Researching getting a Droid - Have questions

[PaulQ]

Hi...

I am currently a Blackberry user (have been for years) and am now considering switching to a Droid 2 or Droid Pro. I have a couple questions that I am hoping someone here can answer...

1) Do you interface with an Exchange server? Are you able to sync your email and calendar effectively?

2) How does it notify you of a text message? Does it blink a light continuously?

3) Is there an app available that will change the phone from sound to silent on a specified schedule? (e.g. from 2-3pm go into silent mode)

4) If you were a Blackberry user, how do you compare the two?


Thanks so much for any advice you have.

 

[harrellj]

1) I don't use an Exchange server, so skipping over it, but there are a number of posts of people who do use one.

2) Depending on the notification options you set in your messaging app (doesn't have to be stock), you can have a sound/ringtone notification and a blinking light or one or the other (and of course, vibration as well). 2 caveats: the blinking LED only shows the color for the missed text until another notification comes in (twitter update, new email, etc). The other caveat is that the sound notification is just once unless you get an app to repeat that (I believe missed call will do so, but am not certain).

3) Tasker/Locale/Timerrific are the 3 I can think of offhand and there's several more. Tasker is the most flexible of all of them, but also has a steeper learning curve as a result.

4) Both my parents have Blackberries, so I've partially used them though not on a day to day basis. I thought about getting a BB when I got my D1 except I hated the tiny screen, how everything is done by scrolling that silly little wheel on the side of the screen (depending on model of course) and what appeared to be a lack of apps (I'll admit, the iPhone commercials were tempting but I also refused to get one of those too).

 

[cpjr]

OP, spoken like a true Blackberry user, lol. Just kidding.

You will be able to effectively do everything you can with the blackberry....and SOOOOOO much more.

I have used Blackberries in the past, love them. Would never go back now.

 

[bcjbob]

I will keep it short. Don't do it! I am on my fourth droid 1 and will be selling it and going back to me Blackberry. Too many problems too list

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums App

 

[techRob]

I've heard numerous people connecting their Droid's with exchange. Doesn't seem like it was all that easy of a task; tho the new Droid Pro and Droid 2 Global look like they were designed to be used with Exchange - they have the security features for corporate e-mail, where as the regular droid, i believe does not... I'm working on trying to get my boss to make the move to Droid Pro's and ditch the berry's...it may still be quite a while)

Handcent is an amazing txt'g app; it allows all sorts of various notification settings - even unique settings based on the sender; lights and sounds and how often they go off can all be tweaked (IMO - soooo much more tweakability than on the blackberry - i have a curve for work).

I've never used a volume profile app that changes based on time - seen 'em, and obviously harrellj has used them ...I do, however, use an app called "Volume Toggle" - you can drop it as a widget on your desktop, and a simple tap will toggle to the next profile; you can tweak the profiles at every level of audio (notifications, media, ringtone, phone, etc... even vibrating)...it's one of my fav / most used apps.

Using my Droid1 vs. Blackberry Curve: the BB Curve is a great work tool. I enjoy the actual physical keypad for when i have to dial in bed (Help Desk tech support...on-call). For personal use, the the berry doesn't compare to the Droid IMHO. Like i stated above, I'm trying to convince my boss to move from the blackberry to the droid pro - basically we just need the time / software, so it's coming. Like cpjr said, you can pretty much do everything your blackberry does and a lot more, on the droid.

Where there's a will, there's a way; in other words, chances are that if you find you need an app do something, someone probably has made it - or is working on it.

 

[dtsig]

Answers embedded ... i use a droidX

Hi...

I am currently a Blackberry user (have been for years) and am now considering switching to a Droid 2 or Droid Pro. I have a couple questions that I am hoping someone here can answer...

1) Do you interface with an Exchange server? Are you able to sync your email and calendar effectively?

>> Connected to corp Exchange Server. Setting up was pretty straightforward. email and calendar sync well

2) How does it notify you of a text message? Does it blink a light continuously?

>> there is a tone that plays

3) Is there an app available that will change the phone from sound to silent on a specified schedule? (e.g. from 2-3pm go into silent mode)

>>Not that i know of .. others might know.

4) If you were a Blackberry user, how do you compare the two?

