What apps/services do you recommend for cross platform harmony?

ozaz · Nov 17, 2013

Those of you who browse this sub-forum must be used to jumping between operating systems, and like me, probably value the freedom to do this. I expect you have strategies for making the transitions as smooth as possible.

So I wanted to ask, what apps/services do you recommend for facilitating easily jumping between operating systems (both mobile and desktop) without too much disruption to access to your content and services?

For me, the following play an important role:

*File syncing: Dropbox. But could just as easily be skydrive.
*Passwords: 1Password
*Email/calender/contacts: Microsoft Exchange/Google
*Office suite: Microsoft office (surely will be on iPad and Android tablets within a year)
*Video calling: Skype
*Books: Kindle
*Music subscription service: Spotify
*TV/Movie subscription service: Netflix
*Notes: Evernote
*Photos: At the moment Google+ photos (only windows phone / windows RT loses out), but probably will move to Flickr to open access from Windows phone/RT.

Any others you rely on or do you think there are better options to the ones I have chosen? (either in the categories I have highlighted or other categories important to you). I'm hoping there might be some gems out there I have not yet considered. Note: Personally, I'm not just interested in skipping between iOS and Android. I'm interested in skipping between the full gamut of Windows, Mac, iOS, Android & Windows Phone, and this is reflected by the absence of some iOS-supported google services in my list which are just not supported on Windows.

A couple of the things I feel locked into Apple on (particularly when considering just mobile OSs) are:

* TV/Movie purchase/rental service: I still use iTunes for this. Is there a good cross-mobile-platform option for this that has the benefit of downloading rentals and purchases for offline playback, like iTunes has? Is this a US-only service?
* iTunes U. Is there anything equivalent that is cross-mobile-platform and even comes close?

Lloydbm41 · Nov 17, 2013

ozaz said:
*File syncing: Dropbox. But could just as easily be skydrive.
*Passwords: 1Password
*Email/calender/contacts: Microsoft Exchange/Google
*Office suite: Microsoft office (surely will be on iPad and Android tablets within a year)
*Video calling: Skype
*Books: Kindle
*Music subscription service: Spotify
*TV/Movie subscription service: Netflix
*Notes: Evernote
*Photos: At the moment Google+ photos (only windows phone / windows RT loses out), but probably will move to Flickr to open access from Windows phone/RT.

Any others you rely on or do you think there are better options to the ones I have chosen? (either in the categories I have highlighted or other categories important to you). I'm hoping there might be some gems out there I have not yet considered. Note: Personally, I'm not just interested in skipping between iOS and Android. I'm interested in skipping between the full gamut of Windows, Mac, iOS, Android & Windows Phone, and this is reflected by the absence of some iOS-supported google services in my list which are just not supported on Windows.

A couple of the things I feel locked into Apple on (particularly when considering just mobile OSs) are:

* TV/Movie purchase/rental service: I still use iTunes for this. Is there a good cross-mobile-platform option for this that has the benefit of downloading rentals and purchases for offline playback, like iTunes has? Is this a US-only service?
* iTunes U. Is there anything equivalent that is cross-mobile-platform and even comes close?

Almost everything mentioned can be done via Google apps.

File syncing: Google Drive
Passwords: mSecure (auto-backup to Dropbox or on the device)
Email/calender/contacts: GMail / Google Now / Google Calendar
Office suite: Quickoffice/Google Docs/Google Drive - They all work in tandem
Video calling: Hangouts
Books: Google Books
Music subscription service: Google Music All Access
TV/Movie subscription service: Netflix/Plex/PlayOn on Roku 3
Notes: Google Keep
Photos: Google+ photos
Wallet: Google Wallet
Social: Google+
TV/Movie purchase/rental service: Google Movies/TV
Google Education just recently came out as an iTunes U equivalent, but not sure how wide spread it is?

Nice thing about Google services is, it is continuously and always auto-updating your input. You never lose your data and that data can be accessed on Macs, PC's, and any mobile device that can access the internet.

thejadedmonkey · Nov 17, 2013

Lloydbm41 said:
Almost everything mentioned can be done via Google apps...

But not if you use Windows Phone. Google made it their mission to destroy Windows Phone. If it's a google product, chances are it isn't on WP8, or if it does, it won't work correctly. If there was a WP8 app and then Google buys the company, expect the app to disappear immediately.

ChazUK · Nov 17, 2013

Using Windows/Android/iOS and Linux I use:

Gmail (Also hotmail for forum registrations given all the hacking I've experienced across various boards, including this one sadly).
Google contacts.
Google Calendar.
Google+ auto uploads for photos/videos.
Google drive (130GB)/Dropbox(75GB).
Play Music All Access for radio/music.
Feedly RSS sync for news feeds.
Chrome Sync for bookmarks
Last pass on Chrome/Firefox for growing.
Netflix for movies/TV
Plex for local media streaming with web access enabled.

Changing devices is pretty much effortless with the above (except Windows Phone which can lack some apps services).

ozaz · Nov 17, 2013

Lloydbm41 said:
TV/Movie purchase/rental service: Google Movies/TV

How do you access this on iOS?
Is there offline playback support?

----------

ChazUK said:
Feedly RSS sync for news feeds.

Forgot about that in my list. Also use Pocket. The 3rd party Windows 8, and I expect Windows phone, feedly and pocket clients aren't bad at all.

Lloydbm41 · Nov 17, 2013

thejadedmonkey said:
But not if you use Windows Phone. Google made it their mission to destroy Windows Phone. If it's a google product, chances are it isn't on WP8, or if it does, it won't work correctly. If there was a WP8 app and then Google buys the company, expect the app to disappear immediately.

