Going Android from iPhone, questions

[dc496]

What's up guys? I'm seriously considering making the switch from iPhone to Android.. specifically the Nexus One. I have a lot of questions.. mainly about the Android software because I can already see that the N1 is much, much better in terms of hardware than the iPhone. I've already read a bunch on these forums and others but I have a bit more specific questions.

1) Is there any way to sync Outlook calendar appointments to the N1? iTunes does it automatically. More specifically, is there a way for the N1 to give reminders of appointments/events? You can set a reminder time in Outlook and iTunes automatically syncs that aswell. Syncing can be done through an online service or with a USB cable through the computer, doesn't matter.

2) Related to #1, is there a way to sync the Outlook task list into a "to do" list program or something similar? On the iPhone, I used Toodeldo Sync to synchronize tasks to Toodeldo.com and used their native iPhone app to sync it to and from my phone. This would be best if it could be done over-the-air with an online service.

3) What's the best method of organizing music on the Android? What's the best way to put music on the Android? I use iTunes and have over 60GB of music currently and I usually keep about 5-6k songs on my iPhone. Is there a way to sync with iTunes or a way to synchronize iTunes playlists? Does the Android support playlists at all?

4) Are there any alternative music players than the stock Android one? I've heard that one pretty much sucks.. and the iPod app on the iPhone is pretty amazing.. so I'm kind of spoiled in that regard.

5) Is there a headset which can be used to listen to music aswell as talk on the phone? The standard iPhone earphones have a built in mic aswell as buttons which can answer/hang up calls and turn up/down volume.

6) For those who've used the iPhone keyboard, how would you compare it with the Android keyboard? I understand there are some alternative keyboards available.. are any as good as the iPhones? I'm sure it'll take some getting used to.. but what is the best one?

7) What exactly is Google Voice? Can it be used on AT&T? I applied for an invitation on their website already.. just wondering what it could help me accomplish. I'll also likely be switching to TMobile in the summer when my iPhone contract is up.

8) How is the battery? I'm likely going to be on WiFi for the most of the day so I likely will have 3G turned off. I usually listen to music atleast a couple of hours, browse the web a couple of hours, and a couple of hours of talk time/messaging. The rest of the day, my phone is usually idle. Will that be a problem with the N1?

Thanks a lot in advance for any information.

If you want to toss in any extra tips/notes about Android/N1, that would be great.. may help me get in the boat sooner.

Thanks again.

 

[dc496]

Also, one more: What is the best case for the N1? Preferably something that shields the screen too. My friend has a cool, sturdy carbon-fiber type case for his HTC Hero.. anything similar available for the N1? Something easy to grip and sturdy.

Thanks

 

[TheBrit]

1. Yes - the calendar syncs via the cloud. Install Google Calendar Sync on your PC, give it your Google Calendar details and you are good to go. Your phone will also sync to Google Calendar pretty much in real time.

2. Not sure. It does not Sync OutLook tasks at present and I wish it did. Maybe someone else can answer this one.

3. There's a 3rd party app that helps with this. Not something I know too much about.

4. The music player on my Hero is just fine for me. You need to try it yourself. You could check out Mortplayer - it was very popular on WinMo.

5. Yes your phone will come with one. Your iPhone one might even work in it.

6. Love the keyboard on my Hero. You can long press for special characters and numerics. There are other keyboards available.

7. Not tried it.

8. I certainly will not be any worse than your iPhone. Also you can expect aftermarket extended batteries to appear in due course.

Aftermarket cases should not be too far away either. Although Google *might* will have to shift a few more N1s if aftermarket suppliers are going to want to support it though.

Enjoy the freedom that Android gives!!

 

[Tiptopdrop]

As for #3, check out iSyncr in the Android Market on your phone.

 

[El Blacksheep]

Battery usage is sporadic the first few days, but after a bit of battery conditioning it can generally last up to 2 days depending on usage. Right now my Droid is running 17 hours on 50% charge.

 

[Tiptopdrop]

I can't get my batter to last, so I bought a charger for work. That's not a big deal to me, but hey, some people get annoyed by that type of thing. However, I like having a GHz phone.