November 24th, 2008
Another solution for working with Exchange on your T-Mobile G1 Android device
Last week I told you about the new MailShadowG application that syncs your Outlook data to Google and then on to your T-Mobile G1. I tried it and it really doesn’t meet my needs, but I just read on Michael Gartenberg’s blog that there is another new piece of software that might work out for those looking for an Exchange solution on their Android device.
I tried MailShadowG out last week, but then found a couple thousand incomplete contacts that were grabbed from my messy Google contacts in my Outlook contacts database. I also did not like having my Gmail email integrated right into my work email so I uninstalled the software and spent about an hour deleting all the incomplete and old contacts. I also didn’t like that I needed to have my PC on and connected at work to have data synced back and forth. I have a laptop as my main PC at work so this isn’t on when I am out of the office. I think the MailShadowG application may work for some who use Google as their main PIM client, but I will stick with my HTC Fuze and native Exchange ActiveSync for a better solution.
The new solution is actually just a client that goes on your G1 and gives you limited Exchange functionality. TouchDown lets you compose and send email (including replying and forwarding), delete email, manage your contacts, and view your appointments for the day. There is currently no push email functionality, but you can setup polling times. Since it is a client on your device, you don’t have to have a running PC at work and it looks to work through the OWA/EWS utility in Exchange 2007 on your server. The calendar is quite limited and gives you today’s events only, with no ability to create or edit appointments or have them setup with notifications.
There is a free 5-day fully functional trial available with the application costing US$19 until the end of November. It is good to see that work is being done to support Exchange, but I think I will hold out for a full Exchange ActiveSync client.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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