Mark Bridge writes:
So there I was with my Nexus S, a cup of tea and the challenge of synchronising calendar, contacts, tasks and notes from Microsoft Outlook. I’d found Syncdroid.net and its list of suggestions… and then an email arrived on my phone from the ‘Android Team’
“Welcome to Nexus S” it said.
Nice work, I thought. You’ve noticed that I’ve set up my phone with my Google account and sent me a message. Could this be serendipitous?
Google and Samsung have partnered to bring you Nexus S, a pure Google experience phone. Learn more:
Register your Nexus S for access to premium support from Samsung
Visit our Nexus S Help page for a full list of help resources
Watch Nexus S on our YouTube channel
Once registered, you can contact Samsung directly at +1 855-EZ2NEXUSS (+1 855-392-6398) for support.
Sign up to to receive updates and promotions about Nexus S.
Enjoy!
A shame it’s so obviously aimed at the US market but, what the heck, let’s give it a go. Tap the help link and… see a page that invites me to visit the Nexus S Help site. Okay, try again. Tap the link… and, no, that’s not very helpful. An on-screen circular device with Call Us, Email Us, Twitter, Hot Deals, Videos and Mobile Pulse options. Doesn’t seem very mobile-friendly. Still, let’s try Mobile Pulse.
Good guess. “Google and Samsung Nexus S Resource Center”. Hit Nexus S FAQs and…
Oh, dear me.
How Do I Charge The Battery On My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?
What Items Come With My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?
How Do I Insert Or Remove The Battery Cover, Battery, Or SIM Card From My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?
What Do The Different Icons Mean On My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?
Where & How Do I Obtain A Copy Of Samsung Kies For My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?
…and many more in a similar vein.
Horribly depressing. You’d think someone could have done better. In fact, I know someone could have done better. Even the person who did it could have done better.
Let’s pop back to Syncdroid.net and continue with my Outlook challenge. Companionlink.com looks like the best bet for what I’m after – but its nothing like as straightforward as my old Windows Mobile device. That’s a shame.
As a quick fix, I’ve synchronised my Outlook calendar with the Google calendar – and I’ve imported my Outlook contacts into Gmail. (Selecting the CSV DOS export option from Outlook works nicely). That’ll do for now.
And I’ve added a few more apps: well, I had to see what all the Angry Birds fuss was about, plus there’s Foursquare, Friendroid (a FriendFeed client), Gowalla, Kitchen Timer, Last.fm, the LinkedIn beta, OI Safe for a few passwords, TweetDeck and my first paid app: HiFiCorder.
I appreciate the warning with every app that explains which services and features it’s able to access
In fact, I’m enjoying most aspects of the phone. I’m even inclined to offer that much-abused description: ‘intuitive’.
But I really should have thought more about the Microsoft Outlook issues. As someone who tends to rely on Outlook for email, contacts, calendar, tasks and notes, I’m struggling to find a sync solution I’m happy with. Mind you, I’ve only been using the phone for a day. I’ll let you know how my searching goes!