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I got me a smart phone! Its only taken me two weeks to get the basics programmed the way I want.
First off, I chose this phone not just because it was free, but because it seemed to have everything I wanted including direct sync with Outlook (personal, not professional). Well the direct sync isn't so direct - you have to use GMail. Ok - but I already have a mail account but now you want me to set up GMail. Hmmm.... I search for work arounds, try several free to try programs, nothing works. I do find a complicated fix which requires actually reprogramming the phone, but I decide that I don't want to risk voiding the warranty.
I set up a 'dummy' Gmail account so I can back up stuff on there. Put in a one friend's contact info and sync. WOAH! My phone somehow populates with many contacts' information. I am puzzled. How did this happen? And then I notice that some of the contacts are not current. Many hours later I figure out that my phone is synching with a list from T-Mobile. Long ago I had a T-Mobile version of a basic Blackberry which I promptly lost only a few months after acquiring. I'd totally forgotten that I had backed all that stuff onto T-Mobile for safe keeping. So 80% of what I want is now on the phone. (Go me!). I update this info and sync back to T-Mobile.
Interestingly enough the phone will sink with Outlook for contacts, but the calendar program that the phone comes with sucks. I go to the Android Marketplace (look at all the shiny apps!) and try to download calendar program and security software. AM says I have 'no device associated' - finally realize I have to add the phone to my GMail information.
Then it only takes me two days of trying every calendar program around to choose one and of course I have to sync through GMail. I have an ancient Palm that has my calendar, back that onto Outlook , sync everything and its not terrible. Just one problem - every birthday is listed 10 times. Hmmm.
Finally figure out that GMail has repeatedly added repeated events. Ten listings means, I've had the Palm for ten years. So I manually delete all the duplicate listings for the fairly large number of birthdays/anniversaries/other occasions and sync. Check my phone and it didn't carry over. Hmmm. Delete multiples from phone and sync. Now they're back on GMail. Whhhhat? Can't seem to make the deletions stick. After many hours of frustration I suddenly realize I DID NOT DELETE THE PROGRAM THAT SYNCS OUTLOOK WITH GMAIL.So every time I synced it was backing up those multiple historical listing from Outlook to GMail. So dump that program, delete all the multiples and it works! And I will admit that GMail has some nice color coding that carries over to the phone calendar.
It only takes a couple of hours for me to figure out what a widget is and get the calendar views I want on my home page.
Email is a snap. I can link my current non-Gmail account to my phone and that works fine. I can read all my emails and go to live journal and read porn!!! Yay!
So now all I have to do is update some birth dates that weren't on my Palm calendar (but on my contact list info) manually. And find a decent app for adding Jewish holidays onto a standard calendar. And learn how to use the camera. And figure out if I want to leave the GPS on or not.
This has eaten up two weeks of my life - and it irritates me that the non-TMobile version of this HTC phone will sync directly with Outlook. Yeah, Google, I know you want to monetize everything and I accept that you will do that with my web browsing, but really, my calendar and contacts? Ok - let's see what you do with the every six week repeating event CHANGE LITTER BOX! If you have an app for that, I'll be seriously impressed.
As a bonus, my phone acquired an echo yesterday - got a new sim card put in this AM and everything is fine.
Now let's get back to writing TW!
First off, I chose this phone not just because it was free, but because it seemed to have everything I wanted including direct sync with Outlook (personal, not professional). Well the direct sync isn't so direct - you have to use GMail. Ok - but I already have a mail account but now you want me to set up GMail. Hmmm.... I search for work arounds, try several free to try programs, nothing works. I do find a complicated fix which requires actually reprogramming the phone, but I decide that I don't want to risk voiding the warranty.
I set up a 'dummy' Gmail account so I can back up stuff on there. Put in a one friend's contact info and sync. WOAH! My phone somehow populates with many contacts' information. I am puzzled. How did this happen? And then I notice that some of the contacts are not current. Many hours later I figure out that my phone is synching with a list from T-Mobile. Long ago I had a T-Mobile version of a basic Blackberry which I promptly lost only a few months after acquiring. I'd totally forgotten that I had backed all that stuff onto T-Mobile for safe keeping. So 80% of what I want is now on the phone. (Go me!). I update this info and sync back to T-Mobile.
Interestingly enough the phone will sink with Outlook for contacts, but the calendar program that the phone comes with sucks. I go to the Android Marketplace (look at all the shiny apps!) and try to download calendar program and security software. AM says I have 'no device associated' - finally realize I have to add the phone to my GMail information.
Then it only takes me two days of trying every calendar program around to choose one and of course I have to sync through GMail. I have an ancient Palm that has my calendar, back that onto Outlook , sync everything and its not terrible. Just one problem - every birthday is listed 10 times. Hmmm.
Finally figure out that GMail has repeatedly added repeated events. Ten listings means, I've had the Palm for ten years. So I manually delete all the duplicate listings for the fairly large number of birthdays/anniversaries/other occasions and sync. Check my phone and it didn't carry over. Hmmm. Delete multiples from phone and sync. Now they're back on GMail. Whhhhat? Can't seem to make the deletions stick. After many hours of frustration I suddenly realize I DID NOT DELETE THE PROGRAM THAT SYNCS OUTLOOK WITH GMAIL.So every time I synced it was backing up those multiple historical listing from Outlook to GMail. So dump that program, delete all the multiples and it works! And I will admit that GMail has some nice color coding that carries over to the phone calendar.
It only takes a couple of hours for me to figure out what a widget is and get the calendar views I want on my home page.
Email is a snap. I can link my current non-Gmail account to my phone and that works fine. I can read all my emails and go to live journal and read porn!!! Yay!
So now all I have to do is update some birth dates that weren't on my Palm calendar (but on my contact list info) manually. And find a decent app for adding Jewish holidays onto a standard calendar. And learn how to use the camera. And figure out if I want to leave the GPS on or not.
This has eaten up two weeks of my life - and it irritates me that the non-TMobile version of this HTC phone will sync directly with Outlook. Yeah, Google, I know you want to monetize everything and I accept that you will do that with my web browsing, but really, my calendar and contacts? Ok - let's see what you do with the every six week repeating event CHANGE LITTER BOX! If you have an app for that, I'll be seriously impressed.
As a bonus, my phone acquired an echo yesterday - got a new sim card put in this AM and everything is fine.
Now let's get back to writing TW!
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