Related
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.
Click to expand...
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.
I don't want to get into the details of my upcoming presentation, I'm not in sales. We're looking into potential tools in my workplace. I need suggestions for reasons why the Evo is an ideal smart phone. I've already outlined the obvious (Android's apps, large screen, 4G, fast...) and I DO NOT want to compare it with the iPhone.
I'm looking for bells and whistles (because of my target audience), things that other phones can't do--stupid cell phone tricks like, using your laptop remotely with your android device, that sort of thing...
I just need a few suggestions... thanks.
-jac
** I can't root the phone either.
I always get the best reaction out of Layar and Google Sky.
everytime i show phonemypc app to my coworkers they freak. might give that a look worth the 10 bucks
Presentation you say? How about HDMI?
Plug your phone into a massive projector or TV.
Then play a video on youtube about some features and you're good.
Also mobile hotspots/tethering means people can connect to your phone through wifi and use your 3G-4G internet on any device.
It has an err kickstand.
If you really wanted to you could run a desktop operating system on it, though you would need to root..
8MP camera for great still shots in ample lit rooms.
Some cool games in the market.
Of course theres flash!!
Can't think of anything else right now..
if we're talking stock unrooted, i really like the intergration sense did with contacts/facebook/twitter/gmail. i also show off the kickstand (it gets more oooh/aaah reactions than i expected).
tethering and a good cellular signal (lol you'd be surprised how many people ask me that) also comes up.
Show them Proxoid and explain the free tethering if they root.
Get a copy of LogMeIn Beta (it's floating around on here...) and show it.
Qik/Fring video chat
Google Voice
Google Maps + Navigation (If any of the people you're showing to are travelers/sales, show them the turn-by-turn navigation on the BIG screen, for free.)
SwiftKey and Swype
Voice Dial/Search
Gesture Search
Show them all their Google stuff syncs to it (email, contacts, etc.) so if they lose their phone, it breaks, whatever, they still have everything important.
Dropbox (Very useful for sales, doing presentations and whatnot)
Just let them use it for a little while, the EVO sells itself
How about voice-to-text feature.
Show them the screen; all 4.3 inches
if they are iphone users, show them you can install an app from the sd card without rooting your phone, the turn by turn is good to show off, facebook intergration, high quailty youtube vids,
Tell them how it f*cking prints money, builds you an island, and then flies you to it
All kidding aside, the kickstand is a huge one. If you're in a 4G area, big seller there, notification LED for missed calls/texts/emails/etc, front camera, HDMI if you have a good TV there.
Take off the battery cover and show them the MANLAND hiding inside!
scev5 said:
everytime i show phonemypc app to my coworkers they freak. might give that a look worth the 10 bucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, PhoneMyPC is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for. That is an intense app. Thanks, I'd never heard of it. I'll try it tonight.
RemoteDroid - use your phone as a trackball keyboard to control your computer on the same wifi network, useful for powerpoint presentations etc (it's also been recently open sourced)
USB webcam - although in its infancy, allows you to use the evo's camera as a webcam on your pc. Its choppy, but it works if you're in a pinch.
Touchdown - An email client with activesync support for exchange accounts, one of the only mail apps that allowed me to access mail at work
Rockplayer - Plays a variety of multimedia files without the need to recompress, simply drag/drop to sdcard and play
Astrid tasks - An open source todo list manager that you can schedule notifications for, also has a widget for easy viewing of pending tasks.
PureCalendar - Self explanatory
Gmote.
With Gmote, you can use your phone as a remote control for your PC or laptop, including using it as a keyboard if you want. I use it often for PowerPoint presentations.
Geniusdog254 said:
Tell them how it f*cking prints money, builds you an island, and then flies you to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget it can grant you 3 wishes
redrazr7791 said:
Don't forget it can grant you 3 wishes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And one of those wishes can be for an iPhone 4 with the bigger geebees, the whyfies, and the three-gees. And it has apps.
TiKL - push to talk function to other Android phones for free.
Check out my thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715767
Cool apps not found in market and some great unknown apps that are in the market. You'll get some cool ideas here as well as download links.
Don't forget to highlight Google Maps & Navigation...as it's hands down the best maps GPS application out there BAR NONE - and it's free.
A few people also mentioned this, but the text-to-speech integration is also insanely cool.
And Swype (or really swapping out any stock keyboard) is a nice touch, as most phones are locked to a single input type.
If your phone is rooted, it also wouldn't hurt to use ShootMe or the other screenshot app I'm drawing a blank on ATM...I believe you can even remotely display the phone interface on a PC, which does wonders for any kind of presentation.
Then there's the cheese - games, live wallpaper.
