Google-Heads, Chime In!

[PowrDroid]

I'm looking to hear from people that have gone all in with Google products, apps, etc. I'm looking for people that, for the most part, use these products. If you don't use all of them, that's OK, but I'd like to hear from you. I'm looking for feedback from people that:

1. Have a Google Plus account
2. Use Google Chrome for primary PC and phone browser
3. Use Google Hangouts
4. Use Google Drive
5. Use Google Docs
6. Use Google Photos
7. Use GMail as primary email
8. Use Google Play Music
9. Use Google Maps

I'm probably forgetting some.

Anyway, I will be getting a Droid Turbo and I'm thinking of becoming a Google-Head, going all-in on Google products, replacing other products I've been using. Right now I use Firefox as my browser. I'm not a Google+ member. I use GMail sparingly, just started using Google Drive. I use Google Maps a lot; Navigation just a bit. Don't know anything about Hangouts (what do you use it for?). What is it like to be totally immersed in Google's world? What do you like and dislike? What are the privacy issues? (Or is it silly to think about privacy?)

 

[bizzyqu]

I'm #2 and #9

 

[Clocks]

I'm all of those. Hangouts I use for SMS (family) and for normal hangouts messaging with my wife and brother in law (the only other two people who use hangouts).

I like that all of that above stuff is protected behind 2 factor authentication and exists seamlessly across devices. I use a laptop, desktop, phone, tablet, and chromebook. Everything is where it should be on every device without having to email stuff or links to myself, or worry about backing things up (although I back up important things offline like photos).

 

[PowrDroid]

I'm all of those. Hangouts I use for SMS (family) and for normal hangouts messaging with my wife and brother in law (the only other two people who use hangouts).

So, Hangouts is a regular text messaging app and also some sort of super messaging app (video) with others that have it installed?

I like that all of that above stuff is protected behind 2 factor authentication and exists seamlessly across devices. I use a laptop, desktop, phone, tablet, and chromebook. Everything is where it should be on every device without having to email stuff or links to myself, or worry about backing things up (although I back up important things offline like photos).

That's a great point about 2 factor authentication and synching across devices.

 

[doogald]

I do all of that, pretty much. I got my gmail account ten years ago. Starting a few years ago, I started forwarding all of my other email accounts to Gmail, where I have filters that put them in a label for their account name. I have Gmail set to reply using the receiving email address, and all of the accounts set up as sending mail addresses in Gmail. I did this primarily because of Gmail's excellent spam filtering - it was such a pain in the *** to get email from most of my other accounts, where more than half the mail was spam with no server-side filtering available, with the added benefit that my phone only connects to a single account - no Yahoo, no ISP connection, etc.

My first smartphone was this crappy Windows Mobile phone, and I switched to Google contacts and Google calendar exclusively when Google added exchange server fetching capability to gmail (since removed, but, of course, unneeded in Android, and Mac OS connects for syncing contacts and calendars to Google quite nicely.)

Google+ is fine, I have mostly techy friends there.

I don't do much chatting, so I don't use Hangouts much, but I have done so to do multiple person video chat within the family (all of my siblings have iPhones, as does my wife and my kids, but Hangouts works cross-platform and Facetime does not.) I do have a Google Voice number, mostly for voicemail on the phone, but I also have my home phone numbers associated with it, and when we are away from home I forward the home phone to my GV number, which rings my cell phone (or goes to GV for voicemail.) Hangouts (as an app) can also be used for SMS for either your phone service or for Google Voice in addition to chat and video calling and audio calling.

I have iTunes on my Mac but sync all of my music and Playlists to Play Music using Music Manager, and use Play Music on my phone when I want to listen to my music.

I do use Google Docs these days as my primary document creation and editing tools, but I use Google Drive for just those. Otherwise I just use Dropbox.

