Database Users

Android / Mogul / Google Apps sync

I know that people are working on developing the Android platform for other phone, what I am wondering is this: will we ever be able to sync our google apps with the mogul (or any other phone) without running Android?
What I am wondering is this; I am using an exchange server right now, but come January/Febuary I am not going to have that option available anymore, so I was wondering if we will be able to sync our google apps at some point without having an Android phone...
I don't know much about hacking or the developement that goes into customizing Android, but it would seem like it would be possible to lift whatever part of the Android os that is being used for syncing the google apps, so that it could be used on other devices. It seems like this would be possible just like taking off touch flo, or any other built in program (I know it probably isn't quite that simple, I was just trying to explain my concept of things).
Will this be possible? Will we be limited to haveing a phone with Android os for this?

I know there isn't mass support for google apps on WM but there is the gmail Java App, which i use. I don't use this, but i know its out there, and its an app to sync your google calender with your WinMo calendar. I'll see if i can spot it and drop a link for you here.

parrott84 said:
will we ever be able to sync our google apps with the mogul (or any other phone) without running Android??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
who uses google 'apps'? lol. google.com is good for searching, and that's about it. all their side software has never impressed me or been usefull.

agreed. I and the majority of the people using windows mobile don't give a **** about google apps. I want android to just simply be bootable and stable from my sd card. I really don't want to run it all the time as windows mobile is second nature to me now.

Sweeny Russ said:
agreed. I and the majority of the people using windows mobile don't give a **** about google apps. I want android to just simply be bootable and stable from my sd card. I really don't want to run it all the time as windows mobile is second nature to me now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second this.

My switch from WM6.5 to Android on the Nexus One and the apps that will keep me there

So I bought my first non-WM smartphone. Below is documentation of my quest to replace, and surpass, the experience I was used to with my Touch Diamond 2 running Windows Mobile 6.5. I am what you would probably call a windows mobile 'power user'. I've been averaging about one new WM phone every 6 months since 2005, most of them HTC. But I always keep up on what the other platforms are doing. This is just the first time I've taken the leap, and I quickly became aware of what new doors Android opened for me in just the first few hours of using the Nexus One. The OS is nice, but like most people, it really comes down to the apps for me.
I was initially thinking I'd do a big blog review, but I've run out of motivation. There's plenty of info on the Nexus One hardware and Android out there, so I don't need to rehash that stuff. What I haven't seen a lot of, though, is detailed accounts of people switching and what exactly they found.
There remains a couple major things missing from Android. The lack of an OCS client is probably the biggest one for me professionally, but since it's a Microsoft product, I don't see that changing any time soon. That and the lack of xvid playback will keep me carrying around my TD2 as backup for the foreseeable future. But other than that, I'm extremely happy and will definitely be sticking with the Nexus for a while. The next post will be a comprehensive list of (practically) every app I've installed, what they do for me, and how they compare to their WM counterparts (if there are any).
On to the apps...

