Gosh, it seems like only a few months ago that Google and Microsoft were happily working together on Windows 8. Back in September, I published instructions on how to connect your free Gmail account
and Google Calendar and Contacts to Windows 8's built-in communications
suite, the Mail/People/Contacts/Messaging apps. You end up with live
tiles like these on your Start screen, with notifications of new
messages and upcoming appointments appearing as they arrive:
But as of January 30, 2013, you will no longer be able to do
that. That's the bottom line for Windows 8 and RT users from Google's
announcement yesterday that it is dropping support for Google Sync
for customers who use its free Gmail and Google Apps services. Google
Sync is Google's implementation of the Exchange ActiveSync protocol,
which it licensed from Microsoft in 2009. As of early next year, it will
be an option for paid Google Apps customers only.
So how does that affect Windows 8 and Windows RT?
When you set up a Google Mail account using the Mail app in Windows 8 or RT, one of two things happens.
If you set up the new account using the default options and leave the
Contacts and Calendar check boxes blank, the Mail app connects to Gmail
using IMAP. If necessary, it toggles the "Enable IMAP" setting on
Gmail's back end, as I confirmed when I did some testing this morning.
If you select the Contacts or Calendar checkbox, however, the Mail account is set to use the EAS protocol.
The biggest advantage of EAS is that it synchronizes all types of
changes using push notifications. So email arrives immediately, instead
of waiting for a scheduled retrieval pass, and calendar updates you make
on your desktop appear on your phone or tablet right away.
After January 30, 2013, those checkboxes will no longer allow you to
set up a new mobile device with an Exchange ActiveSync connection unless
you have a paid Google Apps account. Presumably, the Mail app team at
Microsoft can rewrite its apps so they will use CardDAV and CalDAV to
synchronize contacts and Google Calendar items. Whether (and if so,
when) they do so is anybody's guess. The Mail app needs a lot of work to
add and improve its core features; piling a "Rewrite Google account
support" task onto the list isn't helpful.
Office 2013, which has been released to manufacturing and is due to
be released to the public in early 2013, is currently unable to use EAS
with Gmail. If you try, this is the error message you get:
As a result, IMAP is the default option for Gmail accounts you add to
Outlook, and there's no apparent way to get contacts or calendars in
sync, even if you have a paid Google Apps account. It's unclear if
Google has any plans to update Google Sync for its paying customers so
it works with Office 2013. I've asked both companies for comment on
this issue.
On Apple's iOS platforms, you'll have the option of using official apps from Google. But the company has said it has no intention of writing native apps for Windows 8.
Google is hoping, of course, that Windows 8 users will be
sufficiently loyal that they will install the Chrome browser and use it
for Gmail and other web services. Recent releases of Chrome include the
ability to set Chrome as the default browser and use it as a Windows 8
Metro-style app. (On Windows RT devices, the only option is to use
Internet Explorer to access the full range of services.)
Third-party Windows 8 apps could also appear, if developers are
willing to do it for free. (I'm not convinced that users who choose not
to pay Google for a web service will be willing to pay for an app.)
It's a calculated and risky strategy on Google's part, which appears
to be aggressively trying to increase revenue for its Google Apps
service as Microsoft aggressively moves to a software-as-a-service model
with Office 365. The new Office plans include Exchange Online and
SkyDrive accounts that match Google feature for feature but also include
access to the full suite of desktop apps for Office 2013. (See What you gain and lose with Office 2013 subscriptions for details.)
In particular, for two or more users the paid Office 365 Home Premium
subscription ($100 a year for up to five devices and an unlimited
number of users) might represent a better deal than multiple paid Google
Apps accounts at $50 per year. And the difference between the "real"
Office and the more limited Google Apps might be enough to get customers
to switch.
8:27:00 AM
valgeo
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