktop software, BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0, helps CrackBerry addicts sync and manage their iTunes and Windows Media Player music libraries, as well as personal photos collections, between desktop computers and smartphones. But the new photo syncing capabilities are not yet available to Macintosh users.

Just when it looked like BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) was finally starting to give its Apple Macintosh-owner customers the respect they deserve, the company goes and plans another software update for PCs and not Macs.

BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 for PC
BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 for PC “About” Screen

Today, RIM plans to release at 12 noon EST an updated version of its desktop media syncing software, BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0.

Media Sync 3.0 is a free “desktop application focused on ‘simple’ photo and music sync between a user’s BlackBerry and their desktop music/photo libraries PLUS their device photo library,” according to RIM.

BlackBerry Media Sync itself isn’t new; the first version of Media Sync for PC was launched in July 2008, and a functioning preview version of the Mac software arrived five months later in December of last year. BlackBerry Media Sync for Mac is now available as part of RIM’s Desktop Manager for Mac. Media Sync, which originally worked only with users’ Apple iTunes music libraries and could transfer only compatible music files, has been updated a few times since its initial launch, adding features like Windows Media Player library support.

Here’s a list of new features within BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 for PC, from RIM:

PC to BlackBerry sync:

  • Add folders for syncing with option to optimize pictures for device
  • Smart memory management: optimizes photo size, allowing for storage of more pictures on device

BlackBerry to PC Import:

  • Media Sync alerts users when new pictures are available to import when device is connected to PC (via pop-up on the pictures tab)

RIM is clearly attempting to make BlackBerry Media Sync into a sort of “iTunes for BlackBerrys,” and the addition of photo syncing to Media Sync brings the software one step closer to matching iTunes’ iPhone management functionality…except for one big exception: the new photo sync features are only available for PC.

I’ve been using the PC version of BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 for a few days, and it seems to run fairly smoothly; I haven’t discovered any significant bugs, and it works much the way RIM intended it to.

The new Media Sync memory management options are particularly interesting, and users who keep lots of images on their BlackBerrys should benefit from the ability to compress photos and free up more device storage space.

I use both a PC and Mac on a daily basis, and even though I was able to evaluate the new software on my Windows machine, it really would’ve been nice if the Mac version with photo syncing was released at the same time as the PC edition, so I could’ve compared the two. RIM says it’s working to build the new Media Sync 3.0 features into Desktop Manager for Mac but the company won’t share details on when we can expect to see it.

Pop on over to the next page for a visual walkthrough of BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 for PC.

And you should be able to download your own copy of the software from RIM’s website on its own or as part of BlackBerry Desktop Manager later today.

AS

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