I've used Chrome as my browser for years now. It's fine, and it syncs pretty well - I can open any tab that I have open on any of my devices on any other, access bookmarks, etc. I suppose you can do the same with Firefox if you want to. I like Chrome on the desktop because it prevents me from having to install Adobe Flash - it's built in to Chrome and Google manages the updates to the plugin for Flash.

 

[PowrDroid]

Wow. You are really plugged into Google. Interesting use of GMail.

 

[ckelly33]

I'm all of those

 

[mightyfacundo]

I'm pretty much all in on everything you mentioned. I have a Google Plus account but I'm under the impression that everyone with a Google account automatically has a Google Plus account. I could be wrong about that though. I don't actively use G+ or Facebook or any of the other Social Networking sites out there. I made the switch to Chrome a couple of years ago because I like the fact that it syncs my bookmarks and web browsing across my devices (phone, tablets, chromebook). I use Hangouts for texting and video calls with my family and close friends. I use Handcent for texting everyone else. I guess I just like to keep things separate, so that when I hear a Hangouts text come through, I know it's slightly more important than when I get a notification from Handcent. I use Google Drive cause why not? It works and it's more cloud storage to go along with dropbox and other I also use. I use Google docs but will probably switch to Microsoft Office soon. I like Google Photos cause all of my pics are automatically uploaded and saved, something I'm not good at doing manually, so it's nice not to have to think about it. I have recently switched my Yahoo email accounts to my Gmail to put them all in one place. For me, it's much more convenient, and I now only have 1 app checking for email throughout the day. I use Play Music, but I also use other Music Players from time to time, so I have no real allegiance to it. I use Google Navigation/Maps every single day. It is an indispensible app for me.

Overall, I have no complaints. There are always gonna be little things that I wished were slightly different, but I'm not so set in my ways that I can't adjust to the small changes Google makes to their apps. I've never worried about privacy, so I'm not the best person to comment on that.

 

[TurboFast]

I wish I was all in with Google Apps bc it would make life much easier.

Unfortunately I don't use Drive or Docs bc I am a longtime user of Dropbox and MS Skydrive combined with MS Office.

Google Music is OK, but it doesn't support WMA files which is the format most of my music is in, as I'm coming from a MS Zune player. Also, I have Amazon Prime so I prefer all the free music the Amazon Music app offers with that subscription. Especially now that Amazon finally fixed that buggy app.

Hope this helps.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[PowrDroid]

I'm pretty much all in on everything you mentioned. I have a Google Plus account but I'm under the impression that everyone with a Google account automatically has a Google Plus account. I could be wrong about that though. I don't actively use G+ or Facebook or any of the other Social Networking sites out there.

I'm not on Facebook, and I won't join. I have a Google Gmail account and two Google accounts but I'm not on Google+. Google+ is somewhat of a Facebook clone, as I understand it, and I'm reluctant to join up because I don't want my info plastered on Google. But some of these other Google apps and programs require a Google+ account. So I'll probably cave in.

I made the switch to Chrome a couple of years ago because I like the fact that it syncs my bookmarks and web browsing across my devices (phone, tablets, chromebook).

This will probably be the first thing I switch over to. I do like having Bookmarks as small icons across the top of my PC Firefox Web browser. I have 83 instantly accessible bookmarks on screen right now. Last time I looked Google Chrome did not have a plug-in that would do this, or they had one that was rated 2 out of 5 stars or somesuch.

I use Google docs but will probably switch to Microsoft Office soon.

Funny, I'm thinking about going the other way, dumping MS Office and using Google Docs. Why are you thinking of switching?

I like Google Photos cause all of my pics are automatically uploaded and saved, something I'm not good at doing manually, so it's nice not to have to think about it.

I'll probably adopt this habit as well.

I have recently switched my Yahoo email accounts to my Gmail to put them all in one place. For me, it's much more convenient, and I now only have 1 app checking for email throughout the day.

I have six email accounts. I use Thunderbird on my PC for all of them. On my phone I use K9 mail for my three business emails, the stock app for AOL (family stuff) and Comcast email, and the GMail app.

