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Is this at all possible? I still want to have my contacts, etc updated but I feel the interface is somewhat primitive!
Replace with what?
An alternative ...
K9 Mail maybe or better ...
You can't "replace" it you just start using something else.
Are there even Amy advantages to using the gmail app?
Any suggestions on alternatives? K9 Any good?
Ah gmail will be the best gmail tool you will find on the android lol. You don't mean Email tool? Do you use Gmail??
Yeah I maent the GMail application (it refers to itself as "Google Mail"). I'll just have to bear with it then till they upgrade it . I am though over the moon with the device the text input ROCKS! I do have a list of applications I need suggestions on though ... I'm used to the following on Windows Phoen so I need an Android variation ...
G-Alarm - A Comprehensive alarm application
G-Profile - easily change my profiles from night, work, home, etc, this would be great as a widget
Task Facade - A general task manager that will show all my running applications and let me close/switch
Wake On Text/Email/etc - As it says ... and stay awake until message has been read!
Lock Without using Power button - easy ...
That's about it for now
O and O said:
Is this at all possible? I still want to have my contacts, etc updated but I feel the interface is somewhat primitive!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean about the GMail app, if it's the same as in Android 1.6.. Ugly, flat and boring interface. Some customisation or nice animation wouldn't go amiss. I think the problem is that the Android team at Google don't really view the product UI as a whole, but instead as a load of separate modules that they can just chuck together. No time to make the GMail app look nicer for 2.1? No worries, just stick it out as it is. Media player still the worst/most basic there is? We'll worry about it another time, just stick it in, as is.
Depending on what you've come from, Android can seem amazing, or quite basic in it's vanilla form. I realise the intention is for manufacturers to add their own custom touches to the OS, like HTC have with Sense, and Motorola have with MOTOBlur. But really I think Google should be applying a bit more spit and polish to it's own core apps - the ones that come installed on all/most Android phones, and won't be messed with by handset manufacturers.
By this I mean GMail, Maps, Market, Browser, Gallery etc. Some of these are pretty good efforts (Browser), while others leave a lot to be desired compared to those found on other types of (non-Android) handsets.
I realise that they have to code for the lowest common denominator (low-end handsets) and not every handset can have a 1ghz Snapdragon in it, but I also feel that they are failing Android a little bit, by not ensuring the the latest hardware is taken advantage of in it's latest OS.
How hard would it be to tart up the GMail interface a little bit, while still keeping the same functionality? Not hard.
I know Android is about power and flexibility - don't like the Google way, then design or just install some other developers app instead. And that's great, but I really think there's something to be said for making sure your core experience is great, not just ok.
Disclaimer: I am basing this opinion on my experiences of Android 1.1, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0 (2.0 admittedly is limited, since I do not own my own phone with Eclair yet, just flashed custom ROMs).
Feel free to flame away - I may flame myself when my Desire turns up by 1pm today, and I realise I'm tallking a load of BS when I'm presented the all singing, all dancing, beautifully animated new 2.1 apps from Google! But I doubt it...
BTW, don't get me wrong - I love Android, and I would not consider buying any other type of phone!
Why use the gmail application? I'm using the native email application and it works fine with gmail, lets me move all my mail to archive etc, receives it when its received (through push i think) and there is no reason why i would wantto use the local gmail application. In fact. It hasnt even been loaded up. lol
So I don't actually "have" to use th GMail application? I can just add the GMail account on Exchange/ActiveSync on the mail application? Sounds like a good idea! What are the disadvantages?
Any advice on the other applications I wanted?
O and O said:
So I don't actually "have" to use th GMail application? I can just add the GMail account on Exchange/ActiveSync on the mail application? Sounds like a good idea! What are the disadvantages?
Any advice on the other applications I wanted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go in the Gmail application, settings, disable notifications.
You've pretty much turned off the Gmail Applcation then. Start using the other mail application or download one off the marketl.
I will give you some suggestions for your apps when I have time.
brummiesteven said:
Go in the Gmail application, settings, disable notifications.
You've pretty much turned off the Gmail Applcation then. Start using the other mail application or download one off the marketl.
