Android workaround for stupid bugs with adding a second gmail account

I have been parking under a big rock it looks like: wasn't aware that you can actually push a second google mail account to the gmail app. I was all set for integrating with my work google apps mail and calendar. I am running Android 2.1 on a HTC Hero.

My first experience went thusly:

• Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync > Google > follow the wizard
• Add username and password
• phone says "Hang on, communicating with google servers. This may take up to 5 minutes"
• ........
• phone says "Can not establish a reliable data connection to the server...." and then quits.

I thought maybe a phone issue and tried to update my profile, PRL, firmware etc and tried again. No dice..Same stupid dance. Googled all over the place and then finally found comment #93 which worked.

• Android 2.1 and god knows which other versions are somewhat broken as far as their multiple account mail capability is concerned.
• Use the included Youtube app to log in (use your google apps or google credentials). Don't worry if authentication fails.
• Now go to Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync and you'll find that the account you attempted to use with the Youtube app has been added.
• Simply enable syncing and you are good to go.

Of course, life cannot be this simple. Apparently calendar syncing is not allowed for secondary account. So you'll still have to share all secondary calendars to your primary account and hope for the best (my work calendar is somehow setup to only allow the sending of busy/free status and it is either this restriction or someother issue that prevents it from being shown on my phone). So much for enterprise usage of this. Gah! Well life goes on. My old WM6 phone was complete crap and Android 2.1, while it behaves like a beta, is still better.

Maybe it is all HTC's fault. However, it says "with Google" in big bold letters on my Hero so Google definitely is proud of what they are putting out, warts and all. At the end, all software companies must likely choose to triage and decide to release with em bugs. Thank god (and intrepid experimenters) for workarounds.