Mail sync is determined by the type of account (POP, IMAP, Exchange) you have. Sync for contacts and calendars is not an option for POP or IMAP accounts.
Apple has deprecated Sync Services in Mountain Lion and it no longer works reliably.
[Added Nov 17, 2013- Sync Services is no longer supported on Mavericks. Syncing with an iPhone via iTunes is not supported in Mavericks.]
- You can no longer sync with an iPhone or iPad via iTunes. You can only sync with an iPhone or iPad via a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google.
- You can no longer sync local calendars with OS X Calendar (formerly iCal). You can, however, continue to sync calendars hosted on a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google with OS X Calendar.
- You can no longer sync with any third-party apps running on your Mac that use Sync Services, like Entourage or Outlook.
Sync Basics for Contacts and Calendars
Outlook does not support CalDAV or CardDAV. This mean you cannot sync Contacts and Calendars that require these protocols. The following services require CalDAV and CardDAV.
- iCloud
- Yahoo
- AOL
Full features like mail, contacts and calendars are available online for browser accounts, but if you use an email client like Outlook 2011, Entourage or Apple Mail, your options on what will sync will differ.
Outlook.com for example does not support CalDAV or CardDAV so no matter what email client you use, calendars and contacts will not sync.
Outlook.com accounts are only available as POP on the Mac. (Previously called Hotmail, Live & MSN). You can download only messages in the Inbox. There are no options at this time to sync to contacts and calendars on your Outlook.com account in Outlook 2011. The Outlook Connector that’s is supposed to manage your your Outlook.com email, calendars, and contacts using Office Outlook does not sync. All it managed to do was send me an email for an event that was for today only. Color me confused over what it really does.
For more info see Setup & Use Windows Live Hotmail in Outlook & Entourage
Mail Sync
There are three types of email accounts. POP, IMAP and Exchange. If you don’t know what type account you have, you can open your account in Outlook’s Preferences > Accounts. The type of account is shown at the top. Outlook 2011 will sync to all IMAP and Exchange accounts. POP accounts do not sync anything (see chart below).
| Account | Calendar | Contacts | Tasks | |
| POP | No | Leave on server will allow you to download on another client or device, but it will not reflect read or reply status. | No | No |
| IMAP | No | Yes, will reflect actions like reply, read, deleted on all other clients and devices | No | No |
| Exchange | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gmail | No | Yes, Gmail offers both POP & IMAP for free. | No | No |
| Yahoo | No | Yes. POP & IMAP | No | No |
| Outlook.com | No | POP only | No | No |
| iCloud | No | Yes, IMAP only. iCloud does not support POP accounts | No | No |
What is CalDAV and CardDAV?
CalDAV and CardDAV are standards that allow for Calendar and Contact sync. iCloud, Google, Yahoo require CalDAV and CardDAV. Outlook 2011 does not support CalDAV or CardDAV. Entourage does not support CalDAV or CardDAV.
Summary
For full sync with all items (mail, contacts, calendars, tasks and notes) you need Exchange in Outlook 2011. Microsoft now offers Office 365 Exchange. This gives you sync to all items and allows you to use your own domain name. Cost is determined by plan you select.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/support.aspx
Hosted Exchange is an option for users that need 3 or more Exchange accounts. Info on a hosted Intermedia Exchange account. You can contact me directly for more info.
If sync to your iCloud, Google or Yahoo calendars and contacts is required, use Apple’s Calendar and Contact apps.
If sync to CalDAV and CardDAV is a feature that you consider important, be sure to let Microsoft know by sending them feedback (via the Send Feedback command in Outlook’s Help menu) or use this link:
