Well this is the first in hopefully a weekly article that I will write about things that make me go hmmmm with the Android OS, Android phones, etc. Part of my life, and maybe yours, deals with a PC and Microsoft Office products. I utilize this system at home as well as at work. Therefore I can sync my work appointments, contacts, etc. with my personal data at home, seamlessly (somewhat). So syncing these with my phone is a requirement I take in when selecting a cell phone for myself. At least it will when I upgrade to a new smartphone (I currently do not own an Android phone, however I am in the market for one.) Therefore I did some research on the internet and found out the following information, which is not all inclusive, to say the least, so please feel free to comment on how you get your Outlook contacts onto your Android phone or if you have used the following software and how it works out for you. (Note: I have not tried any of the following software or examples.)
- HTC Sync enables some HTC android phones to sync with contacts and calendar info from Outlook, Outlook Express, and Windows Address Book on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. HTC Sync is included in the box with some android phones. Check out HTC’s website to see if HTC Sync is compatible with your phone.
- Google Calendar Sync allows you to sync your Outlook calendar with your Google calendar, and thus with your phone. However this does nothing for getting your contacts onto your phone.
- A not-so-convenient option involves exporting your contacts to a .csv file and then converting them to be imported into your Google contacts in gmail. Thus allowing you to sync them with your phone.
- Another available option is the $40 software package known as CompanionLink. This allows for your android device to be sync’d with a wire as well as wirelessly. CompanionLink offers the availability to sync your Outlook contacts and calendar as well as tasks and notes with your Google account, which can in turn automatically sync with your Android phone.
- gSyncit can also be purchased for $15 and enables you to sync your Outlook contacts, calendar, notes, and tasks with Google and vice versa.
As you can see various options are available to sync your Outlook data with your phone. Depending on your skill, or patience, these can be cumbersome or involve purchasing third party software. I would expect to see an app within the Android Market that could do this same thing, which may be in the works or already available.
