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BusyCal User Guide

Table of Contents

BusyCal Introduction

BusyCal is a desktop calendar that allows families and small workgroups to easily and cost-effectively sync calendars with iCloud, Google, the iPhone, and with other Macs on a local area network. BusyCal is compatible with other applications, devices and services that support CalDAV or Sync Services, including iCal, iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, iCloud, Google Calendar, iCal Server, and more. And it's compatible with BusySync, so you can share calendars with both BusyCal and BusySync users on your network.

BusyCal provides a number of productivity enhancements that you won't find in iCal, including a non-modal info panel; To Dos, including recurring To Dos, that display in the calendar and auto-forward until completed; customizable calendar views including a List View and scrolling Month and Week Views; live weather feeds, moon phases, graphics and sticky notes; customizable font styles and sizes; and a list of today's events in your menu bar.

Syncing Overview

BusyCal syncs with iCloud, Google Calendar, mobile devices, and with other BusyCal users on your LAN. This overview will help you choose the sync method, or combination of methods, that is most appropriate for your situation.

In general, it is best to use one method of syncing, to keep things simple and consistent. Cloud based sync services, like iCloud and Google, are the best way to sync with a mobile device and/or to share calendars with others. Each method has its pros and cons:

This document describes the following scenarios:

Syncing with iCloud

You can sync BusyCal and your iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch) with iCloud. Each Mac and iOS device subscribes to the calendars hosted on iCloud, and changes automatically sync between them. This is the ideal method of syncing between a Mac and iOS device.

Mobileme

Sharing calendars with others through iCloud

You can share calendars with others through iCloud. This is an ideal method of sharing calendars between iCloud users. It enables each user to make changes on any computer or device and those changes will sync to all other users and devices through the cloud.

Mobileme Sharing2

Syncing with Google Calendar

You can sync BusyCal and mobile devices (iOS, Android, or Blackberry) with Google Calendar. This is an ideal method of syncing if you are a Google Calendar user, need to sync with a mobile device other than iOS (like Android or Blackberry), or are required to sync with Google for some other reason.

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Sharing calendars with others through Google Calendar

You can share calendars with others through Google Calendar. This is an ideal method for syncing between Google Calendar users. It enables each user to make changes on any computer or device that is syncing with Google and those changes will sync to all other users and devices through the cloud.

Google Sharing2

Note: You cannot sync To Dos with Google Calendar.

Syncing with iCloud and Google Calendar

If you have calendars hosted on both iCloud and Google, you can configure BusyCal and the iPhone to subscribe to both services.

Icloud Google Mac Iphone

In this example, there are some calendars hosted on Google and some calendars hosted on iCloud. BusyCal is subscribed to the calendars on both services, and the iPhone is subscribed to the calendars on both services.

Syncing over a LAN

BusyCal allows you to sync calendars with other BusyCal users on your local area network (LAN). This method works best for users in a home or small office that do not sync with iCloud or Google. It is not recommended for those who need to share calendars with remote users, or those who are syncing with a mobile device through a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google.

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