presidentk1
New Member
why not just setup gmail w/ the metro mail app?
-that's what I've been using, and it works great for me
-that's what I've been using, and it works great for me
So, gmail doesn't work with the Surface Pro email app?
- Thread starter disambiguous1
- Start date
magicrobots
New Member
For me the issue is more the Contacts list and the Calendar.
wrc2tuning
New Member
Doesn't fix the calendar issue
Talldog
Member
The fact is that Google still supports EAS for existing accounts and for their business customers, so they're still licensing it. This is nothing more or less than an escalation of their war with Microsoft, with a lot of their customers caught in the middle. Considering that Google makes their money by data-mining your email and other information, then pimping you out to their advertisers, it's a pretty lousy thing to do.
polbit
Member
But Microsoft charging Google for Gmail support on Microsoft's own devices by only supporting EAS and refusing to support open standards like CalDAV and CardDAV is not? lol
Talldog
Member
The relationship between Microsoft and Google as competitors has nothing to do with the relationship between Google and people it's making money from. And let's be perfectly clear, Google doesn't give anyone free email because they're doing you favors. They do it because that's how they make their money. As a matter of fact, they force that free email on you whether you want it or not as a condition of owning an Android phone. No Gmail, no buying apps from the Google marketplace. There's no technical reason for that, they just want to force you into their advertising machine. That's how I ended up with Gmail. I never wanted it. And then they pull the rug out from under you? They profit from you, then they screw you. For a company whose slogan is "Don't be evil", that's pretty evil.
J515OP
Super Moderator
I addition to what Talldog is saying, EAS was/is the standard. MS made a product and sold it on a widespread basis to the point where it became the standard in the same way Windows itself has. Now a new open source format comes along and MS is supposed to just give up what it has established and if it doesn't it is the bad guy? That is the same as saying MS should switch to Linux or give Widows away for free because Linux is a free open source OS so MS is screwing everybody it sells Windows to.
There are definitely two sides to the coin here and depending on how you want to look at it you can blame either side. Each has their own reasons for doing what they are doing and in this case the users are caught in the middle. Blaming one party over the other is really only a matter of personal choice though you can make the argument that since MS is the established player Google is the one coming in and making waves (not necessarily a bad thing) in this situation.
Talldog
Member
Microsoft has no blame in this situation. First, Google is not ending EAS support for existing connections or for business customers, so they're still licensing the product. It's not costing them anything extra to support existing customers. They could justify this move (although IMO they would still look petty) if it was for new accounts, but it's not. It's for all new connections. I've been using Gmail with ActiveSync for almost 2 years, but when I moved from my iPad to the Surface, I lost that access for no other reason except that I moved to a Microsoft platform. If I had moved to a different iPad I would have been OK because Google has developed a Gmail client for the iPad, but they've already announced that they have no intention of creating one for any Microsoft platform. They're betting that they can cause their Microsoft Gmail customers (specifically Windows Phone, but Surface users are caught up in this too) enough pain and that they're so wedded to their Gmail that they'll switch platforms. They have absolutely no other valid reason for doing this. Well, to hell with them. My wife and I dumped Gmail a week ago and moved our other stuff to Dropbox and Skydrive, and when our Smartphone contracts are up in April and June, we'll be chucking our Android phones as well. And we're far from the only people doing that.
Edit: Oh and by the way, Microsoft will have CardDav and CalDAV support by summer, so who's taking care of their customers and who's using their customers as pawns?
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J515OP
Super Moderator
This is where MS actually is to blame. Google told them they were dropping support and MS played politics instead of creating a fix (and only later asked Google for more time which Google agreed to).
Talldog
Member
MS played politics? Google announced this in the middle of December, when half of Redmond is gone for Christmas. And if you have development experience, you surely know that it takes a lot more than a snap of your fingers to develop a fix like this. Then there's still the central issue, which is that Google screwed millions of their own customers for no valid technical or financial reason.
J515OP
Super Moderator
Absolutely, both played politics on this one. It was like watching congress talk about the budget or Social Security 
If nothing else it shows that MS was completely oblivious to this possibility which is scary in its own right. Google made the announcement. MS responded with indignation and self promotion. The deadline was hit, MS asked for more time and Google granted more time. In the end probably nobody is happy with the result which is just like politics
If nothing else it shows that MS was completely oblivious to this possibility which is scary in its own right. Google made the announcement. MS responded with indignation and self promotion. The deadline was hit, MS asked for more time and Google granted more time. In the end probably nobody is happy with the result which is just like politics 
Uncensored2008
Member
I didn't have any trouble. No different than GMail on any other PC.
I loaded Chrome on the device, logged into Google, and Gmail popped right up.
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