Android OS Users, Please Share

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OK, two quick questions for those who have been running Android OS phones for a few months...


  • I'm looking into a new phone for my Mother. Long story short, she doesn't want an iPhone but does seem to want a select few "advanced" features like GPS. Mostly, she just needs a phone that firstly makes calls, and secondarily will work with email, browse the web a bit and tell her where she is when driving around while out of town. She doesn't like the "chicklett" keyboards as they are too small. She's not a big "texter" so things like IM clients and the like are unimportant. Anyhow, can anyone recommend a decent Android based phone based on your personal experience? I've search the internet a bit on this, so I'm familiar with the various reviews out there - looking for real world user experience here. Basically, what's a good phone for "Mom"?


  • I'm looking around for a replacement for my 3G iPhone. If the 4G doesn't come out on Verizon or another carrier that has excellent service in Minneapolis, I'm bailing. Enough said there. Since AIX doesn't run on smart phones, my next candidate for replacement is a Linux or Android OS handset. So, the question for this issue is... who is running an Android OS handset and syncing it with their OS X 10.6.x Mac? Specifically, how do your "MobileMe-esque" services perform in the real world? iCal, Bookmarks, Notes and Mail are the only ones I use so music and video syncing don't matter in this case. I'm even willing to part with some cash for Missing-Sync type software if someone can confirm that it works well for them. I'd like again to hear from actual users and not the "my friend has one and it sux/kicks butt" crowd. Information about Outlook/Exchange syncing would be nice, but not required as I have an on call Blackberry for when I'm paid to care about work email after hours. Currently, I'm leaning towards the Nexus One or Incredible handsets, but I'm open to some of the "2nd tier" handsets like the Eris and Hero. I have no need for slide out keyboards.

Thanks all and have a very happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Dave
 

cwa107


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I love my HTC Incredible. I'm not sure that I'd recommend it for my mom (just a little too complex for someone of her generation), but it's fairly easy to use and it blows away the iPhone in terms of performance and overall flexibility. And the camera is absolutely the best I have ever used or seen on any mobile phone.

My full review is here, in case you haven't seen it...

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/other-hardware-peripherals/203163-review-htc-incredible.html

EDIT: I should note that apparently this phone is incredibly popular (pun intended) and so there is a huge backorder at the moment. If you ordered one today it won't ship until 6/22.
 
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Thanks for the thourough review Chris. Sounds that, barring a few learning curve items, it's a solid handset. I'll put this one on my short list. Thanks again!
 

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Thanks for the thourough review Chris. Sounds that, barring a few learning curve items, it's a solid handset. I'll put this one on my short list. Thanks again!

Exactly, I couldn't have summed it up any better. And the more I learn about it, the more I'm growing to love it.

Once my Seidio Innocase gets here, it will be the perfect phone.
 
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Exactly, I couldn't have summed it up any better. And the more I learn about it, the more I'm growing to love it.

Once my Seidio Innocase gets here, it will be the perfect phone.

Where's the video buddy ? ;D

Doug
 
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I also love the Incredible! Would not give it up. And, unless mom is really not computer literate, I found it to be quite intuitive to set up (I'm a 65 year old female, by the way) I'm still learning, but the basics are really quite easy.
 
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Thanks skybolt, much appreciated. Mom is in her late Sixties and though technically savvy, she does not want to take an inordinate amount of time to learn how to use what should be basic intuitive features on her new phone. Something where she can get to email, calendar, browser, voice mail and GPS fairly quickly is perfect for her. I think she said something like, "If I have to work to use it, then it's not really making my life any easier, is it?" She runs Windows, so I'm pretty sure she won't care about iTunes integration, or compatibility with Apple applications. Sounds like another vote for the Incredible.
 
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My mom has an HTC Hero and picked up how to use it right away. She knew how to check her email and browse a few sites on the computer before she got the phone, so she wasn't completely computer illiterate. However, once she got this phone, she's been emailing more, texting all the time, using Twitter and browsing the web (she's always on Facebook). So because of the phone's simplicity, she's become more technologically savvy.
 
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My mom has an HTC Hero and picked up how to use it right away. She knew how to check her email and browse a few sites on the computer before she got the phone, so she wasn't completely computer illiterate. However, once she got this phone, she's been emailing more, texting all the time, using Twitter and browsing the web (she's always on Facebook). So because of the phone's simplicity, she's become more technologically savvy.

Sweet. See, that's what my Wife and I are hoping will happen with my Mother-In-Law. Her Mom has no interest in computers (at age 80... I mean 29). We'd love to get her turned on to iChat Video, iPhoto, email, etc so we can share things with her more easily. It's a 16 hour drive over there, so her having a passing comfort with some sort of "wired" technology would be great. Here's crossing our fingers for an iPad v2.0 with an iChat Video capable camera. Sort of a "Jitterbug" computer so to say.

