Android and Exchange Support?

paradigm

paradigm

paradigm

Caporegime
Joined
26 Aug 2003
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Leafy Cheshire
I'll be the first to admit that Android is just one of those things I've never had to use, to be honest I just don't see the point, if I want a more relaxed mobile computing platform I'll use WinMo as I have a million apps in a back catalogue from years of WinMo ownership, and if I want something "swish" I'll just stick to my company provided iPhone.

However, one of the finance guys at work has obtained what I think is an HTC Magic (vodafone branded, white thing), and has come to me to see if he can sync his work emails, calendar and contacts to it. From a network and security perspective I have no objections to this, but from what I can tell from playing with the device, it only supports POP3 and IMAP. Surely this can't be right, as if so that is utterly crap for something that is supposed to be a SMART phone.

Is there something I'm missing here, something obvious? Is it a case of Vodafone firmware being locked down? Or am I actually right in my earlier diagnosis?

Cheers.
 
First question is whether the Magic is running the original 1.5 or whether it's been updated to 1.6.

If memory serves, Exchange support was added in 1.6 but I think HTC disabled it initially, only adding support in later handsets (possibly the Hero). Not 100% sure but might be worth checking if there's a way of enabling Exchange support in 1.6 on the Magic, possibly via a custom ROM.
 
Nah, won't be cooking ROMs just for a personal mobile phone of an employee.

At least this has confirmed my thoughts that android is nothing but a toy and still isn't serious enough to be a business platform.

I'll stick with WinMo, BlackBerry and iPhone.
 
[TW]Fox;16557171 said:
:rolleyes:



Classic :D
Click to expand...

Nice rolleyes, but you can stick them back in your android loving head.

If it doesn't have Exchange support out of the box, it isn't a serious contender for a business platform. WinMo might not be an intuitive or nice platform for someone to strut about with, but at least it comes with Exchange push out of the box, and has done since 2003SE.
 
It's a HTC Magic - a low end consumer level Android device released well over a year ago.

What you've basically said is the equivilent of saying Windows sucks because a Netbook running XP won't do multimedia properly.

Proper Android devices, such as the Desire, do indeed have Exchange support right out of the box.
 
[TW]Fox;16557214 said:
It's a HTC Magic - a low end consumer level Android device released well over a year ago.
Click to expand...

And well over 6 years since exchange push support became available on low the cheaper SMART phones, such as my qtec S200.

So what I've basically said is that android (not the hardware) is NOT a suitable business platform.
 
paradigm said:
And well over 6 years since exchange push support became available on SMART phones.
Click to expand...

So what? It's a cheap and cheerful base model handset, you are writing off an entire OS because a previous version of it on a base handset didn't have a feature you wanted?

Current proper Android devices have exchange support as standard.

So what I've basically said is that android (not the hardware) is NOT a suitable business platform.
Click to expand...

Based on your experience of one cheap kids phone running an old OS. Nice.

BMW's are just NOT suitable long distance cars - the 316Ti lacks important features.
 
[TW]Fox;16557233 said:
So what? It's a cheap and cheerful base model handset, you are writing off an entire OS because a previous version of it on a base handset didn't have a feature you wanted?

Current proper Android devices have exchange support as standard.



Based on your experience of one cheap kids phone running an old OS. Nice.
Click to expand...

Since when does the hardware level affect the software functions that the device can support? It's not like I'm asking for hardware assisted GPS or the ability to take HD quality video, I just want it to use its internet connection to communicate via OMA, something that even S60 Nokias have done for years.

Are you saying that S60 isn't an OLD OS? What about WinMo 2003SE?
 
You are writing off an entire OS based on a previous version of it. It doesn't matter what 1.5 will or will not support because it isn't found on the high end Android devices. I'm not saying that 1.5 is excused from its lack of support because its old, I'm saying its old so you can't judge the entire platform based on your experience of it.

You are claiming Android full stop is simply a toy. This is utterly wrong.

What you meant to say is that the HTC Magic is nothing but a toy, and not a credible business tool. And I'd agree with that 100%.

There is more to Android than a cheap HTC Magic running 1.5.
 
[TW]Fox;16557260 said:
It doesn't matter what 1.5 will or will not support because it isn't found on the high end Android devices.
Click to expand...

But it was at one point? At one point that was AFTER the introduction of Exchange Push on mobile devices?

Yeah, I'll leave you to your toy.

Exchange support is only part of the package, the whole OS felt vile, but I didn't want a discussion about the OS as a whole, just its usefulness as a business platform hinged on Exchange support. You go back to your photocopying or whatever you do, and leave the rolling out of technology to those of us who's job it actually is.
 
paradigm said:
Yeah, I'll leave you to your toy.
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I see, so my phone is a toy because an older version offered by the same manufacturer lacks certain features?

In that case, your car is slow and crap, because the 316i takes more than 10 seconds to get 60. Can you not see how ridiculous your logic is here?
 
paradigm said:
So what I've basically said is that android (not the hardware) is NOT a suitable business platform.
Click to expand...

paradigm said:
You go back to your photocopying or whatever you do, and leave the rolling out of technology to those of us who's job it actually is.
Click to expand...

*shrug*

Works for me. If you can't get it to work, it's not Android's fault.

The early versions of Windows Mobile wouldn't integrate with my VAX-based MIS systems at work, and VAX has been around since the 70s. Obviously, therefore, Winmo is not a suitable business platform.

*edit* I wonder if there's a generalisation here: The early versions of <insert technology platform here> wouldn't work natively with <insert older technology platform here>. Therefore, <technology platform> is not a suitable business platform.

Yes, I think that makes perfect sense.
 
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I have 2.1 and my Exchange mail, contacts and calendar syncs perfectly.

There's a few free apps that will enable Exchange for older devices too.

Slagging off an old version of a platform is lolworthy. 1.5>1.6>2.0.1>2.1.
 
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paradigm said:
You go back to your photocopying or whatever you do, and leave the rolling out of technology to those of us who's job it actually is.
Click to expand...

Make sure you dont run a Windows Server, because Windows 3.0 sucked for server purposes.

Do you want staple with your copies, btw?
 
I don'y know what it is your looking for mate, but I've just switched from Win6.1 to Andoid 2.1 and there is no comaparsion to the usability of the devices. The Android kit is far better, even though I didn't really expect it to having used WinMo devices since it was still called CE.

What is it that you need a new android handset to do that it doesn't do out of the box. I've spent minimal cash on apps (only paid for docs to go as quick office didn;t seem to want to open old winmobile created word docs) and have loaded a few free ones. It now does far more than all the paid for apps i got for WinMo. It's a more usable device in that it has a functional web browser, Internet seraches return almost fully functional web pages - all the content I wound need for work is there.

Android was only released about 18months ago, and It's come on so far. Far quicker than WinMo did and there is not much sign in it slowing down.
 
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