android noob from blackberry

[JohnnyUtah]

I'll make it quick.A few questions. First, if I pick up an Atrix to try out for 30 days, how will this affect my bberry data plan, will it return if I return the atrix?

secondly, is there a definitive answer on porting/saving/migrating apps from one android to another, i.e. upgrade to newer android phone. My searches indicate that with Froyo you can move apps to the sd card but that not all apps are supported. What have been your experiences with the ratio of apps that can be moved?

finally, if apps are stored on sd, do they run noticeably slower or has this been fixed(excluding widgets as this appears to be a known problem). if so, it would seem you could just run off internal memory until it was time to upgrade, then slap theM on sd and upgrade to new phone.

 

[scrounger]

I'll make it quick.A few questions. First, if I pick up an Atrix to try out for 30 days, how will this affect my bberry data plan, will it return if I return the atrix?

Should not change. But make sure when you get the new phone to state that you do not want to make any changes to your current plan.

secondly, is there a definitive answer on porting/saving/migrating apps from one android to another, i.e. upgrade to newer android phone. My searches indicate that with Froyo you can move apps to the sd card but that not all apps are supported. What have been your experiences with the ratio of apps that can be moved?

The Android Market is tied to your Google account. If you use the same Google ID on both phones your paid apps should show up so you could reload them (same as a factory reset). You can use App Dragon from the market to generate a current list of your apps. AppBrain allows you to sync which apps are on your phone with a website and share that list with others. You could also use that list to load/reload a phone.

 

[ka3yan]

Really good questions and answers. I did ask AT&T about switching from BB unlimited plan to a regular data plan and they said that as long as I currently have an unlimited plan, I can keep the unlimited plan. It doesn't matter whether it's BB or iPhone or Android.

 

[vietalogy]

Really good questions and answers. I did ask AT&T about switching from BB unlimited plan to a regular data plan and they said that as long as I currently have an unlimited plan, I can keep the unlimited plan. It doesn't matter whether it's BB or iPhone or Android.

As long as it's unlimited you should be grandfathered. Just make sure when you are switching devices that you still have unlimited when you leave the store.

 

[anon(41845)]

I have another BB to Android question. I am coming from Verizon and have a Blackberry Storm. Can the folks at AT&T move over my contacts to the Atrix? I hate the thought of having to enter all those contacts in manually.

I sure hope they announce the Atrix soon. The wait is killing me.

 

[no1]

I have another BB to Android question. I am coming from Verizon and have a Blackberry Storm. Can the folks at AT&T move over my contacts to the Atrix? I hate the thought of having to enter all those contacts in manually.

I sure hope they announce the Atrix soon. The wait is killing me.

Install Google Sync on your BB to sync contacts to a Google account (which you'll have to use on Android anyway). Do this before you switch phones. That will probably be your best bet.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Install Google Sync on your BB to sync contacts to a Google account (which you'll have to use on Android anyway). Do this before you switch phones. That will probably be your best bet.

I would agree. This is what I did.

 

[john_v]

Install Google Sync on your BB to sync contacts to a Google account (which you'll have to use on Android anyway). Do this before you switch phones. That will probably be your best bet.

This. Is great advice.

Google sync is your best friend.

 

[tony bag o donuts]

I have another BB to Android question. I am coming from Verizon and have a Blackberry Storm. Can the folks at AT&T move over my contacts to the Atrix? I hate the thought of having to enter all those contacts in manually.

I sure hope they announce the Atrix soon. The wait is killing me.

Don't let them do it.
Carriers usually copy to the phone contacts and not to a google acct. (there is a difference on your device)

Take the advice listed above and do the google sync.

 

[textiaac]

Google sync is the best route. You can try letting the guy at att do it but it could take up to and hour.

 

[dzervit]

Here's the problem I had with Google Sync: It refuses to sync from BB to Google. It only pulls down contacts from Google to the BB. Useless! The options screen is no help. Am I missing something?

