Android Phone question

EclecticGroove

Although not about the phone itself per se.

I currently have a Nokia n95 8Gb, and not looking to upgrade... just yet. But when I do it will almost certainly be to one of the droid variants.

I can find a ton of info for the droid features/models all over from a hardware/OS standpoint. I also hook up my phone via USB to my PC daily for the typical synch/add/edit contacts, media, etc options. Those are all well and good, plenty of info about those features as well as access the tether options for internet (assuming not blocked by carrier).

But one feature that I love but didn't even know about till I started using it was a component of the Ovi Suite Nokia provides. It allows me to hook my phone up via USB and have full access to its SMS features. I can then simply alt+ tab to the OVI window to send/receive texts from my phone using my computer. As I'm very often at my computer (at work or at home) this is incredibly handy... but it's not a feature I see listed anywhere.

So in short, does any of the current droid variants have this kind of capability out of the box, or if not is there any application that allows?

If there's some application that allows access to the SMS features of a wide range of phones (droid included obviously) that would also be acceptable... and I know there's tons of "text from your PC/non phone device" apps out there, but all the ones I have seen seem to require their own number, the other person to be using the same program, or require an internet connection to some outside service/site... which are all less than useful/desirable. I've never seen one that allows a connection to your existing phone/number with just a local application.

illig

Android phones are really meant to work as standalone devices and use your Google account to back up and copy all of your contacts, emails, photos, etc. So there isn't a PIMS suite of apps for the platform usable on the desktop - except for the Google mail site itself.

That said, Google has Google Voice, which can send sms from the website or from your phone.

EclecticGroove

Yeah, saw the integration with google (or others that basically do the same type of thing, IE: route texts through an e-mail or IM account)... but those all require full time connection to the internet or doing them from the phone itself. Oh well, guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it then, just seems like something that would be more prevalent.

DevoutlyApathetic

There are a few apps out there that will do what you want (and more) on Android. I use DeskSMS for this. It runs on your phone and turns incoming texts into gtalk messages or emails and when you respond it does the opposite so it'll look like a normal response text to the other person.

For just SMS-ing I know a couple other programs do that and as mentioned above, there is always google voice.

EclecticGroove

Correct, I've seen those types. And while handy... they sorta leave you stuck with just the phone if you don't have an internet connection handy. There's a non trivial number of times I need to be on the PC doing things and yet not have an internet connection available to me. Or at least not an open one that would allow a connection to gtalk or any chat servers.

Something where the only requirements are application on PC + the phone connected to said PC would be the ideal.