I was a long time Windows Mobile user. Having started on a PDA (Dell Axim) and then moving on to a Cingular HTC model and finally an HTC Fuse. I was pretty excited about Windows Phone 7 but when the wait became too long, I finally went to Android. At the time, I was a little miffed about no Outlook Syncing and VPN on Windows Phone 7 (which I could do via Google's services and CompanionLink) so I've gone through two upgrades of my Android Phones, all Samsung’s (Currently with Skyrocket.) I also own the pretty awesome ASUS Transformer Prime tablet. My work phone is the lackluster (but only Verizon option) Windows Phone 7 HTC Trophy. So, I do get a Windows 7 fix but find that I rarely use it. But, I've always pulled for Windows Phone to succeed.
I enjoy Android to an extend but my life revolved around Windows (work and home) and I often find that I can't do much productive work on the Android platform. I love to consume media (Flipboard and Google Reader mainly) but even with my keyboard dock, I just can't feel productive.
That all looks to change for me with SURFACE, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. I love the one ecosystem that is finally coming to shape (I am also an XBOX owner) and the Pro line of the SURFACE tablets look to be what I am looking for. Windows Phone 8 looks to make some impressive improvements and the wait for both Surface and Windows Phone 8 devices seems to be pretty hard.
Can't wait!
I am in complete agreement about the Microsoft ecosystem coming together.
I had several WinMo 5.x and 6.x phones ending with the slow to age HD2.
I went to Android by choice and find HTC's Android Sense works in the business world very well. However, iPads and Android tablets are truly consumption devices and painful for much else.
Apple and Android are being attacked on a front they didn't see coming. Microsoft dominates livingrooms with Xbox. They also dominate in computer OS. However, people demand portability and simplicity.
Microsoft Surface easily replaces, laptop, tablet and e-reader....in a GUI that they have begun to learn with Xbox and possibly Windows Phone 7.
How fantastic to have one Metro GUI for every aspect of your life....coupled with high quality, cutting edge hardware.
FINALLY MICROSOFT!!
Sent from my HTC Vivid using TapaTalk
And I will echo you again. The ecosystem is what is what is drawing me. I've had good times with Android but I don't want to be a hybrid when it comes to my gadgets. The wait for WP8 and Surface is going to be hard.
Until then, I'll continue to enjoy my Droid tablet and phone and play a lot of WOPR:Wargames!
I'm really excited about this too.
I've always thought the windows kernel is just top notch in a lot of ways. It's great to see Microsoft finally push this stuff into the phone. The convergence of the desktop and phone ecosystems can only mean good things for us devs and the end-user.
Good software is the key of mobile market,Microsoft showed us with Wp7 most important thing was not hardware.Wp7 was faster and stabler than android even with poor hardware.And now Wp8 coming harder.I am very exciting for native game development on wp8.I think wp8 phones will be best platform for gaming..
And metro ui is original and useful..
Do Windows Phones sync well with Google Services? (Calendar, contacts, etc.) That is really my favorite function of my Android phone is the syncing of Google Services.
garak0410 said:
Do Windows Phones sync well with Google Services? (Calendar, contacts, etc.) That is really my favorite function of my Android phone is the syncing of Google Services.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are going to buy into the Microsoft ecosystem, I would ditch Google Services. Instead, try Microsoft's equivalent, Hotmail. You set it up as an Exchange server. All calendar, email and contacts sync.
Is there any reason you are attached to Google stuff?
Sent from my HTC Vivid using TapaTalk
willgill said:
If you are going to buy into the Microsoft ecosystem, I would ditch Google Services. Instead, try Microsoft's equivalent, Hotmail. You set it up as an Exchange server. All calendar, email and contacts sync.
Is there any reason you are attached to Google stuff?
Sent from my HTC Vivid using TapaTalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so much attached but liking it. Google Reader and YouTube are my favorite mobile apps and I hope someone will finally make good versions of them for Windows Phone. I do like syncing with Outlook via CompanionLink and I think they have a sync for Windows Phone/Live too...
Use SuperTube for your YouTube-worries. It gets the job done nicely (also allows downloading of Videos btw.). MetroTube looked a little nicer but it's gone due to pressure from Google to remove it.
As for Sync: Google somewhat supports the Exchange Active Sync Protocol so you can sync your Contacts, E-Mail and Appointments from your GMail Account. Due to the fact that the protocol was developed for Microsoft's Exchange Server it does not support Features in GMail that don't exist on other platforms - you would have to check to see if you're using some of those.
Also sometimes Google has been slow to allow certain features they allow for other platforms (for whatever reason). E.g. WP7 learned in Version 7.5 to sync multiple calendars/account. It took several months before that worked with GMail - problem being that Google's servers didn't offer the other calendars.
Apps accessing Google Reader should be available in the Marketplace.
I'm not using Google services aside from YouTube so I can't be more specific. Hope it helps anyway.
garak0410 said:
Not so much attached but liking it. Google Reader and YouTube are my favorite mobile apps and I hope someone will finally make good versions of them for Windows Phone. I do like syncing with Outlook via CompanionLink and I think they have a sync for Windows Phone/Live too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, and forgot to mention Google Music...I did download the Google Music App for my HTC Trophy but it has a ways to go.
