Google Mail on Android?

[Brand86]

Hero comes tomorrow but the guy at Orange says I should setup a GMail account - just wondering why, as I use Hotmail? Or is there something I am missing here?

Any other things I should sign up to in preparation?

Only thing I am slightly annoyed about is that Orange Maps don't work on Android I hear? I can buy a GPS programme but costs about £20! Is there any (free) GPS alternatives? I have a sat nav but a GPS when you are lost walking around London is actually really handy, my friends use their iPhones for this a lot!

Cheers!

 

[Tom]

Co-Pilot is £25 But its got google maps for street use.

You'll need a gmail account.
All the services work with it.

 

[Brand86]

Yeh Co-Pilot that's it! Worth getting then?

So why do I need a Gmail then Tom, can I setup an account prior to receiving my phone?

Also, do you know what memory size the Hero comes with, and following that, worth upgrading you reckon?

Thanks mate, I know you know your stuff about phones and this is my first "smart phone" so a bit daunting knowing how much it can do!

 

[dajones]

fire me a pm if you want copilot
you need gmail to access the market (app store)
the hero comes with 2gig memory on a sdhc card and has done me fine as i have a ipod for music etc

 

[Darren85]

Gmail account is used to sync your contacts and calendar, good idea to do so incase you wipe your contacts by mistake, you can sign back into Gmail via your phone and it will sync back up.

Co pilot is suppose to be good, not that I can afford that haha, tried using AndNav but it sucks, also in need of a decent free nav if anyone knows of one?

 

[theduck]

Andnav does indeed suck. Googlemaos does me fine though

 

[Brand86]

Ok thanks f or the advice. I have setup GMail, but having difficulties geting my Hotmail and GMail to sync properly, does this matter? Or can I just keep the 2 separate (although I can use Windows Live as a hub to get at both in one place?)

PM sent about the Sat Nav

 

[Darren85]

Andnav does indeed suck. Googlemaos does me fine though

Yeah the maps are good, lacks in voice guidance mind which would be very handy!

Ok thanks f or the advice. I have setup GMail, but having difficulties geting my Hotmail and GMail to sync properly, does this matter? Or can I just keep the 2 separate (although I can use Windows Live as a hub to get at both in one place?)

PM sent about the Sat Nav

Hotmail and Gmail are not able to be combined, use to be able to set up mail forwarding but you can't any more I don't think. But.. With Android you get another app basically called Mail.. You can use this to receive email from other clients using POP and SMTP settings.. With the new Hotmail you can use pop.live.com and smtp.live.com (iirc) along with your username (email address) and password and this will fetch emails from your hotmail account.. Google for settings to be 100%, I'm sure Hotmail has these in the FAQ section also.. Hope this helps mate.. Android FTW IMO, Beats the iPhone hands down! :rasp:

 

[Brand86]

Thanks Darren - although can't I just access Hotmail like I do on my current phone anyway, e.g. just go to the URL?

I have Windows Live which is a new programme, which means you can link GMail and Hotmail (according to GMail anyway)

 

[NB 02 HOT]

no need to go to the url. the ,mail app syncs with your email account to show all your emails on the phone. I have both my gmail and hotmail accounts setup on the phone. Yes you can forward most email from gmail to hotmail but there are some inparticular that wont forward. Its far easier to just set up both on the phone when you first start it up

 

[Darren85]

Thanks Darren - although can't I just access Hotmail like I do on my current phone anyway, e.g. just go to the URL?

I have Windows Live which is a new programme, which means you can link GMail and Hotmail (according to GMail anyway)

You can access Hotmail via the URL yeah, Via the MSN mobile page, bit pants mind, as NB_02_HOT mentioned it is easier to just set up the mail program on your phone to download these emails, IIRC you can use Gmail to forward to Hotmail and most other accounts, but Hotmail doesn't allow this, or so I think, I maybe wrong.. Also as mentioned some emails do not forward, I.E anything personal, such as emails from Banks, if you have Internet Banking and others, like PayPal, thats in my case anyways

 

[NB 02 HOT]

I can forward certain gmail emails to my hotmail but not all will forward. I can't find the help page now but it has something to do with the way the email is signed off and only if it is done correctly can gmail forward it. I spend ages trying to get this to work to forward my SmsToMailbox emails from a gmail account to a hotmail account but gmail wont forward them.