True, but that only effects about 10 people.

i kid.

Seriously though, people that buy a Windows Phone know that they are limited by the apps. I don't include Windows Phone or Blackberry into a discussion, simply because there aren't enough of them to justify inclusion.

And I wouldn't say Google made it their mission to destroy Windows Phones. Why should Google invest time and effort into a platform that has so little marketshare? Why should they place their apps onto a platform that has directly competing services? Do you think more people would be willing to buy a Lumia if Google Apps were officially in the Microsoft App Store? My guess is Google has taken these questions into account and found the platform not yet viable.

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ozaz said:
How do you access this on iOS?
Is there offline playback support?

Here ya go: http://www.imore.com/enjoy-buying-movies-and-tv-google-play-heres-how-watch-them-your-ios-device

Jessica Lares · Nov 17, 2013

File syncing: SkyDrive

Passwords: LastPass

Email/calender/contacts: Windows Phone 8 gets DAV support in the Amber update, so Google is a go now for all three.

Office suite: Microsoft Office

Video calling: Skype

Books: Kindle

Music subscription service: Spotify, Rdio, Songza

TV/Movie subscription service: Netflix

Notes: Evernote, and there are third-party Simplenote apps.

Photos: Tons of Flickr third-party apps for Windows Phone

Honestly, I usually use third-party stuff on iOS to begin with. I don't like most official apps.

thejadedmonkey · Nov 17, 2013

Lloydbm41 said:
And I wouldn't say Google made it their mission to destroy Windows Phones. Why should Google invest time and effort into a platform that has so little marketshare?

A while back, they were breaking Google Maps, but if you used a different user agent, the website worked fine. Now, my biggest gripe involved gmail looking like a wep website, when iOS and Android have a full web client.

mattopotamus · Nov 17, 2013

I use Google for all of my needs b.c it is cross platform. I'm not sure how it plays with windows 8 phones, but it works great with iphones. With IO7 apple made it easier to use Google for contacts too.

laserfox · Nov 17, 2013

If you want true cross platform ability SkyDrive and Microsoft services are the way to go. Let say in the future you decide you wanted a windows phone its just as easy to switch from and iPhone or android if you use SkyDrive and Outlook for email/calendar. Google apps not so much.

In fact Google barely has a presence on Windows 8 which has far more users than Windows Phone.

ozaz · Nov 17, 2013

laserfox said:
If you want true cross platform ability SkyDrive and Microsoft services are the way to go. Let say in the future you decide you wanted a windows phone its just as easy to switch from and iPhone or android if you use SkyDrive and Outlook for email/calendar. Google apps not so much.

In fact Google barely has a presence on Windows 8 which has far more users than Windows Phone.

I'm inclined to agree with this. Especially once Microsoft bring Office to iPad and Android tablets. I also assume they will make xbox video multi-platform (since xbox music is already).

Lloydbm41 · Nov 17, 2013

laserfox said:
If you want true cross platform ability SkyDrive and Microsoft services are the way to go. Let say in the future you decide you wanted a windows phone its just as easy to switch from and iPhone or android if you use SkyDrive and Outlook for email/calendar. Google apps not so much.

In fact Google barely has a presence on Windows 8 which has far more users than Windows Phone.

??? I use Windows 8, and everything Google related is there. Not sure where you are coming from?

ozaz · Nov 17, 2013

Lloydbm41 said:
??? I use Windows 8, and everything Google related is there. Not sure where you are coming from?

Probably referring to lack of metro apps. On small touch screen tablets, I think a lot of people will prefer apps over the website. Plus, not sure if chrome is touch optimised.

Oohara · Nov 17, 2013

I also like Flipboard and Pocket for saving stuff to read/watch later, between my PC, Android tablet and iPhone. On iPhone you're pretty much forced to use Safari to save to those though, unless you want to have a really bad time by saving using email and whatnot, which I find quite irritating.

Lloydbm41 said:
Notes: Google Keep

I love Keep, it's pretty much unbeatable for simplicity/ease of use/looks IMO. That's between my PC and Android gear though - is there any good way of using Keep on an iPhone? A dedicated iOS Google Keep app would be veeeeery nice, but I'm kind of worried that they'll refrain from making one, in order to lure people into their own ecosystem.

Lloydbm41 · Nov 17, 2013

Oohara said:
I also like Flipboard and Pocket for saving stuff to read/watch later, between my PC, Android tablet and iPhone. On iPhone you're pretty much forced to use Safari to save to those though, unless you want to have a really bad time by saving using email and whatnot, which I find quite irritating.

I love Keep, it's pretty much unbeatable for simplicity/ease of use/looks IMO. That's between my PC and Android gear though - is there any good way of using Keep on an iPhone? A dedicated iOS Google Keep app would be veeeeery nice, but I'm kind of worried that they'll refrain from making one, in order to lure people into their own ecosystem.

Yes, there is. It is a 3rd party Google Keep app, but it works. Just type Google Keep in the search bar in the App Store. I have it loaded along with the other Google services on my iPod.

SlCKB0Y · Nov 17, 2013

ozaz said:
*Passwords: 1Password

Keepass is way more cross platform....

ozaz · Nov 17, 2013

SlCKB0Y said:
Keepass is way more cross platform....

I stopped using keepass years ago because auto syncing to mobile platforms was non-existent, and hence a massive chore. Perhaps that has changed? I suppose lastpass must be considered the best when you consider both platform coverage and ease of syncing in combination. I use use 1password because I prefer their model of using a 3rd party to handle sync. They do need to improve their windows phone app and add one for windows 8 metro, but I am fairly hopeful they will do that.

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