Going Android from iPhone, questions

[Benny]

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?

9) 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 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.

[Iggy82]

Wow thats a lot of questions in one post, I'm pretty sure the Nexus will fulfil all your requests and exceed your expectations. Just get one and play with it! You wont be dissapointed!

[Discman]

you can sync your contacts with your Gmail account. The screen of Nexus one is way better than iPhone 3GS, but the sound is worse

[soulstar]

Originally Posted by Benny

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.

Yes. There are a couple of ways. The approach is different from your iPhone though. You will sync your Outlook calendar appointments with Google Calendar. Once synced on to your Google Calendar, your Nexus One will automatically sync up to that.

Google has a Windows sync client that does this for you but it's been a miss for me because it does not carry over my recurring appointments from Outlook. The client is still a beta and seems to be a hit and miss for a lot of people.

I personally use a third party client that reads my Outlook and syncs up to Google Calendar daily. It's worked very well.

Best way to see if the Google Sync client works for you is to go download it right now and try and see if it gets synced up correctly for you. If it does, it answers your question and question 2 as well.

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?

I've heard that there's an app called DoubleTwist for android that does what it's supposed to do. I haven't tried it yet but from what I'm hearing, it's great. Someone else can probably answer the playlist question.

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.

There are a good number of apps. TuneWiki is the one I've heard a lot of good things about.

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.

No idea Haven't tried.

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?

I have an iPod Touch... at least to me, keyboard seems to be on par with each other. I use a beta app called "Swype" for typing on my N1.

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.

There's a misconception that it's a true VoIP app, but it's not quite there yet. You can associate a mobile number after obtaining an GVoice account and that number can serve as a visual voicemail box with transcripts, it'll accept sms texts through that number. You can also receive calls with that number as well all the while keeping your original number. There's more to it but what are you exactly wanting to accomplish?

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?

Hard to say as it differs from user to user (usagewise). For me, batterylife is okay. Wifi is the only radio i have turned off all the time. I do have the screen on full brightness and I do quite a bit of 3G usage and at least 2 hours of talking daily. By the time I get to bed, I'm at about 20-30% battery left.

9) 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.

Best case is the one that fits your needs best. Head over to the accessories section as there are a good amount of discussions on cases and protectors that are slowly being released for N1.

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.

If you're coming over from an iPhone, I guess one big thing you should note that the approach is different (obviously). The Nexus One (or Android OS 2.1) is focused on having you tied to and synced to Google in many ways. Obviously, the calendar is a good example. Gmail is another example. There aren't a great deal of desktop-to-phone thing you see in N1 because the approach is that you are syncing with Google over the air. That may change with third parties later on but that's how it is now.

[nailedtonothing]

my FD work calendar is on outlook and i was able to use google calendar sync to import my work calendar events to my google calendar for my phone. if the reminders don't sync you can always set them through the n1 calendar app.

[misticjeff]

Originally Posted by Benny

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.

Yes... take a look at this link:

How to Sync your Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar and Android Phone Calendar | Android Tapp. Android App Reviews

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.

I would say yes again but dont have facts.. never needed that but i'm sure you can either with above method or with an app.

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?

The beauty of Android is that you don't need a sync program to get music on your phone. You can just drag and drop to your SD card. However, there is a great program called Double Twist that is very "itunes like" and will do the job for you. Link:

Sync Android, PSP, BlackBerry, Pre: doubleTwist with Amazon MP3

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.

Yes, TuneWiki is very nice and includes lyric support. There are others as well. May I suggest taking a look at either AndroidZoom or Androlib to see all available Android Apps.

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.

Yes, actually the iPhone headset works perfectly with the Nexus and can be used to talk and mute a call. It also functions in the music player. A long press will launch the music player, short press for play/pause and two quick presses with change songs.

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?

I find the stock Android keyboard to be just fine. I owned a 3GS for a year and can honestly say that I dont see too much difference. It's all about what you're used to.

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.

Google Voice can be used to setup an alternative phone number if you wish, giving you the option to not have to give out your cell number, you can blacklist, send callers immediately to voice mail, etc. It will work with ATT as it's a separate component. You can also text via Google Voice and use it for visual voice mail, text notification of calls as well as email. I'd suggest going to the Google Voice site and reading up. Very full featured.

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?

