Blackberry to HTC Hero - yay, or nay?

[Redflea]

Hi:

Hero newbie here...

I'm currently a Blackberry user (the Pearl, smallest BB made, had it for 2 years), and have decided I want a larger screen and better browsing capability. I use the Blackberry "BIS" service, which means that I don't have wireless sync w/my company's exchange server - I sync contacts/calendar/notes via bluetooth with Outlook on my PC, and get email OTA of course.

So I've been thinking about the Blackberry Storm2 to get a larger screen, etc., but when I saw the news today that the Hero is coming to Verizon I did a double-take.

I've done some research and the interface and user customization available on the Hero look just great, best I've seen to date.

My biggest concern is how it will work for managing my Outlook email/contacts/calendar/notes, and multiple gmail accounts.

So what I'm curious about...

1. I have four gmail email accounts - I assume I can set up all four on the Hero, correct? What is the max number of email accounts I can set up on the Hero?

2. I can not sync my Outlook calendar/contacts to Google due to company security issues, so I can't use the Hero's Google wireless sync capability. Will the Hero Sync app allow me to sync Contacts/Calendar/Notes from Outlook to the Hero via USB?

3. If I modify a contact, calendar event, or outlook note on the Hero will Hero Sync sync the modified back the update to Outlook?

4. If I receive an Outlook meeting invite on my BB, it automatically appears on my BB calendar, meeting reminders appear, etc. Does the Hero have the ability to automatically add new meetings to my Hero calendar when meeting invite emails arrive on the phone?

5. Any issues w/setting up a work email account (Exchange) on the Hero? (I do have IMAP access to my work email account.)

6. The BB provides an individual email folder for each account, as well as an aggregate email folder that displays all messages received from all email accounts in date order. Does the Hero also offer a way to view all emails received from all accounts in a single folder?

Thanks very much for your help. If any former BB users have any comments in general on the switch from BB to Hero, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Thanks...I'm quite smitten with this phone from 100 yards away - hoping that as I get closer to it my feelings won't change.

 

[daffyduck]

Holy smoke Batman, think you have asked too many questions.....

I will have a stab at a couple for you:

1. Pretty sure that you can only set up 1 GMail account on the phone (this is the one where your contacts, calendar, etc, all get seamlessly integrated onto the phone). You you may be able to get round this partly by setting the others up as POP or IMAP but I am not sure that the seemless integration of calendar, etc, will work the same.

6. You should be fine with separating the emails from each account (I think - you are able to switch email accounts, though I have not used this) & you can create lots of folders to file them away. I have 2 email addresses & the non-gmail email address gets forwarded automatically to the Gmail email address, hence all gets consolidated for me.

I have no direct experience of BB's, only just played with my brother's for a few minutes & cannot say I was particularly bowled over by it. I moved from a Nokia N95 to the Hero & would never move back. It is better than an iPhone IMHO but only just....depends what is important to you.

 

[trick202]

May not be a popular opinion on here, but for what you are looking for email wise, the bb can't be beat.

Imho

 

[zukini]

1. I have four gmail email accounts - I assume I can set up all four on the Hero, correct? What is the max number of email accounts I can set up on the Hero?

Its one at a time on any google account for running the phone but you can add additional Imap accounts into HTC mail.

2. I can not sync my Outlook calendar/contacts to Google due to company security issues, so I can't use the Hero's Google wireless sync capability. Will the Hero Sync app allow me to sync Contacts/Calendar/Notes from Outlook to the Hero via USB?

Yes but its not something I've tried

3. If I modify a contact, calendar event, or outlook note on the Hero will Hero Sync sync the modified back the update to Outlook?

I have installed google calendar sync on my computer so that keeps upto date im not sure about notes.

4. If I receive an Outlook meeting invite on my BB, it automatically appears on my BB calendar, meeting reminders appear, etc. Does the Hero have the ability to automatically add new meetings to my Hero calendar when meeting invite emails arrive on the phone?

If I accept in outlook the calendar sync will sort that out for me.

5. Any issues w/setting up a work email account (Exchange) on the Hero? (I do have IMAP access to my work email account.)

IMAP works fine not sure about exchange as i haven

 

[Redflea]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it.

trick202 - that's what I'm afraid of...the BB has many weaknesses but the PIM and email integration is my most important feature, and it does that very very well for my needs.

