Google dropping Exchange ActiveSync

[WelshBloke]

It's like Apple with Google Maps. They opted to cut off support of a rival service at a degradation of quality to their product. Simply put, Activesync is superior to the alternatives. They are choosing to go a lower quality route that is an open standard, and that's certainly their choice to make, but lets not pretend that everything is equal other than license payments.

It is to a lot of people who dont and have never used EAS on their Android phones. Why should I pay extra for support that I'll never use?

Also to use your Apple/Google example should I bitch to Apple or Google that I cant use iCloud on my Galaxy phone?

 

[Nothinman]

I get the details of this, but as much as google rakes in on advertising they should pay the fees to provide better service.

Trust me, I totally understand the point, but it's not like google does what it does out of the kindness of their hearts..

Or they could put their cash behind extending and fixing the warts on the open alternatives, which I hope they do as a result of this. That's a much better long term solution for everyone, even if it hurts WP8 users in the short term.

It's like Apple with Google Maps. They opted to cut off support of a rival service at a degradation of quality to their product. Simply put, Activesync is superior to the alternatives. They are choosing to go a lower quality route that is an open standard, and that's certainly their choice to make, but lets not pretend that everything is equal other than license payments.

The maps thing wasn't comparable because Google didn't have their alternative available at the time Apple cut them off so people were forced into Apple Maps. Google is leaving EAS working for those with it currently setup and, from what I can tell, Google's apps are currently available so you're only relegated to IMAP if you're on a platform without them or once you get a new device. It's only a lower quality solution for a small amount of users, the rest of us will continue to use the native apps and not notice or care.

 

[WelshBloke]

Exactly..

I don't feel like google sat down and said ok it will cost us $xyz per handset. I believe they are doing this to essentially screw over their competition at the expense of the customer.

Again, I totally understand the business aspect, but long-term that is not a good way to handle these sorts of things.

Part of my... annoyance... is the stigma that gmail is free, so you take what you get.

Long term its a far better solution for Google and their customers.

They migrate away from having to support a standard owned and controlled by a competitor.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Exactly..

I don't feel like google sat down and said ok it will cost us $xyz per handset. I believe they are doing this to essentially screw over their competition at the expense of the customer.

Again, I totally understand the business aspect, but long-term that is not a good way to handle these sorts of things.

Part of my... annoyance... is the stigma that gmail is free, so you take what you get.

iOS and Android have dedicated Gmail apps so their users aren't affected, it really only hurts Windows Phone users who use Google services which is basically no one.

 

[Deeko]

It is to a lot of people who dont and have never used EAS on their Android phones. Why should I pay extra for support that I'll never use?

Also to use your Apple/Google example should I bitch to Apple or Google that I cant use iCloud on my Galaxy phone?

The first point is certainly fair, although I wouldn't be surprised if Google has it set up so that they only pay for a license once someone actually activates ActiveSync.

The second point is a different story because they never had iCloud to begin with, it's not like Google bundled iCloud support with Android and then decided they didn't want to pay for it anymore and cut it off. In the tech world, the old adage "tis better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all" doesn't really hold true Users react better to not having something than to having it taken away.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

This doesn't have anything to do with ActiveSync on Android handsets, it's activesync for gmail account users.

 

[Deeko]

This doesn't have anything to do with ActiveSync on Android handsets, it's activesync for gmail account users.

What about Kindle Fire users? What about iOS users that use the official email app? It has to do with them, too.

 

[WelshBloke]

The first point is certainly fair, although I wouldn't be surprised if Google has it set up so that they only pay for a license once someone actually activates ActiveSync.

I think its the handset makers that have to pay the licences isnt it? (Speculation.I could very well be wrong there)

The second point is a different story because they never had iCloud to begin with, it's not like Google bundled iCloud support with Android and then decided they didn't want to pay for it anymore and cut it off. In the tech world, the old adage "tis better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all" doesn't really hold true Users react better to not having something than to having it taken away.

They arent cutting it off for people that already have it so they are not really taking anything away.

 

[s44]

I get that, but IMAP checking my gmail every 15 minutes as opposed to having mail pushed to my phone? That just doesn't cut it.

Gmail supports IMAP IDLE. WP8 client doesn't though.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

What about Kindle Fire users? What about iOS users that use the official email app? It has to do with them, too.

How does that have anything to do with what I said in that post? Some people are acting like Google is removing Activesync support from Android which they are not.

 

[Nothinman]

Gmail supports IMAP IDLE. WP8 client doesn't though.

WP8 doesn't support much in every area.

 

[Deeko]

How does that have anything to do with what I said in that post? Some people are acting like Google is removing Activesync support from Android which they are not.

A) Yes, they are. Unless you are confusing EAS with push email.
B) Pop quiz: what operating system does the Kindle Fire use?

 

[s44]

A) Yes, they are. Unless you are confusing EAS with push email.
B) Pop quiz: what operating system does the Kindle Fire use?

No, they aren't.

Android will continue to work fine as an EAS client for any back-end that uses EAS. It's just that Gmail isn't one of the latter any more.

 

[Deeko]

No, they aren't.

Android will continue to work fine as an EAS client for any back-end that uses EAS. It's just that Gmail isn't one of the latter any more.

Oh, yes, that's what I meant. Sorry for the confusion. And either way, who said that they were anyway?

 

[silverpig]

Gmail supports IMAP IDLE. WP8 client doesn't though.

Yep. I just learned this myself too. Apparently BB10 users have gmail set to IMAP-IDLE (support push if available is the option in the OS I think), and they get their gmail pushed to them just fine.

 

[finbarqs]

The beauty of EAS is syncing everything together, calendar, notes, mail, contacts. the Gmail account function on iOS sucks balls. I say this because I hate the archiving feature, and I especially hate the fact that calendar events doesn't sync all the time. It's really really annoying.

But honestly, what can you do about it? I'll say, I hate M$ as much as the other user, but their EAS is bulletproof.