Hello all, i am leaving winmo this friday for a HTC Hero and i would like to know some things ahead of time.
1. Is ther a bing app for android. i use this every day and would like to continue.
2. how many email acct. can one have on the hero?
3. are there cab. files for android or is everything ran from the app store?
4. will pim backup work to transfer all my contacts, texts, email and so on?
5. are there any other roms to flash to to make it better, and where are they?
i hope some or all can be answered, and i hope this is not a repeat... if so i am sorry, hanx
1. For what purpose?
2. Same as WinMo... one Exchange and as many IMAP/POP3 as you want...
3. Not CABs, they're called APKs in Android, can be installed from device or PC (needs to be enabled in Settings) as well as the market
4. No
5. Modacos and Drizzys is available in the Development forum for Hero, they are custom made from HTCs latest update
Hey, thanks for the quick feed back. just what i needed to know. bing is windows mobile live search cab that give u everything in one place, movie times, weather, business and map searches, gas prices etc. is there anything like it or does google do it all as well? how is the sync feature with windows vista and xp. does android sync with your office suite like winmo does? can you sync calendar, contacts etc.?or will i have to start over with new contact client setup and calendar or something?
It would be in your best interest to set up a google account. I think it syncs your calendar and stuff with google.
Re Syncing of Hero
Yes you can sync your phone so that it gets all your contacts, calendar and emails.
I sync with Exchange to get my emails and calendar entries but use the HTC Sync program to sync contacts. I do this as for some reason I get various errors when syncing contacts through my Exchange account.
This is my first non winmo phone since the first HTC came out on orange and I was very hesitant to leave the platform, however after a week with my G2 (still waiting for T Mobile update!!) i am more than happy and doubt I will venture back unless Microsoft pulls a rabbit out of a hat (or their fingers out of theirs arses) and releases the operating system that people actually want!!
Syncing Hero with Google and Desktop Applications
d.raw24 said:
Hey, thanks for the quick feed back. just what i needed to know. bing is windows mobile live search cab that give u everything in one place, movie times, weather, business and map searches, gas prices etc. is there anything like it or does google do it all as well? how is the sync feature with windows vista and xp. does android sync with your office suite like winmo does? can you sync calendar, contacts etc.?or will i have to start over with new contact client setup and calendar or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Hero comes with HTC Sync which supposedly lets you sync the phone with the Office suite, but I haven't tried that - by the time I realised it was there, I had already migrated everything over to a mixture of Google and Mozilla.
The way I make it work is by using Google contacts and calendar as the 'central database' that you sync everything with. I use Thunderbird for email and contacts, and Sunbird or Lightning for the calendar. (Lightning is an extension for Thunderbird, and Sunbird is essentially the same program but set as a standalone application). Using the GContactSync add-on with the Thunderbird address book lets it sync with Google contacts, and Sunbird/Lightning can be set up already to work with Google calendar. Ideally you actually keep two calendars in Sunbird; one for your recent appointments, one for the archive. This keeps your life off of Google's servers, and makes the synchronising faster on the phone or desktop.
This setup works well even if you have multiple computers that you all want to sync together, though if some of the computers aren't always connected, such as a laptop, then you need another step. The issue is that Sunbird/Lightning connects directly to Google calendar rather than maintaining an offline calendar which it occasionally syncs with Google. So if your connection drops or you switch off wi-fi to save laptop battery, you lose access to the calendar. The solution is another add-on called GCalDaemon which downloads the calendar from Google and then works with Sunbird/Lightning, syncing with Google when it can.
It might sound complicated, but it's not too bad really!
so many questions?
moved to Q&A
Thank steven just what i was after and i never even asked...good man!
d.raw24 said:
Hello all, i am leaving winmo this friday for a HTC Hero
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having left Winmo for Android are you happy with your choice? I am currently running a HD and a Hero, I was intending leaving Winmo but I am a bit disappointed with Android.
Do you feel you can do everything with Android that you could do with Winmo?
Is it possible to sync several calendars of one exchange account to the phone?
not supported by EAS protocol.
But how is it working on the iphone then?
I have all my exchange-calendars available there.
Is there any workaround, or any other way how I can get my exchange calendars to be synced to the phone?
