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Hey guys,
I have been using Evernote for some time but find that the PC application is quite slow and cumbersome and the mobile implementation though good lacks on something that I can't put my finger down on.
I heard dropbox is very good but I was wondering what ideas people had for storing notes on it or what else I could use the functionality for besides storing some of my apks.
Dropbox is great. Official app just came out, testing it now. My problem with Evernote was the inability to have notes offline for storage on your phone.
Dropbox allows you to store things offline and upload when connected? Sounds interest, how about mirroring folders on your PC?
I don't know whether you can queue things up for Dropbox yet - haven't tested that. As for retrieving things, you'll definitely need to be connected. I found that incredibly silly for a notes application like Evernote, though. Seriously, Evernote? You need a network connection so I can write down that I need to buy milk?
As for mirroring folders, I doubt it. When you install Dropbox on a computer, it sets aside a specific Dropbox folder. Anything you put inside it is synced to the cloud, and automatically put on any other computers you have Dropbox on. You put a file in your laptop's dropbox and your desktop can get it. Your phone can go get it now as well, so it's a cheap wireless file transfer method, if nothing else. As I understand the Android Dropbox implementation, there won't be a folder with your entire Dropbox stored on it like there is for a PC, you'll just retrieve stuff from the cloud.
If I can't add files it just seems a bit pointless ...
Yeah having offline access is a bonus, not going to break much but I may want to make notes on the train, etc.
Thanks for the comprehensive post, looks like more research is needed .
Right now the ONLY files you can send from Dropbox for Android are media files, so only photos, videos and audio files. No text files or documents, so it's pretty useless in terms of notes.
I use Gdocs Notepad, freeware, that syncs with Google Documents.
I've solved in this way.
Sugar sync is pretty good - can sync any files, you get 2gb free, free android client.
Hi,
I remember from owning an IPhone having to synchronise my ewallet (a password manager) files over the air from the desktop whilst the app was running on the phone. (I'll admit it was a minor annoyance).
Having moved to android and using a combination of dropbox and keepass, I don't really think about anymore - I just open dropbox and click the file and keepass opens up.
But, what about WP7? I realise that apps are only permitted to use their own storage. If I were to build a say, a keepass app for WP7, would I be back to building some desktop client software that allow syncing over the air whilst the app was running (like IPhone/ewallet), or hooking into any number of online sync services like Dropbox, Box.net, Pogoplug, etc, just to get the file some place the app can reach it.
I'm having trouble thinking of any other option given the lack of any common storage.
Thanks
If you did develop Keepass for WP7, you'd have your first customer here!
I'm actually tempted to try and port it myself, and I've come to the same conclusion as you regarding storage. The local KDB file would need to held in private storage and synchronised to an off-device copy, be that a desktop app or something like drop box.
A keepass app is one of the things I was considering. Not so sure about it now.
I'll have a look round for an elegant solution.
Well, isn't Skydrive the same as Dropbox? As I understood WP7 uses Skydrive to store your files 'in the cloud'; so why not put your Keepass file there?
Seven_PRX said:
Well, isn't Skydrive the same as Dropbox? As I understood WP7 uses Skydrive to store your files 'in the cloud'; so why not put your Keepass file there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd not considered skydrive/mesh. I'll 'ave a look.
Thanks for the heads-up.
I'm thinking of writing a desktop synching app myself. That way any WP7 app could connect to it to import files from a PC.
I've thought about using skydrive myself, but it doesn't seem to offer a way to download the file directly.
My problem was to copy a pdf-file to my phone and after some research, I figured out that the only way to do this, is to email me this file. I think this is pretty awkward and I found an easier way to do this.
If you have a dropbox-account just move the file to your dropbox-folder on your pc, then install a dropbox-client on your phone. now you can access every file that's in the dropbox-folder from your phone... problem solved
If you're new to dropbox, I would appreciate it if you use my refferal-link so that both of us get 250MB extra free space.
Here's my referral-link: http://db.tt/OV3ERGB
Why not just use your free Skydrive? That's what I do, then navigate to your Skydrive on your phone (pin the link to your start screen for ease) and click the file's icon and it will download to your phone.
No need to use dropbox at all.
Jim Coleman said:
Why not just use your free Skydrive? That's what I do, then navigate to your Skydrive on your phone (pin the link to your start screen for ease) and click the file's icon and it will download to your phone.
No need to use dropbox at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use dropbox too.
I think it easier because it has a Dropbox client for PC and WP7 (with app "Boxfiles for dropbox"), no need to create internet shortcut on my phone.
