My wife just switched to EVO from Palm Pixi.. couple questions..

[SipperPhoto]

Hey all,

My wife finally got tired of getting refurbished piece of crap Pixi's from Sprint and switched out for an EVO4G. She's only had it about 30 minutes and already getting frustrated. I'm trying to talk her down off the fence and into Android-land for good. I'm waiting for the 3D, myself, so I'm new. But, I'm also more technically inclined than she is, so I've gotta figure it out for her!

Other than relearning how to use the phone from scratch, she had a couple questions.

1. She uses Outlook and Gmail for her contacts. Is there an easy way to import contacts and not have things duplicate? With the Pixi there were all sorts of shenanigans trying to get contacts sorted out without things getting messed up.

I guess what I'm asking is... what is the best way for the cleanest install of contacts?

2. With the Pixi, she could start typing a name and the contacts would automatically pop up for her to call/email/text. Is it the same with the EVO? She said she tried, and it didn't work for her. She had to scroll thru the contacts list to find me. I know there has to be an easier way to find a contact.

Any help would be great!

thanks!

 

[7starmarc]

If she is syncing to both Gmail and Exchange with contacts, just let it sit for a while after setting it up. The phone will create a list of potential links for contacts (contacts from both lusts that appear to be the same or related). Then, just go in off the notification and link the ones that are correct, leave the others. This will also work for Facebook and Twitter contacts. Just give it a little time to settle.

You can also force this, but it's been such a long time since I played with that, I have forgotten, but it wasn't hard, just off the menu button, IIRC.

This is a feature of Sense, not vanilla Android.

In my experience, it gets a lot of the associations correct.

Searching contacts is a little different. In the contacts app, you should be able to search, though.

 

[bb_batman_dcx]

im able to start typing my contacts name in the phone app and they come up. like if i wanted to call my dad, i would type 3-2-3 and his contact info would be up on the screen. it could be that here contacts werent set yet...thats why it didnt work...give it a bit of time...it should work

 

[TWC_SouthPhilly]

Like the other 2 said after you sync with gmail, outloock, Facebook.... and so on it takes a bit of time for android to sort things out.

As for your search question... are you looking for something like the "Universal Search" on webos???

Use the built in search function. Tap that little magnifying glass button. When the search page comes up just type in the name of the contacts, app, google search term.... what ever your looking.

You can also (when your in the search app) tap the menu button-> search settings-> searchable items. There you'll fine all of the apps that have some kind of searchable data. Here you can choose what apps to search when using the search app. So you could set it up so I only searches apps, contacts, documents... just like Universal Search did on webos.

Hope that helps you out a bit... went through it with my wife when she went form the Pre to her Shift.

Decks Rom Rules, Other Roms Drool!!!
Thanks for tryin!!!

 

[SipperPhoto]

Nice!

Thanks for all your help. I'm home from work now and going thru her contacts, etc. with her now. I showed her the magnifying glass search deal... works like a charm! I might be more excited than she is about the phone... as, I'm looking to pitch my Pre when the EVO3D comes out! I get to learn Android myself until it shows up!

I'm sure I'll have more questions the more I delve into it!

Thanks!

 

[cloak.n.dagger]

I went through this same process with my mother-in-law. The first law of Android is "You must have a Google Gmail account!" This is hard coded fact! Nothing works without out it, really. That being said, the easiest way to sync your contacts is to export them out of outlook and import them into your new Gmail account. All new contacts added into the phone should be added as "Google Contacts" so that when background syncing happens they are backed up to your Google account.

Sounds like you found the search button. In the search feature there are setting option where you can set the searchable items. As long as Contacts is selected then all searches will include contact listings.

 

[evoskydive]

I didn't read all the replies, but the People Widget allows for a short cut tosearching by name. The button on the bottom left if the larger widget. Just touch that and you can start searching by name.

You can also just use the search button. In Search settings you can customize what and where your phone searches when you use that button.

 

[SipperPhoto]

I didn't read all the replies, but the People Widget allows for a short cut tosearching by name. The button on the bottom left if the larger widget. Just touch that and you can start searching by name.

You can also just use the search button. In Search settings you can customize what and where your phone searches when you use that button.

Thanks... we figured out the people/favorite's widget last night after a few tries

It's really my first time playing with Android... and I'm digging it. I still wanna do the same gestures I use on my Pre, but, I'm trying to break myself of that!

Thanks!

 

[Mikey47]

As for searching similar to the Pixi (and Pre), I absolutely love "Gesture Search". Once you open the app you write on the screen and it searches for a contact, a bookmark, an application, or a music track.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.gesturesearch

I LOVE it!!