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Alex Kac - CEO/Founder 
I'm really liking my Nexus One. I still end up using my iPhone because the Nexus One just feels too complicated for some things (but compared to Android 1.0, 1.5, etc... its a ton better so I expect Google to be making huge strides), but I do love that screen and I'm a sucker for new things and animations.
I've had a few people tell me that PI for Android should be even easier than iPhone or BlackBerry to do because its so open, right? No, unfortunately not. Stuf like calendar and tasks are still off-limits on Android. We can use the open source system to get to their code and get access to it, but that doesn't do us much good as Google makes constant changes to that area and as we saw we didn't get Android 2.1 source until a week after the devices were out. Not good for that kind of thing.
But one thing that will make a dramatic difference is betas. I admit we rely on betas quite a bit for testing. A big part of that is simply that dealing with people's personal data means that we hit a ton of use-cases we simply never thought of or experience and betas are just the main answer to handling that.
Android will allow us to conduct public betas more easily than on the iPhone and for that I'm really happy.
I've had a few people tell me that PI for Android should be even easier than iPhone or BlackBerry to do because its so open, right? No, unfortunately not. Stuf like calendar and tasks are still off-limits on Android. We can use the open source system to get to their code and get access to it, but that doesn't do us much good as Google makes constant changes to that area and as we saw we didn't get Android 2.1 source until a week after the devices were out. Not good for that kind of thing.
But one thing that will make a dramatic difference is betas. I admit we rely on betas quite a bit for testing. A big part of that is simply that dealing with people's personal data means that we hit a ton of use-cases we simply never thought of or experience and betas are just the main answer to handling that.
Android will allow us to conduct public betas more easily than on the iPhone and for that I'm really happy.
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opuntia
12 January 2010 - 07:32 AM
Does not having access to the android calendar basically mean that the PI calendar will be separate from the Android calendar. If yes, that's unfortunate as I have a couple of apps that rely on the main calendar. For example, I have an app that will look for a keyword in a calendar event and will turn the ringer off and the phone to vibrate for that event duration.
Alex Kac - CEO/Founder
12 January 2010 - 12:48 PM
We do have to have a separate calendar database. Android Marketplace would allow us to use this private API, but based on experiences, Google would make changes and we would be up a creek until we could fix it.
So its best not to until Google gives us an API.
So its best not to until Google gives us an API.
mdlissner
14 January 2010 - 12:35 PM
Alex - Any idea when we might see a beta for the Android Platform?
I just went from a Blackberry Bold with the 9000 to a Droid.
Question on the comments above. I am using a program called Touchdown to run my corporate exchange sync in a much higher level than the built in exchange active sync.
My question/issue is will I be able to sync OTA my Android databases with exchange?
Will it be similar to the BB where you had the PI database sync with the BB database and all was good!
I just went from a Blackberry Bold with the 9000 to a Droid.
Question on the comments above. I am using a program called Touchdown to run my corporate exchange sync in a much higher level than the built in exchange active sync.
My question/issue is will I be able to sync OTA my Android databases with exchange?
Will it be similar to the BB where you had the PI database sync with the BB database and all was good!
Alex Kac - CEO/Founder
14 January 2010 - 01:05 PM
I wouldn't expect to see it for awhile. We're talking Summer for beta and fall for release.
Nurseferatu
06 February 2010 - 06:15 PM
Hi Alex,
I love PI. But I am getting pretty fed up with the BlackBerry Storm, and I can't stand the idea of giving up Verizon (great, US-based customer service, great coverage, etc.).
The Droid's a nice toy but the only calendar available is Google Calendar, which is not anywhere powerful enough for someone with several jobs and a crazy schedule (that would be me). So that also knocks out Nexus One. I neeeeeeed my PI!!
The Palm Pre Plus looks pretty good. What's the status of PI for Palm's Web OS? Are you going to do it?
Thanks.
Nurseferatu, "in on the first stick"
I love PI. But I am getting pretty fed up with the BlackBerry Storm, and I can't stand the idea of giving up Verizon (great, US-based customer service, great coverage, etc.).
The Droid's a nice toy but the only calendar available is Google Calendar, which is not anywhere powerful enough for someone with several jobs and a crazy schedule (that would be me). So that also knocks out Nexus One. I neeeeeeed my PI!!
The Palm Pre Plus looks pretty good. What's the status of PI for Palm's Web OS? Are you going to do it?
Thanks.
Nurseferatu, "in on the first stick"
Alex Kac - CEO/Founder
07 February 2010 - 03:33 PM
PI for WebOS is still on hold until they give me access to the built-in info.
Eric Gissendaner
14 February 2010 - 04:24 PM
Hi Alex,
I currently use PI on my iPod touch. I really like the way it works. The problem is since I got a Droid, I have started to use that more for calendering and tasks because it's just a hassle to carry two similar sized devices.
Will the PI version offer the same functionality as the iPhone version and will it sync to the Google calendar?
Thanks,
Eric
I currently use PI on my iPod touch. I really like the way it works. The problem is since I got a Droid, I have started to use that more for calendering and tasks because it's just a hassle to carry two similar sized devices.
Will the PI version offer the same functionality as the iPhone version and will it sync to the Google calendar?
Thanks,
Eric
Alex Kac - CEO/Founder
14 February 2010 - 06:54 PM
It will sync with Google Calendar, but feature wise it will be whatever we can get to at that point.
turtlewins
14 February 2010 - 09:44 PM
Hey Alex.
I LOVED PI on Windows Mobile, but now I have an iphone. Not crazy about PI on the iphone but that's because of iphone's limitations, not PI's. Now I'm switching to Android, for various reasons. I was surprised to see that PI isn't yet available for Android, but it looks like you're trying to get it out this year. Just wanted to say I will be the first to buy it when it is available.
Oh, and thanks for syncing with Toodledo! I was using RTM before, but have since found Toodledo to be more powerful (though RTM's Gmail add-on is far better!)
Regards,
Todd.
I LOVED PI on Windows Mobile, but now I have an iphone. Not crazy about PI on the iphone but that's because of iphone's limitations, not PI's. Now I'm switching to Android, for various reasons. I was surprised to see that PI isn't yet available for Android, but it looks like you're trying to get it out this year. Just wanted to say I will be the first to buy it when it is available.
Oh, and thanks for syncing with Toodledo! I was using RTM before, but have since found Toodledo to be more powerful (though RTM's Gmail add-on is far better!)
Regards,
Todd.
OaklawnM4M - Rick Wagner
12 April 2010 - 08:19 AM
Well, best I can say is with the release of the first WiMax 4G Android based phone coming this June on SPRINT I suspect that the wimpy 3G bandwidth of the iPhone days are numbered causing more and more to move to the 'cable modem style' speed of a 4G device instead.
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