If the XBOX Music player will allow for playlists for streaming music and allow those playlists to sync between the phone, Surface, PC and XBOX, then I won't need Google Music! Or even Spotify!
garak0410 said:
Do Windows Phones sync well with Google Services? (Calendar, contacts, etc.) That is really my favorite function of my Android phone is the syncing of Google Services.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes my phone syncs with google contacts, google calendar and gmail including saving contacts to google.
For Youtube I use Youtube Pro.
For gmail I use IM+
I don't use google reader so not sure about that one.
v_garg said:
Yes my phone syncs with google contacts, google calendar and gmail including saving contacts to google.
For Youtube I use Youtube Pro.
For gmail I use IM+
I don't use google reader so not sure about that one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am convinced I can move my syncing over to live without a problem. I can still do YouTube and Google Reader through those third party apps. I am digging Flipboard for my Google Reader stuff, so here's hoping it will come to the Metro Ecosystem.
garak0410 said:
Oh, and forgot to mention Google Music...I did download the Google Music App for my HTC Trophy but it has a ways to go.
If the XBOX Music player will allow for playlists for streaming music and allow those playlists to sync between the phone, Surface, PC and XBOX, then I won't need Google Music! Or even Spotify!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's 3 Google Music apps that I can see in the market.
Gooroovster (free while in beta)
Cloud City Music (free)
CloudMuzik ($1)
I used Gooroovster and it's great. Looks and acts like the stock WP7.5 music player.
I'd be surprised if MS didn't make their own cloud music service for Windows Phone 8.
Sent from my SGH-I777
I was unbelievably sceptical about Microsoft gaining any real traction with the new WP, but it does look like it's going to come into its own within the next year so. I personally was put off before because of a lack of high-resolution displays (which the OS didn't even support AFAIK) so will be on Android for the next year or so, but I'm hoping next time around I can seriously consider Windows Phone 8 or its successor.
StevieBallz said:
Use SuperTube for your YouTube-worries. It gets the job done nicely (also allows downloading of Videos btw.). MetroTube looked a little nicer but it's gone due to pressure from Google to remove it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slightly off topic, but I find PrimeTube to be a worthy successor to MetroTube
garak0410 said:
Do Windows Phones sync well with Google Services? (Calendar, contacts, etc.) That is really my favorite function of my Android phone is the syncing of Google Services.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Live account is actually my Gmail address, so I have them both synched up to my phone (contacts, calendars and emails). The aforementioned PrimeTube has my Youtube subscriptions covered. I'm not sure what else you could want, besides Google+, but with the Facebook and Twitter functionality on WP being the way it is... I kind of forget about my Google+ account.
Edit: I find Windows Phone is a slow burn. At first everyone I knew sort of shunned it and was all "Why would you even want a Windows Phone?" but as time wore on I've won over a few converts, and I'm seeing more and more people dissatisfied with their current smart phones... and it's not over stuff that can be fixed without major overhauls (like just the way things work, UI and so on).
A friend of mine got an Omnia 7 cheap unlocked after owning an iPhone and an Xperia of some sort. She was never happy with a smart phone until she got onboard with WP. My mum too. Smart phones were always too complicated for her, but now she's finally joined the computer age. My sister has had an Omnia 7 for a while as well after being intensely frustrated with her old iPhone, and she's convinced her partner to get one (it was pretty easy after he realised Office was on there. If I knew that was all it took to convince him I would have said sooner lol).
Anyway I guess my point is, Windows Phone is getting there. Slowly, but surely. Windows Phone 8 is definitely the dramatic step forward the platform needs. I'm pretty happy to have been on board from the get go, and I'm excited to see where things lead
Demaar said:
Slightly off topic, but I find PrimeTube to be a worthy successor to MetroTube
My Live account is actually my Gmail address, so I have them both synched up to my phone (contacts, calendars and emails). The aforementioned PrimeTube has my Youtube subscriptions covered. I'm not sure what else you could want, besides Google+, but with the Facebook and Twitter functionality on WP being the way it is... I kind of forget about my Google+ account.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank's for all of the app tips. I am not a "Google" fanboy but when I finally let them take me to the cloud with my contacts, email, RSS feeds and podcasts, I kind of liked it. All of their apps are a joy to use (Google Reader, YouTube, Maps, Listen.)
But I am ready to transition to Surface/Windows Phone 8. If it wasn't a bad "buy", I'd pick up an old TITAN until the WP8's come out so I can begin my transition to Microsoft services. My work issued Verizon HTC Trophy just doesn't cut it yet...
StevieBallz said:
Use SuperTube for your YouTube-worries. It gets the job done nicely (also allows downloading of Videos btw.). MetroTube looked a little nicer but it's gone due to pressure from Google to remove it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slightly off-topic, but in case you guys didn't know, MetroTube is back in the Marketplace
It's by far the smoothest and most functional WP7 app that I've used.
