Old Windows Mobile user seeks Android?

[maysa]

Hi all,

New here, and fairly new to Android. I am however far from new to Windows Mobile, have been using and writing apps for it since back in the old Casio Cassiopeia days (about 1996). So you can imagine I'm pretty entrenched with the CE way.

I currently have a HTC HD2 phone - I have all the apps I need for it and I have everything how I like on it. I use Outlook for my many email accounts and contact lists and they sync up easily. Life is good!

But, obviously there is little future in the platform. Phone 7 is out, and I"ll look at that, but it's all new. My apps won't work. It looks different (and I can't get myself to like the look). So I need to fairly evaluate the market.

I really don't like Apple. So that's that. (almost fairly evaluate)

I try Android on my HD2. It runs well, all as it should. But I have some sticking points you guys might be able to help with.

(1) Outlook contacts/calendar/tasks - can't sync - I do have a gmail account, which hooks up all my email accounts for rare times I need it but it's for emergency use only. I need to sync that stuff on my phone...

(2) Facebook - my Android contact list is full of my Facebook contacts, I don't want that.

(3) Media - I use Windows Media Player to put music on the phone, often the files are WMA's - it seems Android won't play these?

(4) Is there a decent turn by turn navigation app like my TomTom WM app?

(5) Android seems to hammer my mobile data plan. I never run into my cap but in a few days of Android I get a warning SMS from my provider that I'm at 90% of limit - is this normal? Will I need a huge data plan?

There's other stuff but these are the show stoppers. I don't mind buying apps but until I commit I don't want to spend too much, you know?

Thanks if you bothered to read this far

Scott.

 

[sitlet]

(1) Outlook contacts/calendar/tasks - can't sync - I do have a gmail account, which hooks up all my email accounts for rare times I need it but it's for emergency use only. I need to sync that stuff on my phone...

Import your contacts to your gmail on your pc. When you setup your phone, they will automatically pull down to your phone.

(2) Facebook - my Android contact list is full of my Facebook contacts, I don't want that.

In the People (contacts) app, hit menu-view, and uncheck facebook.

(3) Media - I use Windows Media Player to put music on the phone, often the files are WMA's - it seems Android won't play these?

Not natively, its a windows file, i'm pretty sure windows doesnt want other platforms using their codecs. You can use an app called Rock Player and it should be able to play them though.

(4) Is there a decent turn by turn navigation app like my TomTom WM app?

Google Maps Navigation comes standard, and is the best gps app i have used, even better than my standalone gps unit.

5) Android seems to hammer my mobile data plan. I never run into my cap but in a few days of Android I get a warning SMS from my provider that I'm at 90% of limit - is this normal? Will I need a huge data plan?

the first few days with your phone will always use a lot of data, as things are still syncing and setting up. Also, you can hit Menu-settings-accounts and sync, and turn off any programs that are syncing in the background that you dont need. For example, the stock android News and Stock quotes app are automaticaly set to sync every 2 hours when you get the phone. If you dont turn those off, they will sync every two hours, even if you dont ever use them.

 

[lunatic59]

Let me try to answer these as I was on WM6.1 before coming to the green side ...

1.) If you are talking about desktop outlook, then syncing the way WM does is not supported. There are third party apps available to do this sort of, but not as straightforward as WM (or WP7). Android will sync with an exchange server, but the functionality will be dependent on what version of Android you are running. The later the better. Android is designed from the ground up to sync with Google's servers, so if gmail is an option for you, the syncing will be easy.

2.) Go to menu>settings>accounts & sync and click your facebook account. You should have the option to uncheck sync contacts.

3.) you can play .wma files but not with the stock media player. PowerAMP Music Player (Trial) - Android app on AppBrain will play them. for example.

4.) Google maps includes excellent free turn by turn navigation. The catch is it needs a data connection to get the maps. copilot - Search Android Apps on AppBrain has stored maps and is on sale right now for only five bucks.

5.) data is dependent on what you are doing. Maps use a lot of data. Apps that sync frequently like facebook and mail will use some data, but if you connect to WiFi when available, your mobile data use will go way down.

 

[maysa]

Hi there,

Thanks for those quick responses.

(1) Outlook - I know people love to hate MS and that's okay, but there really is a bucket load of people who use Outlook, certainly in a business environment. Surely somebody want's to make it easy I've found how I can sync my calendar (by telling Google everything I'm ever going to do!) - can it understand my contacts and tasks as well???

(2) Facebook contacts - cool, thanks.

(3) Okay I understand people don't like MS and their proprietary formats (oops, item 1!) but I will try the after market players. Maybe I've been spoiled by HTC making the very best of an aging platform?

(4) I will try Copilot. One of the things I really like about TomTom is that I have the maps on board, and don't have to download them again and again like Google. I'm often out of range (in Australia we have "the bush" where there is no signal!!!) so maps on board are really handy. Often I just get TomTom to route me a course from here to there and I have what I want to know before I even get a GPS lock. Also I still don't feel completely comfortable with Google knowing that I'm heading to the pub (place for drinking) or the nearest Mexican restaurant!

(5) Data - yes well I have WiFi at work and home, I'm just not used to having to flick on WiFi all the time just to operate normally. I will investigate this more closely.

Thanks very much everyone!

Scott.