As with any device, WiFi will use battery at a greater rate than mobile connections. With playing music, surfing, twitter, etc. I can go a whole day with no trouble, which is about the same as with my iphone.

9) 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.

There are many choices already. YOu need to search the forums here, ebay, etc and decide for yourself. Do you want Silicone, TCP (Hybrid), Leather, etc....

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.

Take a look above, responses in red.

[SoCal65]

#1,2

Google Calendar Sync: Google Calendar

Mark/Space: Keep your life in sync with The Missing Sync for Android from Mark/Space

Companion Link: Sync Microsoft Outlook to Google and Android-based phones like the Motorola Droid | CompanionLink

#3 doubleTwist

#4 Stock player plays music fine - playlists, blah blah -- what matters is listening to your music, which you can... not to mention Pandora radio or Slacker radio.

#5 Standard plug works with headphones and mic

#6 Better keyboard app with iPhone skin is what I'm currently using.

Introducing: Better Keyboard for Android Better Android Apps

#7 Google Voice - 2 things - A new phone number that can ring any/all your other lines and Voice mail that transcribes your messages and can be viewed on the phone, computer, e-mail, text.

I currently use just the voice mail option and not the google phone number - you get to pick what options you want.

Best to check following link: Google Voice

#8 Battery is about the same as iPhone... get wall chargers and car charger.

#9 Check any of the online stores - really personal taste. I don't use a phone case, but do use a Body Glove hip case.

[Benny]

Thank you all so much for your help.

I think Mark Space will do just about everything I need. I still don't see a way to sync the task list to the phone but I suppose there will be a way soon if there isn't one right now.

Does anyone know of any specific apps that can sync the task list on Outlook?

Thanks again so much, guys. I'll be ordering the N1 early next week providing Apple doesn't blow me out of the water tomorrow.

[xrepo]

Originally Posted by soulstar

Yes. There are a couple of ways. The approach is different from your iPhone though. You will sync your Outlook calendar appointments with Google Calendar. Once synced on to your Google Calendar, your Nexus One will automatically sync up to that.

Google has a Windows sync client that does this for you but it's been a miss for me because it does not carry over my recurring appointments from Outlook. The client is still a beta and seems to be a hit and miss for a lot of people.

I personally use a third party client that reads my Outlook and syncs up to Google Calendar daily. It's worked very well.

Best way to see if the Google Sync client works for you is to go download it right now and try and see if it gets synced up correctly for you. If it does, it answers your question and question 2 as well.

I've heard that there's an app called DoubleTwist for android that does what it's supposed to do. I haven't tried it yet but from what I'm hearing, it's great. Someone else can probably answer the playlist question.



There are a good number of apps. TuneWiki is the one I've heard a lot of good things about.



No idea Haven't tried.



I have an iPod Touch... at least to me, keyboard seems to be on par with each other. I use a beta app called "Swype" for typing on my N1.



There's a misconception that it's a true VoIP app, but it's not quite there yet. You can associate a mobile number after obtaining an GVoice account and that number can serve as a visual voicemail box with transcripts, it'll accept sms texts through that number. You can also receive calls with that number as well all the while keeping your original number. There's more to it but what are you exactly wanting to accomplish?



Hard to say as it differs from user to user (usagewise). For me, batterylife is okay. Wifi is the only radio i have turned off all the time. I do have the screen on full brightness and I do quite a bit of 3G usage and at least 2 hours of talking daily. By the time I get to bed, I'm at about 20-30% battery left.

Best case is the one that fits your needs best. Head over to the accessories section as there are a good amount of discussions on cases and protectors that are slowly being released for N1.

If you're coming over from an iPhone, I guess one big thing you should note that the approach is different (obviously). The Nexus One (or Android OS 2.1) is focused on having you tied to and synced to Google in many ways. Obviously, the calendar is a good example. Gmail is another example. There aren't a great deal of desktop-to-phone thing you see in N1 because the approach is that you are syncing with Google over the air. That may change with third parties later on but that's how it is now.

Soulstar what a great reply I also had some questions and you answered them. I also was afraid to jump to N1 from Iphone but made the jump and am learning more and more everyday. As for t-mobile for me anything is better than att. for the headphones I have been using the motorola bluetooth works great.
thanks again for the great answers
xrepo

[tiptopdrop]

As for question #3, you can indeed sync directly with iTunes playlists using iSyncr. However, it will not sync DRM files.

JRT Studio: iSyncr FAQ