Need help understanding Google Sync

[ddublu]

I currently use Outlook for Mac 2011 via Exchange at my company. Outlook is a resource hog and I dont care for Apple Mail. I have set up my corp email in Gmail and it's all moving over now. I went to export my contacts from exchange and it spit them out in a .txt file that I then converted to .csv. Simply importing them into Gmail appears to down right suck as the formatting is all over the place (even though I am anal about formatting on iPhone). My questions are:

1. Is it best to use Google Sync for everything if I am going to be in Gmail all the time? If so, how should I clean up my contacts? Do it in Outlook and then export?

2. Any downsides to doing the migration as a whole? Assume I will have to use the Gmail app instead of the iOS mail app on my iPhone, right?

Thanks for any tips/advice...

 

[BrianBaughn]

Is this a Google Apps for Business account now?

As to the contacts, could you sync them with your Mac's Address Book, then export for import to Google?

 

[ddublu]

It is not a business account. I've set up my two work accounts as pop3 and have them labeled so they go right to their own section in gmail. Not sure about your second question. That's what I'm trying to figure out. Ideally, I'd love to sync contacts as they appear on my iPhone. I currently don't have any contacts in gmail (autocomplete has worked well at a personal level for many years).

 

[ddublu]

I'd also like to figure out how to use the gmail website calendar to have it sync with my iPhone calendar...ideally, Id like to never open outlook again.

 

[tomjleeds]

You're transferring all your work email into Gmail?

I really hope this is your business, otherwise you are probably breaking all manner of contractual terms.

 

[ddublu]

It's my company.

 

[BrianBaughn]

All right, guys. ddublu, I think tomjleeds's original thought was a valid one.

Anyway, ddublu, you probably need to explain what it is you're doing in a little more detail. It seems as if you don't like Outlook 2011 or Apple Mail, so I assume you'd like to use a web client for email purposes. You didn't say why you picked GMail (if it's because of spam filters or if you just like the interface over what your service currently provides). You've got something set up already involving two accounts with POP (and forwarding, I guess), which sounds like a headache to me, particularly if you ever add devices.

I don't know if you'll be able to get contacts synced via Google to look like they do now on your iPhone. I don't know what they look like on your iPhone. Add a couple of contacts to the Google account, then sync via CardDAV to your iPhone, look at the "group" with those contacts, and that's the best you're going to get.

If it turns out you can live with the way Google stuff looks on your iPhone and you have a domain email address on a hosted Exchange service (your description) then I'd suggest moving your email provider from the Exchange host to Google Apps for Business.

 

[Daveoc64]

When people respond here, they're not going to want to give you advice that's not actually helpful.

Most people would not be able to forward their work email elsewhere - even if they have their own company, because it's not not legally allowed.