Related
Ok there are a lot of questions about Android in a lot of different threads scattered about the forum so I thought I would make this topic.
I've had my G1 for 14 months now, in that time I've seen the upgrade from 1.1 to 1.5 to 1.6. I've rooted my device, installed a whole load of Cyanogen Roms, Hero Roms and Super D Roms. I've even installed Debain on my system.
If anyone has any questions about Android please use this thread and I'll do my best to answer them.
How many applications do you usually find yourself running at once and how much effect does it have on battery life in the real world?
Many. Android doesn't close applications it keeps them in the memory until they need to be removed (ie when more memory is needed).
On the G1 I run anything up to about 20 applications at the same time. It's never effected performance and battery life is fine. You generally find you have to charge the phone at the end of the day after heavy usage but the G1 is known for having poor battery life.
Of course you can use Task Managers etc to increase your battery life but it's not really necessary like certain articles/websites like to make out. I get around 15 hours life on my G1 and that's with sending around on average 20 texts a day, a few phone calls, some game time, surfing the net about an hour a day and going on facebook/twitter regularly over about 4 hours a day (basically anytime I'm in a lecture). I also get 2 hours of music playback via AD2P bluetooth headphones.
I've read about people saying that there is a limit to the amount of apps you can install because everything has to be saved to the ROM. (Assuming you don't root it and install it to the SD card). Do you know if this is true?
what are the advantages n disadvantages of android over the winmo ??
luckypoop said:
I've read about people saying that there is a limit to the amount of apps you can install because everything has to be saved to the ROM. (Assuming you don't root it and install it to the SD card). Do you know if this is true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this is true however the Desire has 512mb of space for you to store apps. I've got a 800mb partition on my G1 for Apps2SD and I have around 200 apps installed lol with no problems so 512mb will probably hold quite a few apps.
They're working on getting apps installed to the SD card in the next android release.
cez10 said:
what are the advantages n disadvantages of android over the winmo ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a broad question, maybe you can be more specific?
Hey brummiesteven, thanks for creating this for Android noobs like me! I've been using WinMo for quite some time. Never played with Android until just a few weeks ago when I tried running Android on my Touch Pro2.
Enough history, on to my questions...
1. Is there a native file explorer? If not, I suppose there are 3rd-party ones. Any one in particular that is considered the file explorer? (The equivalent of Resco Explorer or Total Commander in WinMo?)
2. I read in that there's no native Office doc (ie, Word, Excel, etc) editor. There's only a viewer. Again, I suppose there are 3rd-party ones. Recommendations? Does it work as well as the native one in WinMo?
I guess that's it. These are my only concerns about jumping ship to Android. Everything else, I'm going to have a blast figuring out on my own...
ohyeahar said:
Hey brummiesteven, thanks for creating this for Android noobs like me! I've been using WinMo for quite some time. Never played with Android until just a few weeks ago when I tried running Android on my Touch Pro2.
Enough history, on to my questions...
1. Is there a native file explorer? If not, I suppose there are 3rd-party ones. Any one in particular that is considered the file explorer? (The equivalent of Resco Explorer or Total Commander in WinMo?)
2. I read in that there's no native Office doc (ie, Word, Excel, etc) editor. There's only a viewer. Again, I suppose there are 3rd-party ones. Recommendations? Does it work as well as the native one in WinMo?
I guess that's it. These are my only concerns about jumping ship to Android. Everything else, I'm going to have a blast figuring out on my own...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No native file explorer, I think Astro is generally seen as the best file exporer:
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.metago.astro/
2. Again no native Office. There are quite a few office suites, I don't know which is the best as I have no use for one. Here's one of them though:
http://www.androffice.com/
It will be worth noting that there probably will be a google docs app soon. And you can edit google docs already on android via docs.google.com. There's also a program called GDocs that syncs all your google documents to your handset.