I'm sorry, I'm stupid and wrong. It's shared calendars that are not allowed by protocol. Multiple calendars are supported by Touchdown, but your question whether stock gingerbread activesync or any possible Samsung enhancements can do it too remains open.
Can anyone help here? Is it possible to sync multiple exchange-calendars to the android-calendar?
Any news here? Can anyone who has the device already please help here?
Fix
Just put your calendars at the same heirarchical level in the exchange folder list. Worked for me. Makes no difference to Exchange/Outlook.
Do you happen to know how to get multiple contact sets working (without using Touchdown)?
BTW I just moved to SGS2 from an iPhone 3G - the exchange integration on the iPhone is way better than Android. Battery life is abysmal too...at the moment.
Taxal said:
Just put your calendars at the same heirarchical level in the exchange folder list. Worked for me. Makes no difference to Exchange/Outlook.
Do you happen to know how to get multiple contact sets working (without using Touchdown)?
BTW I just moved to SGS2 from an iPhone 3G - the exchange integration on the iPhone is way better than Android. Battery life is abysmal too...at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This does not work for me.
So, I'm asking again: Is there any way to sync multiple calendars from ONE exchange account to the Galaxy S2. Touchdown does not work correctly either.
I know, the Motorola Razr can sync multiple exchange calendars. So, it obviously depends on the manufacture's implementation of the calendar app and Samsung is failing here.
So- is there any way? E.g. a different rom which supports it?
With my Galaxy S3 (using OMEGA 8.0 ROM) it neither works to sync multiple calendars. Only the main exchange calendar is synced.
Come on Google, Android is now on 4.0.4, iOS is waay better in this aspect here! Time to fix that!!! REALLY embarassing...
After using Google calendar for about a year, I finally gave up. The service, for most part, is reliable, the calendar loads fast, but there's no way to sync Todo's and I have tons of them. Used to work around this by using GogTasks but the latest change from Google broke the sign-in process so there's no (free) way now to sync tasks.
So, I decided to give MS another try. Synced to Windows Live - this time calendar sync worked (I had a major problem with it a year ago). Still, there's a few issues.
1) It appears MS no longer allows syncing multiple calendars to Win Mob device.
2) It appears MS no longer supports categories in Tasks or Appointments.
3) It appears there's no way to add contact photos unless contacts create a Windows Live account and set up a profile picture.
Now, I can live with 1 and 2. It sucks but I guess there are some underlying problems they were trying to get rid of - AS always used to choke on category sync.
#3, in our day and age, is completely, utterly retarded. I don't understand why they did it. I don't understand the thinking behind it. Do they seriously think everybody in my contact list will just stampede all over one another rushing to create their own Windows Live ID ? The only thing more retarded is Google's joke of a practically unusable task list.
I'll stick with WL for now - unless I get an Android device next, and unless I start having problems syncing, I'd rather have bastardized Contacts and ToDos than "normal" Contacts and no ToDos. Still, why isn't there a single online provider that just works for basic PIM info on WinMob ?
gmail?
I use exchange and pocket outlook to sync my calendar and contacts with my gmail account - google runs the exchange server for free. I add my todos to wm's built in calendar app and gmail syncs them with google calendar or put it in google calendar save then sync your phone. It also syncs all my contacts including contact pictures - when I hard reset I just sync and everything is there - the only thing it will not sync is tasks so I just put them as appointments in the calendar.
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=138636&topic=14299
The first 2 I just learned of today, it is a pain it doesn't do that, and this is one huge deal breaker for me to go almost to another OS as a whole, this whole unintegrated Microsoft ecosphere. It seems like though that Microsoft finally understands how broken they are and are finally integrating things all together, but that's only in their new products.
As for your problems...
1) Windows Mobile devices never synced multiple calendars, even with Google Calendar (you could get around it with other programs though which I used to do but alas, that was broken like you mentioned when Google updated...)
2) I'm not sure but my categories sync, when I make them in WLM Messenger (Favorites category seems to be syncing). Maybe the work around is to make it in WLM or on Live. Doesn't seem to sync the categories from your phone though....
3) I don't know what exactly is wrong, because I have been able to sync contact photos on my phone. I'm not sure if you're trying to do it from the Live services side of things though, if so, then I think it's impossible unless you do it through Windows Live Messenger.