Why not Skydrive? Because it doesn't work half as well with either Windows or Windows Phone.
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
And on my phone it doesn't let me download some files (funnily, Microsoft Office files). It shows presentations as web docs and there's no download link in default mobile view. I need to switch to desktop view which is unbearably slow.
This is plain ridiculous.
vangrieg said:
Why not Skydrive? Because it doesn't work half as well with either Windows or Windows Phone.
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
And on my phone it doesn't let me download some files (funnily, Microsoft Office files). It shows presentations as web docs and there's no download link in default mobile view. I need to switch to desktop view which is unbearably slow.
This is plain ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how does dropbox work with mp3s can u copy those over to device memory and add them to ur llibrary without syncing via zune?
vangrieg said:
Why not Skydrive? Because it doesn't work half as well with either Windows or Windows Phone.
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
And on my phone it doesn't let me download some files (funnily, Microsoft Office files). It shows presentations as web docs and there's no download link in default mobile view. I need to switch to desktop view which is unbearably slow.
This is plain ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is being fixed in the mango update.
I don't transfer many files to my phone so its not an issue for me but I can see the frustration for some.
vangrieg said:
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://mynetx.net/#!/2352/how-to-connect-your-skydrive-in-windows-explorer
or
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/7385/windows-7-how-to-map-skydrive-folders-as-network-drives/
or even
http://www.groovypost.com/howto/microsoft/windows-7-map-drive-skydrive-using-url-address-network/
There ya go, have fun.
I have videos on my dropbox, and BEFORE NoDo they worked, now they don't work.. tells me invalid format or times out (These would be WMV and 3GP) is it just me?
Where is the skydrive app or link on the phone.. cant find on my DVP.
At least things will get better with time. More premium apps are showing up in marketplace.
There's already a sticky thread for OS comparisons. Take this bickering, flaming, trolling there please
Sent from my Focus using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Back on topic please!
I have been trying to find out if windows 7 mobile is able to support my excel spreadsheet. Some retailers say yes no problem, others say my formulas are to complex, no one has been able to try it for me. How can I find out if my spreadsheet can be read, edited and it calculates properly before I buy?
Does the handset make any differance or is the win 7 the same on all? I haven't purchased a handset as of yet as I am still trying to find out what apps I can use on them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I very much want excel and word support, pdf reader is a must - creator would be a real plus. Gps would be real nice too.
Thus far I am leaning towards the htc surround, it seems to be one of the better options in my limited market.
before you buy the device,I have to let you know that,unless you are using microsoft sharepoint,if not the office application is kind of useless.
me as a student,I can't even transfer my lecture note to the device and revise it anywhere.
so,think twice before you buy a device
onenote is the only thing that you can sync to skydrive. so you can edit them on the web as well.
excel and word on the hand has to be emailed back and forth if you don't have sharepoint.
MS did demo a skydrive client at CES, which will be part of mango update, released in fall 2011, so that will be the resolve, but till then email is the only way to do it.
Thanks for the tips, I can see more research is in order.
You don't have to email word and excel documents in order to make them usable on a WP7 device. You can also choose to sync these items with either dropbox - which has several clients for WP7 - or software solutions like homepipe. Both work fine, either way.
But it's truely just a workaround until MS will provide full skydrive support. Which should have been part of WP7 from day one in the first place.
Transfering isn't a big deal, I would like to put the spreadsheet template on the handset, add in the data as needed and have excel do the calculations. Perhaps a quarterly backup to the computer would be fine. Will the handset excel sync with the desktop app, filling in the fields or would that have to be done manually?
Attila7 said:
Transfering isn't a big deal, I would like to put the spreadsheet template on the handset, add in the data as needed and have excel do the calculations. Perhaps a quarterly backup to the computer would be fine. Will the handset excel sync with the desktop app, filling in the fields or would that have to be done manually?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never really tried that, because I hardly use excel. But the way I described works with word, so why should it be any different with excel? Just save the file created on your desktop PC to your dropbox folder (or any other folder you can sync with your handset), then download and open it from the client app on your device.
Attila7 said:
Transfering isn't a big deal, I would like to put the spreadsheet template on the handset, add in the data as needed and have excel do the calculations. Perhaps a quarterly backup to the computer would be fine. Will the handset excel sync with the desktop app, filling in the fields or would that have to be done manually?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I just looked into my zune & LG Quantum transfer options, and I could not find any options regarding transferring any type of files that are not music, video or podcasts. EDIT: NM, miss understood your question. I don't believe the spreadsheets will sync. But using dropbox, this wouldn't be an issue, as you would always be opening the dropbox copy of the spreadsheet.
