Hi all. First-time poster here. I just got a Motorola Atrix 4G last Friday. It replaces my old iPhone 3G (non-S). I'm loving it so far, though I do miss some things about the iPhone. I'm waiting on the announcement and specs for the iPhone 5 to decide whether I'm keeping this. My question is about Google integration. I was impressed that the phone automatically brought in all my Contacts from Google, but I'm a bit confused about how to find/use other Google apps. I did figure out that the provided app "Calendar" is in fact the Google calendar, though it's functionality seems to leave something to be desired. However, the "Tasks" app does *not* seem to be Google Tasks. This is just one example. I guess since the OS is owned by Google I was expecting full integration. It's further confusing because those apps which *are* integrated aren't necessarily labeled as such (i.e., the calendar app isn't called "Google Calendar," just "Calendar." So following that convention, why should I not expect Tasks to be Google Tasks?). I am most surprised to find that there is no Chrome Browser for Android. I had figured that would be a given. Though Dolphin is so far serving me well (posting this via the phone through Dolphin right now in fact.) So how does this work? Are there separate apps that should be downloaded for each Google app, or at least the "major" ones (it turns out there is a Gmail app)? Or do I just use each app as best I can through a browser? This is basically what I had to do with the iPhone. With Google Docs for instance. Took me a little while to figure out that the "Maps" is in fact Google Maps (why not call it Google Maps, or at least give it a Google icon?) I hope you can make sense of and find a question in these ramblings. I really am enjoying the phone thus far. The iPhone 5's specs are going to have to be awfully impressive to make me consider parting with the Atrix.
1. Google Tasks is still beta, which is probably why there is no app for it yet. It used to be just a part of Gmail AFAIK. You can use Gtasks from the market, but I personally use Astrid 2. Because the Calendar isnt just Google Calendar. It cant work even if you dont have a Google Account on the phone. It just has the capability to sync to GCal. 3. for Chrome, I have no idea 4. As for Maps, thats the same icon and name (just Maps) they give on Google maps to other OS (nokia for example), and the same icon they use on Google Maps site, so it IS a Google icon. Integration comes when you use them. These apps are able to access your phone's content nicely and better than they would on other OS. However it is not full integration though (you'd want a WP7 for that).
Tasks is like the redheaded stepchild of the Google family. Although Google Docs is the teenager flunking out of class. The rest of the integration works wonderfully however.
