Tech - iPhone to Android?

[Irulan]

Hey all. As I'm about due for an upgrade, I am seriously thinking about switching phone OS. The iphone was a gift - I never got to choose. My main beef with it is that I absolutely detest Itunes especially for managing my music.

My son has a Samsung, and some of the things he's pointed out to me is the ability to add a micro SD card for additional memory, the ability to play any kind of music file including FLAC and to use other music managers, and file drag-n-drop similar to windows.

One big question is how easily do non iOS phones sync with Outlook? I haven't been able to find anything concrete via Google.

I'm not interested in OS wars, just want to know if anyone has made the switch or used both systems and what they have to say.

[thekarens]

I've used both, but don't use Outlook, so I'm not much use for this question. I currently use a Galaxy S3.

Hopefully someone else can answer it.

[Irulan]

having used both, what kind of comments do you have to make on system differences?

[OakLeaf]

I'm not much help either, but I know that DH tears his hair out trying to sync his iPhone with Outlook, and he is having to look for a replacement because apparently Microsoft is doing away with the software that allows the link?

One of the reasons I didn't get an iPhone was that before I got a smartphone, I was using an iPod Touch as my PDA, and tearing my hair out trying to sync it with Entourage (the old Mac equivalent of Outlook). Every time it would sync, it would duplicate recurring events.

I eventually had to abandon Entourage altogether and do everything in iCal, which is pretty bare bones, but it works, and that's the most important thing. I still miss ACT!...

[Irulan]

I have no problems synching outlook with my iphone with itunes; I don't use a MS product to do that, it's set up in iTunes. *That* is not my problem with iTunes.

[thekarens]

having used both, what kind of comments do you have to make on system differences?

In general I find ios to be more "dummy" proof, meaning it's easier to figure out how to get things done and it's generally very straight forward. Having said that, I prefer Android because with Android there are a lot more options on changing things up to suit you, but you have to be willing to research or tinker at times. One of my favorite websites for that is www.xda-developers.com. Android has come a long way and doesn't require half the tinkering that it used to, but the option is still there if something doesn't work the way you want it to.

The other issue is it's easy to get invested in one echo system or the other. I have a boat load of money/time invested in google systems and apps, so it would be hard for me to switch to ios full time at this point. I hated iTunes as well, so I never invested my time/money there preferring to buy my music from Amazon.

[Norse]

Don't know that I'll be much help either but... I have a Droid and use Windows Media Player to sync my music. Easy peasy. These days though, I mostly find myself listening to all the wonderful free internet radio stations available. FWIW, two friends of mine both had droids, switched to the iphone and hated it.

[OakLeaf]

This might have been what I was thinking of:

Outlook uses Sync Services, a central database on your computer.

Note With OS X Mountain Lion, Apple no longer maintains active support for Sync Services. You might experience issues, if you are using Sync Services to sync your Outlook data - calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes - with local applications and smart phones, like iPhone, iCal and RIM.

So maybe it's only an issue with MacOS ... but I really thought DH still had his calendar in Windows (via Parallels). I know he does quite a bit on that side. Have to ask him when he gets home...


Just in terms of ease of use, I have an iPad, have had one since the first generation, but I find it extremely counterintuitive, it's really hard to find the settings for any particular application (where's the menu button??!) and if DH asks me to do something on his iPhone while he's driving, I can't even begin to figure it out. Don't know why it's so different from the iPad.

By contrast, Android phones ship with skins installed by the various manufacturers, and so while I find my HTC Android phone very intuitive and easy to use, my neighbor's Motorola Android phone is pretty counterintuitive, maybe even more so than the iPhone.

[Irulan]

Thanks, Oak. The worst part is that DH has an iphone ( because he bought me one) and guess who manages it for him... settings apps and all that. So it's nice having us both on teh same OS but neither of us love it. He's not due for an upgrade for some time however, so then we'd have two different phone systems if I switch... arrgh... makes me want to pull my hair out.

[Irulan]

Hmm, it does look like Android synch with Outlook is an issue..."Unlike the iPhone, you cannot simply connect to a local copy of Outlook running on your PC." this sums up a multitude of websites I looked at. $29.95 for an Android app that will do it? Yikes.

PC Mag http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382337,00.asp yup, issues. <sigh>

[Catrin]

Are you on an exchange server - is this a work or home account? We use Outlook at work but of course we have an Exchange server. I have NO problem accessing the exchange server with my Android (Galaxy Note 2), utilizing my Androids native email/calendar program. You aren't syncing to Outlook itself, but to the server in this model - but of course it only works IF you are synching to an exchange server...

[Irulan]

home office, single PC install of Outlook/Office 2010... hence my pointing out that a solution for single installs doesn't seem very avail for Android according to what I found/linked/posted

[Catrin]

home office, single PC install of Outlook/Office 2010... hence my pointing out that a solution for single installs doesn't seem very avail for Android according to what I found/linked/posted

I wasn't sure, and I know someone who set up an exchange server on their home network. That would certainly be a limitation to consider in your choice. I moved from the iOS to Android and haven't looked back, but I didn't need to deal with this limitation.

[Irulan]

They just never make it easy. I shouldn't have to reconfigure a bunch of stuff to use a stupid phone.

[Lady Hamilton]

I was an avid iPhone user. we also have iMac, iPads, iPods, etc.
but, in the Fall I got Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and I never look back. There is so much more I can do with my phone, plus the screen that is double the size. Love my phone.