Android Apps I've installed and believe I will continue to use.
This is a bit of a brain dump, so I apologize for not editing more thoroughly. Hopefully it will be useful to some, and feel free to suggest other apps you think I should try.
Advanced Task Killer - List of running apps that allows you to easily kill unwanted tasks. Nice to have for an OS that allows background apps, but I don't actually notice it slowing down, it seems to manage memory and close apps as needed.
Aldiko (replacing mobiReader, much better) - eReader with nice UI and quick access to several libraries of free books. Found Doctorow's books right away.
Amazon store - really just easier than using the web browser, but it also does barcode scanning and some other useful stuff.
BeamReader (replacing Adobe's wm reader) - rarely needed, but have to be able to see pdfs on the go sometimes
Beelicious - direct (cached) access to my delicious bookmarks. UI could be better and it's a bit of a pain to wade through them all, but it's useful.
BeyondPod (replacing YomoMedia, HUGE improvement) - It took me years to find a podcast downloader for WM that worked at all, but beyondpod is amazing. The UI is superb and inuitive. The customization is great. I have it setup to download only at night while charging. It remembers my place in podcasts and creates 'smart playlists' to make it easier to start listening. It also integrates with google reader, which is hugely useful because I can add new podcasts I'd like to listen to anywhere from google reader and then import then very quickly into beyondpod later. Also worth noting is the homescreen widget, which gives me access to basic controls and status from my home screen, no need to always navigate back into the app.
Browser (replacing Opera mobile) - Really there's not much difference here. Neither android nor WM have flash or silverlight support yet (although you can sort of get it on WM through skyfire, but that's not performant enough to be an everyday thing). Usability is about the same, but since multitouch zoom isn't enabled on nexus yet (though the hardware can technically support it), you have to use the zoom in/out buttons. This isn't as nice as zooming on the TD2 (zoom bar) or the HD2 (multitouch). Android does links to outside applications better though. It recognizes when you are browsing to a youtube video or RSS feed and will prompt correctly.
Cab4me - Nice little app for finding nearby cab companies making it very easy to see which is rated best, has cars available, and place the call. Not a must-have, but it's one of the little things.
Camera - very fast, 5mp (same as on hd2 and td2 wm phones), the LED flash is certainly better than nothing. Geotagging is default.
Car Home - this is Google's navigation 'car mode'. I think is this very cool, but honestly I won't end up using it much because I have navigation built into my car.
Carr Matey - dedicated app for recording car location so you can find it again. Another little nice thing I didn't have before. Android is just so much better at doing location-aware apps right now.
Documents to Go (replacing ms office mobile) - I'm using the lite version, which does not allow editing, but I have just never had the need to edit office docs on my phone. Sometimes I get one in an email and want to read it though, and this looks to do that fine. I'm happy.
Evernote (replacing Evernote) - I'm using this more and more as a dumping ground for everything that's not in email but I want to remember. This is what I use anytime I want to take a quick note (audio or text), or take a picture of a wine bottle or business card for later reference. It syncs with the cloud immediately and I can search that from anywhere.
Flashlight - not a big deal, but nice to have.
flickr droid (replacing shozu) - i like to have an easy way to upload a picture to flickr, this gives me that. I really like how android allows it to integrate with the normal gallery app. So after I take a picture I just have to view it, select 'share', and then select flickr droid (or other things like email, twitter, etc). It's more centralized than WM.
Flip2Silent and Vibrate During Meeting (replacing WM + HTC ringer management) - The ringer management on android is lacking as compared to WM. I used to be able to have my phone automatically go to vibrate during meetings, and silence the ringer after I pick up the phone (so it doesn't continue to be loud and annoying while I'm deciding whether to answer), AND there was a pocket mode to switch to vibrate and louder ring when the phone detected it was in a pocket. Vibrate During Meeting gives me back the meeting function, but it only works with the google calendar, not the exchange touchdown calendar in which all my actual meetings are stored. My work-around is to sync my exchange calendar with google via desktop outlook, but this doesn't keep it updated unless I have a desktop logged in. The good news is that the developer of this app says he'll look into touchdown. Flip2Silent gives me the option to just lay the phone screen-side-down to mute the ringer/vibrate functions. This will work while a call is coming in and I want to ignore it.
Foursquare - App for checking into various locations. It's treated like a game, you get points, but also get to see where your friends are and if they happen to be near you. Plus people leave tips for places.
g-backup and mybackup (replacing myphone on wm) - MS's myphone app on wm will automatically backup all user data (sms, mms, pictures, video, docs, etc) to the cloud every night. It can also restore these for when you get a new phone or hard-reset your current phone. I got used to having this. All my email and contacts are in exchange or the cloud anyway, but I don't want to lose these other things. MyPhone is also nice because all that data is accessible via the web. g-backup is cool because it will upload all this stuff to gmail, so you have it there, but it can't restore anything. MyBackup will backup and restore most things, but not pictures/video. So I'm using them both, but I'd like a more comprehensive solution.
Gallery (replacing HTC photo gallery) - The nexus gallery is implemented in 3d and is pretty cool, but ultimately it works about as well as the HTC version (which is also flashy). They need to add multi-touch zooming.
GCDroid (replacing gcz) - This is my geocaching app, but only until the official geocaching.com android app comes out (which is soon and it will be cool if their iphone app is any indication). Even though there isn't an official app for wm, the community created apps were pretty good. GCDroid is barely usable, but overall this category will be an upgrade over wm soon.
Glympse (replacing Glympse) - Something I'll rarely use, but it's cool when it applies. You can send a link to anyone that will allow them to track you via a webbrowser for x-minutes. So if you say you're on your way, they can actually see how far along you are.
Gmail (replacing hotmail) - both MS and Google have their email services integrated tightly with their mobile os. I used to forward all my gmail to hotmail so I could easily get it on my phone, so now I just flipped it. I like gmail well enough, and there are certainly features that are ahead of hotmail. I'm just happy to happy to have my personal email pushed to my phone.