Also, with your original post about being 'into' the Google ecosystem--I was like that when I used Android, and then I gradually switched over a lot of my services to the Live equivalents (hotmail, calendar, etc). I found that the first party app integrations were much more reliable than the third party clients.
garak0410 said:
And I will echo you again. The ecosystem is what is what is drawing me. I've had good times with Android but I don't want to be a hybrid when it comes to my gadgets. The wait for WP8 and Surface is going to be hard.
Until then, I'll continue to enjoy my Droid tablet and phone and play a lot of WOPR:Wargames!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat.
Cant agree with all of you more. Been using WP& on my HD2 since the early days of its release. I cant/wont use anything else now. All my RSS/email/Office on tap! Even able to connect the phone to my classroom projector for my Powerpoints! My phone is slowing dying however and can not find anything i like to replace my HD2WP7(64GB). I may have to wait until WP8 or unless i can find a 2nd hand HD2!
Last month i bought a Samsung series 7 Slate with Win8 and love it. I use it for work, i use it along with my phone (connection to the phones 3G WiFi) and regulary annoy my iPad/android mates by playing Civ5 and other games on my slate.
Ive always believed that if Microsoft pulled their finger out, they could easily group all their systems together (PC/Phones/Consoles/Online services) and win the market. Its starting to ring true as just this month, 4 friends got rid of their iPhones for WP7 after their phones broke/crashed/stopped working.
People need to stop being fooled by fake advertising and apple design and move away from the dark side to app intergration and one platform!
Anyway, my rant over! Keep it up Microsoft!
I was sold on the Windows phone concept in the days of the Zune HD, which was leaps and bounds ahead of its time (well, ahead by a few years at least) in terms of fluidity and interface. I really love the direction that Microsoft has taken with the next generation of its OS, and I was very happy to see Surface premiered.
The only problem I had when I was using the ZHD was the very limited market for apps it provided, but that seems to be a thing of the past.
Hi All
Please bear with me, as this post might get a bit long. But I'd like to provide as much info as possible in order to get the best help (hopefully).
So why'd I get the Nexus 10? Well I was eyeing it out for a few weeks but it was out of stock. Finally we went to John Lewis to buy me a Nexus 7 for my birthday, but while there, we tried the Galaxy Note 10.1. I absolutely loved the Polaris Office and the handwriting recognition. So I foolishly thought this was stock on all Nexus and when I checked online, the Nexus 10 32GB was back in stock. So I bought that instead.
So when I got the tablet I was understandably excited But the more I used it, the more disappointed I got. From trying to setup the email to searching for apps. So I am now on the fence about keeping it or sending it back because just about everything I want to do is just not simple and straight forward and productive. BUT I love the screen and the build and the spec. So I'm here desperately trying to find the tools to get the best out of the tablet so I don't have to send it back
I think now is the time to say, this is not an Android bashing or Android vs iOS/iPad argument. I want to stick to my Nexus 10, but I just need to get the best out of it.
So what do I want to get out of it?
* reading eBooks. I think I've finally found a suitable reader in moon+ reader. I've tried all the other free readers and either they don't zoom images or the options are rubbish.
* browsing the web - I've tried all the popular browsers, Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Dolphin, Puffin, Boat, Ocean, Maxthon. All except Chrome are missing the function I need the most, the ability to have all my tabs still open when I go to launch the browser again. Chrome is the only one that does this, but it has crashed SEVERAL times already in the last few days. To the point of causing 100% CPU (according to cool tool and lack of responsiveness). I'd also like an "almost" or as close to desktop browsing experience as possible. There's no point having the larger screen if I just keep getting redirected to the mobile versions of sites.
* Email - the built in email client is pants and incomplete. I need to have access to my Gmail and to my exchange mailboxes, which I do. But I can't access any of my sub folders in my exchange mailboxes. The other problem is you can't archive gmail emails and for some stupid reason, deleting mail from the gmail mailbox moves the email into an "Imap/deleted" tag, rather than the Gmail bin. Even the stock iOS mail app does this and I'd have expected something on Android to be even better. Using the Gmail app is not an option as it's slow and I'd rather use one app. Oh! My other problem with the default mail app is that when you open an email in landscape, it only uses about 2/3 of the screen for the actual email. What's the point in that? Oh, and when you setup the email account, you get the option to sync tasks, but I can't see a tasks app. It also seems to "wrap" text at 80 characters, but it wraps by cutting part of the words, rather than wrapping an entire word.
* RDP - I need to access my work PC using RDP and without having to install some other "host" software which most/all of the apps I've tried so far require. 2xClient seems ok, but Zooming in causes all the font to be grainy. iTap seems good, but is not free.
* Editing word and excel documents - I've only found Kingsoft Office, as all the others aren't free. But Polaris Office looked SOOOO much better.
* Notes - no built in notes app. Any recommendations?
* SSH, Ping, Traceroute - TBH I haven't searched for these apps as I've spent a load of time searching for the other apps. So suggestions are welcome
I'm sure I could possibly overcome many of the issues with the stock ROM by installing one of the custom ROMs, but the reasons I haven't done this so far are:
1) I don't want to change the ROM and invalidate the warranty
2) I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the info (even though I'm a pretty proficient tech). I used to load custom ROMs on my windows mobile and I've jailbroken my iphone in order to get other useful tools like the activator and bitesms etc.