>>I'm from windows smartphone (Wing). I am loving the DroidX


Thanks so much for any advice you have.

 

[EPWalker]

Just a clarification ... my Droid 2 can't siynch with Exchange server. Our IT guys say it is because our OUtlook is behind our firewall, and Droid 2 requires it to be in front of the Firewall. This is a a lot more technical than your average Verizon store rep understands, as it is for me.
I then tried VPN only to discover that our VPN Server is a Cisco, and Motorola didn't license Cisco. Hope that helps some one ask the right questions.

 

[PaulQ]

Thanks for all the info! I'm still on track to get a Droid Pro but it is that Exchange server integration that worries me. I'm not getting a clear answer from my IT department except "Oh yeah, I do that."

Any more responses would be additionally helpful!

 

[EPWalker]

PaulQ ... anyone ... am I the only Droid 2 owner who cannot connect to Exchange Server because ours is behind the firewall. And am also the only one whose IT is using a Cisco VPN Server to which Motorola Droid 2 cannot connect?

 

[GolfProRM]

PaulQ ... anyone ... am I the only Droid 2 owner who cannot connect to Exchange Server because ours is behind the firewall. And am also the only one whose IT is using a Cisco VPN Server to which Motorola Droid 2 cannot connect?

Does your exchange server have an Outlook Web Access (OWA) setup that's outside the firewall? If so, you can put in the OWA address in for the server name and that should work. I was able to put in owa.MYCOMPANYNAME.net for my server and it syncs perfectly.

 

[EPWalker]

Thank you GolfProRM ... I will take that little tid-bit to my IT guys today. Thanks for the quick reply, also!

 

[techRob]

PaulQ ... anyone ... am I the only Droid 2 owner who cannot connect to Exchange Server because ours is behind the firewall. And am also the only one whose IT is using a Cisco VPN Server to which Motorola Droid 2 cannot connect?

Once upon a time I got an application to connect to our VPN (we use a cisco one as well). The app: "VPN Connection" (catchy huh?) The icon has a bluish background with a couple droid figures. Took a little work, but got it going - even managed to do a remote desktop :biggrin: .... but i think that was before i flashed to Froyo....that or the ROM i used....either way, none of it works now ... one of our network guys was giving me crap (i think) and saying they blocked Droids from VPN...which i'm sure he is just giving me a hard time (we work together - i'm on the help desk). either way, i believe Root was / is required for both of these apps. The VPN app i used, from my understand / research i did back then, is the only one in the market to support the cisco vpn setup. But this was months ago....before Froyo rolled out.

As for the exchange server, that's a load of crap. The same network guy setup a few users from a different department to access their work e-mail from their Droids. but I believe GolfProRM has the right idea - about using Outlook Web Access; I believe that's what our guy ended up doing....maybe.... ...however, i think he was testing it out on my droid to verify a few things (or something) and couldn't get it working...eh, who knows.

Either way, the Droid Pro should have support for all this stuff built in (i know this wasn't your question, EPWalker...but I thought I'd add this in there)....i hope we can move from the berry's to droid pros, soon

 

[EPWalker]

Thanks TechRob ... What is a froyo? I will send your comments to our IT guys. Do you know if, when Droid Pro is released, will all our "little" Droids (like my Droid 2) get an upgrade so it, too, can do all this neat stuff that it was supposed to do in the first place? Again, thanks for helping out a newbie!

 

[techRob]

I have no idea if there will be a software update to allow corporate functionality from the Droid Pro on to the Droid 2, etc.. I highly doubt it. I mean, the Droid Pro and the i believe the global, are both geared toward the corporate consumer, not the Jon Doe consumer ...besides, not many businesses (of course, it probably depends), will want to allow their corporate e-mail , etc... land on personal devices; but the complaint for that would mostly be the security side of things - which sounds to be mostly fixed in the Droid Pro and global.

It'd be pretty cool if there was a software update, but I think there's more involved than just that.

 

[EPWalker]

So, TechRob, unless my IT guys find the answer, my Droid 2 will not talk to exchange server.
Has anyone had any experience with software called Touchdown as a Droid 2 download allowing the Exchange Server access behind the firewall?