I think the reason why there's no "Native" options for these is because Initially "Stock Android" is aimed at the average customer, they wanted to get the balance right for non tech savy people who just want a phone with apps but also allow the possibility and expansion of turning it into something extremely powerful for someone of the more tech savvy type.
brummiesteven said:
That's a broad question, maybe you can be more specific?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
umm thought you might say that right let me think
- i've been mainly using symbian and winmo devices for the past years and there was some issues with stability and lag etc. on my old n95 8gb i used to get slow downs when ie had lots of apps installed does that happen on android? lags etc?
- are there any custom roms tweaks or in general droid doesnt really require much work to make it better?
- what about security of droids? as its an open source software it might be easily hacked, accessed by 3rd party users?
thats it so far i probably forgot about other more important things
well thanks anyway
cez10 said:
umm thought you might say that right let me think
- i've been mainly using symbian and winmo devices for the past years and there was some issues with stability and lag etc. on my old n95 8gb i used to get slow downs when ie had lots of apps installed does that happen on android? lags etc?
- are there any custom roms tweaks or in general droid doesnt really require much work to make it better?
- what about security of droids? as its an open source software it might be easily hacked, accessed by 3rd party users?
thats it so far i probably forgot about other more important things
well thanks anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Put it this way, I've never experienced any slowdown on my G1 and it has like maybe a 3rd of the spec of the Desire? It is a fast operating system, wont be slowed down by installing a lot of apps but might by by having a lot of apps open but I highly doubt this would ever be a problem on the Desire (as it isn't on my G1).
2. Yes there are custom roms, mostly of different builds. For example the HTC Hero doesn't officialy have 2.1 released but there are already a few 2.1 roms for it on XDA. There will always be a way for devs to increase speed on here... even if it isn't needed speed can always be increased .
3. The only security flaw you would have is if you rooted it, this enables the root account and on a linux system the root account can do things like access system files. Having said this, if you do root the phone, the phone will ask you before it permits anything (program etc) root access. I've never heard of anyone having their phone hacked or anything like that.
I have had my G1 since it came out. Also, I rooted it as soon as that was possible. I have tried/installed over 500 apps and normally have over 100 installed at any given time. I have never had any issue with hacking or security.
That having been said! Recently, I read on an Android site where a group of individuals made an app as an experiment to see if they could access a users data. I believe it was a weather app. A majority of the users (if I remember correctly) didn't read the access rights of the weather app - as it said in the access rights it would have access to the users contacts/data. The app was able to upload user's data/contacts from those who installed the app.
So, MAKE sure you always read any applications access rights prior to installing an application. If the app is requesting access to information within your device that are NOT related to the apps functions - don't install it!
If you do that one thing - you should have nothing to worry about!
@brummiesteven - Didn't mean to highjack your thread. This is a great service you are providing for the new Androidians! Just wanted to remind them (all users) to read those app access rights before installing an application.
Hijacking? Lol don't be silly the more the better
Thanks for answering these questions. This next one is a bit more speculative....
given that winmo 6.5.x is probably going to be the last iteration before WP7S, what are the chances that some kind of emulator will be built to run legacy winmo apps on Android?
would this even be possible?
Hi Steven,
great service
One thing I really liked about my Blackberry, was the ability of customization regarding profiles and the notifications connected to it.
Is it possible to create profiles in Android, like 'Silent', 'Vibrate Only' and maybe one for the office where ringtones and notifications are very silent to avoid waking everyone up at the office
By the way, I recently stumbled over an application called cVolume that seems to enable some customization in that regard.
Is it possible to assign different ringtones for messages, mails, event notifications etc.?
(An example of what I dislike: I actually use a Palm Pre and the launch firmware didn't allow much customization. All notifications (except event reminders), no matter whether new mail, new textmessage used the same ringtone, which also couldn't be changed. That changed thankfully with a later firmware. Profiles are still not supported, you can just switch between 'ringtones on' or 'shut up/vibrate only'. --> Having used a Blackberry before, I felt kinda castrated with that few options of notification-settings )
Thx & Greetz,
69Mws
Sorry, no time to read which questions you have answered! I just copy/past my questions from another thread:
I can not call myself a WinMo veteran, since I have been using the HD2 for only 2,5 months. But the fact that it is already a dead device because of the Developers leaving to 7 Series(Adobe just stopped making flash for it, while they were very close to finishing it) makes me sad. If on 1 April there is still no word on the future of the HD2, I am selling it and getting a Desire.