 

[Brand86]

Cool thanks for the advice! I expect to be pestering you kids once it arrives later begging for help lol!

 

[Darren85]

Haha, its pretty easy to set up the phone.. when you first start up it asks for your Gmail account etc.. after that its all go!

What NB is saying is true, but I assume you wanted to forward from your Hotmail to your Gmail account, which I am sure is not poss, I would just use the pop and smtp settings I have listed.. feel free to drop a PM if you need some more help on anything.. Been on Android since day one.. Loved it since!

 

[Brand86]

Phone - great so far!

One issue: when adding contacts you can link to Facebook, and it adds their image to them (cool touch!)

However, it doesn't do this for some people. Why is this? And if you can't update from their image for whatever reason, can you manually link it to either their profile picture or just a random picture in their Facebook account or something?

Also, how do you find/add a Facebook widget? Can't find one!

Thanks a million!

 

[Tom]

There isnt a facebook widget, just the app in the market.

 

[Brand86]

Oh right. Free I am hoping???

Also any ideas about the image/Facebook issue? No reason I can tell why it works for some and not for others?

 

[Brand86]

also...how do you update the software? Can find where it says what version it is, but not where it lets you download the latest version?

Thanks (again!)

 

[Tom]

http://www.htc.com/uk/SupportDownload.aspx?p_id=283&cat=2&dl_id=675

 

[Brand86]

Cheers Tom. Is it the ROM upgrade I am after? If so...says it deletes all my data???

 

[theduck]

if you intend to install copilot dont upgrade to 1.6. it kills copilot

 

[Brand86]

Really, in what way??

So do I upgrade or not then? I think I would rather have the software updates overall though.

Can someone (Tom or any other Hero owners?) please confirm...thanks!

 

[theduck]

Copilot just wont run on 1.6 at all at the moment. If I'd known I'd have not updated. Having Copilot is much better than the software update tbh.

 

[Android]

ANNDROOOOOID

 

[Darren85]

Really, in what way??

So do I upgrade or not then? I think I would rather have the software updates overall though.

Can someone (Tom or any other Hero owners?) please confirm...thanks!

It don't kill it in a sense of total destruction :rasp:

Through the updates of software on Android, parts of the system is modified in one way or anothers, bugs, tweeks etc.. Current upgrade on Android is 1.6 AKA 'Donut'..

CoPilot don't run due to the changes in the systems coding (but I am only sure this effects the downloaded/cracked version) If this is the case for even the legit versions, rest assured an update will be out pretty soon to amend this!

Chaos broke out on the forum's when 1.6 was released and it killed Google Voice Search haha, Something Google/Android overlooked.. but this was fixed within 48 hours..

 

[Brand86]

Have you upgraded then Darren, worth doing?

Only had the phone 2 days but spent ages sorting everything out on it - would be annoying to lose everything, as no doubt a newer version will be along before too long anyway I guess?

 

[Brand86]

Right - could be ok here. Was just about to download the new software, but before doing so I checked the latest software already on the phone in the settings section.

My software is 2.73.61.5 - which is the same number on the website. Have HTC been awesome and aready updated the new software onto the phones from new?

If so, has saved me some work!

 

[NB 02 HOT]

...if you can't update from their image for whatever reason, can you manually link it to either their profile picture or just a random picture in their Facebook account or something?

Go to the contact, click menu and edit. In the top left it will have their photo or the blank photo image. click that and it will give you the options for setting their picture. Remember to still click save at the bottom when you've selected or it wont remember it i believe.


Bit random but not seen this posted here before... if you type *#*#4636#*#* into the phone bit it brings up the detailed battery and phone details HTC left out of the settings menu. Best not to change any of the settings under the phone tab though unless you know they do.