A Long Time Microsoft User Tries Android: Guess What? It’s Great!

Laura Knotek

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Background: I’ve been a Microsoft user both at home and at work for many years. Yes, I also use Linux. However, my primary desktop OS has always been Windows. I have also used Office for many years. I currently have a subscription to Office 365 and Xbox Music. OneDrive is my primary cloud storage solution, and Outlook is my primary email/calendar solution. I also use Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia 920).

I wanted to try Android as a change of pace, and I got a Moto X (1st generation) and a Nexus 7 (2nd generation). These are my first Android devices. I’ve never used Android before, other than playing with devices in carrier stores or playing with devices owned by friends.

Since I’m heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, I have no reason to switch to the comparable apps offered by Google. With that said, I decided to do a review of my experience using Microsoft apps on Android, following a couple weeks of use.

The Microsoft apps for Android that I installed are: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook Preview, OneDrive, OneNote, Skype, Bing Search, Bing Rewards, and Xbox Music.

Now, let’s get to the review!

I set up my Google Account several days before I got the Moto X, which was the first Android device to arrive. Therefore, I just needed to charge it up and log in to my Google Account, which I’m only using for the Play Store. I’m keeping my outlook.com account as my primary account for email/calendar, contacts. I imported all my outlook.com contacts into my Google account, so that I’d have all my phone contacts available for calls and texts. Then I went ahead and downloaded/installed all the Microsoft apps I needed from the Play Store. I found it easier to just log in to Play Store using a web browser on my PC, and then sending all the apps I wanted to my Moto X, rather than looking for the apps in the Play Store app on my Moto X. I use two-factor verification of my Microsoft Account, so I needed to have a text message sent to my phone with a code for each app. This went smoothly, and all the apps were functional.

I also added my Gmail account to the Outlook Preview app for Android, so both it and my outlook.com email accounts are able to use Outlook Preview.

When my Nexus 7 arrived, I did the same thing. I added all the Microsoft apps by sending them to my tablet using my PC browser.

Note: The Moto X is running KitKat, and the Nexus 7 is running Lollipop. However, I have not seen any difference in the behaviour or performance of apps. Both devices run the Microsoft apps equally well.

App Review:

Microsoft Office: It runs great on Android. I’ve composed this review on my PC, Nexus 7, and Moto X. Everything synced beautifully, no matter what device I used, and whether I used WiFi or mobile data.

OneDrive: I save my Word and Excel files in OneDrive, rather than locally, since I want to be able to edit them on any device I happen to use. OneDrive worked flawlessly in this task. OneDrive for Android is also more advanced than OneDrive for Windows Phone, since I am able to upload pictures at full resolution via mobile data on the OneDrive app for Android; the OneDrive app for Windows Phone requires WiFi for best quality picture uploads.

OneNote: OneNote for Android works great, and it has a better UI than its comparable app for Windows Phone.

Bing Search: The Bing Search app for Android works perfectly. It also provides me with my Bing Rewards points.

Bing Rewards: This Android app is better than its Windows Phone version. The Bing Rewards app for Windows Phone does not show the number of points I have. However, the Bing Rewards app for Android shows an accurate number for my Bing Rewards points.

Skype: Skype for Android is better than Skype for Windows Phone. The Android Skype notifications show the total number of new notifications for Skype chats. The Windows Phone Skype app constantly shows a number of one in the Live Tile, no matter how many new Skype messages I have.

Outlook Preview: Outlook Preview is a new app for Microsoft, but it was previously an app from Accompli. Although it is still in the “preview” or “beta” stage, it works great. I’ve added both my outlook.com and my Gmail accounts, and it manages both excellently. I get a lot of emails, and the Focused Inbox and swipe to archive help me to manage my emails on the go. Outlook Preview for Android is better than the default email on Windows Phone.

Xbox Music: Xbox Music for Android is one app that has fewer features than its Windows Phone counterpart. Xbox Music for Windows Phone allows one to upload his/her personal music collection to OneDrive and play it on his/her Windows Phone, rather than just stream music. That is not a deal-breaker for me, though, since I simply stream whatever music I want to play. I have not added anything from my personal collection outside of Xbox Music to my OneDrive music folder. Regular streaming of Xbox Music on Android works just as well for me as streaming of Xbox Music on Windows Phone.