Wow! This is all very interesting. A few weeks ago, my company's Blackberry server was upgraded. At the same time, MS Activesync stopped working for me. It gave me an error message code 80004005. I Googled this and it said that some software needed to be upgraded or something like that. I had assumed that because the security in my company's IT department is so strict, this had put a spanner in the works somehow into Activesync.
From what you guys are saying, it is a microsoft thing. I thought it was a RIM thing.
I am currently syncing with Blackberry Connect for both appointments and contacts. This is an old and crap system.
The contacts don't sync with their photos and also they sync lastname, firstname whereas I have set my preference to firstname, lastname. I then have to manually change this on my WM6.5 phone
The calendar syncing is also crap. Catagories don't sync and also some annually recurring appointments show up on my WM6.5 phone one month early!
I don't have Windows Live installed on my phone. If I did, would Activesync then work? Would it get rid of the 80004005 error code?
Over the last few weeks, I've been talking more about the things that make Android very annoying to use after I was forced to switch from regular Windows Mobile last October. So far we've covered forced roaming on the fly (still no conclusive answer to that one), programs that close themselves (also inconclusive), and broken update nagscreens. Today, I've decided to finally present to you guys the most difficult and most baffling problem yet - one that I've spent numerous hours on and reading countless threads asking the same question, but still not seeing any way to fix the problem, and that is one of the most simple things to ask from a mobile operating system: syncing.
That's right - you'd think it's that simple, right? Hit a button, and all the changes to your tasks, contacts, and calendar items that were changed last on the computer or the device should be properly updated. This feature is completely absent on a stock or custom setup of Android. I mean, it's not new - my Windows Mobile 6 Diamond had it, my Windows Mobile 2003 iPAQ had it, my Palm OS 4 Palm had it, and Palm OS has been around since what - 1995? How can something so simple present in as early as a 1996 handheld with a 16Mhz processor and 512KB of RAM and ROM running Palm OS 1 not be available to my 1000+Mhz Epic with half a gigabyte of RAM and ROM running the "latest and greatest" Android 2.3? Windows Mobile had it too, and my PIM stuff is still managed using a software called Microsoft Outlook in what I think is a pretty satisfactory means.
History aside, my question is this: Are there ANY good sync solutions for Android? I've tried numerous solutions including VCOrganizer, CompanionLink, MyPhone Explorer, and probably others. All I need is syncronization in some way with the computer (preferably USB) and the device that will sync my contacts, calendar entries (including recurring ones), and tasks (including categories and recurrences). Some of these software do some of the job right, wether it be just the contacts or just the calendar entries (none of them did the tasks right at all - and I need those the most), but none of them came close to doing everything right :: it seemed like they did five things wrong for every one thing they did right.
I didn't even realize the problem was this bad, after all, Windows Mobile did these right out of the box even on a stock "unmodded" device; you'd just plug in the USB cable and go - it would (usually) just sync itself, no questions asked. Hopefully somebody else knows what to do about this because I'm just at the end of my rope on these - I've put probably no less than a running total of five hours into figuring this out and I'd like to just be able to sync up my contacts, calendar, and tasks on Android - is it too much to ask?
Thanks in advance.
- 2 Bunny
An exchange email account.
Seriously, you can't do this on any current platform. Annoys the hell out of me - no local pc sync...
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Everything moved to the cloud instead of you having to remember to sync. You can have your contacts, email, calendar sync with a gmail account or other services. Are you looking for something that isn't connected remotely and only syncs local data on the phone with local data on a computer?
spunker88 said:
Everything moved to the cloud instead of you having to remember to sync. You can have your contacts, email, calendar sync with a gmail account or other services. Are you looking for something that isn't connected remotely and only syncs local data on the phone with local data on a computer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd rather have my information with me. After trolls/lobbyists shut down probably the biggest "cloud" in the world, MegaUpload, I don't trust "the cloud" for sync or backup of any kind. I just need something that will sync the contacts, calendar items (with recurrences), and tasks (with categories and recurrences) with my computer by any means (preferrably USB cable).