Google maps (replacing google maps and bing) - This is definitely better than on WM, but ultimately it does the same stuff. It's smoother and a little easier to navigate (except, again, zooming is more difficult).
Meebo IM - nice to have an app that can log into ICQ, MSN, and GTalk all at once. Likely will rarely use it.
Messaging (replacing txt message HTC app) - this seems to be just what you'd expect. But at least it's very fast and predictable, unlike the HTC app which is sometimes laggy as hell.
Flixter Movies (replacing bing) - MS's bing app was good for finding local theaters and showtimes, this one does it with a bit more flash and some awesome additional features that i just found. It shows the rottentomatoes rating along with every movies. Plus, it has netflix integration, so it checks whether any movie is in my queue and lets me add it while browsing. It also has a list of recent dvd releases, which is great with the netflix thing. It also essentially serves as a mobile imdb. Very impressive.
Mother TED - dedicated app for watching TED talks. It seems ok but not great.
Music (replacing HTC media player) - Nothing special here. I don't know that I'll even use it much since i mostly listen to pandora or podcasts.
OpenTable - for the rare occasions when I make reservations (especially last minute) this will make it easy to find a place with an opening.
Pandora (NOT ON WM) - this is almost a reason to switch by itself. I hate that this isn't on wm yet. Very nicely implemented on android because it has a homescreen widget. I get all the basic controls without even having to go into the app, and I can use other apps while it plays in the background. Sound quality is great too.
Dialer - The android dialer is pretty basic, but it seems to get the job done. At least you can add a pause (with a comma) so that dialing conference numbers is somewhat doable (but still WAY harder than it should be, they don't do any smart parsing in meeting invites). This is still hard on WM though too.
PhoneFlicks (replacing official netflix wm app) - This is barely a replacement. Netflix's own app was better, this one is slower and harder to use, but at least I can do basic queue management from my phone, which is really nice sometimes.
SeattleBusBot - This is SO cool, and something I've wanted but couldn't find on wm. Seattle has the gps info of its buses available publicly, but their website is basically unusable on a phone (even on a desktop). This app will tell you exactly when a given bus is going to arrive, not just when it's scheduled.
Seesmic (replacing m.twitter.com on wm) - really good mobile twitter app. There are plenty of wm twitter apps, and HTC even builds one into the os now, but they tended to be slower. I think the HD2 is probably just as good as seesmic.
ShopSavvy - barcode scanning that tells you the closest places to get the given product and for how much. Haven't had a chance to see if this turns out to actually be useful, but I like the concept and test scans in the house have been accurate (which kinda surprises me because I had heard that phone barcode scanning doesn't work, but maybe the 5mp camera and snapdragon is making it more pratical).
TorrentFu (replacing starting torrents via Live mesh mobile) - This is a major upgrade (and rejected from itunes if I remember correctly). I finally switched to uTorrent on my server so I could use this. It uses the utorrent webui to connect, but exposes all the functionality like a local app. You can see progress, search for and start new torrents, and pause/resume. Very cool.
TripIt (replacing tripcase kinda) - I've only started experimenting with these two services, and i don't travel as much as I used to, but they are pretty good at what they do. Just forward your reservation emails and they build up a comprehensive itinerary and keep you updated. having a native app makes using these that much easier. Tripcase is on wm, tripit (which seems to be the better service) is on android.
tv.com - streaming tv from cbs, showtime, and some others. Haven't used this much, but always nice to have some free content.
Google Voice - At first I was skeptical about this because I don't have a real need to create a central phone number that rings all my phones, which was what i thought this service was for. Turns out you don't have to use that feature, and they also provide visual voicemail on android plus they send you transcriptions of the messages to your phone. so you can see who left messages and what they said (approximately) without even listening. So I'm definitely appreciating this feature.
Wapedia - native version of wikipedia. Nice and quick. why not?
y5 - Battery - This app is genius in its simplicity and value. It simply keeps track of where you are when you enable wifi, and remembers that going forward so it can automatically re-enable it when you come back to the same place. The rest of the time, it disables wifi to save battery. The end result here is that I never have to remember to turn wifi on or off when i come home or leave the house.
youtube (replacing youtube) - works well. nothing special to report except google's browser seems to be better at realizing when it should forward you to the youtube player.
yxflash (failing to replace coreplayer) - The only android app that claims to do xvid/divx decoding. I tried it on an xvid torrent that wm's coreplayer had no trouble with and it choked pretty hard. It played, but with extremely jittery video and slow sound. Not usable yet, but at least i know I might get something soon.
Touchdown (replacing exchange activesync on wm) - Saved the most important (and expensive @$22) for last. Without this app I wouldn't be able to sync my exchange data (contacts, email, calendar, tasks) with my phone because Android doesn't support all the required security features by default. (our company, like many these days, will not sync data with a platform that doesn't allow them to force the use of encryption, pin lock, and remote wipe) Beyond that, without the recently added feature of allowing me to flag emails for followup, I would not be able to switch to android because this workflow is too important to my everyday life.
Explanation: I check email on my phone often, and if I can respond then and there, I do, but if I can’t and need to follow up for any reason, I flag it. This creates a task in outlook which I will see the next time at my desk, so i KNOW i won't forget about it.
But there is an additional, more subtle, benefit at play here. And honestly, it's a little unfair to count it, but it makes such a huge difference in my enjoyment of my phone that I can't ignore it. I'm speaking about how the previously mentioned pin lock for exchange only applies (on android) to the touchdown app. I am not required to set a pin to unlock the phone itself. Ever since they turned on that requirement I've been punching in a 4 digit pin every damn time I wanted to glance at my phone, check the time, or even change the stupid volume! Now I'm finally free of that because google didn't bother to properly build in exchange support at the OS level. NICE! seriously though, this saves me so much annoyance it was almost worth the $530 by itself.