3) I just haven't looked long enough to find a good custom ROM. Most of the ROMs threads don't have screenshots and "feature lists"
Anyway, I said this post would be long Thanks if you've read this far and thanks in advance for any help/advice.
Version info
Android: 4.2.2 (updated OTA after receiving)
Kernel: 3.4.5-gaf9c307
Build: JDQ39
OK as far as readers I just use Google books. For browser look for chrome beta as it is muuuuch better than chrome. Office wise king soft is the best you're going to get for free. I personally use office2012 text maker. RDP you can search vnc also. There is one app that is decent but I'm blanking on the name works with vnc and rdp. Notes there is ever note or there is a "floating" note that was developed on xda but again blanking on the name. Finally for ssh etc I say terminal ide has from ssh to vim or for a simpler try connectbot . for ROMs I prefer aokp with kt's kernel visit the forum on a browser not the app theyll usually have screenshots etc. Or check just features of aokp/cm as most are based on those. hope any of that helps
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
iamikon said:
For browser look for chrome beta as it is muuuuch better than chrome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It "was" much better than Chrome. They're both on-par for now (Chrome got the engine updates that Beta had recently).
iamikon said:
OK as far as readers I just use Google books.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. Google books looks great, except it doesn't allow you to add your own books (at least I couldn't find the option).
Also VNC isn't an option for accessing my work computer unfortunately. It's just not as flexible or secure as RDP. I'll have a search for the SSH clients you've mentioned. I've been looking in this forum for the ROMs, maybe I'll just have to go through each of the threads.
espionage724 said:
It "was" much better than Chrome. They're both on-par for now (Chrome got the engine updates that Beta had recently).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah didn't know haven't used it at all as of late.
I only mention vnc because the client I'm thinking does both. I looked it up and is called pocket cloud. It asks you to install host stuff but is not necessary to use either rDP or vnc. I haven't actually tried adding my own hah so not sure on that. I prefer terminal ide since it includes a lot of tools. Most useful for me is vim. As for ROMs I suggest Mr Robinson or bigxies aokp pub or task650 aokp or eos or carbon, lots of people also really like rasbean
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Try 2X Client/RDP Remote Desktop for your RDP needs...
iamikon said:
I looked it up and is called pocket cloud. It asks you to install host stuff but is not necessary to use either rDP or vnc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had downloaded pocketcloud but then deleted it because I thought it needed the desktop software. I've just tried it and the free version is alright though it doesn't scale too well in the free version. I've tried 2xclient but it makes Outlook 2013 really blurry when zoomed in. I now have to decide if I'm going to spend the money on the pro version of iTap or Pocket Cloud or Jump Desktop or AccessToGo or the free RemoteToGo. Either way I think I have some good choices/options now
iamikon said:
I prefer terminal ide since it includes a lot of tools.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just installed this and had a quick play and it looks almost perfect. I think it will be perfect once I've rooted.
iamikon said:
As for ROMs I suggest Mr Robinson or bigxies aokp pub or task650 aokp or eos or carbon, lots of people also really like rasbean
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I also saw ParaAndroid (hopefully spelt that right) and I am working up the courage to change the ROM
I also discovered UC Browser from one of the other threads in the Apps forum and I must say I am actually liking it so far. It has gestures, is quick and smooth and it remembers all the tabs I had open. It also has a very nifty floating button/toolbar which is customizable and gives me the option to scroll to top (something that iOS provides by clicking on the toolbar in any app - I use mouse gestures in Windows so this is something I personally use).
I also discovered (albeit by mistake) that the stock email app does indeed show/support subfolders in exchange accounts. You simply need to double click the folder and it will expand the sub folders. Joy! It's now good enough to do the job and I can get used to the other differences/quirks.
Thumb keyboard does indeed look good, but it's not free. I don't really want to spend money on something I may not like. I am currently trying FloatNSplit which is similar but doesn't seem to have all the features of Thumb Keyboard.
I think with a custom ROM and a few more tweaks, I may actually start to properly enjoy my Nexus 10.
Thank you for everyone's help so far. I'm still open to more suggestions
As far as keyboard goes I recommend kii keyboard its a split and has lots of features
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
If you don't mind paying for it - Touchdown is like Outlook for Android
bigmatty said:
If you don't mind paying for it - Touchdown is like Outlook for Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll have a look. Hopefully they have a trial. But I watched a video of the Galaxy Note 10.1 mail client and it seems to have all the features that the stock client in Android is mssing. Is there any way of getting that client for free?
I am still torn between keeping my nexus 10 because of its great screen and specs or to send it back and get a galaxy 10.1 for its awesome S-Pen & productivity features/tools
krash_control said:
Thanks. I'll have a look. Hopefully they have a trial. But I watched a video of the Galaxy Note 10.1 mail client and it seems to have all the features that the stock client in Android is mssing. Is there any way of getting that client for free?