- 2B
kainppc6700 said:
I'd rather have my information with me. After trolls/lobbyists shut down probably the biggest "cloud" in the world, MegaUpload, I don't trust "the cloud" for sync or backup of any kind. I just need something that will sync the contacts, calendar items (with recurrences), and tasks (with categories and recurrences) with my computer by any means (preferrably USB cable).
- 2B
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand, long time Windows Mobile user as well if you noticed the Axim x50 in my signature. Still many things I miss from that OS like TCPMP and the taskbar based multitasking app Magic Button.
Anyways as far as what you want check out Android-Sync, it works with Outlook since you mentioned you use it. From their website:
Android-Sync account is an Android account, that stores your contacts, calendars, tasks and notes in your Android phone. It syncs with Outlook using your USB cable only.
The Android-Sync account keeps all your sensitive personal information, like contacts, calendars, tasks and notes from being transferred to the third party via public internet connections.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would something like this be what you want?
http://www.android-sync.com/
spunker88 said:
I understand, long time Windows Mobile user as well if you noticed the Axim x50 in my signature. Still many things I miss from that OS like TCPMP and the taskbar based multitasking app Magic Button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I was surfing on the Android XDA DEVELOPERS program (I probably could just use the full site while I'm at home where there's halfway decent bandwidth). I was actually thinking about TCPMP not that long ago and complaining in another thread about the inability to play streaming radio on Android (since the Epic has the internal FM Radio disabled) so that I can eat tons of data and kill the battery really fast.
spunker88 said:
Anyways as far as what you want check out Android-Sync, it works with Outlook since you mentioned you use it. From their website:
Would something like this be what you want?
http://www.android-sync.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll tell you what, I've been through so many of those software that I forget which ones worked or not, and the site for this one looks kind of familiar so I'll need to recap on this one. Is it free? If not, is there a fully functional trial? Have you tried it? If so, do you still use it?
Thanks.
- 2B
In the same boat
I also come from the same background (HTC TP2 6.5.3 with Sense and Cookies, the most complete and uniform solution, too bad it was abandon ).
So I am also trying to figure out what is the best way to synch to Outlook, I understand the advantage of the cloud and do not mind that much if my data transit through the cloud, but it needs to end up in Outlook (I cannot live without Outlook, there is no cloud email, calendar or task that is as feature rich and efficient to use as Outlook from a business user perspective). Since I am a self-employed IT consultant, I do not have access to an Exchange server.
Basically I am looking for the same functionality that I had with ActiveSych (MobileCenter):
Bidirectional with a choice offered if changed on both side
Calendar to Outlook 2010 (full: recurring, category, attendees…)
Contact to Outlook 2010 (full: note, category, picture, anniversary…)
Task to Outlook 2010 (full: note, category, recurring…)
Files from a specific folder
Pictures would be nice…
So right now I am going through this list, from syncdroid.net, I will post my findings (please do the same):
Android-Sync
CompanionLink for Outlook
gSyncit
Mobisynapse
Moonrug
Moxier Mail
MyLink Advanced
MyPhoneExplorer
RoadSync
The Missing Sync
Touchdown
Triosync
VCOrganizer
---------- Post added at 05:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------
2 Bunny,
Could you please expand on the problems/limitations that you found with:
VCOrganizer,
CompanionLink,
MyPhone Explorer,
Other...
Thanks,
ANDROID SUCKS SOMETIMES Reply
Stephane Dufault said:
I also come from the same background (HTC TP2 6.5.3 with Sense and Cookies, the most complete and uniform solution, too bad it was abandon ).
So I am also trying to figure out what is the best way to synch to Outlook, I understand the advantage of the cloud and do not mind that much if my data transit through the cloud, but it needs to end up in Outlook (I cannot live without Outlook, there is no cloud email, calendar or task that is as feature rich and efficient to use as Outlook from a business user perspective). Since I am a self-employed IT consultant, I do not have access to an Exchange server.
Basically I am looking for the same functionality that I had with ActiveSych (MobileCenter):
Bidirectional with a choice offered if changed on both side
Calendar to Outlook 2010 (full: recurring, category, attendees…)
Contact to Outlook 2010 (full: note, category, picture, anniversary…)
Task to Outlook 2010 (full: note, category, recurring…)
Files from a specific folder
Pictures would be nice…
So right now I am going through this list, from syncdroid.net, I will post my findings (please do the same):
Android-Sync
CompanionLink for Outlook
gSyncit
Mobisynapse
Moonrug
Moxier Mail
MyLink Advanced
MyPhoneExplorer
RoadSync
The Missing Sync
Touchdown
Triosync
VCOrganizer
---------- Post added at 05:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------
2 Bunny,
Could you please expand on the problems/limitations that you found with:
VCOrganizer,
CompanionLink,
MyPhone Explorer,
Other...
