Touchdown or Just use the phone's Exchange?

[timandjes]

Hello-

Can anyone tell me if there is an advantage of using Nitrodesk Touchdown instead of just setting up the driod phone itself with your exchange server? I used to have an HTC Eris and exchange worked fine on it. Then I got a Motorola Citrus and exchange wouldn't work so I had to go to Touchdown. I like Touchdown, but I'm thinking about moving back to an HTC, so I'm wondering should I keep using Touchdown or would there be any advantage over just using exchange on the phone itself? Maybe there are features of Touchdown I haven't discovered that make it better than just using the phone?

Thanks for any advice,

Tim

 

[ukyfan]

One thing I noticed while I was on my OG D was that using the stock email client I had to put a password on my phone that I had to put in every time my phone went to the lock screen. It really irked me having to always unlock it to do anything. If my screen turned off, and I wanted to send a text message to someone I had to unlock it first even though I was not doing anything with my corp. email. When I installed Touchdown I only have to enter my code when I open the app. That to me is a good enough reason to use TD instead of stock. Not to mention that TD also lets you view your calendar, & tasks as well which I couldn't with stock. I have a Thunderbolt now, and haven't tried the stock app on it since I already have TD. The only gripe I have with it is the price. Right now I am still using the trial and have a few days left on it. But when it runs out I will just probably uninstall and reinstall. The only thing I have seen so far that you get when you pay for it is the option to change the signature.

 

[takeshi]

It's highly subjective. Try the stock app. Try Touchdown (it has a trial). Determine for yourself. I wasn't happy with my stock app.

Touchdown's rules (customizable email notifications), ability to select any folders to sync and ability to specify any number of days of content to sync were major reasons for me. I can't recall if there were other reasons.

 

[ukyfan]

It's highly subjective. Try the stock app. Try Touchdown (it has a trial). Determine for yourself. I wasn't happy with my stock app.

Touchdown's rules (customizable email notifications), ability to select any folders to sync and ability to specify any number of days of content to sync were major reasons for me. I can't recall if there were other reasons.

Unless something was changed, but it seems like you couldn't view your calendar or tasks with the stock app. You could only view your email. For some that is all that they would need so if that is your case then save your cash.

 

[timandjes]

Thanks. One thing I do like about Touchdown is it's feature that reads the email to you. I guess that's one advantage, (unless the droids do that by themselves and that's one of many things I've yet to learn).

 

[PARick]

As I just said, the $19 I spent for Touchdown is the best money I have spent on my Droid. Only having to enter my password for my exchange email is well worth it. Plus, the calendar functions just like mine at work. I highly recommend it.

 

[chuggie]

I've been a lurker for quite awhile, but I wanted to chime in on this one. I've been using TD on my OG Droid almost since I purchased it. The biggest advantage I like is the use of ActiveSync if your IT staff has it enabled. This syncs all of my Exchange contacts, calendar, and specified folders. What I like most though is that it keeps my work email contacts separate from my Gmail contacts. I don't know if the native client does this, but I couldn't see an obvious way.

On a side note. We do not have an IT staff here at my work. The help desk at TD helped me and one of the other guys here set up ActiveSync on our server via email. The response was fast and accurate. I did get sticker shock when I saw how much the app cost, but it's a one time fee.

 

[timandjes]

Thanks

I kindof like Touchdown but the only thing I didn't like was that it seemed to me that I now had two seperate Contacts, (TD & native), & two seperate Calendars, (TD & native). It may be that I just didn't do something right.

 

[Hyposprayer]

Motorola's exchange makes me a sad panda.

 

[techguru]

One of the big advantages of Touchdown is that if your exchange administrator decides to remote wipe (either because you lose your job or they think you have lost your phone) Touchdown only deletes your exchange data, not the whole phone. The Android email client will do a full wipe. If you did lose it, you might want that, but there are other options for that (Prey, Lookout, others...).

Alan

 

[ukyfan]

One of the big advantages of Touchdown is that if your exchange administrator decides to remote wipe (either because you lose your job or they think you have lost your phone) Touchdown only deletes your exchange data, not the whole phone. The Android email client will do a full wipe. If you did lose it, you might want that, but there are other options for that (Prey, Lookout, others...).

Alan

Seriously? Well then that would seal the deal for me since this is *my* phone, and not theirs. They did not pay anything toward it so I do not like the idea that they can wipe everything off of my phone. I have way too much on here that is not work related to just lose.

 

[PARick]

Let me add one more thing. Touchdown also has some very useful widgets where you can see your emails (sender & topic) without having to open the application. I would not consider removing TD.