I am still torn between keeping my nexus 10 because of its great screen and specs or to send it back and get a galaxy 10.1 for its awesome S-Pen & productivity features/tools
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, at work, I rely on rules in Exchange to route messages to different folders. Then, I assign different sounds to the different senders/folders. I also need to be sure my message notifications are always being pushed to the phone, no matter what folder they land in. Touchdown allows for all of this. Its expensive at $19, luckily I was able to expense it to my work. But after using Touchdown there is absolutely no way I could go back to the stock versions of email, etc..
Hope you enjoy the device!
after 3 months with the Ativ WP8 I start thinking to change to android (eventually Galaxy4) for good reasons
1. Incomplete BT stack - no keyboard to connect or certain consoles
2. Miserable sync with Outlook and One-Notes
3. Limited camera functions - e.g. where to save and to transfer to a PC)
4. Cannot use DropBox
5. Useless letters in apps
6. Want not and cannot allow certain info an the cloud (SkyDrive)
7. Calendar - no weekly, daily and to-do app
8. No basic info like battery status, signal strength, Wi-Fi visible as a top bar
9. Better organization for apps, e.g. based on importance and not just one long list to scroll, why not at least two
I am aware that WP8 is a great improvement and with good tools, but I have to decide what serves my daily needs the best. Is there any major update in the next few months to expect. Any suggestions
Not sure if trolling or just ...
Sell it to me.
Sent from rehab using XDA Windows Phone 8 App
mcosmin222 said:
Not sure if trolling or just ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not trolling mate, this isn't windowsphonecentral. You're not going to get an army of windows phone enthusiasts trying to go against this guy.
Lol trolls.
Sent from Lumia 810 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
theguitarman94 said:
Not trolling mate, this isn't windowsphonecentral. You're not going to get an army of windows phone enthusiasts trying to go against this guy.[/QUOT]
Given his reasons, I am 100% convinced he is either a troll or too stupid to use a smartphone, in which case, Android/WP/IOS won't make much of a difference.
So I think he is a troll.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean it is very difficult to find the signal strength
If you're not happy with how the phone handles things and if it can't do certain things you need it to do the best way to go is to sell the phone and get one that does. Given that you already tried to find solutions for some of those things and found out that they could not be done differently on WP you are left with only two options:
- live with how things are done/can be done (e.g. Jump Lists in the App List, pinning important Apps to the Start Screen)
- get rid of the phone and use something else in the hopes of it doing things the way you want them done
You can be sure not a troll nor stupid. I use mobile phones from the beginning and can very well distinguish pros and cons. We can and do build out own servers and use the phone as a business tool. Just see what MS did with the BT stack, incomplete, you cannot connect a simple keyboard which is needed when taking notes in conferences, Using the cloud for confidential information is a nono, DropBox does not work with WP8.... Me or someone else calling stupid shows where your standard is.
When I make a final decision to sell the phone you will be the first for an offer. It will come with a nice black leather case open front and 32 GB SD card. I need some additional research to find the right solution.
[email protected] said:
after 3 months with the Ativ WP8 I start thinking to change to android (eventually Galaxy4) for good reasons
1. Incomplete BT stack - no keyboard to connect or certain consoles
2. Miserable sync with Outlook and One-Notes
3. Limited camera functions - e.g. where to save and to transfer to a PC)
4. Cannot use DropBox
5. Useless letters in apps
6. Want not and cannot allow certain info an the cloud (SkyDrive)
7. Calendar - no weekly, daily and to-do app
8. No basic info like battery status, signal strength, Wi-Fi visible as a top bar
9. Better organization for apps, e.g. based on importance and not just one long list to scroll, why not at least two
I am aware that WP8 is a great improvement and with good tools, but I have to decide what serves my daily needs the best. Is there any major update in the next few months to expect. Any suggestions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So to avoid wasting more thread space criticizing OP:
1. Yes, the BT stack is limited, but what's there works well (other phones have all sorts of issues with BT freezing on connect, etc.)
2. If by "Outlook," you mean Outlook.com or an Exchange server, nothing syncs better with those than WP; same with OneNote; the only thing that would make sense is if you mean data stored in a local PST on the desktop Outlook app, which WP doesn't directly sync to-- valid point, but other platforms don't do native sync at all (or very well) either, so the only real comparison point is Windows Mobile 6.x lol; if you do want to do local Outlook syncing, try Akruto Sync