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll tell you what - it's been a long time since I've been through those. All I know is that I've tried every single one that could possibly work and MyPhoneExplorer (the only one that is free without visiting shady "free paid software" websites) is the best. Here's what I observed in another test that I did today:
Installation:
On the desktop, you install a "MyPhoneExplorer" client which goes smoothly - you also install an apk on the device which installs three programs: The sync manager - which just shows you if it is connected and allows you to change various sync settings, and also dedicated "tasks" and "notes" programs (calendars and tasks are synced directly to their native android counterparts, which is a plus).
Use:
General
You click on the icon and do some setting up and you realize that it does a lot more than just syncing - you can not only manage your files without enabling the USB mode and monitor the device (battery, CPU use, signal, etc), but you can even make/receive calls and send/receive text messages right on your desktop while your handheld is connected which is a remarkable feature that I know for a fact none of the other software had. It is worth noting however, that this connection is relatively flaky and doesn't always connect right away and sometimes will stall and disconnect while you are syncing things.
Contacts
You get good control of your syncing on the contacts and the software asks for confirmation to each and every change made (for better or for worse, usually better) and it usually makes the right guess for which way each item needs to be synced. Unfortunately, it sometimes decides to add a "+" in front of some of my contacts' phone numbers; for example, "555.555.5555" might become "+555.555.5555" on the device, which will cause any calls or text messages to that number to fail. Oddly, this only occurs when you select it to import that number from outlook (and only some entries are like this) when they clearly aren't actually like that. It has no "full name" field, but they still show up okay on the Android contact list when synced.
Notes
Don't use, didn't test.
Tasks/Calendar
Tasks and calendar items are synced together under their own combined tab in the desktop client (which confused me for the longest time when I first installed it because I just couldn't find where the tasks got synced to since there was no option in the sidebar). First sync seemed to get everything from outlook onto the device, but it is worth mentioning that there are absolutely no categories or recurrences (this doesn't seem to be even available in the software). If you check a recurring task as complete, it will not "respawn" until synchronization is completed next (not good for say daily recurrences if you forget to sync on a daily basis). Tasks created on the handheld don't always get created, but usually they do. As for calendar items, they (astoundingly) all sync correctly.
If you want, I could take a look at the other softwares again and make an exhaustive description of each, but it is extremely time consuming. I would recommend experimenting your results, and if you learn anything from my mistakes, WRITE DOWN YOUR RESULTS .
Good Luck.
- 2 Bunny
ANDROID CAN'T EVEN SYNC IT'S SO PATHETIC Reply
If anybody has any updates on this, that would be great.
Thanks.
- 2B
Hey guys, I feel your pain. A bit of background: I came from a HTC Touch HD WinMo6.1 and had problem-free usb sync with outlook (complete with Jeyo SMS sync add-in). Then moved to HTC HD2 WinMo6.5 and Office 365 to make use of the OTA sms sync feature but the phone just kept freezing. Gave that up and recently moved to HTC One X with Touchdown which I'm now testing.
SMS sync is my main priority so my problems are a little different.
My experience with Touchdown so far: It works smoothly with Exchange, quick and responsive, and syncs notes and sms too, which is great (apart from the usual mail, calendar and tasks). Working with email on Touchdown is much better than on the stock Email app on the phone. But I don't like the way it saves contacts from incoming calls and sms - a big issue for me because I get a lot of incoming contacts. Another big problem: sms sync is far from perfect (smses sent from the phone does not sync up to exchange and caller/contact IDs do not show when SMS is received).
My workaround was then to run Touchdown together with an Exchange Activesync account set up just to sync my contacts to the native phonebook (People App) but I'm having sync problems here too. (Just posted this issue on XDA on another thread).