RE: seeing whether or not your excel spreadsheet will run properly, I am not sure how private/personal your spreadsheet is, but you could email it to a user here to test it and report back to you if it works.
Would the dropbox copy be the same as the computer copy? Would someone be willing to try the template for me to see if it will run and calculate properly? That is a great idea! The template is about 1.5 mb. If anyone is willing to try this for me please PM me, thanks.
i use Excel a lot on my windows phone by using a budget spreadsheet I whipped up on my computer. I know there are multitudes of budgets apps but why do that when you can auto calculate averages, sums, and present them graphically with a simple spread sheet?
Now at the moment, the only way to get Office docs (Word or Excel) on the phone is via emailing your self or as others suggested dropbox or file server. The downside is changes made on the phone isn't synced back to the source. You have to email the changes to yourself.
Microsoft has demoed Skydrive integration coming in the Fall update. Changes made then will be automatically synced like One note is now.
As for formulas, my formulas and graphs work and show up on the phone just fine! However I am not sure if more complicated ones work as I was unable to edit an excel timesheet from my job on my phone (says unable to open this file created from earlier office version). I am willing to test this template for you.
Feel free to PM it to me.
Also one way to get office documents on the phone iis utilizing skydrive instead of dropbox
1, I mapped my skydrive "My Documents" folder as a network drive on my Windows 7 PC
2. I save all my office documents there. I can edit them, delete them, rename them just as any other folder.
3. One the phone you can access skydrive via the browser and download your files without needing drop box or 3rd party solutions. The downside is being unable to upload them back!
4. Do maintenance, email your changed document and replace it on the desktop yourself.
Hope this helps.
sayonical said:
1, I mapped my skydrive "My Documents" folder as a network drive on my Windows 7 PC
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Click to collapse
how did you do this? i would like to know as i've always wanted to do this as well. Windows Live Mesh doesn't seem to do it the way i want.
The Gate Keeper said:
how did you do this? i would like to know as i've always wanted to do this as well. Windows Live Mesh doesn't seem to do it the way i want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have Office2010 follow this easy guide
http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/25/use-office-2010-to-map-a-local-drive-letter-to-your-free-25gb-live-skydrive/
awesome! i'll give this a try when i get home.
Really don't know what happened but I deleted an important and un-backed up folder containing important lab files from my Skydrive yesterday.....I nearly went mad. It brought me to the idea of an undelete feature in skydrive which I think can help most of us in this situation since once it's deleted, there's no way of getting it back. I even learnt Dropbox has an undelete feature so why can't MS incoporate it in Skydrive? Is it not possible?
Really don't know what to do now
I'm not sure exactly what process you're using, so I'll explain how I tested.
I'm using the updated SkyDrive app and the SkyDrive PC app as well. So, I have a folder on my D:\ whose contents are synced to SkyDrive and accessible from my phone.
On my laptop, I made a notepad file called SkyDrive Undelete Test.txt
I saved it to my SkyDrive folder
Confirmed via the office app that it was there, but was not easily deletable
Used the SkyDrive app to find/view the file
Deleted by long pressing the file name and choosing delete and confirm
Upon returning to my laptop, the file had been moved to my Recycle Bin
So, the question is, did you delete from the app on your phone or from the web on your computer... AND... had you updated/upgraded your SkyDrive to get the PC synchronization feature? If you updated, it should have already downloaded all of your files from SkyDrive online to the same folder on your hard drive. Of course, if you deleted before this process, you may be screwed.
Kenzibit said:
Really don't know what to do now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could start by backing up important data.
anseio said:
I'm not sure exactly what process you're using, so I'll explain how I tested.
I'm using the updated SkyDrive app and the SkyDrive PC app as well. So, I have a folder on my D:\ whose contents are synced to SkyDrive and accessible from my phone.
On my laptop, I made a notepad file called SkyDrive Undelete Test.txt
I saved it to my SkyDrive folder
Confirmed via the office app that it was there, but was not easily deletable
Used the SkyDrive app to find/view the file
Deleted by long pressing the file name and choosing delete and confirm
Upon returning to my laptop, the file had been moved to my Recycle Bin
So, the question is, did you delete from the app on your phone or from the web on your computer... AND... had you updated/upgraded your SkyDrive to get the PC synchronization feature? If you updated, it should have already downloaded all of your files from SkyDrive online to the same folder on your hard drive. Of course, if you deleted before this process, you may be screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks for your detailed help. Actually deleted the app from my phone app and don't have the pc app yet so maybe I'm screwed.
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