For a true windows power-user, it's worth shelling out the <$10 for Remote RDP. It works incredibly well, even when connecting to my Windows 7 PC from 3G across town (or presumably, the world).
The ability to USE MY HOME PC from ANYWHERE WITH NET ACCESS...
Absolutely incredible for a phone..
EDIT: my home net speed is pretty quick, which owes to fast remote access. Wifi will always be fast, though, and that's what this app is really designed for.

Good recommendation. Just downloaded the Remote RDP demo. Seems to work well.

Thank you for the run down... I just made the switch myself and a number of the apps you mentioned helped me fill some of my void from WM. I'm still a little pissed about the exchange issues but the real truth is any company I work for issues me a blackberry and doesn't allow other devices to connect to thier servers. I worked for one midsized company once that let me and that was the only time I was completely in love with my WM device. Since my personal email is through gmail the nexus one is really amazing as my personal phone.

Good Stuff! I'm in the same boat WM to Android and no turning back I'll check out some of the apps u listed...
One thing I'm looking for is a widget with power/memory/storage/sd gauges.
Always had this on the wm home for reference & cool stats!

If you geocache then GeoBeagle is the other main geocaching app. I don't cache much any more, but I have tried GeoBeagle and liked it, though I can't compare it to GCDroid...

Wanted to say thanks for the excellent app list. Touchdown is awesome. A way for me to connect to work without merging my exchange contacts with the rest of my phone. Now thats a win!

@Seraph321 - want to add my thanks for your app info. i'll be getting an N1 soon and knowing there are options to some of my "must haves" apps/features/functionality (e.g., Exchange) will help shorten my learning curve. i'm not going to abandon WM because it will continue to serve as my work phone. the N1 will be my after work/personal phone until i'm comfortable tweaking Android. that's my plan, but once i have the N1 my plan may change!

Great write up, and welcome to Android
A few suggestions
Text Messaging
The two heavyweights are Chomp SMS and Handcent SMS. Both are considerably better than the default SMS app, it mostly comes down to personal preference.
Browser
Dolphin Browser is hands down the best browser on Android right now. Multi-touch zooming, delicious integration, tabs, themes, and much more.
Flashlight
Do a market search for Nexus One Torch. It utilizes the LED from the camera flash to use as a flashlight. Very bright.
Ringer Management
Locale manages your phone based off time and location. Never used it myself, but heard good things, and I believe it was and Android Developers Challenge winner or something.
Backup
I'm simple and only need to backup text messages (most everything else is stored via SD card or synced with Google anyway). I use SMS Backup to backup my texts to Gmail, and it works fantastic. Uploads directly to my mail account, archives the texts, puts them in threads according to contact, tags them, and marks them as read. I can then easily search my text conversations from my phone or desktop browser via Gmail, and don't have to worry about deleting conversations from my phone and losing something. I've never used g-backup, so it may have this function already.
Twitter
I've tried a couple Twitter apps (not Seismic, though I'll be trying that next) and have landed on Swift, which currently is the fastest, and the best looking Twitter app I've used. I'm not a giant twitter user, so I don't know if it supports all the features any other apps might, but it works great for me, and would recommend it.
That's all for now. I don't have my phone next to me or I'd give it a quick run through and suggest something you might be missing, but I'll have to do that another time.
As for getting multi-touch support in google maps, the browser, and gallery... just wait, it's been hacked in for the G1/MT3G, it will certainly be hacked in for the Nexus One.

I'm still up in the air between ASTRO File Manager and Linda File Manager, but a file manager is an important addition to your tools, if you plan on keeping a lot of documents/files on board. Additionally, I know at least Linda has the DownloadCrutch functionality, associating itself with every filetype so that the browser will allow you to download such. To me, this last bit is essential.

Great stuff, I think a lot of people will be going from WM to Nexus because MS have failed to deliver for so long & there is now a great alternative with an OS that can be modded and a really cool handset.
So far I am happy to leave the N1 standard (not rooted) and play with apps - it is a real joy to have so many available & a single source for them.
Never going back !

+1 for Dolphin Browser... definitely a big step up over the default browser IMHO

SpyderMS said:
Great write up, and welcome to Android
A few suggestions
Text Messaging
The two heavyweights are Chomp SMS and Handcent SMS. Both are considerably better than the default SMS app, it mostly comes down to personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I find the text bubbles childish and cheesy. I much prefer the stock sms app with sms popup.

bofslime said:
Personally, I find the text bubbles childish and cheesy. I much prefer the stock sms app with sms popup.
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Click to collapse
I tend to agree though why doesnt the icon to the app on my home screen tell me how many unread SMS there are?

The Jones said:
I tend to agree though why doesnt the icon to the app on my home screen tell me how many unread SMS there are?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SMS Count
ok, at work with nothing to do, so I browsed through my phone, and here's a couple Apps you may be interested in. Some of these are useful, some are just kind of cool
AudioManager Widget
Nice little app that lets you adjust all your volume levels easily and quickly.
AppControl - Full Version
Best app manager I've used. Really fast, nice interface, and lots of options.
Barcode Scanner
Barcode scanning from the phone is fantastic. It's very pronounced in the Android community as well. You'll see barcodes not only on these forums, but on App websites like AndroLib.com, which let you scan the barcode, and instantly be linked to a website or Android Market page. It's not only useful on the Nexus One's 5mp camera and 1GHz processor either. Worked great on my G1.
Google Goggles
Take a picture of just about anything, and Google will search for relevant results.
Google Sky Map
Virtual Planetarium on your phone.
Layar Reality Browser 3.0
Augmented Reality browser. Displays information about objects in front of you overlayed on the camera display.
Pkt Auctions for eBay
If you use eBay at all, this is a great companion tool.
Shazam
Lets you identify music being played around you by letting your phone listen to and analyze it.