 

[PowrDroid]

I wish I was all in with Google Apps bc it would make life much easier.

You could always make the switch. I'm thinking hard about it.

Google Music is OK, but it doesn't support WMA files which is the format most of my music is in, as I'm coming from a MS Zune player.

What about local music in WMA that you upload to storage on your phone? Like if you rip a CD? Google Music will play those, correct?

Also, I have Amazon Prime so I prefer all the free music the Amazon Music app offers with that subscription. Especially now that Amazon finally fixed that buggy app.

I have Amazon Prime but I've never used their music app. Can you download music to your PC or it is all via the cloud?

Hope this helps.

Any input is good!

 

[PowrDroid]

Google just came out with a new messenger app. Hard to keep up.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...e.android.apps.messaging&hl=en&token=l-W1Tmo2

 

[eprisencc]

I use all these products on my iPhone 6+ and my Nexus 5 (soon to be 6).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LeoRex]

I use all 9, along with some others.... Like Keep.. And some third party apps that tie into Google, like Any.do. Having a cross platform, integrated environment makes things so easy. I'm a disorganized person, so this keeps everything tidy and on point.

Like having my own personal assistant taking care of everything so I won't forget something important... Whether I'm on my phone, my laptop, or anywhere. My google presence follows me, not my devices.

 

[zorak950]

If you're going Android anyway, I'd say it's worth trying out as many Google services as you like. The more you use, the more the cross-integration tends to benefit you. On the other hand, the more dependent you become on a single app/service ecosystem, the harder it is to leave. My best advice is to give it a go and make your own decisions: what's right for someone else isn't necessarily right for you.

 

[mightyfacundo]

I'm not on Facebook, and I won't join. I have a Google Gmail account and two Google accounts but I'm not on Google+. Google+ is somewhat of a Facebook clone, as I understand it, and I'm reluctant to join up because I don't want my info plastered on Google. But some of these other Google apps and programs require a Google+ account. So I'll probably cave.

Funny, I'm thinking about going the other way, dumping MS Office and using Google Docs. Why are you thinking of switching?

I think we might be the only two people alive who don't belong to Facebook! It feels good to know I'm not alone! I haven't noticed any issues belonging to G+, and like I said, I never go there, have never set up my page (if that's even a thing), and only use it to log in to certain apps and games.

I use Office, especially Excel, for the invoices for my company because it's more widely used by the masses, which prevents people who aren't computer savvy from saying "I couldn't read/open your invoice!" By switching, I would be able to generate invoices immediately, on the job, instead of waiting until I get back to the office.

Also, I think LeoRex and Zorak950 make some good points in their posts. Well said.

 

[PowrDroid]

If you're going Android anyway, I'd say it's worth trying out as many Google services as you like. The more you use, the more the cross-integration tends to benefit you. On the other hand, the more dependent you become on a single app/service ecosystem, the harder it is to leave. My best advice is to give it a go and make your own decisions: what's right for someone else isn't necessarily right for you.

Sensible advice, for sure. My only hesitation is that once I sign up for a Google+ account I'm not sure I can delete it. It's like Facebook--it's always out there and anyone can find you in the snap of their fingers.

 

[LeoRex]

Sensible advice, for sure. My only hesitation is that once I sign up for a Google+ account I'm not sure I can delete it. It's like Facebook--it's always out there and anyone can find you in the snap of their fingers.

Here's what Google says:

Your circles will be deleted, but people in your circles will remain in your Contacts.
Your +1's will be deleted.
Your posts and comments will be deleted and won't available to the people or communities you shared them with.
Any profile information that you did not make public will be deleted.
Many Google+ social and sharing features will be disabled for you on other Google sites.
Content from other services, such as videos, will no longer be visible to people in those circles.
No photos will be deleted: you can still access them in Picasa. To delete them, go to Picasa Web Albums.
Your connections to third-party services will not be affected. To manage them go to Connected accounts settings.
Your chat buddies in Google Talk and Gmail will not be deleted.
Your Google+ Local reviews will not be deleted: They will be marked as private and accessible in the "My Places" section of Google Maps. You will be able to delete them there. Learn more.
No communities you created will be deleted, unless you're the only member.