A few questions to Android users!
How is the Android Market? How many apps? All useable by Desire, or is the divercity of the Android devices making the quality suffer? And only instal to internal memory right?
General Android OS: easy to use? Eye candy? Touch optimized?
Android browser: good or not? Is there Opera browser for Android?
Does HTC Sense work well with Android? Does it become 'one', or stay 2 different things like Sense and WinMo?
What should I know more about Android? What do you Android users think are the bad things about the OS and hope to see changed in the future updates?
I know it is a lot I am asking, but I am making a right decision this time so I need to be informed.
Kind regards
XDA mark said:
...How is the Android Market? How many apps? All useable by Desire, or is the divercity of the Android devices making the quality suffer? And only instal to internal memory right?
General Android OS: easy to use? Eye candy? Touch optimized?
Android browser: good or not? Is there Opera browser for Android?
Does HTC Sense work well with Android? Does it become 'one', or stay 2 different things like Sense and WinMo?
What should I know more about Android? What do you Android users think are the bad things about the OS and hope to see changed in the future updates?
I know it is a lot I am asking, but I am making a right decision this time so I need to be informed.
Kind regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm no Android user yet. But I have played with the emulator running on my Touch Pro2. So I can help answer a couple of your questions.
1. Android Market is much more extensive than Windows Marketplace. Remember, it's not the quantity but quality of apps that matters. And quality there appears to be much more quality apps than WinMo. Perhaps veteran Android users can chime in regarding usability by the Desire and installation location.
2. The Android OS is so much more pretty than WinMo. There are fade in/out animations when opening/closing windows. Everything is finger-friendly. The slide-down notifications bar is extremely handy. The ability to fully customize your home screens with shortcuts and widgets is just great.
3. The Android browser is much better than Opera Mobile on WinMo. I think there's Opera Mini in the Android Marketplace. But really, I don't think there's any reason to not use the default browser. It's renders fast and accurately. I can even access my internet banking site which doesn't work on WinMo or iPhone OS.
4. There's plenty of videos of Sense on Android. Check those out and see for yourself. Personally, I think it's great. Completely different than Sense on WinMo. Sense on WinMo is just a Today-screen plugin and enlarged menus. Sense on Android includes the HTC widgets and Leap among other goodies.
5. This is something I want to know too. Most of us know about what's bad about the iPhone OS and WinMo. But what's bad about Android that you'd want changed?
does Android require soft/hard reset every now and then like those damn M$ Windows Phones ?
I asked these in a different section, but thought I would see what Answers I get here, I know some have been answered before.
1. If / when the Desire gets rooted, will the device be permanently rooted or will official updates from HTC "un-root" it?
So hypothetically, I get a Desire and it is rooted, and HTC releases Android 3.0 (for example), would I be able to upgrade to the newer software or would I have to use a "dev" update?
2. Since the hardware between the 2 phones is very similar, what is the chances of current Nexus One modded ROMs (cyanogen, enmother etc) working on a rooted Desire?
3. I imagine the community will be working on rooting the Desire so it can port the shipping version of Sense UI to the Nexus One?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Stu
69mws said:
Hi Steven,
great service
One thing I really liked about my Blackberry, was the ability of customization regarding profiles and the notifications connected to it.
Is it possible to create profiles in Android, like 'Silent', 'Vibrate Only' and maybe one for the office where ringtones and notifications are very silent to avoid waking everyone up at the office
By the way, I recently stumbled over an application called cVolume that seems to enable some customization in that regard.
Is it possible to assign different ringtones for messages, mails, event notifications etc.?
