I've been a happy Thunderbird user for the last year, but I'm really starting to get frustrated with it's lack of connectivity to other contact repositories like cell phones and PDAs.

I picked up a Dell Axim X51v last week, and have a Motorola E815 cell phone. Both sync seamlessly with the Outlook contacts, but neither can sync with Thunderbird's contact list.

As much as I love Thunderbird's flexibility, searching, and extensibility, it just doesn't help in keeping my stuff in sync.

Any ideas for a solution that doesn't involve returning to Outlook?

Alas, the Dell uses Windows Mobile/etc. M$ is still pretty good about forcing you to use their programs to maintain compatibility. Typing this, I am using firefox (hardly ever use IE anymore-only for dumb sites that mess up w/ ff). However, I use outlook 2003 because my palm works really well w/ it and I havn't found a different solution.

I still use Outlook, but just for my contacts and agenda. And I don't even use it that often as I manage all my contacts online nowadays.

If all you want is contacts, and don't mind sharing all your contacts with Plaxo then you could consider using WebIs Mobile sync. That can sync your device with Plaxo, and on your desktop you use the Plaxo Thunderbird sync tool...

This is a bit on the geeky side, but I guess this thread is anyway.

I use Linux and Evolution to manage my email, calendar and contacts. I store them all on the Exchange server. I think tell my Windows Mobile device to sync directly to the exchange server. I don't sync mail, just calendar and contacts.

Overally I would say that the experiance is far less satisfying than using thunderbird for mail, however the integrated calendar and contacts is nice. Its better than using outlook - I just couldn't get used to a few "features" of outlook.

I know a few people @ work who use thunderbird, but filter all their meetings to a different folder and use Outlook Web Access for those. You could still sync direct to the exchange server in that model, but your contacts wouldn't be preserved.

Damn. Now I have to get an Exchange server

Good idea for someone in a corporate setting, but I'm a consultant in a small virtual company. We use POP3 for email, and whatever the client has for scheduling. I'm stuck with XP on my laptop anyway, so I guess I'll have to mull over the pros and cons of fully reintegrating with the collective . . .

WebIs handles the PDA, but the phone gets no lovin'

If I use Outlook as my central contacts database, I can sync the PDA with ActiveSync and the phone with Mobile Phone Tools. I grab so much contact information from email, though, that Thunderbird may fall by the wayside.

I'm thinking that I should've spent my money on a Treo, but the screen on that X51V is so very nice

Now if they'd just fix the damn Bluetooth on it . . .

One comment, Outlook searching is wretched as alluded to above. So just use Google Desktop for searching and it works fine. It even lets you bring up the search hits in Outlook. MUCH better than using the awful Outlook search capability in my opinion.

Have you looked into Funambol (formerly Sync4j)?

I am not presently using it, but have gotten it to sync with Thunderbird and Outlook. It's a bit techie at this point but if you read the docos it can be done with just a little effort.