I will give you some suggestions for your apps when I have time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANKS! I was kind of pissed when I notced you couldn't send bbc emails with GMail app ... madness ...
Is there a way to have a Gmail, Google Apps and Exchange all on the same device? Also does the mail app use IMAP idle I don't want to drain the battery by checking mail every minute ...
What uses more battery, gmail app or using HTC Mail to check for messages every half an hour?
Likely mail as GMail is push.
O and O said:
THANKS! I was kind of pissed when I notced you couldn't send bbc emails with GMail app ... madness ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BBC emails? Do you mean BCC? If so, you can.
Regards,
Dave
foxmeister said:
BBC emails? Do you mean BCC? If so, you can.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just noticed it under menu ...
My bad ...
Still, I have a list of applications that I need asap .
So far, I've not found anything that even comes close to Galarm in terms of quality. I'm using Gentle Alarm though, which is really good compared to most other alarm apps for android.
Check out a program called Locale. That's meant to be really good for profiles and even does it location based
EDIT: Don't use a task manager, it's not good for your phone! There's an article that was posted up on here about the way android works, you don't need to kill tasks and reboot, etc. like you did with WinMo.
jamiepyrite said:
EDIT: Don't use a task manager, it's not good for your phone! There's an article that was posted up on here about the way android works, you don't need to kill tasks and reboot, etc. like you did with WinMo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair does but how do I see the apps running in the background or what's an easy way to switch between apps?
I've heard of this "locale" before, seems to be very popular!
hold the Home button and it brings up a little task switcher, similar to Alt+Tab on a PC
Thank you! Goodbye, Advanced Task Killer!
Ok, i've been looking around and have found a few, but I was wondering what everyone else is using.
I need to use my phone for business, and quite honestly, the built in contacts app is lacking a few features. The worst is lacking the ability to sort contacts by company name or last name.
If you have replaced your contacts app, please let me know which one you are using and what you think about it.
Thanks!
If you're using Froyo, you can open up contacts, menu, More, Display options, then pick Sort order (and some other configurable settings).
I've tried a couple contact managers in the past.. and none were any good. I would just search appbrain or androidzoom.com, etc.
Hope that tip helps though.
sent from my RAZR
Thanks, I have played with Froyo a bit, but went back to Eclair due to some issues. I was thinking of trying the latest release, so thanks for the info.
I have searched though the app stores and have found a few, but based off of reviews and lack of updates, I didn't feel they were all that good.
I wish I had the time to learn to code, I would just make one myself...
Ok...i'm off to play with Froyo
Well, Froyo does allow sorting by last name, but it does not offer any other sorting methods
Anyone else have any experience with alternative contact managers?
i have an epic, running 2.2, and using launch pro plus they have a people widget, works pretty good
Haven't had a good business contact manager since I got rid of the Treo 755p. Maybe if enough people rag on Dataviz they will port over their contacts database called: Beyond Contacts
I'll take a look at the widget, but I'm looking more for a true contact manager.
Beyond Contacts would be a promising port if they were interested.
I am surprised with all the apps that are out there that a decent contact manager doesn't seem to exist.
Have you tried Youlu Address Book?
http://www.appbrain.com/app/youlu-address-book/com.youlu
I think its pretty slick.
kiekan said:
Have you tried Youlu Address Book?
http://www.appbrain.com/app/youlu-address-book/com.youlu
I think its pretty slick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pressed your thanks button by mistake, youlu is good, but doesnt have # or * buttons !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been able to group my contacts into countless categories, and even put contacts into multiple categories (friends and coworkers for example) once I logged onto my contacts list via Gmail, creating my own categories, clicking the checkbox that the person applies to and then automatically gets synced it to my phone. I have to click a few times (Phone > Contacts> Groups > Google) to get into those categories vs just going directly to my list, but its still easier and almost quicker to use then when I was using ContactsGroupU on my Moment.
I have been running the Team Sonic-FreeGS3 ROM and really like it but I can't find how to get to my MS Exchange Tasks that are synchronized.
I have my MS Exchange ActiveSync setup and it lists Sync Tasks in the list but I don't see the task app or any of the task widgets that were with the stock ROM in order to access the synchronized tasks.