(An example of what I dislike: I actually use a Palm Pre and the launch firmware didn't allow much customization. All notifications (except event reminders), no matter whether new mail, new textmessage used the same ringtone, which also couldn't be changed. That changed thankfully with a later firmware. Profiles are still not supported, you can just switch between 'ringtones on' or 'shut up/vibrate only'. --> Having used a Blackberry before, I felt kinda castrated with that few options of notification-settings )
Thx & Greetz,
69Mws
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no option for this initially but the system does allow you to assign different notification tones to different events, eg Email and SMS.
There will be apps that allow you to have "profiles". There's even an app called Locale which is pretty much an automatic profiler, will switch your settings dependant on the time, your location etc. For example, if I'm at Uni it automatically switches my phone to silent for all notifications and vibration only.
Hi Everyone,
I am seriously thinking about switching over to the Desire and Android but I have absolutely no clue about Android and my experience is only with Palm OS and WinMo.
Can anyone out there give me their experiences and advice about switching over to Android. How is it different from WinMo. How difficult is it to get apps (this is one reason I am hesitating, I have so many WinMo apps).
Is it an easy system to use, etc. I would welcome any feedback you have. Thanks!!!
Before the Desire, my last 3 devices were Windows Mobile (ie, Touch Dual, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro2).
The jump to Android has been a godsend for me. I no longer have to worry about RAM usage. Everything is finger optimized and there's plenty of eye-candy. Performance has been top notched. This last statement may vary from user to user but my Desire has been able to do everything my Touch Pro2 can do; it just does everything faster and prettier.
There are several things that Windows Mobile has over Android at this moment though. So you should put these into consideration.
-Exchange support. You can sync email, contacts, and calendar in Android. But not notes and tasks. (There's no native notes and tasks applications)
-Microsoft Office. You can view Office files but you'll need to spend some money if you want the ability to edit. (Docs-to-go cost me USD10 and it's quite worth it.)
Thanks for the initial thoughts. It helps.
How are the apps out there for Android? Are they limited because it is a new OS or is there a wide range?
Do you happen to know what Navi programs are compatible?
I have recently switched over from a touch hd and i have to say i am loving the desire and android. It's very obviously better adapted to finger use and a smartphone, it's faster (much faster) and doesn't have the erratic behaviour, winmo sometimes can offer.
The apps market makes it really easy to find apps (i believe there are 30.000apps on the official market plus some others out there on the web) and they are easy to install, keep updated on thier own and always offer high quality intergation with the os (say goodbye to low res icons for your apps).
Just as an example, i can tell you (and i'm sure it's the same for you) that with winmo, with every rom i included fixes, tweaks and programs that did the things my phone wouldn't allow (automatic locking, screen off in calls, perfomance boost, etc etc) and sice android, i have installed no fixes at all (and havn't needed any!!!)
As far as navigation goes there are many competent navigation programs; i'm using copilot wich has radars and works very well, sygic is also quite satisfying, i believe igo amigo is also ready for the desire's resolution now and unless i'm mistaken, i think tom tom might be floating around (and thet's only to state some, n-drive and others are also available).
On the whole, i'm very pleased with the change, apart from a better os, better screen (beautiful colours) and very senistive with good multitouch, in my case i'm glad to have the harware buttons back (touch hd is resistive buttons), very nice form factor and overall good use.
Well, before you do here are some voices of unhappiness from WinMo users.
Some of their complaints are not valid but one of them may be a deal breaker for you.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=667055
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=667265
Read my Sig
Best choice I've ever made, infinitely better than the hd2
Would recommend the desire to anyone
First Android phone and I'm loving it so much
Android is my favorite, after symbian
But im using my android phone only 1 week so my thaughts can change !
Read my Sig
Best choice I've ever made, infinitely better than the hd2
Would recommend the desire to anyone
First Android phone and I'm loving it so much
Thanks everyone, for your continued help and experiences. It makes my decision easier.
For you WinMo users out there, how expensive was replacing your apps on Android. For me this is one thing that I am finding difficult to let go of, even though it doesnt seem like a lasting excuse. I guess at some point you have to do it.
Can someone give me the address of the apps store. Does anyone know what the payment methods are? I am not a big fan of credit cards. Are there alternatives?
Thanks. my decision is coming a lot closer.
Hi ohyeahar,
I had a quick question about Syncing. You said that Outlook Calendar syncs. Do you know if all of the tweaks that you can make in Outlook such as categories and the notes field, does that also sync?
For me that is an important factor because of work. I think I can live without the tasks and notes (plus, who knows, maybe some future app will take care of that).
I think my questions are almost over and after watching a few review videos, I am also thinking that I am going to abandon WinMo forever, and take the Droid HTC Desire plunge.
Thanks for all of your comments and support.
I destroyed my HTC HD2 by shutting the back door of my estate on it. It craked the screen and smashed the camera, and it was the best thing that could have happened. I went for the Desire, and it makes the HD2 on winmo look like a calculator. Android is excellent, and will NEVER go back to Winmo. Put android on an HD2 and that might be nice.
I switched 2 weeks ago (from an oldish WinMo phone) and it was dead easy. Android with htc sense on top has some real parallels to WinMo with add-ons like SPB shell etc - except it's blindingly faster. Barely opened the user manual.
A few confusions over how the phone handles different contacts and phone lists but worked those out. Really great keyboard that does a fine job of correcting for 'big thumb syndrome'. Fabulous screen and so easy to add and remove apps directly onto the phone. Intelligent handling of WiFi when it's in range and 3G when it's not. Web browser is a dream - have had to train myself to use it rather than automatically going to a laptop given past experience with WinMo.
Seven home screens and I only use 5 'cos everything is so easily accesible from the built-in functions. One of those five only has family photos on it and one has the pretty but rather silly weather application (one area where I still use Windows - I look out of them).
Don't really feel like adding a lot of apps 'cos it does most things. Have added and paid for Nitrodesk Touchdown to get reliable sync with Exchange Server at work (email, contacts, calendar, tasks but no notes). Also added a note taker app for free (Note Everything) and Bubble (because my childish sense of humour enjoys seeing a £400 spirit level in action). Some concern that the memory may get filled up because you can't (yet) install apps to the SD card.
A few niggles but none major
- Exchange Active Sync (the native one) doesn't work with my office server, hence the Touchdown app
- Could do with an improved ability to put shortcuts to groups of contacts on the home screen
- HTC Sync (equivalent to Activesync) seems problematic. However, I suspect I won't be connecting by cable much anymore
- It's all a teensy bit too tied to Google (inevitably!). I am not a gmail fan and don't really want to sync outlook to gmail then down to the phone but am still having to do that for contacts since Touchdown contacts are not properly recognised
To date I would say 9.9/10 and when a few wrinkles get ironed out 9.95!
Hi Alex Bush,
thanks a million for the feedback. it makes my decision much easier.
Just how does the sync work with Outlook? Does it work, or is it difficult? I rely on Outlook for work so it is a must. I have all of my contacts, calendar dates in there,plus I use it both for my work & private accounts.
I hope it isn't a problem because that would be the killer for switching over.
I did it! after 8 years of windows mobile and pocket pc. Windows phone 7 series presentations made me betray the abandoned win mo and switch to Android.
support for Exchange and office viewers are better than in win mo.
performance and quality of applications are excellent.
one warning:
Be careful to choose the right device. Exchange calendar sync is not there by default!
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
Thx Rdy2go
What can you tell me about syncing the HTC Desire with Outlook (most importantly calendar,, contacts). I dont use Exchange because I work for a small company and I retrieve my email through Outlook via Pop3. However, I rely heavily on Outlook and Office for my work.
Cpt_Chaos said:
Hi Everyone,
I am seriously thinking about switching over to the Desire and Android but I have absolutely no clue about Android and my experience is only with Palm OS and WinMo.
Can anyone out there give me their experiences and advice about switching over to Android. How is it different from WinMo. How difficult is it to get apps (this is one reason I am hesitating, I have so many WinMo apps).
