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Has Googler cut off the surface?

Vasculata

New Member
I got a strange pop up today from the Mail app .. saying I needed to log into gmail!

Thinking this was a phish, I called the MS store.

They tell me that gmail calendar and contacts can no longer synch with the Win 8 environement.

This is a bummer! Maybe a Surface kiss of death!

A lot of Win apps. esp those that are RT specific, REQUIRE the MS Mail/Contacts/Calendar apps. While you can still get your emial over the web, the web based cal and contacts is not going to work with anything that requires desk top apps ... try "sharing" a web page or a PDF!

All mS has to offer is switching to OUtlook.com but I work with other people and we share Gmail calendars and contacts. I even have seven of my onw computers that would need to be changed to Outlook.com.

I gather this was Google's decsions because they do not want to pay for Avtive Synch BUT the customers who bought a Surfact RT are really being eff'd.
:yelling::mad2::disappointed:
 
OP
Vasculata

Vasculata

New Member
Search under what?

When I bought the Surface, I was told that my account with Google would be grandfathered in. The notice of chnage appeared today!
 
OP
Vasculata

Vasculata

New Member
Yes,

I did use Search and it does not address the issues.

1. I bought the machine before Google divorced MS. Apparently the grandfathering no longer works.
2. If I can not get my gmail to work with the Surface RT, what happens to the apps that use the built in cal and contacts for THEIR functions? This is esp so for the Share tool.
3. Is there any way around this by setting up an Outlook.com account? Can that synch with Google? The MS rep I spoke with today says no .. the best you can do is a one time import. This would require my replacing gmail on all my machines with outlook.com. Worse, the sharing features of Gmail would all be lost.
4. Even if I figured out how to use outlook.com on my PCs, what do I do about my (Android) cell phone? The mail app there IS GMAIL. If gmail contacts can not synch with my desltop then what happens??????????????????????????

If this is true, then I thinbk the Surface is not useful to anyone who now is invested in gmail!

Whoever is reposnible for this ... if it is all true, then the Surface is a lousy choice of a tablet. Sad.
 
OP
Vasculata

Vasculata

New Member
So,

I did some web research and confirmed the problem.

Here is a good summary:

New Windows 8 Calendar App: Google Calendar Sync Discontinued By Microsoft
Posted on March 27, 2013 by Gee Are Pabst
Source: microsoft.com

Source: microsoft.com

I’ve already reported about issues concerning syncing Google mail / Gmail, Google contacts and Google calendar with Windows 8 apps like mail, contacts and calendar. On the one hand it was a little bit tricky to get things running (Syncing Google mail and contacts works. The later only for customers who connected their Google account to windows 8 before January 30, 2013), on the other hand it is just not possible because Google stopped Microsoft Exchange Active Sync support for their products.

But now we are in the next round: Microsoft stopped support for Google calendar syncing because it turned the Windows 8 mail app accounts to the IMAP protocol. Syncing the Google calendar with the Windows 8 mail app is not possible anymore because IMAP does not natively support calendar sync and Microsoft does not support CalDAV. For customers who connected their Google account to Windows 8 before January 30, 2013 it is true, too.

Details of the changes in the Windows 8 apps mail, calendar and contacts can be found on the Windows Experience Blog in the post “The Mail, Calendar and People apps are getting better!“.

Up to calendar app version 16.4.4406.1205 everything is working fine as stated latest on my post “Setting Up Google Contacts In Windows 8 And RT Contact App“. I checked it again today before I updated the Windows 8 apps and it worked:
Source: miApple.me

Source: miApple.me



After that I checked manually my Windows 8 updates and found the following concerning Windows 8 Mail, Calendar, People and Messages:
Source: miApple.me

Source: miApple.me



After the installation had been finished, syncing Google calendar with Windows 8 Calendar app Version 17.0.1114.318 wasn’t possible anymore, neither for already established nor for new Google accounts:
New Windows 8 Calendar App Version 17.0.1114.318

Source: miApple.me



What is really astonishing is that old appointments are still visible, but new ones are not synced.

In my point of view I cannot recommend to update Windows 8 Mail, Calendar, People and Messages apps to you, if you need to get your Google Calendar synced with Windows 8 Calendar app. Just wait until Windows 8 Mail is supporting CalDAV and CardDAV…

Stay tuned! ;-)
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Gee Are Pabst on Google+
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
New Windows 8 Calendar App: Google Calendar Sync Discontinued By Microsoft

This is either poorly written or shows intentional bias. How about saying "Google drops EAS support"?

Summary from the article linked by andrew (emphasis added):

But, there was no announcement from the Windows team about CardDAV or CalDAV support. And if you read above, Google did not announce an extension for EAS support on Windows.

If that wasn't confusing enough, on March 13th Google announced that it would be shutting down support for the CalDAV API. The API would now be deprecated and will be discontinued on September 16, 2013. However, some whitelisted developers will be able to use CalDAV. They are pushing developers to use the new Google Calendar API. If you're counting at home, this is the score card:

Late November/early December 2012 - Google announces it will discontinue EAS support for Windows Phone and Windows 8. Suggests it wants developers to use CalDAV and CardDAV instead of EAS.
Late January 2013 - Google announces an extension for EAS support to July 2013 for Windows Phone users but not for Windows.
Late January 2013 - Microsoft announces it is working on an update for Windows Phone to support CalDAV and CardDAV in place of EAS for Gmail.
Mid March 2013 - Google announces it is deprecating CalDAV API and it will be discontinued on September 16, 2013. Google is pushing developers to use the new Google Calendar API.

And the suggestion to search is for the search feature on this forum because there are multiple threads covering this issue in detail. By doing a forum search you can read what has already been discussed and add to the conversation instead of starting a new thread on a topic already extensively covered. It would have also lead you to links like the one provided and additional input as well.

JP
 

HD_Dude

New Member
For some reason, it's ostensibly easier to tell you to search than to copy/paste.
Here you go: Windows 8 Mail App, How To: Bring Back Google Calendar Events | On the Can with Stephen Paul Adams

-andrew

I used this technique and it worked perfectly for importing my calendar items. I now have all my Google Calendar items on my Windows Mail calendar.

Now I'll make some entries on my Google Calendar - and see if it updates. And if so - how long it takes. The author of the article posted above says it takes a while, so I'll be patient. But if I get any intel I'll share it with the group.


Thank you for this link.



EDIT: Three Hours, and none of my updates have come through.

EDIT: Nine Hours, and no updates.

EDIT: 24 hours - Forget it. Does not update. All it does is import. No updating. So, I'll stick with a Google Calendar tile on my start screen, and use that....and the Microsoft Calendar gets booted to the 'dead app' file.

EDIT: OK, 48 hours? The entries are now there. Finally, days later - the calendar updated. So, for long-range planning? That would be OK. But for events that are coming up fast - won't work. Bizarre!
 
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