The current state of PIM on Android

[Varjak]

I don't buy that evolution theory. Smartphones have been around a long time, and they clearly were a union of PDAs and phones. Even if the 'evolution' from phones were a reason, considering the plethora of other complicated elaborate apps out there, one might expect a decent PIM suite to have long been available.

[Hook]

I'm afraid I consider the early smartphones to be "PDA phones." they were essentially a PDA with a cell phone radio. I think that trunk died with PDAs, except for RIM. When The iPhone and Android were being created, the iphone was an ipod with a phone (apps were resisted, in fact) and Android was Google services with a phone. When Palm developed Web OS, they went the same direction and eventually all three became media and internet centric phones. I really don't think you can count it as one long history.

Again, that's my take, but I think it is why we have what we have and why the marketing is what it is. Nothing scientific here, just my opinion.

[Hook]

I'd try out Pocket Informant, but it's payware with no free trial.

For right now you can try out the 2.0 Beta for free here. Will expire at the end of the beta period.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!fo...id-public-beta

URL for download is at the top of the beta forum.

[NamelessPlayer]

I wish I noticed that earlier, but I had to ship out that Nexus 7 to my friend today, so I no longer have an Android device to test with.

BlueStacks and YouWave didn't work too well in practice, either.

[dmkozak]

Found this thread as I'm waiting on my LG Nexus 4. Coming from a WinMo6.5 (didn't go 7 because of the lack of Outlook Notes and Tasks syncs). Looking for the same thing.

I haven't tried this (because I don't have an Android phone yet), but wouldn't putting Essential PIM on both the computer and the Android phone work? It looks like you could use EPIM as an Outlook replacement. It has Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Tasks. I think it can also be used for email, like Outlook. If I understand everything correctly, EPIM on both computer and Android works like the "old" computer-WinMo Outlook.

If someone stumbles into this reborn thread, please add your comments. Thanks.

[Hook]

Found this thread as I'm waiting on my LG Nexus 4. Coming from a WinMo6.5 (didn't go 7 because of the lack of Outlook Notes and Tasks syncs). Looking for the same thing.

I haven't tried this (because I don't have an Android phone yet), but wouldn't putting Essential PIM on both the computer and the Android phone work? It looks like you could use EPIM as an Outlook replacement. It has Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Tasks. I think it can also be used for email, like Outlook. If I understand everything correctly, EPIM on both computer and Android works like the "old" computer-WinMo Outlook.

If someone stumbles into this reborn thread, please add your comments. Thanks.

It may very well. I never tried EPIM. It's user reviews in the Play Store gives me pause. What I found with many I tried is that they would tend to work at first, but that they were unreliable over time. EPIM appears to use the Android calendar data base, which is a nightmare and will eventually mess things up. That's why even Calengoo, which uses Google calendar, offers the option of it's own data base.

I've settled on Companion links' solutions. They are pricy, but they are both the most robust and reliable that I have tried. It's not perfect, but my experience has been much better than anything else I have tried. YMMV.

[dmkozak]

It may very well. I never tried EPIM. It's user reviews in the Play Store gives me pause. What I found with many I tried is that they would tend to work at first, but that they were unreliable over time. EPIM appears to use the Android calendar data base, which is a nightmare and will eventually mess things up. That's why even Calengoo, which uses Google calendar, offers the option of it's own data base.

I've settled on Companion links' solutions. They are pricy, but they are both the most robust and reliable that I have tried. It's not perfect, but my experience has been much better than anything else I have tried. YMMV.

Yes, there have been negative comments about the use of the Android calendar base. However, from their forum it looks like with each release of EPIM, the sync'g gets better and better. The most recent version is only weeks old. And, supposidly, the Android calendar base is more stable with each OS release. So long as the sync'g is reasonably stable now, that should be okay for me. EPIM is working on its own desktop calendar becoming part of the Android platform. That should eliminate this issue, once its released and once its stable. EPIM is aware of this and has made use of its own calendar in Android a priority.

While CompanionLink works, for me it poses two problems. One, I will be tied to one of its PIM companions, which adds an additional cost. And, two, the cost for me to sync two computers with a phone and a tablet and my wife to sync a computer to a phone and a table is prohibitive. Even the biggest group license only allows 5 machines to communicate, and we have 7. To add the cost of big and small group licenses and the maintenance of paid desktop pims becomes pretty expensive. At that price, it becomes easier to use the same calendar on both, the same contacts manager on both, etc, etc.

And, I have heard rumors of Palm coming up with an Android version which will fully sync with a Palm desktop pim. If true, and if it is self-contained product (no reliance on Google contacts or calendar), then it should be what we're both looking for.

[Hook]

If it works for you, great, and please come back to let us know and give details. It really helps people to have real world data on all these possibilities.

If the rumor you mention is true, it would have to be Access, not Palm. Access owns Palm Desktop, not HP/Palm. I haven't heard anything about that. They do have Grafitti for Android. If you have a source, I'd be very curious.

[tbessie]

I'm confused - isn't Palm non-existent now?

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[weegie]

For anyone wondering HTC sync for windows works very reliably in it's latest version, even with Outlook 2003, has the ability to sync calendar events up to a year previously, no notes and tasks though, although by installing HTC's software you get some different choices on PC connection like internet pass through, internet sharing, charge only, disc drive and their sync manager if you would rather use that for media and documents along with contacts and calendar, install APK's.