Mac ? - iCal for a PC?

[ricoba]

So, we use a Mac at work and I want to share our calendar (iCal) with others, but not sure if we can share iCal with the PC world.

One of my contacts who is pretty savvy tried it on her PC and couldn't get the share link to work. I then tried it at home tonight on my PC and it wouldn't work either, though of course it worked on my iPad.

Anyone know if iCal is compatible with a PC? I searched Apple forums for answers but couldn't find an answer, so I am asking here, because TUGGERS know EVERYTHING!!!!

Thanks

 

[Passepartout]

Anyone know if iCal is compatible with a PC? I searched Apple forums for answers but couldn't find an answer, so I am asking here, because TUGGERS know EVERYTHING!!!!

Thanks

I don't know. The TUG Appleheads don't seem to be clambering to solve why TUG 'New posts' don't work on OS5.
Jim

 

[rhonda]

Rick, I publish a limited set of personal iCal calendars (created on my Mac) to a webserver. My family has been able to reach the link and subscribe to the calendars through their Google accounts using Google's mail/calendar tools. FWIW, their side is "read only" but at least I'm sharing the info with them ...

Edited: Assume the family is 'PC'
I think they've reported having to tweak the url some depending on the calendar tool used on their side. While the Mac assumes one shares a calendar through FTP, I think my participants have edited that part back to HTTP. Either way they need to know exactly where to find the published '.ics' file.

 

[geoand]

Just a thought. We have shared photos using Drop Box and pc users have been able to view. Of course we had to provide the url for them to do so. I do not use ICal so don't know if it would work.

 

[ricoba]

Rick, I publish a limited set of personal iCal calendars (created on my Mac) to a webserver. My family has been able to reach the link and subscribe to the calendars through their Google accounts using Google's mail/calendar tools. FWIW, their side is "read only" but at least I'm sharing the info with them ...

Edited: Assume the family is 'PC'
I think they've reported having to tweak the url some depending on the calendar tool used on their side. While the Mac assumes one shares a calendar through FTP, I think my participants have edited that part back to HTTP. Either way they need to know exactly where to find the published '.ics' file.

We do publish an online calendar once a month, but I also thought it would be nice to share the work master calendar so folks can see updates (it would be read only).

I tried the HTTP & dropping the ".ics" but that hasn't worked either.

We do have a couple of Mac pros around here, but they haven't had time to look at it yet.

Thanks for the suggestions. It would be nice to find if there is a simple solution, but I think this may be a situation where a Mac won't talk to a PC as of yet.

Rick

 

[Ken555]

We do this using google's calendar when needed. iCal can view a google calendar, and there is more control using BusySync or BusyCal (third party software for Mac) for this type of use. Of course, if it's for business, then an Exchange or Kerio server will be even easier (for the user, not the company).

http://www.busymac.com/busysync/

Google calendar integration with iCal direct using CalDAV:
http://www.google.com/sync/mac.html

Note that you'll need to create a Google calendar first, I believe, which you can then access from iCal and other computers (including PCs). Your native (local) iCal calendar won't be accessible from others in the same manner. This is standard behavior for calendar servers.

Be sure you backup your data!

 

[pjrose]

Thanks for the suggestions. It would be nice to find if there is a simple solution, but I think this may be a situation where a Mac won't talk to a PC as of yet.

Rick

I'd instead suggest it may be a situation where a PC won't understand a Mac

-----

Do you want it to be read-only? If so, create a PDF file:
iCal / File / Print / choose what you want to show or not show / Continue / PDF / Save as PDF / Save

and anyone can read it.

-----
I'm not sure what Export and Publish do but you can try the instructions in iCal's help:

iCal / Help / type Export / Giving Others Access to your Calendar / Publishing your calendar on the Internet

 

[Ken555]

The google calendar solution is very simple, at no cost, and fairly reliable (just remember it doesn't cost anything). And, it works on all platforms. The only issue is adding the calendar to your iCal and Outlook on Windows (or whatever calendar application used), or you can always view the calendar in a web browser. This is really simple and similar solutions have existed for decades...so it's not a matter of Mac and PC compatibility but rather just configuring available solutions correctly.

 

[ricoba]

I'd instead suggest it may be a situation where a PC won't understand a Mac

-----

Do you want it to be read-only? If so, create a PDF file:
iCal / File / Print / choose what you want to show or not show / Continue / PDF / Save as PDF / Save

and anyone can read it.

-----
I'm not sure what Export and Publish do but you can try the instructions in iCal's help:

iCal / Help / type Export / Giving Others Access to your Calendar / Publishing your calendar on the Internet

You are probably right it's a PC thing and not a MAC thing, but either way it's no fun.

The google calendar solution is very simple, at no cost, and fairly reliable (just remember it doesn't cost anything). And, it works on all platforms. The only issue is adding the calendar to your iCal and Outlook on Windows (or whatever calendar application used), or you can always view the calendar in a web browser. This is really simple and similar solutions have existed for decades...so it's not a matter of Mac and PC compatibility but rather just configuring available solutions correctly.

I read up on the Google Calendar solution yesterday and tried it and then tried it again today on your selection, but couldn't get it to work either time. If you have some really easy steps, I'd be open to looking again.

But so far, my boss doesn't want to cross mix iCal with Google (he is the ultimate Apple loyalist ) So for now we will just not do it until a solution occurs that works for us. It's not a great priority project, it's just a project to try and better facilitate communication (which sounds important, but not fully necessary to us at this point).

 

[pjrose]

You are probably right it's a PC thing and not a MAC thing, but either way it's no fun.

I read up on the Google Calendar solution yesterday and tried it and then tried it again today on your selection, but couldn't get it to work either time. If you have some really easy steps, I'd be open to looking again.

But so far, my boss doesn't want to cross mix iCal with Google (he is the ultimate Apple loyalist ) So for now we will just not do it until a solution occurs that works for us. It's not a great priority project, it's just a project to try and better facilitate communication (which sounds important, but not fully necessary to us at this point).

Did you try just printing iCal as a .PDF file and sharing that? Or are you looking for an editable share?

 

[Ken555]

You are probably right it's a PC thing and not a MAC thing, but either way it's no fun.



I read up on the Google Calendar solution yesterday and tried it and then tried it again today on your selection, but couldn't get it to work either time. If you have some really easy steps, I'd be open to looking again.

But so far, my boss doesn't want to cross mix iCal with Google (he is the ultimate Apple loyalist ) So for now we will just not do it until a solution occurs that works for us. It's not a great priority project, it's just a project to try and better facilitate communication (which sounds important, but not fully necessary to us at this point).

It really is simple. Of course, if you knew an Apple authorized consulting firm near you then you could just hire it to be done professionally... Oh, wait. Thats what my business does, and you're also in LA.

 

[pjrose]

It really is simple. Of course, if you knew an Apple authorized consulting firm near you then you could just hire it to be done professionally... Oh, wait. Thats what my business does, and you're also in LA.

Ha Ha - watch out, you're going to get your little handie slapped! :ignore: