I HATE mini apps on my Galaxy Tab 10.1...
That feature alone is enough to make me want to return the device.
Seriously? Why would Samsung want to decide for me my what apps I want at my finger tips? Then not only that, they use their own cheesy versions of available apps. I have already found the solutions I want to use through my Android phone. I want to carry over the same apps to the tab so that my experience is a little less fragmented.
The "mini apps" constantly get in the way. I'm brushing against the bottom bar causing the apps to pop up... none of which I ever use, completely unintentionally. Annoying! If I could only decide what apps showed up!
Total pain in the REAR!
Then Samsung loads on a bunch of unnecessary software. I HATE having 5 apps that do exactly the same thing on my device... The abundance of music players is asinine. Having three book programs (none of which you can remove) is stoopid.
Why can't you get a piece of hardware without the software all screwed up by the vendor these days?
Why is root necessary every time I put my hands on an Android device to make it useful?
Why can't I purchase an Android product with a Google backed Vanilla version of the current OS installed?
Why?
Why?
Why?
I'm so pissed that this $600 tablet requires an additional 15 dollars in apps and a good 6-12 (or more) hours of set-up time and research to get it properly rooted and operating the way I like it.
Sorry... that made me feel so much better.
Maybe an ipad would have been a better choice for you. I like tinkering with my toys so I chose the tab.
I HATE mini apps on my Galaxy Tab 10.1... do YOU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may have opened the mini apps tray 3-4 times unintentionally (in the 10 weeks I have the tablet) and I use the "calculator" mini app quite regularly. So no, they don't bother me but I wouldn't miss them if they were gone either.
SGPMan said:
Maybe an ipad would have been a better choice for you. I like tinkering with my toys so I chose the tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Them there are fighting words...
I enjoy tinkering as well. I have loved customizing my original Incredible and now Incredible 2. They have an excellent following with a lot of very reputable ROM "artists". However, their original UI wasn't that bad to start with. And with the CM nighties, my phone is near perfect.
With the Galaxy Tab 10.1, my initial experience (3 days) I have found it to be laggy and glitchy, which I was shocked about. I want this tab to work for me, but it seems that I'm trying awful hard to make this work. I think it's the fact that my phone is setup so well and runs so well... I figured the tablet would be so much better. I set my expectations high, only to be disappointed so far.
I have rooted and removed a bunch of unnecessary apps, but haven't figured out how to remove that dam mini app bar. As far as custom ROM's go... I haven't loaded any since I am still trying to figure which has the best reputation for stability and speed.
I am trying to figure out something, other wise by Thursday this thing is headed back to Best Buy. Sad thing is... I don't want an apple device, but if that's what is comes to, then I will retire my Android phone as well to keep everything streamlined. Sucks!
gokpog said:
I may have opened the mini apps tray 3-4 times unintentionally (in the 10 weeks I have the tablet) and I use the "calculator" mini app quite regularly. So no, they don't bother me but I wouldn't miss them if they were gone either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Real Calc regularly, a donate (paid) app which can handle higher level math functions. I wish I could just substitute it in place of the basic Samsung/Android version.
Agree with you, mini-apps are boring me every time i wanna play a fullscreen game, like "fruit ninja thd"... This "rolling dock" is not a great feature.
SGPMan said:
Maybe an ipad would have been a better choice for you. I like tinkering with my toys so I chose the tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the reason most of us choose Android is that we aren't forced into "one man's vision" and have the ability to choose for ourself. The mini-app bar forces us into one company's vision. I have to agree with the OP about this.
We should at least have the ability to turn it off.
Meh...it's there, it's unobtrusive, and at least my experience with it is that I really have to try to get it to come up when I want it. Have never accidentally brought it up. Sometimes the calc and the memo pad are useful.
Can't see why people hate it so much.
MMcCraryNJ said:
Meh...it's there, it's unobtrusive, and at least my experience with it is that I really have to try to get it to come up when I want it. Have never accidentally brought it up. Sometimes the calc and the memo pad are useful.
Can't see why people hate it so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So...
Try a vs party on "Fruit Ninja THD", you'll see ^^
Just hide the status bar with this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1265397
problem solved!!!
I actually don't mind having mini app tray. I use task manager, calculater and memo pad for taking notes from web regularly. The only thing I don't like is accidentally hitting the screenshot button. But I totally agree with the original post. An option to turn it off would be nice.
Personally I like them. Two of them I use on a daily basis. Most of the others occasionally.
JHeal77 said:
As far as custom ROM's go... I haven't loaded any since I am still trying to figure which has the best reputation for stability and speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Task360/Phantom "In Paris"
v.2 works great for me, but v.4 is coming "soon"(tm)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1284355
Really not a massive fan of them being there tbh, but I don't accidentally press the button (not like the screenshot one...grr!) and I don't use the apps in it. I just ignore it and get on my way.
If there was an option of getting rid of it though, I would.
I found this thread while searching for a way to at least configure this menu bar... unfortunately it looks like the whole thing is embedded in the ROM and the only way to hide it is to patch the ROM and/or completely replace it (thanks for the links in the thread).
I fully agree with the OP on a lot of his rant. This is an awesome peice of hardware that comes out of the box with some insanely bad software. I'm still deciding on what launcher to replace the stock version with, but so far both Go and Launcher Pro are tons faster, more configurable, and better looking than the laggy default version that doesn't even let you use the full display.
The status bar menu is kind of a nice idea, but the execution is terrible. If I could configure what apps and quick commands I wanted on the menu and easily hide it, it would be a great feature.
But as it is, the choices of what to put there seem really bizarre. I can't for the life of me figure out why "screen shot" was deemed important enough for most users to justify space on an "always on" menu. I have to routinely go delete unwanted screenshots taken by accidentally brushing that menu option.
The choices of what to put on the quick launch app menu are even worse. Holding the "home" button on the main menu for a couple seconds pops up the task manager so why do I need a whole other button dedicated to pulling up this app? The world clock is just plain terrible compared to other clock apps. The calander is alright, but there are better widgets out there that serve the purpose better than a quick launch menu. The memo and calculator are again terrible and need to be replaced by 3rd party apps so you should be able to replace them on this menu too. The music player is the only one of the apps that serves my purposes, but again there are better 3rd party apps and you should be able to configure what is on a system wide quick launch bar.
From the perspective of an average consumer the out-of-box experience is fairly poor due to the OEM software rather than the hardware or system software. It should be easy for a user to fix this with simple market based apps and configuration options rather than having to apply warantee voiding ROM patches and rooting the OS. Allowing OEM's to "lock" bad software is a really bad policy. If an OEM wants me to use their software, they should develop or license best in class versions of those apps rather than locking the software on the system and forcing me to root the system to get rid of poor quality software.
You can disable all of these functions with some XML editing if it really annoys you that much
I'd happily do all these changes for you for a little donation of just a couple of quid
Try one of the sweet new cm9 kangs, I'm on the 7500 version. So much better then tw honeycomb.
I Agree!!
hate it so much, but now on overcome rom,
its at least slightly less annoying. just ever so SLIGHTLY.
at least in this rom, a swipe upward wont activate it.
wont disturb me during fruit ninja.
but still sometimes press it when i wana press spacebar.
stupid piece of crap tray.
the motorola xoom already has ICS.
samsung will be the slowest tab to get it cos of this touch widz.
Sometimes i feel sorry for samsung.
i have a hunch there is some kind of conspiracy goin on at the back,
where google force manufacturers to implement their own skin. (why else would samsung waste effort to make rubbish that people dont want?)
and google can sell their overprice nexus device to make money.
just imagine, if samsung can sell or upgrade the galaxy S2 and note with the pure and stock vanilla android, and upgrade them to ICS without touch widz, would anyone buy galaxy nexus?
nexus has lausy hardware. last gen GPU and horrible camera. (not due to the 5MP, but generally a weak camera compare to S2 and note)
Luv'em why we have android
Pop up windows that are independent of screen, getting closer to desktop experience. I would like to swap some out but overall, (calc, note, calendar, calculator, & music player) work great. Allow true multitasking.
I just installed OverSkreen which gives me a windowed web browser on top of screen. I really like them.
I am on an ICS KANG version by Mabalito
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1461240
With this ROM, I don't have a bottom row of mini apps.
I am using GO Launcher EX HD
http://golauncher.goforandroid.com/2012/03/go-launcher-hd-v1-0-beta/
With the launcher, I able to hide the bottom bar whenever I want.
This is awesome when I watch video and play games
Related
Hi all,
I am from India and while I was in Bangalore I picked this little android phone. I was in a dilemma which phone to pick, my budget was not too good for any 1gig - android phone so I had to pick this one (backflip from moto or wildfire from HTC was my other options -).
From the very first day that first thing I noticed that I am not that satisfied with the phone apart from the fact it's an android( which I needed badly) and (look of the phone -). I felt no one has used/ experienced / tested this phone before releasing. It's like a B-grade hindi movie, you like the title and then you like nothing.
Even they did not pay a little attention to make icons in a same pattern, games are horrible, I cannot access the market or any other app/widgets with manual configured apns (vodafone, india)--- its like worse dream of my life. I myself hate copy paste but I think people from sony (graphics as well as the developers) need to know this copy paste funda. I was very angry and posted all these in "Update on updates" as MINI PRO USER (may be now lost as around 2000 comments are there).
I don't how come they marketed this one with horrible calling feature, when I try to call or receive the call, the screen goes and needs unlock to find somewhere in the screen a tiny rectangle (if u use any other launcher, opps u even can't find it). Then messaging, in my life this is the first phone which takes ages to show the letter when u use the soft keyboard.
And how come they can make they make "CA gold rush" or something like that with a **** like icon? It's unbelievable, no tester with sony ? or HE is non sense.
Anyway I know I can easily download lots of apk's from here and there (as android market does not work) and make things better. But when is it desirable to purchase a Nike shoe and very first day then go to other painter to do some painting???
I really don't get enough time for doing stuff like changing icons or changing colors of the framework-res.apk. then also I had to spend 2 days to find icons like iphone (please iphone hater don't be angry, we all know the pattern of iphone icons are really good and almost every phone-maker tries to make something like that) or some good png icons and put then all the apk's that came with this and other apps that I needed. Now the phone looks like a phone. But I don't know when SONY will come up with a update that will make this a real phone (at least when I will be able to use the GPRS, Market etc and will be able to pick a incoming with minimum effort, those "SOFTWARE GUYS" made a slider with incoming phone that's like picking a needle huh.......b e a u tiful )
phone is nice and fast... works good. i got adw launcher and i rooted it so i could uninstall alot of pre-installed junk...
its fast, smooth im happy with it.
I know, my phone is also rooted and I changed all the icons through out, and using a launcher customized for me (I made a simple launcher for me) some time. I know we can do a lot of things in android that is one the reason I looked for android device, not WM phone. But my point was when someone is selling (marketing) some product, they should test it thoroughly. Why should the users take the pressure to find a decent launcher or call app??
I really like the phone but:
1- SE support SUCKS.
2- Upgrade to Android 2.1 delayed (Sucks)
3- No news about upgrade to android 2.2 (double sucks).
4- Turn on/off problems :
http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/3671?tstart=30
http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/5957
http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/6260?tstart=0
If the phone would work as it should, and the SE updates where in date, it should be one of the best phones for me.
My biggest disappointment, coming from WM, is the Android app market...
Yes: ,000's of android apps, but very few well-developed ones. My X1 is a bit like a Swiss Army Knife (without accelerometer, fast CPU etc etc), but the applications out there are plenty, and well designed. Also the WM apps are pretty expensive, comparatively but at least they exist.
The X10 Mini Pro itself, I'm OK with it. A lot of the minor flaws can be remedied by small apps like the SMS Handcent, adding a launcher, that sort of thing...
Biggest issue for me is the Android-wide problem of not being able to modify font size at system level. What were these guys thinking of?
Seems I have a bigger problem with Android, than with the X10 Mini Pro
I'm very pleased with my little "tamagochi" aka X10 mini
The point is i'm coming from a HTC Hero, and I loved it a lot, but the last time sometimes it got frozen i don't know why. I gave a X10 mini to my girlfriend and i got very impressed about the phone and finally I decided to get another one for me, so she and I have the same mobile.
First of all I have to say that the mobile is REALLY fast. Faster than my Hero on a 2.1 android version. Sony Ericsson has done a very good job about that even it running 1.6 android version. The kernel is very light, but for that reason some things doesn't work (i.e. tethering via root).
Good things: fast, very light, small, excellent camera (even better than other high models), excelent touch response
Bad things: BATTERY! (the worst), Android 1.6 and some stuff like launcher (aaaargh), the contact list, Timescape (I hate it) and the facebook links
For me the display isn't a bad thing cuz if not, it wasn't a small phone, and i like the small phones.
Some stuff inside is bad, but you can change perfectly. I mean the awful keyboard... that's very easy to fix with a keyboard from the market. I'm very happy with "Smart Keyboard pro". Nothing to say about the SE launcher... is totally a CRAP, you have to change it inmediately! "ADW Launcher" for 1.6 (on market) is really really good, once installed it, your phone is a true android mobile . Other stuff i didn't like was the SMS app from SE, so I changed it by "ChompSMS" and it works excellent on my X10 mini.
Other point is that some apps don't appear in the market because of the screen resolution. Anyway, I got most of them via Apktor (Aptoide), and they work perfect... I don't remember now what were them.
I want the update to 2.1 ASAP cuz I hope that SE improves the facebook links to the contacts (they said that in their blog) and also to install some apps that need android 2.0 or above, like Whatsapp and new google stuff.
So that's all, I'm very happy with it !!!
Just loving it !!!
It has got style and design features are so good that it is very easy to communicate with just one hand. It's a basic smart phone, great for the basic user. Internet, music, calls, text, chat, e-mail and apps to pay your bills.
The 5MP camera on the X10 mini performed admirably. It was quick to focus even in low light with very low shutterlag for a camera phone. The flash worked quite well for low light portrait shots. Images showed good colors and satisfactory details.
I just love this phone and really can't think a day without it.
Hope to read good reviews from respected community members about this phone......
Regards
Don Zone
My x10 mini is the best phone i've ever had. I have it since about 3 months now. It does everything I need and is very loveable. I have access to app market with no problem. I use the 3g connection as the much as the wifi, use the gps for driving (with google nav).
At first I thought the battery life was awful, but after uncharging completely and recharging fully 3 or 4 times, now I have 2 days of life. The only problems I have for now is not being able to copy text from sms, and cant find a descent azerty keyboard. I am please to know we will get 2.1 by the end of this month so I didn't take the time to fully customise the start screen with a launcher.
My old phones : htc 9100, touch diamond, htc snap.
Sent from my E10i using XDA App
For the SMS try ChompSMS, it's much better than the native app from SE, you can copy texts and much more, also you can write in landscape, with the original app you can't.
For the keyboard, try smart keyboard pro, I like it a lot, it has a very good algoritm and it can learn words you usually use, etc.
Both of them are in Apktor (Aptoide) for free. I think they are a MUST.
darfito said:
For the SMS try ChompSMS, it's much better than the native app from SE, you can copy texts and much more, also you can write in landscape, with the original app you can't.
For the keyboard, try smart keyboard pro, I like it a lot, it has a very good algoritm and it can learn words you usually use, etc.
Both of them are in Apktor (Aptoide) for free. I think they are a MUST.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
smart keyboard pro Hmm is not free it's a paid app
Hey I'm also from India..I Just love my "little fella"..battery is a big problem though
Take a look to Apktor or Aptoide app on google, I can't say anything else... hehe
I'M also from India.
Now I'm having xperia mini pro.
My dad having xperia x10.
Before this I had HTC tattoo.
I sold HTC tattoo because there is no 2.1 rom with camera working.
Xperia have official update.
Very nice and small size phone.
Nice hardware for that cost.
Really happy with phone.
Waiting for update......
Sent from my U20i using XDA App
I have had the x10 mini for a week and generally I like it. Its compact and lightweight and has many features.
There is a few annoying things that I dont like.
- Low resolution which doesnt look good.
- Cant have homescreen in landscape mode like the pro (this is very annoying)
- When inputting messages in landscape mode it can be quite unresponsive on occasions.
- The back cover of the phone feels very cheap and creaky.
- Battery life needs to be improved.
- Screen is a smudge magnet and is plastic not glass?
X10 Mini is perfect small phone with lots of features
Background data question
Hi,
I'm planning to buy the Mini Pro but I'm worried about battery life issue.. How does the background data and synchronisation system work on Android? If I want an e-mail and some other apps to be automatically synchronised e.g. once in an hour, does it require data connection to be switched on all the time? If I disable background data from the settings, are all the apps able to turn it on when needed (when it's time fo sync)? Just like it works on Symbian devices.. Only 3G connection will be used in my case, not WiFi..
And how about GPS, do I have to manually turn it on before I launch Google Maps? Or does the Maps turn the GPS on automatically when needed?
Hi all,
I'm wonsering if true multitasking is possible...
I have been using the sgs2 for a few days now.and its.my first android.phone.
Im very happy with it but jus missing one feature...
When Im watching video in a browser or app Id like to be able to quickly do something else while the.audio keeps.playing.
Is this possible?
I do know that some apps have this featur (audio players etc.)
But id like to do this with the browser or cnn app
Greetings, dutchy
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
I'm not sure if it would be possible, although the video is kept in memory, it has to close in order to open another app, I don't think you could have audio playing in background during a different application. My thought, though I'm still kinda n00b-ish with Android myself.
@SgtDutchyNL
It's possible for sure, but browsers intentionally pauses/stops playback when they're "minimized", because this is what most people want in most cases. I don't know any browser app which does run flash content in the background.
Shame there isnt an option for it, maybe its possible by editing some code?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Coming from a Palm Pre (WebOS) I really hate multi-tasking on Android devices, switching from app to app sometimes doesn't even let you carry on where you started.
Bawezy said:
Coming from a Palm Pre (WebOS) I really hate multi-tasking on Android devices, switching from app to app sometimes doesn't even let you carry on where you started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really, I've never had an issue switching between browser, sms, email, contacts and maps, all whilst listening to music.
As for video in the browser, Flash has been built to only run whilst in focus to stop the battery from draining when animation is running in a tab in the background.
To help the issue of multitasking, try installing wavelauncher on market. it is exactly like the wave launcher in webos. but it still wont fix the fact that android will close your program in the background when it needs more memory (which is why you have to restart from scratch when you "alt-tab" around)
I have a Palm Pixi Plus which I use for work email. No doubt WebOS is amazing when it comes to multi tasking, their ecosystem(h/w and s/w) should mature but I doubt if it can reach anywhere near Android. For that matter I doubt if M$ or RIM or Intel can ever achieve this.
I've been using Android for the past 2+ yrs. I must admit Android's muti tasking is rubbish. All we need is a simple button X (similar to Windows PC) to close any damn app than closing/killing in a different way in each app/phone. Its confusing at times. Good thing is Galaxy S II is a very good phone. A complete package must say..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
You guys misunderstood, i dont hate android's multitasking, in my opinion it doesnt match that of webOS as that was the mobile os where true multitasking was derived from. As gd as the android operating system is, Galaxy s2 is making me like android more.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I've also noticed the problem when using sites like mega upload where you have to wait a certain amount of time before downoading a file. If the counter is on 30 seconds, I think I have time to check an e-mail or a few tweets while waiting, so I do that and when I come back to the browser the counter is still at 30 seconds...
It's usually not a big deal but I find it amusing that android fanboys made fun of iOS because it doesn't have true multitasking, although from what I can see android just saves the state of your apps and restores it when you go back to the app... it's OK in most situation but it's hardly multitasking.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
BlueScreenJunky said:
I've also noticed the problem when using sites like mega upload where you have to wait a certain amount of time before downoading a file. If the counter is on 30 seconds, I think I have time to check an e-mail or a few tweets while waiting, so I do that and when I come back to the browser the counter is still at 30 seconds...
It's usually not a big deal but I find it amusing that android fanboys made fun of iOS because it doesn't have true multitasking, although from what I can see android just saves the state of your apps and restores it when you go back to the app... it's OK in most situation but it's hardly multitasking.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most sites like that do this on the desktop now to keep your focus on their ads. Not sure if megaupload does but a lot do so i could just be this.
mark2222 said:
Most sites like that do this on the desktop now to keep your focus on their ads. Not sure if megaupload does but a lot do so i could just be this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this happens if you try the same on your computer too.
Huh ? Never happened to me on the computer but I'll check (it would make sense and seems doable w/ javascript), it could be that indeed.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
BlueScreenJunky said:
It's usually not a big deal but I find it amusing that android fanboys made fun of iOS because it doesn't have true multitasking, although from what I can see android just saves the state of your apps and restores it when you go back to the app...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, Android has true multitasking, but that doesn't mean every app should or have to use it, does it? If I browse through internet, I'm on a site with dynamic Flash/Javascript content and I exit browser then I want it to freeze any dynamic content to minimize power consumption. This is exactly what most of people want in most situations and this is why you have problems with Megaupload. It's possible to create a browser which will run Megaupload counter in the background, but no one has created one so far, because it wouldn't be that good.
You all should understand this isn't a technical issue, it's a design concern. If you switch/exit an app then OS (no matter: mobile or desktop one) has to do one of the following:
run it normally in the background
pause it
close it
give user a choice
Each of above has its pros and cons. Desktop OSes use first option, because they don't care about power and RAM consumption. They also use last option, because on a big screen, with mouse and full keyboard there is no problem to add such controls.
But using same solution on a phone would be a disaster, I think. Older mobile OSes use third option: they close app after exiting it, they don't have MT at all. iOS is somewhere between pause and close. Android is between pause and run: it pauses apps by default, but gives them a possibility to run in the background if they want. And this is a big difference between iOS and Android. On the iOS app can't run in the background even if both its developer and user want that. On the Android it depends fully on a developer choice.
What I want to say is: there is no single, perfect solution to this problem. If clicking "home" button would not pause an app by default then OS would be a piece of **** to me. Even if it would give me a possibility to easily pause/close an app - still POS. Pause should be a default action to make OS easy to use, so I think Android design is really good. One thing which could be done is to give more control to user. E.g. an option to resume/not pause an app on demand, so it will run similarly to foreground mode.
And how does work this awesome MT of webos (I don't really know)? Please, don't say it runs apps in the background by default - if so then sorry, but as I said it's a POS to me.
Brut.all said:
And how does work this awesome MT of webos (I don't really know)? Please, don't say it runs apps in the background by default - if so then sorry, but as I said it's a POS to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Multitasking on a WebOS, for those who haven't yet seen it: http://youtu.be/wZht-a0VlD8
Brut.all said:
No, Android has true multitasking, but that doesn't mean every app should or have to use it, does it? If I browse through internet, I'm on a site with dynamic Flash/Javascript content and I exit browser then I want it to freeze any dynamic content to minimize power consumption. This is exactly what most of people want in most situations and this is why you have problems with Megaupload. It's possible to create a browser which will run Megaupload counter in the background, but no one has created one so far, because it wouldn't be that good.
You all should understand this isn't a technical issue, it's a design concern. If you switch/exit an app then OS (no matter: mobile or desktop one) has to do one of the following:
run it normally in the background
pause it
close it
give user a choice
Each of above has its pros and cons. Desktop OSes use first option, because they don't care about power and RAM consumption. They also use last option, because on a big screen, with mouse and full keyboard there is no problem to add such controls.
But using same solution on a phone would be a disaster, I think. Older mobile OSes use third option: they close app after exiting it, they don't have MT at all. iOS is somewhere between pause and close. Android is between pause and run: it pauses apps by default, but gives them a possibility to run in the background if they want. And this is a big difference between iOS and Android. On the iOS app can't run in the background even if both its developer and user want that. On the Android it depends fully on a developer choice.
What I want to say is: there is no single, perfect solution to this problem. If clicking "home" button would not pause an app by default then OS would be a piece of **** to me. Even if it would give me a possibility to easily pause/close an app - still POS. Pause should be a default action to make OS easy to use, so I think Android design is really good. One thing which could be done is to give more control to user. E.g. an option to resume/not pause an app on demand, so it will run similarly to foreground mode.
And how does work this awesome MT of webos (I don't really know)? Please, don't say it runs apps in the background by default - if so then sorry, but as I said it's a POS to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx for this very informative post.
And indeed I think the best solution would be for each app to have a default behavior as it is right now, but let the user force the app to keep running at all times if they need to for some reason and don't care about the performance hit.
Ty for all the info, but still, I just want the option to run some app normally in the background, its annoying when youre watching a movie and quickly need to check mail, i like having it playing on
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Intresting to me that good old WM 6.5 was true multitasking and could run for the best part of a week in standby Android in all it's forms, with background program managment, can barely do a couple of days !
Interesting in the video that I didn't see any evidence of true multitasking
Like some1 mentioned already, android is a multiple task/thread OS. So you can pretty much do anything. It's down to the developer. If you wanted music/vid to play in the background when not active in foreground tis easy to extend your application to have a service that constantly runs, and the app (UI) is just the controller. A good example of multitasking is seeing 2 things update where both are either critical data or processor intense. An example being your widgets update while live wallpaper is doing something. So to me, there is either multitasking or not, not really true multitasking. I think from the video of webOs I would call it a task/app/thread visual controller, and not a few words like "true multitasking".
Just my brain dumb on the issue
I thought I'd start a review page for the Touchpad. I got my Touchpad on Tuesday and have spent a good bit of time with it. In general, I see a lot of potential. I am disappointed that it took so long and isn't better than it is.
Now I understand most of the poor reviews that the unit has gotten. Comparing a first generation product with a 2nd or 3rd generation product doesn't is not likely to be very positive. But, most of us thought, between HP and Palm, the unit would be a lot further along. Perhaps HP is too big to be creative and responsive enough for a fast moving market like phones and tablets. However, to be fair, the things the unit does well, it does very well. And, what it doesn't do well, it generally doesn't do at all.
First, the weight. Personally, I like the feel of it. A few ounces either way really doesn't make much difference. It has a good balance and feels solid.
Second, the WebOS. I am new to it, but so far, I am impressed. The multitasking is really well done. The setup on the unit was simple and logically organized. There is a somewhat intuitive feel to the interface, even though if I knew more, it might be even better.
I setup my Exchange client with no problems and it works well. I will try to add some more accounts later for testing.
Now for the items I am disappointed with. I know it sounds like I don't like the unit, but I do, and it is so close. But, unfortunately, close only counts in horseshoes and nuclear war.
First, as far as I can tell, whoever designed this either never used an iPad or Android tablet or didn't use it much. They don't understand the first rule of the smart device market: You have to have some key working software. Okay, there is some, but in general, it is a real disappointment. There will be lots of other things needed, but everyone wants video, music, news, and a way to move data around. A lot of people will want a time manager, too. If you missed that in the design, you missed the key items.
It plays MP3s well, but without Pandora, it doesn't really matter much.
The worst thing so far is that the video player is useless. Most of the videos I see and use are AVIs and they don't work at all. And only about half of the MP4's have worked so far. One of the top priorities needs to be a movie player that isn't useless. Something like VitalPlayer for the Android.
You also need a good news reader. If you have an Android you get News360 or Pulse. Where is the comparable product?
Oh, by the way, it isn't terribly easy to find anything in the Appstore. It doesn't give enough granularity. It is hard to find the diamonds amoung the trash.
The other item that is needed is a file manager. Something like ES File Explorer on the Android. It allows you to move files from the LAN to the Local file structure and to move files inside the unit. I know the idea is that WEBOS handles it. But as far as I can tell, I have to hook up to a PC to move files. There is a paid app in the app store, but it doesn't do enough.
I have used Android up to this point. A year ago, it was pretty bad. But, today it is a great competitor. WEBOS can be there, too, but it can't take very long or there won't be a market. If HP is counting on business users only, they are probably DOA. From what I have seen, other than e-mail, business use takes a back seat to personal applications on tablets.
What do you think?
7-25-2011 It is getting better
Today, I downloaded KalemSoft Media Player and Gemini File Manger. They each fill at least part of the gap in the functionality of the Touchpad. The KamelSoft Media Player has added considerable functionality to the media play including additional codecs for AVI, etc. And, the MP4s that didn't work with the built in player seem to work with it. It is a $6.99 item but, so far, it seems to be a good investment. I had to add an app to my Android 2.2 unit to get the same capabilities, so it is makes sense that I will have to do the same for a first generation WEBOS tablet, I guess.
The Gemini File Manager is a valuable addition, because it has a nice two column, full screen, interface and has networking capablities. Currently it only works with Dropbox. But it is a step in the right direction. I had to download a file manager, ES File Manager, with this functionality for my Android also, but it was free. ES File Manager allows local network connection, which is pretty useful. This is pretty inexpensive at $2.99 though.
Last week, I downloaded SpaZ HD Beta Preview 1 to use as a Twitter client. It is worth a look. I have enjoyed learning how to use it.
I have download several news readers, but so far nothing that is as good as Pulse or News 360. NewsRoom is a start, but it is still in the phone format.
Pandora works, but it is in the phone format. And, that doesn't really matter much to the functionality.
So things are coming along. With a few more apps, it will be almost as good as my Android for my daily use. Android and iPad have a lot of apps, but how many are of any real use?
There are a few things missing. A working RDP app is essential for small businesses. A solid time management package that interfaces with Quickbooks would be useful, also.
Agreed, thanks for that review
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
Well, I am wrong about at least one thing. There is a Pandora app. It works, but it is a phone app and takes a little getting used to. But, it seems to work well.
I bought Newroom hoping it will be like Pulse. It is also a phone app and will take some work to get used to. But it might do some of what I want until a better app comes along. I also bought TapNote for Touchpad which I think will be a good tool, and Internalz, so I can get to the file structure. It is a phone app, so it will be a little strange until it is upgraded.
I downloaded TED, which is a source for seminars that seem to be pretty diverse. The first one I watched was great. It showed off the video pretty well.
I'm still impressed.
I prefer to buy the Touchpad than iPad. Because Touchpad is a way better than other tablets but is a bit buggy yet, but with time and devs, all can be solved.
Good luck with devs and with OTAs touch pad FAIL and webOS phones are butt ugly with a nice OS
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I actually want to buy a touchpad....only if it doesn't become a dead system and gets reasonable support compared to android and iOS from developers
I would have to add that the font rendering is the ugliest since Windows 3.11. Seriously. The UI itself is beautiful, but reading web pages or mails hurts your eyes after a few minutes. The fonts look like they are smudged, like the screen is blurry. It is a huge fail and the biggest downside IMO. Sure, application load times are really bad, and there are no apps. But apps only need to be loaded once, and the number of apps might change. The incredibly distracting font rendering won't go away
Send an email to: Leo Apotheker, Sean Robison & Steve DeWitt. They need to hear from you.
First name.Last [email protected]
Think it's Stephen but will check. No hear back from me then it's that.
Sent from my Sapphire/dream using XDA App
Can only print to HP printers.
-1. My HP laptops can print to my Canon printer
Can't wait for Android on this thing
I bought one of the firesale units and starting playing with it. I have some questions:
1) It don't seem to support ad-hoc wireless networks. Is there any software I can add or configuration change I can make to change this? I have a Windows Mobile cell phone that can share its connection over wifi, but its ad-hoc only.
2) I put some pdfs and an m4v and flv video on the device, organized in folders. I go in acrobat reader and it seems to find the pdfs, but just puts them in a single list, rather than showing the file hierarchy. I would like to be able to browse the file hierarchy and touch a file and have it open in an appropriate player or reader. I have a lot of pdfs to put in the device and they need to be organized, not one big list.
3) Acrobat reader and Quick Office seem to be a little slow to load. I am wondering if there is an app that is quick loading that will show a file hierarchy and show or play pdf files and videos, similar to GoodReader for ipad?
4) Is there anything that will play .flv video files? The m4v video showed up in the photo viewer, but not the .flv
Thanks in advance.
guyandhisdog said:
Can only print to HP printers.
-1. My HP laptops can print to my Canon printer
Can't wait for Android on this thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So can my Lenovo laptop.
But this isn't a HP laptop.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
I know its not a HP laptop. Just sayin, one HP product can and one (newer) can't. That = -1
anyone else notice that this thing seems to crash/freeze alot? have to reboot quite often.
treestump said:
anyone else notice that this thing seems to crash/freeze alot? have to reboot quite often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have u updated the pad? i've been playing with mine for 2 days and havent had a hang up or freeze yet.. u might have a faulty model
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
hurrpancakes said:
So can my Lenovo laptop.
But this isn't a HP laptop.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read a review that said you can print to other printers but its a bit harder. Don't no the details sorry but at least you can. (supposedly)
starfcker69 said:
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Picked mine up Saturday morning and found that article yesterday. By all means do what it says, helps a lot. The more I use my touchpad the more I like it. Great little $100 investment IMO. Really wish there was a Wordfeud or Words with Friends app for it though. Preware should be installed on every WebOS device.
starfcker69 said:
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for this link! I don't even have my touchpad yet but i look forward to being able to poke around with it and get every ounce of performance possible.
Are there any other good resources for WebOS tweaks or mods? Ultimately i'll probably put android on this thing (once the devs do all the hard work) but in the meantime, i'd like to see just how usable the device is as-is.
my gripes:
browser - not as good as Android's. some pages had minor render issues, some menus didn't work right. some flash videos would not play.
browser - only way to go "back" is the back arrow at the top left corner so you have to keep your thumb near it.. awkward to hold. why no left swipe or something?
lists, any - no scroll bars! i added like 100 bookmarks then it's a pain in the ass to get from top to bottom. have to swipe down like 10 times
camera - no app is included to use it other than skype.
video player - videos files are shown as group of big icons, no way to change that to a list view, and the space allocated for the name does not have enough characters
no way to change the icons on the taskbar?
serious lack of good apps that are designed for touchpad .. maybe a dozen that i ended up keeping.
no included rss reader, calc, notes, etc.
i don't believe the Bing navi app has 3D mapping or live rerouting (for use with tether) and i didn't see any in the market.
no voice to text function ?
doesn't support mkv or avi out of the box (same for Android, iOS) .. have to reencode videos from usenet. there is a (1) paid app that can play these apparently, haven't tried it yet
no video out, rear camera, back / search / menu buttons, low-res screen, heavy... but you know that going in.
App Store - no sorting options (ie, #downloads, #reviews)
.....
things i like:
hardware is solid, battery life is impressive, viewing angles excellent, and the GUI looks polished. OS is reasonably responsive and stable (after ota update). basic functions (wifi, web, email, IM, a/v playback) work as expected.
good deal for $100.
I like my 32GB Touchpad so far, I applied the improvements and it does seem better, I have to try the overclock. It's good for the price I paid, but not for it's starting one. I'd still like to see Android on it and I hope there's more development both on webOS and Android for it.
For your news reading needs you could try the Mosaic app, it's similar to Pulse with its own twist.
os10 said:
my gripes:
no way to change the icons on the taskbar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can by going into the Launcher and touching an app for a few seconds so you can move them around.
just curious if anyone switched back to WM6.5 after trying android on HD2 ? any particular reasons ?
After being an exclusive Windows Mobile user from the Pocket PC days in 2001, I tried Android on my HTC HD2 with great fear and trepidation. After 2 months i am VERY satisfied with Android and can't imagine ever going back.
Good luck with your decision.
never left WM, just run android on SD card
here more statements
I only tried one rom, it didn't work that well, and I hated not being able to customise it how I liked.
I absolutley hate sense/titanium/spb mobile shell... none of them work as well as my setup, I have my phone doing exactly what I want, when I want, and everything I use or need to see at all times is on my today screen. No other UI can currently give me that.
Every OS upgrade has brought less usability at the expense of 'looking nice', I hate having to go through multiple screens to do something as simple as turn on bluetooth and start a media player, one click for me and it's done. Same for many things.
I tried American Android on my HTC HD2. Battery life on all android sucks, so I am back on WM6.5. I am very sad Microsoft switched to WP7 after 6.5 is so cool.
Android must take care of battery management before releasing OS as now it just ruins the pleasure of Android OS. My WinMo6.5 lasts more than 4 days on one charge. I wanna see Android doing this
bbobeckyj said:
I only tried one rom, it didn't work that well, and I hated not being able to customise it how I liked.
I absolutley hate sense/titanium/spb mobile shell... none of them work as well as my setup, I have my phone doing exactly what I want, when I want, and everything I use or need to see at all times is on my today screen. No other UI can currently give me that.
Every OS upgrade has brought less usability at the expense of 'looking nice', I hate having to go through multiple screens to do something as simple as turn on bluetooth and start a media player, one click for me and it's done. Same for many things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I particularly like Spb Mobile Shell. But if you've got something that works better for you than it does, I'd be interested to know what that might be. Can you tell me what makes your WinMo 6.x work so well for you?
FWIW I've never tried Android and don't anticipate doing so for quite awhile. Same for Windows Phone. I have too much invested in Windows Mobile Apps to move off it, especially since they do what I need them to do so well.
I came from using the original HTC Touch for nearly 4 years with WM6.5 and promptly went to try Android when I first got my HD2. The 2 most important thing to me on my phone is the email client and the web browsing. I couldn't get used to the native email app or K9 in Android and came back to WM6.5 for about a week.
I then took the dive to go to WP7 Mango and I love the email integration there. The web browsing is not very nice and Microsoft pushing the use of Bing is very frustrating, but the browser itself is decent. So while the battery life is absolutely horrible in WP7, it can still get me through the day on light usage.
So, I tried coming back to WM6.5 but there certainly are many things to like about the current generation operating systems. WM6.5 just feels sluggish comparatively because everything seems several more clicks away for me. There are various things I miss though. Apps I had purchased are a big one, but I can live without it for now. The other is the task manager. The automatic task management concept is a nice idea in Android but I like quick access and control over it (something ICS possibly has addressed). WP7 its not an issue for now because non-native apps don't run in the background.
Overall, I think you at least owe yourself to try Android since it can run alongside WM6.5. Give it a real shot because there are only going to be more and more things that are available to current gen OS that won't be ported to WM6.5
Tref said:
I particularly like Spb Mobile Shell. But if you've got something that works better for you than it does, I'd be interested to know what that might be. Can you tell me what makes your WinMo 6.x work so well for you?
FWIW I've never tried Android and don't anticipate doing so for quite awhile. Same for Windows Phone. I have too much invested in Windows Mobile Apps to move off it, especially since they do what I need them to do so well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess that to me the essence of these new OS, and SPB Mobile Shell is that it puts form over function, to perform any action with those requires a lot more effort than it does with how I've set my phone up, it also seems to work slower.
For a start, I have on my Today Screen the things which I want to use or see most often. SPB Diary, easy today launcher, and alarmToday. I also use wkTask task manager for the tabs. My two soft keys are also customised, one runs WM5NewMenu (which is also run by long hold of the send key), the other runs a script I made with mortscript which closes all open programs, and resets the system settings to my default preferences, such as screen orientation and brightness.
In my WM5NewMenu popup menu, I have shortcuts to all the other things I use most frequently, such as messaging, not to open my inbox, but to open a text or email with the person I'm sending it to pre-defined. So for example if I want to text my wife, it's only 3 clicks from any screen. Note that WM5NewMenu is as quick as pressing right click with your mouse on your desktop, and each submenu is just as quick. I also backup my PIM data every day automatically have a script which sends it via email to myself, so if I have lose my phone or have to hard reset and my storage card get corrupted (or any other worst case scenario) I'll never be without the information I really need.
I also have google mobile in the launch menu, a couple of scripts to start/stop my media player, which will turn on bluetooth, allow me to connect my headset, then set the volume to maximum, offer a playlist selection and then lock the screen etc.
There are quick links to toggle WiFi and BlueTooth and start menu (the hardware buttons are too low for one handed use). I have one which opens my file explorer (apparently missing on WM7) to my IE favourites folder, and after I pick one it will close the file explorer again.
My lock screen is customised with the slider exactly where I find it the most comfortable to use, and the message is my phone number, in a different font, so I can show people easily when they ask and I've forgotten it.
A few other things without dragging on forever -
A Script which programs my work schedule into my diary with as little as 2 clicks for each day's work.
And I don't profess anything but a superficail knowledge of other OS, but the ability to use the same .LNKs and parameters as on my PC is extremely useful. For example, I can make a .LNK to the messaging .EXE, and include any or all of the following, To, CC, BCC, Subject, Content, and attatchments. Examples of use can be if you text the same thing each day, like 'I'm on my way home' would take a maximum of four clicks to send from any screen.
A coreplayer link which also sets the sreen brightness to max.
A lot of my .LNKs have different icons to the default program's
I've removed as much of the HTC customisations as I could find out how to, such as the HTC messaging.
I have a basic keylogging system in place (not a true keylogger, but it logs every time I use any program) so I can check when I did things. This sounds really anal or obsessive but, for example, it's usefull for when I take a break at work and forget when I started my lunch hour, I can just check what time I turned my phone on.
---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------
Gastaroll said:
I tried American Android on my HTC HD2. Battery life on all android sucks, so I am back on WM6.5. I am very sad Microsoft switched to WP7 after 6.5 is so cool.
Android must take care of battery management before releasing OS as now it just ruins the pleasure of Android OS. My WinMo6.5 lasts more than 4 days on one charge. I wanna see Android doing this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an external battery charger and have often managed to deplete one battery before the other has been charged, but this is while watching a film with a bluetooth headset and the screen brightness at maximum.
Tried Android on HD2 & native device, HD2 soon went back to WM6.5.3 because:
-Better battery life & charging control
-Customization of WM is unbeatable
-Every icon, position, text, background can be what I want
-Fast access to all daily tasks (wifi,tethering,BT,SIM switching,email) all handled within 1 or 2 touches & all status easily viewable
-Better Asian language support
-Better Language suite applications
-Better Office applications
-Excellent Video & music players.
-OS file system is easily handled & integrates & shares better with my Notebook files.
-Stability of my WM custom rom is faultless & backup/contact/file integration to Windows applications I use are not wanting replacing due to cost & time of setup.
bbobeckyj said:
...
A coreplayer link which also sets the sreen brightness to max.
....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you do that? I haven't checked, but does Coreplayer have command line options that will allow you to start with max screen brightness?
Tref said:
How do you do that? I haven't checked, but does Coreplayer have command line options that will allow you to start with max screen brightness?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mortscript.
I thought that might be it. I haven't messed with mortscript for a couple of phones now. I once wrote a long script I used to report on calls, minutes and data, but it's been awhile.
Thanks
u can always boot Android from SD card and be certain that it won't mess up your WM...i've successfully ported gingerbread, froyo, honeycomb and ics on my HD2 and i'm very satisfied...have fun!
though, NAND versions are faster, more stable and have better development
no , but we wish that we can boot wm6.5 from nand / dual boot winmo and android like wph7 and android in that way maybe we boot winmo because i miss some apps there
..
When I able to do this from my HD2 on android will switch on it until then wm 6.5 is my love hehe. Stupid microsoft and metro sh...t!!!!!!!!
Do not want to miss my tethered sync with Outlook
rabilancia said:
After being an exclusive Windows Mobile user from the Pocket PC days in 2001, I tried Android on my HTC HD2 with great fear and trepidation. After 2 months i am VERY satisfied with Android and can't imagine ever going back.
Good luck with your decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I keep with WinMo6.5 because I want to do everything locally. I just don't like the buzz about putting everything on third party servers and airtime communications.
My mails are on my own servers and those of my company. When I sync my mails& contacts I use only my own electrons flowing through my private USB cables.
Neither Apple, nor Google, nor Microsoft need to know what I am doing, who i have as contacts and where I curently am located.
Additionally I am traveling frequently abroad and don't want to pay horrid sums per MByte on roaming fees.
I don't like androids behavior to start applications without asking me and there is no way to stop that, so I will keep using WM. Suck it android!
Yes and No
I got my phone in July 2010 and loved it. Battery life was bad and a lot of tweaks had to be done (thanks XDA). I got the courage to flash a custom WinMo rom by November 2010. Heard so many things about Android and tried it in 2011 and hated it. It was still shabby with Gingerbread and I missed Microsoft Office on the phone and exchange services. I ran back to WinMo after some days and didn't look back.
The world seemed to pass by and with no interest in Winmo, app development ceased (except here). WP7/7.5/8 just looked like a giant leap backwards and never tickled my fancy. Blackberry was a no. Iphone seemed overpriced. Ubuntu not out yet. That left Android, the most like the WinMo we all love. I don't like being stuck in the past, and my phone will be changed as soon as I see a decent one. The great phones now are all android. Why not seize the opportunity the HD2 afforded us to try everything?
Feb 2013, I flashed Android on NAND with Jelly Bean 4.1.2. It really has matured as an OS and I found out the best things about my Winmo UI are almost all incorporated into the ROM without much modding/tweaking. Since then, I have been happy with the phone. It can once again do things 95% percent of phones can't do. Battery life is still bad, thanks to Google syncing the lives of millions needlessly.
I really prefer avoiding storing personal information on Google servers like someone noted. There should always be options for offline methods as a backup. Maybe I am getting old and should follow the trend?
This ended up quite long, but bottom line is Android on my HD2 is a necessary step in the evolution of technology for me. Thank you and God bless.
Other than a rooted Nook tablet I don't have much experience with Android. I'm coming from an iPhone4 and looking forward to something new.
What are the must have utilities and apps?
Any tips or must have, must do things?
I've seen doubletwist mentioned and Samsung uses Kies.
Looking forward to Note...
See the Guide for NOOBS sticky at the top of this forum ^^^^
thinguy said:
Other than a rooted Nook tablet I don't have much experience with Android. I'm coming from an iPhone4 and looking forward to something new.
What are the must have utilities and apps?
Any tips or must have, must do things?
I've seen doubletwist mentioned and Samsung uses Kies.
Looking forward to Note...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never used kies with either my captivate or infuse. Don't see the need with other apps, as well as the fact that you can just drag and drop files onto your phone's storage. Syncing reminds me of an iphone, and is stupid in my opinion. Drag and drop allows you to only add the files you need/want, and is much faster in the long run.
I suggest using Google Music for your music, it automatically uploads up to 20,000 songs automatically from your itunes or windows media player to the cloud so that you can access them wherever.
If you use grooveshark at all, check out Dood's music streamer. Allows you to use grooveshark on the go without paying for premium service. If you have not used grooveshark before, check it out on your computer.
Google voice provides a simple, visual voicemail system, though I think I have read somewhere that the note has visual voicemail built in? Could be wrong.
XDA app is a must, though I assume you use that on your Nook already.
Dropbox is useful for documents, as well as google docs.
The note comes with S Note and other various apps that make use of the S pen.
Dolphin Browser HD is a great replacement browser that I have used with all of my androids.
Evernote is useful for taking notes that can be accessed on your phone or any computer. I hope the S pen can have some functionality with this app.
Root explorer is definitely worth the few bucks it costs to have access to all of the files on your phone.
Titanium backup is a must if you are into ROMing your devices, as it will allow you to restore your apps after every flash with ease. The free version works, but you have to approve every app install. I suggest buying the full version, as the restore process is fully automated and can run in the background or with your screen off, making the process much less cumbersome.
Other than that, we will have to wait and see if apps such as rom manager and such will be of any use to the flashing process once the devs get their hands on the device and start pumping out custom roms.
OP, i'm also as green as you on the Android platform. I have an iphone 4s and got the Note just to explore Android.
jpeg42 said:
See the Guide for NOOBS sticky at the top of this forum ^^^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you read it? Its just Android definitions and reserved spots for future use. No specific info on tips, advice or apps.
welchertc said:
I have never used kies with either my captivate or infuse. Don't see the need with other apps, as well as the fact that you can just drag and drop files onto your phone's storage. Syncing reminds me of an iphone, and is stupid in my opinion. Drag and drop allows you to only add the files you need/want, and is much faster in the long run.
I suggest using Google Music for your music, it automatically uploads up to 20,000 songs automatically from your itunes or windows media player to the cloud so that you can access them wherever.
If you use grooveshark at all, check out Dood's music streamer. Allows you to use grooveshark on the go without paying for premium service. If you have not used grooveshark before, check it out on your computer.
Google voice provides a simple, visual voicemail system, though I think I have read somewhere that the note has visual voicemail built in? Could be wrong.
XDA app is a must, though I assume you use that on your Nook already.
Dropbox is useful for documents, as well as google docs.
The note comes with S Note and other various apps that make use of the S pen.
Dolphin Browser HD is a great replacement browser that I have used with all of my androids.
Evernote is useful for taking notes that can be accessed on your phone or any computer. I hope the S pen can have some functionality with this app.
Root explorer is definitely worth the few bucks it costs to have access to all of the files on your phone.
Titanium backup is a must if you are into ROMing your devices, as it will allow you to restore your apps after every flash with ease. The free version works, but you have to approve every app install. I suggest buying the full version, as the restore process is fully automated and can run in the background or with your screen off, making the process much less cumbersome.
Other than that, we will have to wait and see if apps such as rom manager and such will be of any use to the flashing process once the devs get their hands on the device and start pumping out custom roms.
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Thanks, I forget that it can be handled like a normal usb device/storage.
I need to try Dolphin, using Opera on Nook now and it's better than the default but still lacking. The firefox app seems terrible/incomplete.
thinguy said:
Other than a rooted Nook tablet I don't have much experience with Android. I'm coming from an iPhone4 and looking forward to something new.
What are the must have utilities and apps?
Any tips or must have, must do things?
I've seen doubletwist mentioned and Samsung uses Kies.
Looking forward to Note...
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I use a captivate and have used froyo and gingerbread. I suspect you will find the gingerbread used on the g-note okay but not as polished and as smooth as your iOS. That said, the new android ICS (using cm9 alpha, build 16) is is incredible. Smooth, clean, powerful and intuitive. A pleasure to use, I believe It offers the best of both worlds. The ease of apple and the configurable power of android.
Since you have a nook you can try it out, the nook ics rom is very usable and will give you a hint of the g-note goodness to come with the ics operating system the xda guys will cook up. I have a nook to, and if you have rooted it, the ics install will be relatively simple.
The following list are some Apps you might find worth looking at, and depending on your interest, might even be worth paying for.
Music; I use Power Amp, paid app. clean seductive interface, lots of audio magic for the music lover, and great developer support.
Files; Webdav; paid ver. Nice little app let's you wireless mount your android as a drive so you can cut/paste files and folders as you would to and from any other drive on your PC. Great for lots of audio book files, movies, or just cleaning up your phone. You can use 3g instead of wifi but I've never tried it.
Podcasts; Dogcatcher, paid app. simply the best. Its biggest competition is Mypod. I used it for over a year, but never was able to get comfortable with its interface. Dogcatcher....you can just start using it, and it has lots of options.
Sling player, TV goodness, paid app and home box. Watch anything straight from your home cable, sat., or ota tuner, perfect if your a sports nut.
Launcher; Nova , free app. I am still testing but it is just so sexy and free so I figured I give it a mention.
Radio; Tune in , free app. music sports news radio stations with easy search presets. It is to good to be true but I haven't found a downside yet.
Browser; Dolphin HD, free app. I can't get excited about this one. It works, the speed is good, and it is not going to choke on flash. I would like to recommend Opera but it has been very buggy lately, I don't think it is playing nice with ics.
Google chrome is getting great reviews but it doesn't support flash. Then there is Boat browser and Quick Ics browser both show great promise but not sure about them yet.
I've got a G-note on order, for the lte and its monster screen. The thing is, since I got ics, my captivate is such a pleasure to use and play with I don't know how I'll survive waiting for a ics port.
Oh, and samsungs kies program might have some use but I've never found it.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium
vizographic said:
Browser; Dolphin HD, free app. I can't get excited about this one. It works, the speed is good, and it is not going to choke on flash. I would like to recommend Opera but it has been very buggy lately, I don't think it is playing nice with ics.
Google chrome is getting great reviews but it doesn't support flash. Then there is Boat browser and Quick Ics browser both show great promise but not sure about them yet.
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I'm very disappointed to hear that Opera is buggy with ICS--it's my favorite browser by far. <sarcasm>Fortunately</sarcasm>, we probably won't have a working ICS ROM for I717 any time soon. For the OP, this is Opera Mobile, not Opera Mini--the latter handles all traffic through opera's servers and compresses images to speed up browsing for slow phones or phones with poor connections, but the result is that many webpages with active (javascript or flash) content just don't work right.
Also a word of warning for the OP: if you choose Dolphin, make sure you are rooted and block en.mywebzines.com (and maybe some other related URLs) through your hosts file. The spyware seems to be removed in the latest update, but I still won't trust a browser that, at any time in its history, forwarded essentially all of your web activity to a third party server. There's a long thread around here that discusses these issues in more depth.
Browsers are very much a matter of personal preference though; also, if you use a browser that matches your desktop browser, it makes syncing the two much easier--firefox, opera, and chrome all have great sync capabilities between their desktop and mobile counterparts.
Thanks for the link, a very disturbing read regarding the Dolphin Browser HD. I took aggressive data mining for granted, but damn the DB-hd boys are into strip mining personal data...... thanks again for taking the time to post...
OP, please forget i even mentioned Dolphin
(i going to.. ; ) and give Opera a shot. He is right were not gonna be on ics for good stretch, and by the time we are any quirks will be ironed out. It is a great overall program with lots of features. It has usually been my daily driver since the long gone days of windows mobile.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium
root question?
Since ICS is a ways off, If we root for TiBU, or Root explorer to remove certain system apps, will we get ICS FOTA, or will we not get it without unrooting and replacing all bloat we removed?
So my question is -any advice for those of us who root but want the OTA ICS when it comes out?
Should have put this out first- will the method for the international version for root work for the ATT one?