Personally, I find the text bubbles childish and cheesy. I much prefer the stock sms app with sms popup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
handcent settings -> conversation style.
handcent has a ton of settings options, including different settings for individual contacts (conversation style, font, notification tone, etc)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've already spent too much work time today finding and installing the ones I like.
I don't actually do THAT much texting, so I'm sticking with the stock sms app for now, but I did install sms popup and set my girlfriend to popup. That's convenient.
Someone mentioned SMS backup, and yes, g-backup does the same thing only for more data, but they both need a scheduling option.
I see the nexus one torch app requires rooted access. I'm no stranger to hacking my gadgets, but this app (plus tethering, and maybe installing to the sd card) are the only things I've seen so far that have me interested in doing it. Can anyone provide some examples of why they consider rooting a must?

You mentioned Wi-Fi tethering already, but that reason alone is a pretty big reason. You may also want to theme your phone. Any kind of advancements that developers like Cyanogen come out with will require root as well. Cyanogen is known for pushing the envelope, helping to increase speed, and overall functionality of the G1, and other devices; not to mention you will get features from new versions of Android faster than those without root. I'm sure there are other reasons to, these are just off the top of my head. A lot of people are waiting until someone finds out how to reverse the bootloader unlocking process before they root, in order to preserve their warranty, and that's certainly a good idea if you don't have a lot of use for root at the moment. I did it, like most people that did, just because I can.

I'll make sure to watch the Cyanogen stuff closely. I never followed the G1 enhancements, so I guess I don't know what to expect. Sounds like it's likely I'll do it at some point though.
Is it easy to get all your apps, especially the ones that you paid for, back on your phone after rooting? Does the marketplace just remember it all and let you re-download?
I should just search for these answers.

A few quick questions, if someone has time. Thank you....

Hi everyone,
I am currently a Windows Mobile user, Xperia X1a, and am looking to switch to an Android device sometime soon. Since the Nexus One is on Android 2.1, I figured this would be a good place to ask a few quick questions, if any kind user could help
1) Button mapping -> On Windows Mobile it is possible to map different applications/actions to a button, as well as a different action based on a short click or a long tap/hold. Is there something similar in android? I had trouble finding it in the base 2.1 build in the Android SDK emulator
2) Calendars -> I believe that Android support multiple Calendars on device, unlike Windows Mobile, is this true? Or is it multiple calendars synced to the main Google Calendar in the crowd? (My main issue is I want to sync my work and home calendars as 2 different calendars on the phone, something I have never successfully done through Windows Mobile)
3) Any alternatives to System Seven for syncing OWA email and calendar to the device? System seven only supports email right now
4) Any native app for Google Reader? I currently use SpeeedReader on WM which is not amazing, but gets the job done.... somewhat. Based on all my research even Android has to use the browser to access Google Reader.
5) DivX / Coreplayer/ any real video codec support? WM has Coreplayer, but most devices are too slow/crippled to take advantage of it. Nexus One and others have Snapdragon processor which is better than the current devices.
6) bluetooth handsfree - This appears to be a major problem according to forums and Google Bug tracker. A friend who has got into the vlingo beta for android confirmed that clicking on the "speak now" button enabled him to use the phone completely handsfree. Related to question 1, is there a way to change the bluetooth button to access vlingo app instead of the native app?
7) For a current Windows Mobile dude, who thought he knew most tweaks in WM. Just how hard is the learning curve for Android? (I know its the noobest question of all, but I would like some reassurance /stories to help transition over, I spent 5 years on WM devices )
Thank you so much for your time.

I was in the same situation as you: I've been on winmo for more than 7 yrs and I was dreading the shift. I got my N1 and kept my winmo device at hand and fully functional...only to discover 24hrs later that I totally forgot about it!
Basically, all you can do on winmo, you can do on Android, although sometimes in a slightly different manner and of course a different interface.
Major pros after 3 months of use: besides the hardware (amazing speed), very smooth UI, no need for soft-resets (on WM it was a daily burden), friendly community, rapidly developing apps...
Go for it

I've come from 5 ish years on Windows mobile to Android too, I'll try answer the questions from what I know.
1. Button Mapping -> It's possible to create shortcuts to applications on the phone's "desktop". It's also possible using the "Anycut" app to create specific actions (not used this myself so not sure of details). What I did love was you can create a shortcut to direct dial or direct text someone on your contacts list. Overall I found this much much easier and quicker on Android compared to WinMo.
2. I've only used Google Calendar and, yes, you can sync multiple calendars as they are setup on your desktop Google Calendar. I've found implementation of this is to be really good. If you're currently using Outlook it's possible to sync that to the browser Google Calendar and then to your mobile.
3. Everything works best and smoothest when linked with Gmail and Google Calendar. Afraid I don't know much more about OWA email, hopefully someone else will be along shortly to help on that score.
4. I've only used Google Reader from within the browser, but it's still slick and fast.
5. Don't think there's support for playing DivX yet. I believe Core Player are working on it but it could be some time.
6. Sorry, don't use Bluetooth headsets so can't advise. I think it is possible but sometimes fiddly depending on the headset.
7. For me the learning curve was extremely easy. I never found myself getting frustrated even right from the beginning, the UI to me seems very intuitive. In fact I'd say I was more frustrated with WinMo after 5 years than I was with Android after 5 minutes in terms of trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
Go for it, I think it's so refreshing going from WinMo to Android. Maybe less so going from the iPhone UI to Android because they are in some ways similar but in other ways quite different and you can get confused about which way to do things after being so used to the Apple way.