Any way to get the application and widgets back on here?
MS Exchange Tasks
blewispunk said:
I have been running the Team Sonic-FreeGS3 ROM and really like it but I can't find how to get to my MS Exchange Tasks that are synchronized.
I have my MS Exchange ActiveSync setup and it lists Sync Tasks in the list but I don't see the task app or any of the task widgets that were with the stock ROM in order to access the synchronized tasks.
Any way to get the application and widgets back on here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just taking a stab at this, but you say something to the effect of "I need back App XYZ from Stock" ... So --> Go Get it from Stock --> There are a handful of Stock Roms Out there (freeza did one) that you can snag from. To my knowledge though FreeGS3 wasn't one to _strip_ things out from the stock _much_. There are also a handful of ROM's that did strip apps, but have made app packs available so you can add them back in, that could also get you back on your feet.
If none of that works, you could rid yourself of Microsoft Rubbish and just use a Google/Android native setup for a task/Calendar type setup as a possibility.
Hi!
I just installed the KITKANG rom (cf. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2549776) and a the first glance, it is pretty nice. But then I noticed a few things I really dislike such as
- The Web Browser does not reformat text (to make it fitting on the screen) if you zoom in manually by gesture. The browser I had on my previous image (caynogenmod 7) did this. And I don't want to miss that feature anymore.
- The contacts application seems to work by syncing contacts tothe Google cloud, only. My old contacts app had the choice to store contacts locally on the phone without Google sync.
I have no idea how to get this missing features back, again. Any comments / pointers?
I.
- Install another browser that has this feature
- The newer 'people' app may not have the option to store locally, but why do you want this? The whole point of an Android phone is to sync with your Google account.
It is dangerous to only store your contacts on the phone, because if you ever lose the phone, you lose all your contacts.
If you sync your contacts to your Google account and you lose your phone, your contacts are still safe :good:
eddiehk6 said:
- Install another browser that has this feature
- The newer 'people' app may not have the option to store locally, but why do you want this? The whole point of an Android phone is to sync with your Google account.
It is dangerous to only store your contacts on the phone, because if you ever lose the phone, you lose all your contacts.
If you sync your contacts to your Google account and you lose your phone, your contacts are still safe :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ browser issue: I meanwhile learned that the issue cause by a change of the the rendering engine in Android to WebView. So, almost all browsers are affected by this. (For details, google "Text Reflow Removed From WebViews In KitKat, Probably Not Coming Back"). Opera is an exception, because it comes alone with its own machinery. However, I tried Opera and is is slow on my HTC Desire. As many, many other people complaining, I cannot understand why the Android development folks dropped such a fundamental feature. The Android Browser of Kitkat tends to be unusable now! And I consider a smartphone without a proper browser as unusable as well. Which at the end might prevent me from buying another Android smartphone...
@ contacts: I totally disagree. Well, yes, from Googles perspective, your statement might be true. But for the user, Android is at first just an operating system to run your smartphone. Think about why Google wants your data...! - I want to *own* my data, so I don't want to use cloud services. Strange that you think syncing of data is equivalent to syncing to Google! Of course I sync all my data. To my own PC. If I'd loose my phone, I won't loose my data, just re-install it to my new phone from my PC.
It is nice that Google offers syncing. But enforcing to sync *is* evil...
inmado said:
@ browser issue: I meanwhile learned that the issue cause by a change of the the rendering engine in Android to WebView. So, almost all browsers are affected by this. (For details, google "Text Reflow Removed From WebViews In KitKat, Probably Not Coming Back"). Opera is an exception, because it comes alone with its own machinery. However, I tried Opera and is is slow on my HTC Desire. As many, many other people complaining, I cannot understand why the Android development folks dropped such a fundamental feature. The Android Browser of Kitkat tends to be unusable now! And I consider a smartphone without a proper browser as unusable as well. Which at the end might prevent me from buying another Android smartphone...
