L have searched the archives and cannot find out how to transfer my address list from Outlook Express to my N800. any suggestions? Thanks

For the time being, there is no sane way of keeping the built-in or an accessory address book synced to Outlook Express in PIM style.

Vcard import to the internal address book does work, but seems to lose quite a few details - GPE contacts behaves better there.

How about say from Excel then? Is it possible to have an Excel or similar CSV file to upload your contacts easily?

Unlikely. The import dialog seems to see nothing but VCF files. If the backend (evolution-data-server) does not use any Maemo specific extras, it should be possible to use some script to do bulk imports into EDS (there are bound to be some about on the net), but YMMV...

I was able to get my Outlook Express address book to import into Contacts with OS 2008 on my n800 by modifying the comma delimited text file (.csv) that Outlook can export. I’m guessing the same procedure would work with the n810 and 770.

1. Export your current contacts from the Nokia using Tools > Export in the Contacts window. Unless your phone or other e-mail program is on the list, choose Outlook Express for the export format.

2. E-mail the resulting file to yourself and open it up on a PC. The Outlook Express format is a .csv file, where the delimiter is actually a semicolon. I opened the file with Excel’s Data > Import External Data, so that the semicolon delimiter is handled properly.

3. Reformat the .csv file that you exported from your normal e-mail program (Outlook, Eudora), to match the one that you exported from your Nokia. Here I again used Excel (only had to copy and paste columns).

3a. One thing I discovered is that Excel leaves out blank trailing cells, when saving in .csv format. One way to get around this is to fill the column corresponding to the last field type (the Notes column in my example) with a character that you would never expect to see in anyone’s name or email (I used ?). Then you can use the Find/Replace function in Notepad or some similar program to remove the character from the resulting .csv file. You can also use the Find/Replace function to change the delimiter types (commas to semicolons in the above example).

After emailing the finalized .csv file back to my Nokia, it imported perfectly. Hope this helps .

Tchynpls's way is pretty good, that should work. I am kind of lazy. I wound sync the outlook express to outlook (I hope it is not too difficult), I then sync with Garnet VM into palm, not losing one bit of details. Well, if you do not like palm that is another story. Garnet VM (palm OS) can sync either Palm or outlook in its native mode.

BTW, the Help section on the Tools/Import/export said they 'can' import and export with outlook, outlook express, thunderbird........I guess they meant via a .csv or Vcard, but not directly


bun

I simply use Garnet VM also. The N800 (for me) is replacing a Handspring treo, so I already had sync manager. All I had to do was install VM and enable network syncing and all my programs and contact info. If you don't have a PDA, I think everything you need is available as free downlads from the Palm apps site.

I assume a sync manager (and better contacts program) will be along eventually. I'd even pay for that program.

And someday you will have to pay. The Garnet VM is just a beta until about February or sometime in 2008. After that Access will most likely be charging for the program. The price will probably be close to their NetFront browser, which I owned on Windows Mobile, and cost about $30.

But, I too, would pay for that.

This method may work for you too: import contacts to Mozilla Thunderbird. Export from there as _tab_ separated text file. This file can be read by OS2008 contacts.

How convenient..

If you look at the help for importing contacts, it says that you can import contacts in the following formats: Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Google Mail, vCard and from phones with OS S40, S60, S80 and S90.

I guess someone has been dreaming in Nokia while composing that help file..