Conclusion: I had never used Android devices until recently. I’ve used Windows PCs for many years, and I’ve used Windows Phones for three years. What I had heard about Android tended to be negative. However, from my own personal experience, Android works great with Microsoft apps. I’ve had nothing but a positive experience with Android, and I recommend that anyone who uses Microsoft products gives Android a try if he/she is curious. A Microsoft user will be able to do whatever he/she needs to do easily on Android. It is not complicated, and it works great!
 
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BergerKing

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You know me and that I can be picky about how my phone works, Laura, but I wouldn't have stuck with something if it wasn't getting it done for me. Welcome to the AC Forums! :D
 

Laura Knotek

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You know me and that I can be picky about how my phone works, Laura, but I wouldn't have stuck with something if it wasn't getting it done for me. Welcome to the AC Forums! :D

Thanks! :)

I really had no idea just how good my experience would be, since the folks I know primarily use Google apps, not Microsoft apps, on their Android devices. I'm really pleased that I've had such a good experience.
 

Paul627g

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Thanks for the write up Laura. Means a lot coming from a die hard Windows fan like yourself.
 

BergerKing

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Thanks! :)

I really had no idea just how good my experience would be, since the folks I know primarily use Google apps, not Microsoft apps, on their Android devices. I'm really pleased that I've had such a good experience.

I can dig it. The MS apps I've used have been excellent, as has the bulk of my Android experience since I started using it 3 years ago. And as they continue to update, things have gotten even better as the OS matures.
 

Ecm

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Very thorough, Laura. A good read for those who may be considering a switch to Android but may be holding back if they don't wish to migrate everything to Google accounts.

And I'm really surprised that the Andoid version of some MS apps run better than the WP counterparts.
 

dorelse

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First congrats on trying something new. I bounce between the 2 OS's (WP & Android), using either my HTC 8XT or my HTC One (m7) (or GS3).

I find both to provide value in their own way. When I'm on Android, I miss the UI of WP terribly...but when I'm WP, I miss the Apps (local banks) and just a ton of ones Android has that WP does not.

And it is a crying shame that Microsoft doesn't (at a minimum) keep WP apps on par with Android/Apple apps...I'm currently going to sit on the sidelines for a while and wait for Win10 (WP10) to shake out a bit...then pick up something from Blu (Win HD probably) or a Lumia 640 and run it on Ting.

I find Android to be extremely cumbersome to get everything dialed in, I know a ton of folks will say that's a plus, where as in WP, everything worked as expected and was rock solid. My GS3 on KitKat is very stable, my One on Lollipop is solid, but does have issues.

Enjoy your new phone!
 

Laura Knotek

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First congrats on trying something new. I bounce between the 2 OS's (WP & Android), using either my HTC 8XT or my HTC One (m7) (or GS3).

I find both to provide value in their own way. When I'm on Android, I miss the UI of WP terribly...but when I'm WP, I miss the Apps (local banks) and just a ton of ones Android has that WP does not.

And it is a crying shame that Microsoft doesn't (at a minimum) keep WP apps on par with Android/Apple apps...I'm currently going to sit on the sidelines for a while and wait for Win10 (WP10) to shake out a bit...then pick up something from Blu (Win HD probably) or a Lumia 640 and run it on Ting.

I find Android to be extremely cumbersome to get everything dialed in, I know a ton of folks will say that's a plus, where as in WP, everything worked as expected and was rock solid. My GS3 on KitKat is very stable, my One on Lollipop is solid, but does have issues.

Enjoy your new phone!
I don't know if you have an Android tablet or not. I have both an Android tablet and a Windows 8.1 tablet. Both are 7' tablets.

I'm using the Android (Nexus 7) almost exclusively, rather than the Windows (WinBook TW700) due to ease of typing. I prefer typing in portrait mode. Typing on a Windows 8.1 tablet is a chore, due to lack of Word Flow keyboard. SwiftKey is similar to Word Flow. It is easy to type using SwiftKey on Android. I was unable to get an alternative keyboard to work properly on my Windows 8.1 tablet.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
 

Robinsonmac

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Nice write up Laura, have you installed any WP 8 skins or just using the phone "as is" I have been thinking of doing the same thing as you, but just can't stand the grid of icons interface. Really I think MS should just make android phones with a WP skin & call it a day. The war was over before they knew they lost...
 

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