6. I use 2 different Bluetooth headsets and never had any problem.

The guys above did a pretty good job describing things. This is what i can contribute
1) Yes there is a long press and it allows you to create shortcuts and many other things to the home screens (in general it kind of works like a right click opening menus in many programs). There isn't really button mapping because there aren't buttons, everything is very intuitive.
4) for google reader there are several applications that link up to your subscriptions and will download them to your computer. I personally use newsrob for articles and google listen for podcasts. Both work well and sync with google reader nicely.
6) The only thing i've used bluetooth for was pairing it with the dock and streaming audio. I've never had a problem with that. But I guess that's not all that surprising since the dock was made solely to work with this phone.

Thanks Guys. I think that nearly all the items I asked about without getting a phone myself have been answered.
I suppose it will take months for me to build the kind of knowledge base/app library that I had with Windows Mobile, but keeping in tune with RSS feeds from various sites, I think I have found a tweak/app for nearly everything on Windows Mobile. Max a 1 time conversion is needed for the Call Log/eBooks/ SMS initial backup-synch. Looking forward to a snapdragon device that does NOT take 20 seconds to move from one screen to the next.
I don't suppose there are any other solutions out there for Outlook Web Access email/Calendar syncing, huh?
Thanks again!

Windows Phone 7... Really????

So after all the hype, the troubles getting an activation code, and then installing WP7 on my HD2, I sit here waiting for my Android DesireHD Nand build to finish re-installing on my device.
I thank the community so much, as I was so obsessed with getting WP7 (i've been a fan of Microsoft's os since my dell axim days) that I was even planning on upgrading my contract early just to get an HD7.
But the truth is.. in which way is this better than WM 6.5?? After two minutes in on this OS i sat there thinking to myself: "Really!!??" Oh wait this is how the dude who made the new Windows Phone commercial got the idea...
Just my two cents.

fair point..
It just depends on what you want to get out of it.
Android may work better for your needs now, WP7 with a bit of development may work for you better in the future.
I tried android for a few months a while back (the SD card builds) and liked it initially but then I found it couldn't do everything I wanted in 6.5. The lack of an equivilant to Softmaker was important.
Granted WP7 cant do anywhere near what 6.5 could (lacking of decent office apps like softmaker) but it does what it does very well. Right now i'm enjoying the ride - It reminds me when I first started palying around with my SPV C500

i had very poor expectations, im a heavy WM6.5 user and i ran Android of SD as a general intrest but since ive got WP7 ive found myself thinking, you know what, it works, it works well, its quick and i dont have this urge to mod the crap out of it.
The only thing WP7 on HD2 lacks is a decent camera app.
Above that, i suppose there is a couple of programs i need from WM which is a real pain, i really think that WP7 needs some kind of advanced mode, every day joe via the carriers wouldnt need it but a hidden setting could open it up for us, that way MS keeps its image, its identity to the world and we get that wee bit more freedom we all want, that setting would apply to business users that may need more access, and again, by checking that option MS removes all responsibility from anything that goes wrong, everyone wins!

Most people just want a phone that just works and it is easy to work with. And I think WP7 is very easy to use, and will appeal to the masses.

Need to say more??? wp7 is easy to use, user frienldy and....AWESOME...
I also love Android because you can customize it, many apps and more! But there is something with wp7 that makes me horny!
Just stick around with WP7 and i think it wont dissapoint you!

i have to agree with most of the positive comments here ... i only tried wp7 out of curiosity and just because our beloved hd2 can!! i was pleasantly surprised at the speed and usability. i love the nice clean interface especially the mail client. sure it lacks a lot of apps at the moment but surprisingly i the angry birds withdrawal symptom went away faster than i expected and i'm finding it hard to go back to android even though i do have it on as dual boot.

Actually the only things I really miss from WM6.5/Android are:
1. Choice of browsers. IE Mobile is fine but some sites are not dispaying properly. Opera usually fixes this in WM6.5 and Android.
2. Some sort of Skype, but I guess this is coming soon to WP7 anyway.
3. Ability to attach any sort of file to e-mails. I'm still to figure out how I can attach and send a PDF i downloaded through the browser
Other than that WP7 has many pluses:
1. Excellent e-mail client. By far the best out there on ANY smartphone.
2. Best Office experience out there.
3. Mind blowing games
4. Very neat and clean interface.
5. It's fast and furious.

TheOnly1 said:
Actually the only things I really miss from WM6.5/Android are:
1. Choice of browsers. IE Mobile is fine but some sites are not dispaying properly. Opera usually fixes this in WM6.5 and Android.
2. Some sort of Skype, but I guess this is coming soon to WP7 anyway.
3. Ability to attach any sort of file to e-mails. I'm still to figure out how I can attach and send a PDF i downloaded through the browser
Other than that WP7 has many pluses:
1. Excellent e-mail client. By far the best out there on ANY smartphone.
2. Best Office experience out there.
3. Mind blowing games
4. Very neat and clean interface.
5. It's fast and furious.
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Click to collapse
Nicely said dude!

