I'm finally ready to jump ship to Apple...
I've waited....and waited....and waited for Microsoft to get it's act together and give me a laptop/tablet/phone solution that is truly integrated.
Meanwhile, I have fought with a damned Samsung Note 5 (main issue being the scattered contacts across Google, Note 5 and Exchange) for far too long. Trying to keep Google, Samsung and Microsoft Exchange in sync is an exercise in futility. An exercise that I am tired (so damned tired) of trying to make work.
I don't like Google's Office app replacements, and Google doesn't offer a "real laptop" or "real apps" that are anything close to those on Windows or Apple machines.
With more and more going to apps and the cloud, which OS you use (MacOS or Windows) is becoming less and less of an issue. This is, of course, unless you simply MUST HAVE a particular app for work - then you are pretty much locked into an OS.
But I am free to choose. And it looks like I am going to be choosing Apple.
They have the most integrated solution available that integrates desktop, laptop, tablet and phone.
Do their tablets and phones do all that Android does? No. But Android doesn't have a laptop, or desktop, or apps that can take the place of (or work with files from) some of the most used apps in my industry.
Why the hell doesn't Microsoft at least write their own Android apps so keeping contacts and calendars synced properly with Exchange is as easy as installing and using the "Microsoft Business Suite for Android"? Just write a launcher with a phone app that links to Exchange for contacts, and toss in the other MS apps that they have already ported to Android.
At least then we could have something to work with that might work with Exchange contact lists and is still available for other apps on Android.
And, if you're feeling like doing something really great - make Outlook on Android more like Blackberry's Hub app. Show all communications (phone calls, text messages, emails, etc.) in a single UI. I'd even toss scheduled meetings and events right into the same timeline - something Blackberry does not integrate into the communications results feed directly.
But it doesn't really matter for me, I guess. I'm tired of waiting on that Windows phone and my Note 5 is getting a bit long in the tooth.
I almost bought that nifty looking HP Elite x3, but it would only work on AT&T's network and I need Verizon to get a decent signal where I live and work. (Even though the phone had the radio hardware to work on Verizon, HP never went through the FCC steps to get it approved for use on those bands.)
IMHO, Microsoft will continue to lose businesses and government agencies precisely because of the two things it is pushing the most - the cloud and its separation from a decent Windows phone.
Since more and more services and apps are moving to the cloud, the OS (even the OS serving up the apps and services) are less and less important. And since things are moving to the cloud (with Microsoft's own pushing) the need to be connected while mobile, and to have that same information synchronized with tablet, laptop and desktop is a must.
Microsoft is no longer needed to port apps to the cloud, they have abandoned a sensible tablet (4 hours use is hardly a useful device), abandoned Windows phone almost completely (it would have been better had they made it a clean break) and they are not making any effort to make using other products (like Android) seamlessly integrate with Exchange and the contacts therein.
Microsoft is doing well for itself right now, but I fear it has sold it's future for short term financial success.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