@ contacts: I totally disagree. Well, yes, from Googles perspective, your statement might be true. But for the user, Android is at first just an operating system to run your smartphone. Think about why Google wants your data...! - I want to *own* my data, so I don't want to use cloud services. Strange that you think syncing of data is equivalent to syncing to Google! Of course I sync all my data. To my own PC. If I'd loose my phone, I won't loose my data, just re-install it to my new phone from my PC.
It is nice that Google offers syncing. But enforcing to sync *is* evil...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see this descending quickly into a rather philosophical debate, but on the basis of your reasoning I wonder whether an Android smartphone is suitable for your needs in the first place. I didn't know your stance on personal data from your first post.
I agree with the text reflow browser, a really useful feature. Opera has it like you found out, though the Desire is just an old phone now which struggles to run it. Plenty of newer Android devices will run it just fine. The depth of the Play Store is such that you'll almost certainly find an alternative suitable for your requirements, so perhaps test and consider that for future smartphone purchases.
As for syncing with cloud services, it comes down to user trust and needs I guess. You're right you don't have to use Google, but an Android smartphone really does work best if you use their services.
No, I don't think that syncing of all my data is equivalent to syncing to Google, I use other other accounts too and don't sync everything. In my opinion I think it's possible to find a reasonable middle ground between paranoid tin hat and being ignorant about all personal data. For me, I disable all location tracking stuff and usage stats for any apps (not just Google ones), as I don't need them and feel uncomfortable sending this data. But I do sync other google services like Gmail / contacts because I find they work and are convenient for me. You believe it's evil, I believe it's useful and convenient, just a difference of opinion.
For your workaround, if you don't want to sync contacts, you could disable contact sync within the settings. Would be equivalent to local storage. Or install a different contacts app to manage and store contacts locally.
To avoid this philosophical debate, I'll try give a short answer.
I am using Android for about 5 years now. Without using Google cloud services. And have been a happy Android user. Sounds quite funny to me if someone wonders if Android would be the right thing for me.
Using cloud services is not really a matter of trust. I.e. I am not afraid that Google looks into single items and makes use out of it. But if you have heard about "big data", you can imagine what the result can be when all the data of some many people gets available for ... things you cannot even imagine..
I tried to add a contact with Google sync switched off. It just don't work. The app hangs...
inmado said:
To avoid this philosophical debate, I'll try give a short answer.
I am using Android for about 5 years now. Without using Google cloud services. And have been a happy Android user. Sounds quite funny to me if someone wonders if Android would be the right thing for me.
Using cloud services is not really a matter of trust. I.e. I am not afraid that Google looks into single items and makes use out of it. But if you have heard about "big data", you can imagine what the result can be when all the data of some many people gets available for ... things you cannot even imagine..
I tried to add a contact with Google sync switched off. It just don't work. The app hangs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're revealing more about your preferences and Android experience to date with each post...it's not just me wondering whether Android is right for you, in your second post you said so yourself
Anyway each to their own.
Have you tried installing a completely separate contacts/dialer application? You could sideload or use a different app store to find one. A few I know of:
- Contacts+
- Ex dialer
- RocketDial
- Go contacts ex
I'm certain at least one of them will be able to create phone contacts only.
I run a fairly stockish rom and I don't root (I remove it from custom ROMS I install).
Since being with Android (5+ years) Over time, I've realised that there are a selection of apps that I need one ANY android device that I have.
Audio: PowerAmp
Video: MX Player Pro
Messaging: used to be WhatsApp, but slowly became Facebook Messenger.
Telephony: Hiya (used to be called Whitepages ID), used to screen harmful or spam numbers and block them from ringing.
Wallpapers/themes: about the only thing I have really is a live wallpaper called "Microbes". I like HTC Sense, and in exploring (and purchasing) many third party launchers, none of them compare really.
Typing: for a long time this has been a keyboard called SwiftKey Neural. I forget what it does or why it sounded cool, but it fixes a significant amount of my errors, and I've stuck with it. Not going anywhere near touch pal.
File storage: I use Google drive extensively, but also my 64gb sd card.
Browser: AdBlock Browser
Anybody use the same or similar apps to me, or have recommendations I should try out? Pretty much everything else besides what I've mentioned is just what comes on the phone etc.