Is it an easy system to use, etc. I would welcome any feedback you have. Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from a Touch Diamond to the Desire. I was actually laughing while I was using it. Some people say that the advantage of WinMo is that it's like having Windows with you all the time. It's the exact opposite. It's bad, because it's like having Windows with you all the time. I would randomly freeze for no reason; you needed a stylus to click on crappy little boxes/menus ported from 1024x768 dev environment; the alarm clock was a joke (you needed to hunt around to turn it off - very annoying when it's 6am and you're trying to avoid waking the family; clearly it never occured to anyone at Microsoft that you might want a `Cancel`,`Snooze` choice in big buttons.
The main difference is that WinMo looks like it was designed by people who don't have to use it unless they're paid to (like my experience of Windows generally), whereas Android looks like it's designed by people who want to use it, and who make it as easy and intuitive as possible. The Desire is the best phone I've ever had, and every iPhone user I've shown it to has said that the new iPhone had better be good or they're going to consider getting an Android phone too.
Disadvantages: sometimes apps use images rather than text, and I have no idea what the image is supposed to mean. An example is Google Maps. When you are looking for directions you see an icon of a car, a bigger car and a person walking. I'm pretty sure the middle one isn't alternative directions for people who are driving a bigger car. If only text was used instead, perhaps I'd know what it meant; as it is I'm going to have to google for it. There have been a few other examples (the 'Power' widget, for instance).
Another negative point is when you install apps from the market, you agree that they can access this or that feature (phone number, gps, contact list etc). You accept everything or don't install it. I don't see why a game needs my phone number; I should be able to choose to install it but to block access to some features.
The battery lasts 12 hours if you actually use the phone (maps, email, surfing, reading PDFs etc). The standby time is amusingly quoted at 300+ hours. This is meaningless. That's not to say that it's inaccurate; it's just a little like saying that your car can last 20 years on one tank of petrol if you don't actually drive it anywhere. I'm sure manufacturers crank their devices to be on some insanely low power standby when they are literally just listening for phone calls and texts, which I guess is great if you `just want a phone` but if you're considering getting a Desire then that's not you!
The market doesn't make it very easy to explore new apps. You can choose categories, and click Free or Paid, but if you search you'll get a mixture from both. Also, however you look you'll end up scrolling down some massive list of hundreds of apps. It's annoying to find 40 crap apps by the same person; each one a book of quotes by some non-entity, or yet another set of cartoon characters turned into a "jigsaw puzzle" - there's no proper google search where you can add/remove terms with +,- etc. You'll end up searching for apps on a real computer, and just using the market to actually download it after searching for the app name (or using a QR code if one is available)
But ignore my criticisms and get the Desire. You won't regret it.
I sync using Outlook Anywhere service from Exchange servers not the desktop.
so I don't really know the answer...
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
After all I read in forums, reviews, saw on youtube and added actually newspages to my information range.
I am sadly have to say, that I will use my HD some month longer. It was a hard decission, but consider the following:
the desire is one of the first "real" android designs... together with the "test flagship" N1.
Samsung anounced super-amoled displays in upcomming smartphone, which compensating the "sun light vulnability" of amoled. snapdragon dual-core was anounced in januar and will be produced maybe in late summer. but still without considering snapdragon development: apple brings the 4g out ...round about july... I hate apple.. but what makes it so delicious is, that other manufacturers will try "to beat it down". this summer will be a king of the hill in the smartphonesector...everyone wants to be there... and everyone has the technology to do so.
android is rising to consumer market... 2.2 rumored.
the waiting will be pretty hard... but hell... I am curious what will be out in late summer.
a "desire" with super amoled is what I am waiting for... and maybe bigger ROM.
till then, I'll stay with my few, but quality build appz for winmo. the ones I will miss on android as long as everyone thinks, the reason for android ist because of the free appz.
as long as this doesn't change... there won't be many highquality appz for android.
oh and btw: I hate HTC sense too.. nearly the same amount as apple. wheres the point if I have on android the same "mobileshell" as on winmo?
sad thing these uniformations. (yeayeah, I know, I can change it)
Thanks everyone,
I guess I will be ordering my new Desire in 2 weeks. I guess it will be time to take the plunge and jump the WinMo ship.