It looks like I now need some combination of OTA sync plus some app for USB sync just to make sure everything is synced up properly. But all options seem to be a compromise so far and I'm pulling out my hair too.
Am prepared to test out a few apps and contribute my 2 cents. Will follow this post with great interest...
So because megaupload was shut down for storing absolutely massive amounts of illegal movies, tv shows, music, programs etc etc, you don't trust any part of the internet cloud?
Google is not illegal, it cannot be used in such a way as megaupload was used.
I personally sync my contacts, calendar, email, etc etc with my gmail. Completely flawless and syncs within 20 seconds of me changing something on my tablet and then looking over at my phone. Done.
And the best part? It's built into the OS. No need for sluggish 3rd party apps or programs that has bugs and flaws.
SYNCRONIZATION Reply
UKC1 said:
Hey guys, I feel your pain. A bit of background: I came from a HTC Touch HD WinMo6.1 and had problem-free usb sync with outlook (complete with Jeyo SMS sync add-in). Then moved to HTC HD2 WinMo6.5 and Office 365 to make use of the OTA sms sync feature but the phone just kept freezing. Gave that up and recently moved to HTC One X with Touchdown which I'm now testing.
SMS sync is my main priority so my problems are a little different.
My experience with Touchdown so far: It works smoothly with Exchange, quick and responsive, and syncs notes and sms too, which is great (apart from the usual mail, calendar and tasks). Working with email on Touchdown is much better than on the stock Email app on the phone. But I don't like the way it saves contacts from incoming calls and sms - a big issue for me because I get a lot of incoming contacts. Another big problem: sms sync is far from perfect (smses sent from the phone does not sync up to exchange and caller/contact IDs do not show when SMS is received).
My workaround was then to run Touchdown together with an Exchange Activesync account set up just to sync my contacts to the native phonebook (People App) but I'm having sync problems here too. (Just posted this issue on XDA on another thread).
It looks like I now need some combination of OTA sync plus some app for USB sync just to make sure everything is synced up properly. But all options seem to be a compromise so far and I'm pulling out my hair too.
Am prepared to test out a few apps and contribute my 2 cents. Will follow this post with great interest...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the SyncDroid.net official chart, Touchdown doesn't seem to support USB sync or sync with outlook. If it can't do either of those, by what means does it connect to your computer and what software does it use instead?
So far, the best solution I've found after going through what seemed like the whole SyncDroid.net list was MyPhoneExplorer. It syncs SMS and even lets you send and receive it live, right on your desktop which is a huge plus. It syncs calendar and contacts nearly perfectly, and does a better job of syncing tasks then anything else (while it still pales in comparison to Windows Mobile), and the best part is that it is completely free from their website. I did a post on it earlier in this thread if you want to read my detailed observations on it.
That's what I'm using for now though, and it's where I'll probably end up staying (unfortunately) unless some actually useful software comes into the picture.
Moonbloom said:
So because megaupload was shut down for storing absolutely massive amounts of illegal movies, tv shows, music, programs etc etc, you don't trust any part of the internet cloud?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offense, but you really need to get your facts straight. I see you're out of the loop on the whole MegaUpload debacle, so I would strongly recommend you read these articles before you think that the CNN or FOX NEWS report about it were the straight facts:
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Moonbloom said:
I personally sync my contacts, calendar, email, etc etc with my gmail. Completely flawless and syncs within 20 seconds of me changing something on my tablet and then looking over at my phone. Done.
And the best part? It's built into the OS. No need for sluggish 3rd party apps or programs that has bugs and flaws.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't find any semblance of sync software built into mine, is there some kind of key combo or something you have to use to unlock it? If this is true, it'll be good for a lot of people.
- 2B
Touchdown syncs over the air (OTA) with Exchange Server - which means I don't need USB sync anymore. I use Office 365 which comes with Exchange.
But as I said I can't find a reliable, full-featured Exchange Activesync client now for Android. I guess Touchdown is the closest but it's not perfect - or at least it doesn't work the way I like.
So that's why I'm now considering some form of USB or Wifi sync option now.
MyPhoneExplorer sounds interesting, especially since it's free. But what I'm not crazy about is that you have to install some desktop app/client which you need to open/run - correct me if I'm wrong?