3. What's limited? Plug in a USB cable, or open your SkyDrive folder, and it's all there
4. Actually you can-- see the "Boxfiles" app
5. Don't know what you mean
6. Don't know what you mean
7. The Calendar app has daily, agenda, and month views, along with to-dos- what more are you looking for?
8. All of that is in the top bar- just tap it
9. That's what start screen pinning is for; the list itself has alphabetical and search functions
Good answer, but please see that DropBox (will try Boxfiles App)or Team Viewer or Dragon and other do not work, As an attorney- (working with very sensitive data) I cannot have data from clients in a cloud, I could loose my shirt. I need a weekly calendar which also shows to do and notes like in Outlook.. OneNote on the PC is not fully compatible with OneNote in WP8. I made it work, but it is a work around. In the list of Apps I have at least 10 single letters and when you click on it, it opens the full alphabet, nothing else. SkyDrive is for me only of limit use, A BT Keyboard is a deal breaker, I use the phone in meetings to take notes which later will be part of a client electronic file. Samsung Ativ is a nice phone, basically I like it, but it has to assist and function in my daily work. I do not care to store a lot of music or videos. Miss a good file manager. You mention the top bar, not on the Samsung above the tiles. It shows only the time. Imagine you have a fight with the IRS for hundred of thousand of $$ and I would as your attorney leave documents in your case on SkyDrive.
Thanks and have a great day with your coffee.
By the way, I am for over 10 years a MS Partner.
[email protected] said:
Good answer, but please see that DropBox (will try Boxfiles App)or Team Viewer or Dragon and other do not work, As an attorney- (working with very sensitive data) I cannot have data from clients in a cloud, I could loose my shirt. I need a weekly calendar which also shows to do and notes like in Outlook.. OneNote on the PC is not fully compatible with OneNote in WP8. I made it work, but it is a work around. In the list of Apps I have at least 10 single letters and when you click on it, it opens the full alphabet, nothing else. SkyDrive is for me only of limit use, A BT Keyboard is a deal breaker, I use the phone in meetings to take notes which later will be part of a client electronic file. Samsung Ativ is a nice phone, basically I like it, but it has to assist and function in my daily work. I do not care to store a lot of music or videos. Miss a good file manager. You mention the top bar, not on the Samsung above the tiles. It shows only the time. Imagine you have a fight with the IRS for hundred of thousand of $$ and I would as your attorney leave documents in your case on SkyDrive.
Thanks and have a great day with your coffee.
By the way, I am for over 10 years a MS Partner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
On the top bar, if you tap anywhere in the bar (on the time or anywhere to the left of it), the cell + Wifi + BT + battery status show up. They disappear after a few seconds in the interest of clean design (then show up only when there's a problem, like no signal or low battery). On the app list, in addition to the alphabetical jump-list, there's also a search button at the top-left.
The Calendar app has to-dos (see the "to-do" tab to the right of "agenda"). Week view is indeed missing-- MS should prob implement it in landscape view, as Apple did when it added week view in iOS 5. You can sort of approximate it by tapping month view -> day for each day of the week. Something weird about the month view is that if you look at it carefully on a 720p device in landscape, you'll notice the number of items matches how many you have scheduled for that day, but the actual text is gibberish (lorem ipsum) instead of your actual items, since it's not meant to be visible haha.
I've been a pretty heavy OneNote user- the WP8 app is not the full desktop app by any means, but it's better than what you get on Android or iOS. The local file manager issue is valid-- WP8 does not expose the file system in the interest of simplicity, which does make things less flexible than, say, Windows Mobile. I use SkyDrive as a sort of local drive, since everything in WP8 can save there-- but if you have concerns with consumer cloud services (SkyDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, etc.) being subpoenable, etc., that's a valid concern.
There is some motion in that space, though-- I know of many law firms that have switched to Office 365 for Exchange/Sharepoint/etc. (which is a lot more data than just files in SkyDrive), since the uptime and security is actually better than what they had in-house (http://www.microsoftbusinesshub.com/Industries/Legal). That includes "SkyDrive Pro," the Sharepoint file store.
If I can suggest something, take a look at the Surface RT, with the Type Cover. You'll get a full-blown Windows experience, with local files, full-blown Office 2013 (minus x86 macros) with desktop OneNote, etc., and a great keyboard, but 10-hour battery life, in a 1.5 lb form factor. There's a TeamViewer app for WinRT, and you can access almost anything a full PC can (here on XDA, people have even ported x86 desktop apps and an x86 emulator). I generally carry the Surface + WP8 everywhere now-- phone for quick stuff and Surface for longer content.
[email protected] said:
Good answer, but please see that DropBox (will try Boxfiles App)or Team Viewer or Dragon and other do not work, As an attorney- (working with very sensitive data) I cannot have data from clients in a cloud, I could loose my shirt. I need a weekly calendar which also shows to do and notes like in Outlook.. OneNote on the PC is not fully compatible with OneNote in WP8. I made it work, but it is a work around. In the list of Apps I have at least 10 single letters and when you click on it, it opens the full alphabet, nothing else. SkyDrive is for me only of limit use, A BT Keyboard is a deal breaker, I use the phone in meetings to take notes which later will be part of a client electronic file. Samsung Ativ is a nice phone, basically I like it, but it has to assist and function in my daily work. I do not care to store a lot of music or videos. Miss a good file manager. You mention the top bar, not on the Samsung above the tiles. It shows only the time. Imagine you have a fight with the IRS for hundred of thousand of $$ and I would as your attorney leave documents in your case on SkyDrive.