Yeah I agree with most of this.
WP7 is slick, and i really like the basic functions.
WP7
+dialer/txt/email
+Zune
+presentation
-slow to load apps
-hardly any apps and the price of apps is high (no skype, no Nav, no flash, no XDA)
-having to reload apps, (no multitasking)
-browser isn't recognised as mobile a lot of the time
- that tile list is going to get very long once more apps come

Agreed. Nice, clean and simple. Reminds us that it doesn't always have to be about 300 different (mostly unnecessary) apps and all the other bells and whistles but a nice simple and effective interface. Wasn't too sure about it at first but it's definitely growing on me!

GeoMil said:
- no Nav)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Nav = Navigon Select. Works very fine

I agree with the possetive comments too
but the minuses :
there's no GPS and that sucks (hope to find some)
No greats APPs that I love like WhatsAPP, Waze, Skype...
and Not a big fan of the Camera.
But... And this is A Big but...
The OS is Awesome!!! the speed, the clean, the beauty

I'm tempted... but
Is there any solution that's working for WiFi tethering? Is there a multi-client IM app? I also would prefer that there was a better way than through the browser to access gmail and google voice, but I doubt we'll ever see a native app for either of those.
I may load it when I have a couple of days to play just for general interest though.

You don't need a "native" Gmail client. Outlook handles Gmail more than fine and delivers it as push mail if you wish so. WP7 syncs also with Google Calender and GMail Contacts, so switching forth and back between WP7 and Android is very pleasent as all your contacts and appointments are instantly there
I was shocked to see how well WP7 supports Google services

Pros:
WP7 is FAST
Love the GUI
Love integration of social stuff
Zune
Xbox Live
Most of the apps I need are there and are better than anywhere else (Twitter, RSS, Facebook, Ebay etc.)
Games are good
Cons:
Absence of smart dialer!
USB drive! (there is no legal way how to get 55MB pdf to the device)
No data backup!
No multitasking for in app downloads etc (coming)
More customization (backgrounds, ringtones)
****ed up syncing with live (I have horrible problems with my main Live ID)
Poor contacts management (no groups, no favorites)
Absence of some apps (Zinio, proper turn by turn, flash) - they are coming, and I understand, that this is normal with new OS:
I love WP7 and am sticking with it. For me, there is more pros than cons. Everything Windows phone does, it does right. MS just needs to bring us the stuff that WP currently doesnt do

I have been using WP7 since it was made available for HD2 and I love it. Very fast and clean UI.

I agree with everything you have here. Its actually kind of nice to have a OS that just works. I haven't restarted my phone in almost 3 wks now. Microsoft really needs to step up with their Bing turn-by-turn directions and new hardware. If HTC comes out with better hardware for Tmobile soon I will definitely upgrade to windows phone 7.

Wp7 is ok but it really needs a better browser! I'm back to android only because of missing flash and the bad browser experience
Edit: the locked down OS is another no go for me. I need usb storage and teetering.

I prefer WP7 over Android because it offers proxy setting right out of the box. To me Android is just a fancier Windows Mobile. And I quite like the smoothness of IE though I wish it would handle more than 6 tabs.

chumaj001 said:
Cons:
Absence of smart dialer!
USB drive! (there is no legal way how to get 55MB pdf to the device) even The OS is not legal, so you should be fine with the illegal way
No data backup! Coming soon with the next update prob.
No multitasking for in app downloads etc (can be done with 3rd party soon)
More customization (backgrounds, ringtones) with chevron you can
****ed up syncing with live (I have horrible problems with my main Live ID) Only with you
Poor contacts management (no groups, no favorites)
Absence of some apps (Zinio, proper turn by turn, flash) - they are coming, and I understand, that this is normal with new OS:
I love WP7 and am sticking with it. For me, there is more pros than cons. Everything Windows phone does, it does right. MS just needs to bring us the stuff that WP currently doesnt do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I <3 WP7 forever

Two features i need before purchase

Hi guys,
I have been waiting for a long time for a mature Android phone (have had iPhone for the past 3 years) and i think Galaxy SII is just that. Its fast, speedy, have good camera, thin, pretty good standby etc...
Feature1 (or rather application suite):
What i been missing from Android phones so far has been a OSX sync, backup, music/video/podcast sync application and for Galaxy this is still missing sadly. So you guys who have OSX what do you use for the sync and backup? (it can be both freeware and thirdparty apps that cost, as long as its working without bugs)
Feature2:
This is something all old phones use to have but for some stupid reason have been removed on both iPhone and Android phones. I'm talking about recording calls natively (not interested using services or mic recording). You guys who know the hardware do you know if this is possible or is it like iphone not possible to do with this hardware?
Other then that i really love the screen of this phone so i like to upgrade to this from my current iPhone. Actually i have two sims so i will use both phones
Thanks for all answers

If I'm not wrong Samsung kies can Sync and Backup
And yes Call Recording is possible. Here is more about that: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1065110

Syncing music, videos is no big deal. Kies does it, so do countless apps out there including winamp. You can basically sync any damn Android or smartphone or dumb phone with memory slot using Winamp.
Kies also has functionality to backup your phone (apps can be synced to your google account anyway ).

