Nokia e72, gmail setup + syncing contacts and cale...

Question

My objective was to
1) get my contacts into the phone from this account, as I had on my old windows mobile device
2) set up my gmail account on my new nokia e72
1) getting contacts from gmail into the phone.
Go here:
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=147951
and carefully do whatever is instructed.
*This works for calendar also (I assume you will want your google calendar to come into the phone, and sync thereafter. But all-day entries on google become 24 hour entries, modified by your timezone (eg xyz birthday, 15 mar 2010 5.00 am to 16 mar 2010 5.00 am). Otherwise the calendars seem to sync ok therafter (didn't spend much time there).
*This does not work for tasks. (read the google sync instructions carefully for nokia. but not for tasks, or for email bodies (though email headers sync, and you can probably create and send, and delete etc your email on the phone)
*This does not work email either, ie you can see the message headers, but can't see the bodies of emails on the phone.
The explanation for this I found after much digging is that Mail for Exchange on Nokia is actually meant for Microsoft ActiveSync servers, and Google is providing limited sync facilities using this ....system. (correct me if I'm wrong). See the datasheets on Nokia Europe websites about Mail for Exchange.
Over all, a pity, but you can't blame Nokia. As for Google (in whose hands further improvement lies for MFE playing nice with google mail), I hope, and believe they will make things better here (unless they lose their interest in it like they did with google gears).
2)Now getting your email from gmail into your nokia E72: Here Nokia is at fault, and a serious deficiency. I went to email setup in the menu's and started the wizard to create a new account. It seemed to have preconfigured setups for common email providers like gmail, yahoo etc. I started the gmail set up wizard, keyed in my username and password, then waited 5 seconds, and the screen went back to the previous one. This kept repeating, every time I tried. Tried everything: checked internet connectivity (wifi), closed all other apps including the MFE I had set up earlier, switched off and on the phone, everything short of standing on my head. So what works? How do you set up a personal gmail account on your nokia e72? go here:
http://www.techniqx.com/2010/02/workaround-for-configuring-gmail.html
(I paste that text here in case that page is removed:
"The email software in Nokia E72 still has lots of bugs. To configure your Gmail account, it’s not as easy as selecting Gmail and entering the credentials. That simply won’t work as there is a bug. Instead, workaround is to select “Other” and enter a false id like [email protected], this will take you to the next page to select the type. Select “POP/IMAP”. Now, you will get an option to enter your credentials and modify advanced settings. Here change your email id back to [email protected] and enter the credentials as mentioned here> (the gmail site for imap manual setup):
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=78799
And you have gmail set up. Quite inelegant process of setting up gmail on this nokia phone, I would say.
Nokia, please iron out the bugs and inconsistencies in your flagship models' primary functions. Otherwise the phone functions very well, the interface is nice and attractive. And while the bugs are still there, please put up the limitations and  the workarounds if any prominently. Nobody expects 100 % perfection.

Answer 1

I had a number of problems setting up Google Apps with my E72 phone. Mail, Calendar and Tasks were not syncing.
Mail
I have spent far too long setting up google apps to sync properly with my new E72 (latest software installed). It really is a superb phone but if Nokia is not going to fully support integration with Google Apps with a simple app then Android and Blackberry will simply take over for Apps users. It really isn't up to Google to solve this its up to Nokia. Are we going to move from Google Apps or change our phones????
I have gmail and  business google apps accounts and both are now syncing properly with what seems to be pretty good Nokia email software on the phone. This is allowing me to receive, send, view attachments, view sent mail etc. Here are the steps I took from the beginning. Its a repeat of some of the good advice above which helped me on my long journey!
1. Enable IMAP for the google accounts. Couldn't get anything to work otherwise.
2. Follow this instruction https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=78887 
3. The inbox should now be working however you now need to map the other folders you want to see on your mobile. While at your inbox go to >settings>mailbox settings>what to sync>folder subscriptions.
4. Click on Gmail and highlight the folders you want to see
5. Go back to your inbox and go to the dragdown list of folders and highlight 'More Folders'. Under 'Gmail' you will find your sent items along with attachments etc. Problem solved. Its not a pretty solution but at this stage like me you just want something that works.
Calendar
This was a nightmare and I am now running a third party app called Googasync which is working fine. In 10 days time I will need to buy this so if someone knows how to setup calendar syncing properly without it please let me know.
Tasks
Googasync will not sync Tasks and I don't know if there is any app out there that will. If someone can help please let me know. Surely this should be pretty simple!?!?!
By the way I mailed Nokia support last Thursday on the above but have not received a reply other than to tell me that Google Apps is 3rd party software and not supported. Nokia needs to wise up.
In summary its a great phone and I've moved from a Blackerry Bold to it but I shouldn't be spending days finding workarounds!!