As for my Mom, it's the opposite... she's a Professor of Nursing who did her Doctoral work in Clinical Nursing Information Management. She has a ton of tech in her professional life, and has absolutely no desire to introduce any more tech into her personal life. Drives me nuts, because she knows full well what technologies exist and their practical applications. She just doesn't want to mess around with programming a phone, or syncing calendars between work and home. She'd rather spend her time gardening, reading or doing various crafts. I don't blame her really. When I was a LEO I had no interest in watching Cops or CSI when I got off work. Still, finding a good balance (capability -vs- simplicity) would be great since she is also some miles away and getting her texting or at least returning personal emails once in a while would be great. When she mentioned she wanted "one of those smartphones" my jaw nearly hit the floor. :eek:
 
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Sync success b/n Android phone & Mac -- options?

OK, two quick questions for those who have been running Android OS phones for a few months...
...


  • I'm looking around for a replacement for my 3G iPhone. If the 4G doesn't come out on Verizon or another carrier that has excellent service in Minneapolis, I'm bailing. Enough said there. Since AIX doesn't run on smart phones, my next candidate for replacement is a Linux or Android OS handset. So, the question for this issue is... who is running an Android OS handset and syncing it with their OS X 10.6.x Mac? Specifically, how do your "MobileMe-esque" services perform in the real world? iCal, Bookmarks, Notes and Mail are the only ones I use so music and video syncing don't matter in this case. I'm even willing to part with some cash for Missing-Sync type software if someone can confirm that it works well for them. I'd like again to hear from actual users and not the "my friend has one and it sux/kicks butt" crowd. Information about Outlook/Exchange syncing would be nice, but not required as I have an on call Blackberry for when I'm paid to care about work email after hours. Currently, I'm leaning towards the Nexus One or Incredible handsets, but I'm open to some of the "2nd tier" handsets like the Eris and Hero. I have no need for slide out keyboards.

Thanks all and have a very happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Dave

DAVE: Did you get any feedback, and/or results of your own experimentation, regarding your second question above? I am trying to find out exactly that right now: how well the various syncing options work b/n an Android-OS phone and a Mac (Macbook, specifically) -- Mac's own onboard program (Sync?) via USB; ditto via MobileMe; Google sync (though I prefer not to have to switch away from iCal / MacAddressbook and into Google's own versions); MissingSync; and any other options I don't know about... I share your preference for actual, real-world experiences...
 

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DAVE: Did you get any feedback, and/or results of your own experimentation, regarding your second question above? I am trying to find out exactly that right now: how well the various syncing options work b/n an Android-OS phone and a Mac (Macbook, specifically) -- Mac's own onboard program (Sync?) via USB; ditto via MobileMe; Google sync (though I prefer not to have to switch away from iCal / MacAddressbook and into Google's own versions); MissingSync; and any other options I don't know about... I share your preference for actual, real-world experiences...

I exported all of my iCal and Address Book data out to Gmail. I was already using Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Comcast Mail, so I configured the HTC Mail client on my Android phone to use those services. I found that HTC's 'Contacts' and 'Calendar' apps pulled down everything automagically with no configuration needed.

Syncing happens OTA with no need to connect it to my Mac at all. If I feel the need to update a contact on my Mac, I just log into Gmail on it and the changes come down instantly.

I actually have Google's iCal sync program installed, so I use iCal as I always did.

The notion of having to do a cabled sync is somewhat outdated these days. I haven't bothered with 'The Missing Sync for Android' as I'm not really sure there would be a point.
 
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^^ What Chris said... ^^

I don't own an Android yet, and am still up in the air on iOS4 -vs- Android v2.x OS. My current plan is to replace my wife's RAZR with the iPhone4 and see what happens with work. My employer is going to support the iPhone corporately, including getting some of us up to snuff for developing applications. I'll be using her's to see how Exchange ends up working out. I'd like to go Android, and from what I can tell it has a learning curve that isn't unacceptable. Time will tell for me. Chris is one of the few folks who has posted extensively, just short of doing a step-by-step sticky on how to sync. For now, I'm just watching and doing the recon work before I part with any cash.
 
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Have you considered a MyTouch or G1 those are basic Google experience Android phones, I got one for my wife (who happens to be the least tech savvy person I have ever met) and she loves it to death.

My personal experience if you want the best Android phone get the Nexus One it's the complete google experience already has Android 2.2 Google sync works great, Google voice is seamlessly integrated right into the phone better than any other phone out there.
 

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