You could try Kies Air, it is in your browser so it doesn't need any software.
(I could be wrong, because I don't have the SII.)

Thanks for all feedbacks.
I been searching and reading a little thanks to your tips and i the result wasnt all to positive.
At Samsung i found the Kies only for Windows (intressted for OSX).
samsung.com/se/consumer/mobile/mobilephones/mobilephones/GT-I9100LKANEE/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=support
Same goes for winamp ofcourse which is a Win app.
Kies Air seems to be just for the older models also or has any of you actually been downloading it for Galaxy SII? that would be really nice....
I dont have Android phone to see what i can download but it seems all these call recorder apps work on some models and not others.
Call recorder:
androlib.com/android.application.com-opensystem-callrecord-jjDw.aspx
also
sv.appbrain.com/app/call-recorder/com.schass.recording.call
DroidRecord PRO:
brighthub.com/mobile/google-android/articles/101742.aspx
and
appbrain.com/app/droidrecord-pro/com.gonzo.droidrecord
Also read about TotalRecall which seems to be old and not updated.
Has any of you actually tested any of these and can verify that it works (on GSII)? which one?
Thanks for the help guys but please give me some info that you know for sure works on GSII. Links are also very welcome.

Kies Air seems to be just for the older models also or has any of you actually been downloading it for Galaxy SII? that would be really nice....
Its on SGS2 either as stock or via the Samsung update on the phone .
Not that i have ever used it as i copy and paste .
jje

JJEgan said:
Kies Air seems to be just for the older models also or has any of you actually been downloading it for Galaxy SII? that would be really nice....
Its on SGS2 either as stock or via the Samsung update on the phone .
Not that i have ever used it as i copy and paste .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for confirming. I dont understand what you mean by copy/paste though! Music/video sure you can do that but for contact/calendar and backup i dont see how u can copy/paste.
Any way i'm saving some money for this baby so i hope it can work well under OSX. Seems all Android phones are made for windows. On the other hand SGII has other benefits like playing xvid/divx so no need to re-encode movies....

Doubletwist?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA Premium App

DoubleTwist works great with OSX, I use it .

I can confirm that my GSII came with kies air pre-installed.
I use kies in windows but kies air in linux.
Drag and drop is really easy on this phone as well due to the large internal memory.

I use iSyncr, works great for iTunes music, videos and podcast synching to my MBP. There is an option to sync by Wifi at extra cost.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

You used an iPhone right?
So in baby words, instead of now using iTunes for iPhone/iPod, you use Kies for Samsung.
You can sync all your music/photos/vids/apps and what not
Easy? It's also the official software for it too so yeah

Ahh DoubleTwist AirSync looks the most promising so far. Pretty much same as itunes. Easy to use and just drag&drop, me like
I wish it had Address Bok, Calenday, Bookmarks syncing as well like iTunes but you cant have it all
By the way one thing i'm a but scared of and cant seem to find a consistent answer to is the application and their saved data. On my iPhone when i sync all application and their settings+saved data (game saves and such) are backed up. So when i do upgrades or jailbreak i can always copy back all i had.
How does this work on Android phone (SGII)?
Lets say i have a few games and have many saved data and want to try a new Android build? how exactly do you backup your data and then put it back? Has anyone done something like this?
Sorry for my noobish questions but after 3 years of having had iPhone it feels strange to not know how anything works. Your support makes the jump much easier

if you are installing new roms get Titanium Backup Pro. lets you store all game and app data on your memory card.
also for calendar and contact sync I've been happy with Google doing that and storing it in the cloud.

artesea said:
if you are installing new roms get Titanium Backup Pro. lets you store all game and app data on your memory card.
also for calendar and contact sync I've been happy with Google doing that and storing it in the cloud.
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Click to collapse
Great tips, will download it once i get the SGII. Thanks.
By the way i just might get mine Tuesday next week, the store is getting in 2 of them and i'm in queue so here's hoping. I been to the store 5 times and played with it. Tested my Bluetooth headset and played some music and it worked perfectly fine.
@Rooster19:If you going to help new people get rid of the attitude or just dont help. I love my iPhone but i'm open for trying new OS:es. Respect other peoples preferences and choices. If you dont like something dont buy it but stop judging people based on what they buy. i work in Telecom business myself and fall in love with iPhone directly from the release of the first device. After my 3GS it did felt a bit tiresome i couldn't access the memory, play movies directly (divx,xvid), change themes, play mp3 for ringtone and some other minor things that i saw obvious.
On Android side i tested many of them like Desire, X10 but they never felt smooth enough and the menus felt messy. SGII is the first device i actually think is mature enough for me to abandon my iPhone. I haven't got mine yet so maybe i go back to iPhone but from what i seen i think not. Time will tell.
Android has some flaws too but thats just the nature of products, everything has its pro and con. Anyway please understand that people have their reason for liking or disliking things. Just because you dont like something it doesn't automatically make it the right thing for everyone.