Before I buy - questions the Sales guys don't really know the answer to...

[phillipdhall]

I'm so stoked to upgrade from my VZW TP1!! Here's a few questions I have after reading reviews about the X, and I'm hoping the people who picked up their phones today can give me straight, reliable answers, since the folks in the store seem to be trained to just say yes.

1) Bluetooth voice dialing - Can I sync any old bluetooth headset, push the button on the headset, and voice dial without ever picking up the phone?

2) Outlook Sync - I do NOT have an exchange server. Can I fully sync via USB with Outlook - Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, Sent email items, with appropriate categories? If I am forced to use google's cloud-based PIM systems (which seems a privacy problem to me), do their systems support categories, flags, and the outlook features I've become accustomed to?

3) Office Mobile - I really only need to edit excel and word. Does it come with the phone, is it available at all, how much does it cost?

Thanks for your help

Phil

[Humpa]

Originally Posted by phillipdhall

I'm so stoked to upgrade from my VZW TP1!! Here's a few questions I have after reading reviews about the X, and I'm hoping the people who picked up their phones today can give me straight, reliable answers, since the folks in the store seem to be trained to just say yes.

1) Bluetooth voice dialing - Can I sync any old bluetooth headset, push the button on the headset, and voice dial without ever picking up the phone?

2) Outlook Sync - I do NOT have an exchange server. Can I fully sync via USB with Outlook - Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, Sent email items, with appropriate categories? If I am forced to use google's cloud-based PIM systems (which seems a privacy problem to me), do their systems support categories, flags, and the outlook features I've become accustomed to?

3) Office Mobile - I really only need to edit excel and word. Does it come with the phone, is it available at all, how much does it cost?

Thanks for your help

Phil

1. Yes

2. That topic is more involved and I do not know. But if you don't want your stuff on the cloud, then don't use the Android Calendar and Contacts (or turn off any sort of google account syncing in the settings). Try googling for a good tutorial on syncing Outlook with Google (the phone is irrelevant - syncing to your gmail account will also sync to your phone, assuming you tell it to)

3. I believe Docs To Go does all that. http://www.androlib.com/android.appl...togo-qmBD.aspx

[Explodee]

I'm not sure if it can connect and sync with Outlook but here is a way to get outlook contacts into Google.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ou...001148902.aspx

Only downside is that it does NOT sync pictures. You have to do it manually from your Google contacts, which is what I have been doing for the last 2 hours.

[blazingwolf]

Android can and does sync with an exchange account. It will not do tasks at the moment though.

[phillipdhall]

I'm really disapointed to hear that they haven't figured this out yet. I don't think I'm the only one whose life is managed by Outlook (at least at work). The whole justification for these expensive smart-phones is to keep that database with me. I guess I keep holding my breath 'till windows 7...

I guess all the manufacturers are the same: "Switch to my ecosystem or else."

[racedog]

I also need to sync with Outlook and not an exchange server. I found two apps that are supposed to work together to do this. One is Companionlink and the other is DejaOfiice. DejaOffice is free but Companionlink is $40. That seemed too high a price to me so I just exported my Outlook Contacts to a CSV file and uploaded it to Google contacts and then synced my phone to Google. I'm not thrilled with that idea but it works fine. I can also do the same with my calendar. But, the brings the question of Outlook because now we are syncing with google and that doesn't update Outlook and if we do our entries into Outlook then we have to export a CSV to import into google.

My dinc used HTC Sync and it was a hassle but it did work. Right now I've got what I need moved to the phone but going forward I have to find a way to do this other than exporting/importing files between my computer and google.

If I really have to I suppose I'll end up buying the Companionlink software but I'm going to keep looking for another solution and put off buying until I just don't have any other option.

R

[jmorton10]

Originally Posted by racedog

DejaOffice is free

the ad supported version is free, the app is $9.95 for the ad-free version.

~John

[Zaphod-Beeblebrox]

Originally Posted by racedog

I also need to sync with Outlook and not an exchange server. I found two apps that are supposed to work together to do this. One is Companionlink and the other is DejaOfiice. DejaOffice is free but Companionlink is $40. That seemed too high a price to me so I just exported my Outlook Contacts to a CSV file and uploaded it to Google contacts and then synced my phone to Google. I'm not thrilled with that idea but it works fine. I can also do the same with my calendar. But, the brings the question of Outlook because now we are syncing with google and that doesn't update Outlook and if we do our entries into Outlook then we have to export a CSV to import into google.

My dinc used HTC Sync and it was a hassle but it did work. Right now I've got what I need moved to the phone but going forward I have to find a way to do this other than exporting/importing files between my computer and google.

If I really have to I suppose I'll end up buying the Companionlink software but I'm going to keep looking for another solution and put off buying until I just don't have any other option.

R

One route is to actually transfer your domain to Google Apps. If you do the Premier Version ($50.00/year per user), they will host your website & handle all of your e-mail/calender/contacts, etc. The Premier version also has access to the outlook synchronizer which more or less puts Google as your back-end server (like exchange) but syncs your e-mail/contact/calenders, etc with outlook.
Of course, since the data is on your google account, it syncs with the phone just fine.

[aximtreo]

Seems a damn shame that you can just directly sync with Outlook. This topic had been hashed out across many forums both WM and Android based.

There is another option similar to companionLink and that is a program made by MarkSpace. The droid side is free; the PC side is $40 (no price colusion here). If you read up on either or both, you will find they are a stop gap way of doing it and neither does it well.

Maybe some protests to Google for Droid 3 will get them to offer a seamless sync method but I ain't holding my breath.

[Sonic Boom]

You can also use Touchdown but tasks still do not work at this time