Blackberry to Incredible/Nexus One Questions

[BoogieNYC]

I'm considering the forthcoming Blackberry VZW Bold, the Incredible and the Nexus. While I'm kind of itching for a new phone, I'm more concerned with some basic issues with the Androids.

First, I've got a Google Apps-hosted domain email in lieu of Exchange, and I'm just now seeing some Exchange issues. One of the reasons why I really like the Blackberry interface is because I can send an email to anyone -- friend, client, co-worker -- and it's easy to switch between my four gmail addresses and my work (Google Apps) address. How solid/reliable is Google Apps-hosted email (sending/receiving) and do I have to use more than one app to send email or can I hit one app and send email similar to the way I do with my Blackberry?

Second, I've got a load of contacts in Outlook 2007, in addition to email, notes, tasks, etc. How does one sync to/from Outlook 2007 onto an Android phone? I know I can just import/export to Google Apps, but I'm actually fairly satisfied with the Outlook interface. I want/need to be able to send email with read receipts and some other stuff that I haven't (yet) noticed in the Google interface, and I'd prefer being able to sync -- reliably -- rather than have to switch. I'm not 100% satisfied with the quality of the syncs between my Tour and Outlook -- the sync seems kind of wonky at times (and weird time/date changes occur too) but switching up to the Google interface doesn't make me any happier.

Assuming I can sync everything (somehow) between my Outlook stuff on both the work and home PC's and the email solution on the actual phone is solid, I have no problem dumping Blackberry. Their devices are great but boring and limited. Browsing and media are especially weak. But the email is rock-solid and super-simple and the hardware is bulletproof. Sort of like a Volvo. What it does it does really well, but what it doesn't do is really noticeable.

BTW, if these questions have been answered elsewhere I apologize in advance, just want to get some specific answers before I wait out the Nexus (if necessary) to find it's not what I'm needing. Thanks...

 

[gruss]

With what you describe I think you can make work on android but will not be as easy as on the berry. I'll have to read this again when I'm not using my phone and hopefully provide more insight.

 

[BoogieNYC]

Thanks, much appreciated...

 

[davewoodson]

a friend of mine started a site called blackberry2android.com

Go check it out, he was a die hard bb guy. He left and is never looking back

 

[vandyblackandgold]

i was a hardcore bb user, as are all my friends.

i work two jobs. my monday - friday job, we use OWA as our 'base' email client. all of the office people use outlook at their desk, all of us field people run a little differently. i for one never feel the need to actually go to my email's web address because I can do everything I need from my phone. that goes for both when I had a bb and now that I have a Droid. You can choose to sync your contacts/address book from your corporate account if need be. I am satisfied with the corporate email app.

the google side of things is where i love this phone. my other job REALLY requires me to be 'available in real time.' I am student pastor for a large church and internally, we have 'gone google.' since i dont keep full time office hours right now, like most of the staff, its important to me to be able to communicate as if I do. i have 3 gmail based accounts coming to phone. very easy to switch between inboxes. i dont know that there is anything that I can do in my gmail inbox on my laptop, that i cant do from my phone.

i will never go back to bb and the rest of the staff/my buddies are starting to make the jump as well.

 

[BoogieNYC]

Thanks for the posts. I'm definitely getting closer to answering my questions, but I am still a bit ambiguous and I'd actually just go to a Verizon store and grab a Droid for a week to play with it, but I don't wanna foul up my already-complicated situation.

I'm not using OWA, I'm using Outlook '07 (crap, but that's another story). My concern is not how the phone will sync with Google's online stuff -- calendar, contacts, tasks, etc. -- but how that will interact with my desktop Outlook clients (both home and office). I confirmed my Outlook contacts are all in Google's online contact database, so I'm not worried about porting all my Blackberry info to my next phone (if applicable), because the Google App Sync works pretty well. I'm just concerned that I won't have the option of staying with Outlook if I do switch to an Android phone.

The other thing is the inbox switching, this is an issue I read about in a review for the Incredible. On the BB, I've got one mail icon on the phone that lights up anytime I receive an email to any of my inboxes, I open it, I read the email and reply if necessary. Also, if I want to send an email, I go to this same icon and choose compose and I can send a new email, and one drop-down menu later, I can choose which account from which it sends.

I'm okay with the phone-based email being a bit more convoluted and a bit less streamlined -- for now. My main concern is the syncing of contacts and my calendar between the hardware and Outlook. If it's solid, I'm sold, and if it's not, I'm Bold (crappy rhyme intended

Thanks again for the help!