SYNCRONIZATION Reply
UKC1 said:
Touchdown syncs over the air (OTA) with Exchange Server - which means I don't need USB sync anymore. I use Office 365 which comes with Exchange.
But as I said I can't find a reliable, full-featured Exchange Activesync client now for Android. I guess Touchdown is the closest but it's not perfect - or at least it doesn't work the way I like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is Exchange server like a free software I can install?
UKC1 said:
So that's why I'm now considering some form of USB or Wifi sync option now.
MyPhoneExplorer sounds interesting, especially since it's free. But what I'm not crazy about is that you have to install some desktop app/client which you need to open/run - correct me if I'm wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't too excited about that either, but the good news is that it isn't a resource hogging program on the desktop end, and on the mobile end, it only installs a sync, tasks, and notes client (unlike some software that also supply a redundant calendar and contact software). You can choose to run the desktop or mobile software 24/7, but I only run them when I'm using them for the most part. The really cool thing about MyPhoneExplorer is that you can read and reply to text messages in real time right on the computer without having to use the more primitive input from the phone itself.
- 2 Bunny
Any updates on this?
Thanks.
- 2B
SYNCRONIZATION UPDATES Reply
Anyone found any updates on this?
Thanks.
- 2B
I went round this whole loop when I first moved from Windows Phone to Android, and after many years of being able to synchronise my data between my PC and my Phone, I also couldn't believe how difficult it was under Android.
I'm also old school, in that I like to manage my data myself and I don't trust the cloud.
After trying just about every solution out there, I now use VCOrganizer Pro. The developers seem to have put a fair amount of effort into improving it over the last few months, and it now synchronises Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Categories and Notes. There are also useful Android apps included (especially where Android doesn't have a native solution) and some widgets that I quite like.
Frustrating choices
Philip said:
I went round this whole loop when I first moved from Windows Phone to Android, and after many years of being able to synchronise my data between my PC and my Phone, I also couldn't believe how difficult it was under Android.
I'm also old school, in that I like to manage my data myself and I don't trust the cloud.
After trying just about every solution out there, I now use VCOrganizer Pro. The developers seem to have put a fair amount of effort into improving it over the last few months, and it now synchronises Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Categories and Notes. There are also useful Android apps included (especially where Android doesn't have a native solution) and some widgets that I quite like.
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I too have been in serious bewilderment over Microsoft's choice to downgrade the scope of synchronization with Outlook when Winmo 7 arrived. What a joke! Picked up an HTC HD2 running Winmo 6.5 just to satisfy my business synchronization needs. Now, surprise, surprise, surprise, Winmo 8 is still impotent in regards to categories, which I use regularly. My HD2 has been a great phone but is now sliding into home plate. So, I have been scouring the web to find out which if any phone can sync with Outlook like Winmo 6.x does. At this point I have my fingers crossed for Blackberry 10, which is reportedly getting unveiled in a few days.
@Phillip: Can you please expand on your experience with VCOrganizer Pro? ie. accuracy/buggines and maybe how it compares to Winmo 6.x syncing if you have experience with that OS. Thx.
Android-Sync
I have been using Android-Sync (sorry can't post links, new user) for about 6 months now with my Motorola RAZR HD.
It syncs with Outlook via USB cable. So far I have not had any issues. No duplicates. No unexplanable deletions. It has worked very well so far.
It creates a generic "Android-Sync" account on your phone that syncs your Calendar, Contacts, Notes and Tasks. Or you can set it to sync with your Google account. I have only used the Android-Sync account, as that is the recommended. I am currently contemplating trying the sync to my Google account to try and get my Outlook contacts into my Google contacts.
Calendar and Contacts are synced to the stock Calendar and People apps in the phone. Notes and Tasks are synced to new apps called Android-Sync Notes and Android-Sync Tasks respectively.
You can set-up how much or how little get synced. For example you can sync all your calendar items or "Don't sync items older than ___ days."
Go through the setup page here: (sorry can't post links) which has a number of screen shots that help in explaining a lot.
I have used Blackberry Desktop extensively in the past and this is quite similar.
