Redmond, we have a problem. Make that a few problems

by Volker Weber

I installed the Yoga before Google started pushing me. Then Google extended the deadline for Exchange ActiveSync on Windows Phone by six months. You can still add Windows Phones to your Google account. And device that are already in your account, continue to work.

However, Surface is not Windows Phone. Surface is Windows RT. When you try to add a Google account, and you want contacts and calendars to sync with Surface, you are out of luck. Surface tries (and fails) to create an Exchange ActiveSync account. Only if you uncheck contacts and calendars, it will create an IMAP account instead.

I also tried the my usual setup. vowe@vowe.net as the address, @gmail.com as username. No workie.

This is a serious problem, that can be solved. Enter BlackBerry 10. If you set up your Google account, it will create three accounts. IMAP for mail, CalDAV for calendars and CardDAV for contacts. Exactly how it should work.

BlackBerry smart, Microsoft stupid.

Well, how about migrating to Outlook.com? That would work with Surface. However, Outlook.com does not support IMAP, let alone CardDAV or CalDAV. Stupid.

Speaking of stupid. Surface ships with a preview version of Office RT. The upgrade to the release is an important update. But it was unchecked and never installed. Let's hope this was just a glitch.

Comments

Isn't that just Microsoft playing the hard ball for their own protocol? Making ActiveSync the default that works smoothly with the wizard, not supporting the open protocols or at least make it hard...

Ragnar Schierholz, 2013-02-28

Nope. There is no CardDAV or CalDAV @Msft.

Volker Weber, 2013-02-28

Just migrate to Outlook.com. Much cleaner and better integration for all your Windows application needs (calendar, mail, office docs, SkyDrive, Skype, Lync, etc.). Since Windows is predominantly used in business, why tarry around Google where your profiles are at stake.

Marco Merck, 2013-02-28

Marco, move along. Nothing to see here.

Volker Weber, 2013-02-28

I only wonder why you did not notice all this trouble when using the Yoga device...

Ingo Seifert, 2013-02-28

The answer is in the very first sentence. Google supports existing devices, but won't let you add new ones. If the Yoga would break and be replaced with a new one, it would suffer the same problem.

In other words: if you are a Gmail user with calendar and contacts, you have to stay away from both Surface and Yoga.

Volker Weber, 2013-02-28

Staying away : Check

Oliver Barner, 2013-02-28

I just don't get it... I am pretty sure that I am using my private Gmail account without EAS via the mail and calendaring app and I am able to maintain both without any flaws....

Ingo Seifert, 2013-02-28

Yet another reason not to buy into the whole Windows 8 world.

David Hablewitz, 2013-03-01

David, if I recall correctly, your favorite client is Notes. Please explain how that connects to Gmail mail, calendar and contacts.

Please take a moment and create an IMAP mailbox to Gmail. What do you see? R5?

Volker Weber, 2013-03-01

Old vowe.net archive pages

I explain difficult concepts in simple ways. For free, and for money. Clue procurement and bullshit detection.

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