Hoping that a former BB user will stumble upon this thread to provide a little more detail on the differences...I think you have to have spent time with a BB to "feel my potential pain" and confirm whether the Hero has the capabilities I want.

However, if anyone can tell me for sure whether the Hero Sync program can do two-way sync of contacts, calendar, notes, and tasks between the Hero and Outlook, that would be very helpful.

 

[trick202]

There are workarounds, but I'm not a fan of them to be honest.

1: create a master gmail account and have all of your messages forwarded to the master account. I *think* you can have them starred to represent which account they arrived from.
2: same as above but use the "fetch" feature to make the master gmail account check your other accounts for you.

You can always save your most important account and use that with the built in mail app - just to keep things as separate as you can.

I am a big user of ymail - I really wish that did realtime push, or even imap idle.

Have a good think about your mail needs. The android platform has MANY great things about it.

 

[Redflea]

Thanks!

Unfortunately I can't do #1 (have work email sent to Gmail account) - verboten by company...could do it for personal accounts but only if the reply-from auto maintained original account. Don't want all my replies appearing to come from the one master account.

Wish BB would hire HTC to create their UI.

There are workarounds, but I'm not a fan of them to be honest.

1: create a master gmail account and have all of your messages forwarded to the master account. I *think* you can have them starred to represent which account they arrived from.
2: same as above but use the "fetch" feature to make the master gmail account check your other accounts for you.

You can always save your most important account and use that with the built in mail app - just to keep things as separate as you can.

I am a big user of ymail - I really wish that did realtime push, or even imap idle.

Have a good think about your mail needs. The android platform has MANY great things about it.

 

[jeffW_old]

I to am thinking about making the switch, but the deal killer at least for me is email received at night. I have my Blackberry that after 7:30pm, I don't get notified of any email unless it is coming from an account that I have designated that I must be notified 24/7 because I am on call.

I have been told that the Android operating system does not allow for that to happen and that they restrict 3rd party developers from doing that. The reason that I got the Blackberry is get rid of that darned pager.

 

[Redflea]

I to am thinking about making the switch, but the deal killer at least for me is email received at night. I have my Blackberry that after 7:30pm, I don't get notified of any email unless it is coming from an account that I have designated that I must be notified 24/7 because I am on call.

I have been told that the Android operating system does not allow for that to happen and that they restrict 3rd party developers from doing that. The reason that I got the Blackberry is get rid of that darned pager.

Yeah...it's kinda depressing.

The BB spoils you on handling the email/PIM stuff, but provides pretty poor browsing experience and lacks on the "fun" and customization side.

Don't want a WinMo phone, too many friends over the years who've tried 'em and sworn never to use one again. But I am hearing better things about WinMo 6.5/7.0.

Am hoping an Android phone will offer a way to get the best of both worlds...

Or just hold on (which would likely mean getting the storm2) and hope that the folks from Torch and the upcoming webkit integration will bear fruits worth waiting for next year in the bb browsing and UI in general.

 

[slbailey1]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it.

trick202 - that's what I'm afraid of...the BB has many weaknesses but the PIM and email integration is my most important feature, and it does that very very well for my needs.

Hoping that a former BB user will stumble upon this thread to provide a little more detail on the differences...I think you have to have spent time with a BB to "feel my potential pain" and confirm whether the Hero has the capabilities I want.

However, if anyone can tell me for sure whether the Hero Sync program can do two-way sync of contacts, calendar, notes, and tasks between the Hero and Outlook, that would be very helpful.

From my readings, the Hero will not sync emails, notes, or tasks locally with Outlook. The Hero will not sync notes or tasks with an Exchange account.

To get full exchange syncing (minus notes?), you must have a 3rd party application like Touchdown.

 

[Redflea]

From my readings, the Hero will not sync emails, notes, or tasks locally with Outlook. The Hero will not sync notes or tasks with an Exchange account.

To get full exchange syncing (minus notes?), you must have a 3rd party application like Touchdown.

Thanks very much for the pointer to Touchdown...it looks great (but still no sync of outlook Notes - drat!).

But I'm having trouble confirming whether it would work in my environment. Our IT provides zero support for any mobile devices other than a small set or approved phones running WinMo, so unless Touchdown is completely compatible w/out any intervention, it won't be an option.

Might have to buy the Hero and do a trial w/Touchdown if I can't clarify things any other way...