I have also used Companion Link for Outlook (sorry can't post links) with DejaOffice on an iPhone. (I have not used Companion Link to sync with my Android, so this is based on my used with iPhone)
This setup worked in terms of syncing, my only issue was with both the stock ios Calendar and Contacts apps the "Notes" fields would never display a full note, neither would the "Notes" fields the respective DejaOffice app, the note would just stop after a certain number of characters (kinda like twitter!). This was frustrating, as some of my Contacts have lengthy notes attached to them.
Neither Android-Sync or Companion Link are free though. I am fine with this, as long as it works.
Android-Sync is $29.99 and Companion Link is $49.99.
Android-Sync has a trial download here: (sorry can't post links) and also a 60 day full refund policy. I do not know if the trial version has limitations.
Companion Link also has a trial download here (sorry can't post links) which is fully functional for 14 days. At the end of 14 days you are asked to purchase a full license. They have a 90 day full refund policy.
Hope this was helpful.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'll try and help from my experience with these.
VCOorganizer but
Same here - VCOrganizer was more reliable than CompanionLink for me. I migrated to Android from Palm in 2009. non-cloud sync is necessary when traveling internationally, and to protect confidential client information. Sync by cloud, lose your license.
Still VCO sometimes does the wrong thing. It's almost always related to the Outlook interface (most recently after migration to Outlook 2013 which took me 2 months to unravel). So I would trust a Microsoft solution more than an independent. Lawyers and doctors can pay handsomely for this. Satya, are you listening? do you read xda-developers? Do any of your developers read this?
Hi all, I have a HTC HD2 which is running fine, but looking at Android, I reckon my phone could be even better.
Why do I use Windows Mobile ? Simple, I'm dependent on Outlook on my laptop. This is my work tool, and I cannot go without my email, tasks, calendar and contacts. No compromise. And I use pop3 with my own domain.
Now, the only thing that prevents me to switch over to Android is ActiveSync, or an equivalent, that would sync emails AND calendar AND contacts AND tasks.
As far as I know, that's not possible. I found various apps to sync calendar/contacts but NOT emails. Or vice versa.
Am I correct in this statement ?
And no, I do NOT want to sync over the cloud using Gmail (let alone an Exchange server which I can't afford). I want to keep it as it is : pop3 to and from Outlook, then sync via USB/Bluetooth.
If there's an app out there, bring it on !!!
Thanks.
Boags
I am ex winmo (4 phones ago) and think you will find it very hard to go no cloud.
The best solution I could then recommend would be to run a local mail server on your laptop and then sync over your wlan. You could do this using a receive only function on a nix based mail server.
Lot of effort... sorta like re-invemting the wheel.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
Did you try apps from Google Play store like Maildroid or K-9 mail or Touchdown Exchange? I use maildroid and email syncs just perfectly. The stock email app can sync mail and calendar !
Looks like you're stuck with WM since there isn't an equivalent for Android or IOS. My first smartphone was a WM6 device and I wasn't impressed. Pocket IE is garbage, thank goodness for Opera Mobile and Mini. WM6's constant memory leaks meant rebooting my phone almost daily if I opened any apps. ActiveStink may be well and good for heavy Outlook users but for someone who just wants to transfer files to and from PC not having USB mass storage in WM6 was a BIG MINUS.
Here's the cherry on top - WM7 & WM8 phones will not be compatible with apps you purchased for WM6 so your phone is already obsolete.
I guess you can do as maskslash suggested or find another contact/task management tool on your that does the equivalent functions which also works with other smartphone OSes.
Or upgrade to WM8.
Otherwise your WM6 handset joins Symbian users - stranded on an desert island.
Well you have the best phone out there if you want to dual boot Android and WM. Android and others all rely on the cloud these days, there really isn't anything out there like Outlook/Activesync anymore.
Thanks for all your replies guys, you've confirmed what I thought. I'm actually looking into getting MsExchange somewhere, but it sux Outlook-USB-WM is no longer an option.
Cloud may be good for western countries etc but currently I live in Asia-Pacific in remote areas where Internet is at best 128k, when it works. POP3 and local sync is the only option for me.
Oh well I guess I'm a dinosaur then
What are u waiting for
switch already
vNa5h said:
What are u waiting for
switch already
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Not until you show me I can sync Outlook using USB...
Then I'll get a new phone.
Theres plenty of 3rd party solutions out there like this, but you'll have to try it for yourself to see if it works.
http://www.android-sync.com