Thanks and have a great day with your coffee.
By the way, I am for over 10 years a MS Partner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U couldnt have data from ur clients on a cloud? Then u shouldnt use android
And if u want not to use Skydrive with Onenote u can also create Offline Word Documents and write down ur Meeting Information there.
And what exactly isnt working with One Note on PC and ur Phone?
But for what r u using dropbox? Isnt that a cloud too?
After u press a Letter in the Apps Menu the Alphabet is show so u can select the Letter u want ur App starts with.
For the Topbar u can always touch on the Clock to get the Whole Topbar shown with all Informations.
[email protected] said:
You can be sure not a troll nor stupid. I use mobile phones from the beginning and can very well distinguish pros and cons. We can and do build out own servers and use the phone as a business tool. Just see what MS did with the BT stack, incomplete, you cannot connect a simple keyboard which is needed when taking notes in conferences, Using the cloud for confidential information is a nono, DropBox does not work with WP8.... Me or someone else calling stupid shows where your standard is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Androids bt stack is also incomplete. Most of the other things you mention are there. If its trully business usage you want then buy a WM device, not even your beloved android comes close to wm. The only thing wm doesn't do better is games and video playback and most of that is down to crap drivers from the oems
Sent from my Arc using xda app-developers app
Thanks for your answer but you should not imply like "not even your beloved android comes close to wm" never used it. You asked "And what exactly isnt working with One Note on PC and ur Phone?" On the PC I have in One Note a personal and office section. The office section can only be seen with Sky Drive.Why not having both section direct in the Phones One Note without Sky Drive. Any suggestion? I guess it is possible but do not know to get it done. It seems Logitech will bring a compatible Keyboard for the Ativ,
Calendar, I use Week View 8 what does the most I need, but you cannot change there appointments or to dos, you have to go through agenda.. We have Office 365 and have until today nit made a final decision.A replacement for Team Viewer not found except you run it through Internet Explorer.I will always listen and learn and keep things in an appropriate way.
[email protected] said:
Thanks for your answer but you should not imply like "not even your beloved android comes close to wm" never used it. You asked "And what exactly isnt working with One Note on PC and ur Phone?" On the PC I have in One Note a personal and office section. The office section can only be seen with Sky Drive.Why not having both section direct in the Phones One Note without Sky Drive. Any suggestion? I guess it is possible but do not know to get it done. It seems Logitech will bring a compatible Keyboard for the Ativ,
Calendar, I use Week View 8 what does the most I need, but you cannot change there appointments or to dos, you have to go through agenda.. We have Office 365 and have until today nit made a final decision.A replacement for Team Viewer not found except you run it through Internet Explorer.I will always listen and learn and keep things in an appropriate way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like vnc better then teamviewer personally. Ive never had as problem with one note or outlook syncing. I also enjoy the android os on my tablet. Perhaps that might be a solution for you. I use my Aviv s to provide internet to my android tablet.
Sent from my A100 using xda app-developers app
[email protected] said:
Good answer, but please see that DropBox (will try Boxfiles App)or Team Viewer or Dragon and other do not work, As an attorney- (working with very sensitive data) I cannot have data from clients in a cloud, I could loose my shirt. I need a weekly calendar which also shows to do and notes like in Outlook.. OneNote on the PC is not fully compatible with OneNote in WP8. I made it work, but it is a work around. In the list of Apps I have at least 10 single letters and when you click on it, it opens the full alphabet, nothing else. SkyDrive is for me only of limit use, A BT Keyboard is a deal breaker, I use the phone in meetings to take notes which later will be part of a client electronic file. Samsung Ativ is a nice phone, basically I like it, but it has to assist and function in my daily work. I do not care to store a lot of music or videos. Miss a good file manager. You mention the top bar, not on the Samsung above the tiles. It shows only the time. Imagine you have a fight with the IRS for hundred of thousand of $$ and I would as your attorney leave documents in your case on SkyDrive.
Thanks and have a great day with your coffee.
By the way, I am for over 10 years a MS Partner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there is one thing that WP does infinitely better than Android, that is protecting your privacy.
Hell, on android you can even get spyware and trojan downloaded from the marketplace, and you will never even know it. If you want privacy, go for WP and stick with it.
mcosmin222 said:
If there is one thing that WP does infinitely better than Android, that is protecting your privacy.
Hell, on android you can even get spyware and trojan downloaded from the marketplace, and you will never even know it. If you want privacy, go for WP and stick with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL.......it seems that 95% of WP apps require access to your location, and they send this also to Microsoft. Having access to my location is fine, as long as it makes sense.
Darkjamzi said:
LOL.......it seems that 95% of WP apps require access to your location, and they send this also to Microsoft. Having access to my location is fine, as long as it makes sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cause yeh LOL google maps location process doesn't run like 100% if time in the background on ANY android phone.