Last Android I tried out I synced my BB with Outlook, then exported my contacts from there and imported into Google Contacts.

 

[EJL1980]

Here's the problem I had with Google Sync: It refuses to sync from BB to Google. It only pulls down contacts from Google to the BB. Useless! The options screen is no help. Am I missing something?

Last Android I tried out I synced my BB with Outlook, then exported my contacts from there and imported into Google Contacts.

The BB is capable of having several different "phone books." I had this issue when I was on a BES and used the BIS Google Sync. That is possibly why its not working?

 

[scrounger]

I agree. In the past, whenever the AT&T people transferred contacts between phones (usually dumb), they would copy them to the SIM card, which only stores one (1) number per contact.

 

[dzervit]

The BB is capable of having several different "phone books." I had this issue when I was on a BES and used the BIS Google Sync. That is possibly why its not working?

Hmmmm.. interesting. I do have two contact lists. The default (that I suspect Google is looking at) and the "AT&T Contact List" where all my contacts reside. That's the phone book that you can sync to AT&T. I'm guessing that the Atrix will have this same AT&T sync service so I should be good to go. Bummer the Google Sync app doesn't let you choose what contact list to sync with.

 

[dtboos]

Not sure if I remember, but through Blackberry Desktop Manager can't you export your contacts to a CSV file? If so, do that, then import to your Gmail account. That will automatically sync to your phone when you set it up.

Other than that, I remember Google Sync working perfect from my Blackberry.

I would NOT have the phone/carrier store transfer them.

 

[xchris5442x]

Also leaving my Blackberry Bold to get into the Atrix. Million dollar question, is there anything close to BBM that android ppl are using?

 

[john_v]

Also leaving my Blackberry Bold to get into the Atrix. Million dollar question, is there anything close to BBM that android ppl are using?

I've been looking at Kik messenger (it's the one RIM 'kiked' out of AppWorld.) Havent given it a whole lot of real world use on my 3gs, but it seems pretty good.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

thanks for all the replies to my original questions but based on the contacts question raised within the thread let me ask this: If I'm currently on BES and my contacts, calendar, and mail are backed up on the server i.e. Microsoft Exchange, can't I just import everything from the server onto the new atrix? This is what I did with my iphone 3g that I use as a backup and for weekends. And beyond that, how does Android handle enterprise duties like mail and wireless calendar sync with Microsoft Office. I use their calendar and Outlook for work

 

[stoli412]

thanks for all the replies to my original questions but based on the contacts question raised within the thread let me ask this: If I'm currently on BES and my contacts, calendar, and mail are backed up on the server i.e. Microsoft Exchange, can't I just import everything from the server onto the new atrix? This is what I did with my iphone 3g that I use as a backup and for weekends. And beyond that, how does Android handle enterprise duties like mail and wireless calendar sync with Microsoft Office. I use their calendar and Outlook for work

You can definitely add your Exchange account to the Atrix and it will sync your mail, contacts, and calendar. Using Exchange is the best way to get it all in sync (aside from using a Google account).

I'm not too familiar with BlackBerry, but I think what everyone is saying is that if your contacts are stored just on the BlackBerry itself or some sort of BlackBerry-only sync service (ie, not Exchange), then you're going to have to find some way to export them.

I agree with everyone else, do NOT let the store transfer the contacts for you. It usually ends up being a mess and more trouble than it's worth.

 

[dzervit]

You can definitely add your Exchange account to the Atrix and it will sync your mail, contacts, and calendar. Using Exchange is the best way to get it all in sync (aside from using a Google account).

Not if his company doesn't support it. This will rest on how savvy/loose his company is with mobile devices.

After the iPhone sales clowns started to say "works with exchange!!" I had dozens of people request their iPhone be setup like their co-workers BB's. I kinda enjoyed telling them it's never going to happen and that just because Steve Job's says something doesn't make it so.