 

[LeoRex]

the more dependent you become on a single app/service ecosystem, the harder it is to leave

Well, I suppose the only possibility here would be if Google got relegated to the tech dust-bin, like MySpace or Yahoo.... then leaving wouldn't be a big deal. But I'm not tied to a particular device or platform.... That entire Google ecosystem comes with me when I switch over. People will still get my text messages, same email, all that good stuff I've built up over time. Not trying to get a typical Apple/Google arguement.. but I think that has always been the difference between Apple and Google.... Google's ecosystem is user-centric and Apple's is hardware-centric. And, hopefully, the user will outlast the hardware.....

 

[radicchio]

I do all of that, pretty much. I got my gmail account ten years ago. Starting a few years ago, I started forwarding all of my other email accounts to Gmail, where I have filters that put them in a label for their account name. I have Gmail set to reply using the receiving email address, and all of the accounts set up as sending mail addresses in Gmail. I did this primarily because of Gmail's excellent spam filtering - it was such a pain in the *** to get email from most of my other accounts, where more than half the mail was spam with no server-side filtering available, with the added benefit that my phone only connects to a single account - no Yahoo, no ISP connection, etc.

My first smartphone was this crappy Windows Mobile phone, and I switched to Google contacts and Google calendar exclusively when Google added exchange server fetching capability to gmail (since removed, but, of course, unneeded in Android, and Mac OS connects for syncing contacts and calendars to Google quite nicely.)

Google+ is fine, I have mostly techy friends there.

I don't do much chatting, so I don't use Hangouts much, but I have done so to do multiple person video chat within the family (all of my siblings have iPhones, as does my wife and my kids, but Hangouts works cross-platform and Facetime does not.) I do have a Google Voice number, mostly for voicemail on the phone, but I also have my home phone numbers associated with it, and when we are away from home I forward the home phone to my GV number, which rings my cell phone (or goes to GV for voicemail.) Hangouts (as an app) can also be used for SMS for either your phone service or for Google Voice in addition to chat and video calling and audio calling.

I have iTunes on my Mac but sync all of my music and Playlists to Play Music using Music Manager, and use Play Music on my phone when I want to listen to my music.

I do use Google Docs these days as my primary document creation and editing tools, but I use Google Drive for just those. Otherwise I just use Dropbox.

I've used Chrome as my browser for years now. It's fine, and it syncs pretty well - I can open any tab that I have open on any of my devices on any other, access bookmarks, etc. I suppose you can do the same with Firefox if you want to. I like Chrome on the desktop because it prevents me from having to install Adobe Flash - it's built in to Chrome and Google manages the updates to the plugin for Flash.

I'd be interested in knowing how you accomplished all these things----particularly how you were able to set up your email accounts as you have with GMail. If you can provide some details or maybe a link to further instructions, it would be great!

I'm curious whether, using Google apps, you can set up your phone and computer so that you could text from either one?

As far as what Google products I use, I have Chrome on phone and computer, like to use Google Maps, and play to try out Google Play on my next phone, as well as one of Google's texting programs (any suggestions which one?). I do like the idea of the simplicity of sticking with one platform as much as possible, so I plan on starting out with the next phone using as many Google apps as possible. If I'm not satisfied, then I'l happily switch. OTOH, I'm not ready to give up Nova Prime for setting up my phone.

And I guess I can count as #3 who doesn't use Facebook, nor do I have a Google Plus account (although I somehow ended up with one, I think when I set up my first GMail account). I did some searching online and found out how to delete the Google Plus account, and was happy to do that. I also don't tweet. I haven't used Instagram, but I'm giving that a second thought.