Cpt_Chaos said:
Thanks everyone,
I guess I will be ordering my new Desire in 2 weeks. I guess it will be time to take the plunge and jump the WinMo ship.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ordering mine soon.....just searching for the best deals at min
hi there,
the defy is my very first android-mobile device. I had windows mobile 4,5,6 in the past and i'm using palm pre (webos) since over a year now. I am dissapointed about the apps for webos, because they dont exist every app appears first on iphone.. somethimes for android... and never for webos. So, on amazon-cybermonday, i bought a cheap motorola defy.
But i am dissapointed.. not in the device but in the OS. This is Version 2.1 and feels like a buggy windows mobile 5 Nothing works really intuitively (?).
i installed all the cool apps in from the app-catalog, which first doesn't worked with my gmail-adress. i had to use googlemail.com adress (?). that took me about 2 hours then i installed the facebook app, which didn't told me that i have unred messages. I dont Like this app because i know the webos one.
so i tried google goggels.. cool app, indeed. But after 2 fotos, the device hangs and had to be restarted. there is no button to restart -.- ^^
ok, after the restarts, i tested other apps.. i downloaded very much apps.. there are very trashy apps in the store. Some japanese, chinese and other unreadble apps with no description.. hmm... until a message appears, that i dont have enogh memory and should close some apps. ...
and .. really.. how do you life with a OS without an ability to exit apps?? i had to download a taskmanager to kill open programs (to get 90% of the used memory back.. not 100%).. so after some opening and closing, i had no more memory and had to restart (pardon: shutdown and start) again.
my sum up: i have a mobile phone with has potential. it has a great camera (which an app had destroyed so i cannot use it anymore because blue color switched to red color, it was a filter in an crashed (or killed) app) and a good display, waterproof and long durability.. but the OS is not usable in my option. the apps are not designed well, they are mostly "ugly". i dont know what app is running without looking into another app, which is ugly too
so my question about one week of testing and finally returning to Webos. Why is android so.. unusable? i would call myself as a geek, but hey... that is too much Or.. maybe.. i am doing it wrong! what is possible with an android-phone? how many hours of customizing do you have to spend to have an android which is exactly like you want it? and where can i copy that
I think the problem with the Defy is that it's shipped with Motoblur which is by and large the cause of the "ugliness" and sluggishness of the phone.
Get Launcher Pro, I've only heard good things about it
Sounds like you have been installing a few too many apps my friend!
One of Android's stong points is it's ability for apps to customise the interface and modify the functions of the device. However, this can also be a weakness with poorly written applications bogging things down, or as you experienced with the camera app, stopping some features from working.
I would reset your device back to it's default state, and start again, choosing carefully what you install (tip: Check the reviews and comments in the market before you hit install).
LetoKynes said:
I think the problem with the Defy is that it's shipped with Motoblur which is by and large the cause of the "ugliness" and sluggishness of the phone.
Get Launcher Pro, I've only heard good things about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think i like the motorola blur although i dont really know where this starts and ends The widgets are ok and the ability to have a connection from my pc zu the android-blur from the internet is good to know if i cannot find my device or want to upload something without moving..
But, like milesg suggested, i will reset the phone.. i have to anyway because of the camera-bug. maybe i can install this launcher.. i dont want to break the phone because it is proberbly a gift for christmas.
@milesg.. i have written the reviews on androit-pitt and have installed only the very good apps.. thats what dissapointed, too. ^^
I wouldn't worry about "breaking" the phone, as far as I know (at least from what I've read), LauncherPro is just a simple download and install app (doesn't involve any unrooting/unlocking/etc.) so I'd definitely give it a shot.
I'm surprised by the undertones of this thread. It's a phone! It's not a general computer, it's not a GameBoy, it's a portable communication device. I have not owned a smartphone before. Well, at least not for long. I tried the HD2 Pro and thought it was a device with the clunkiest interface I ever used. I tried a Blackberry (Bold 9700) and hated the walled-off ecosystem (a reason I will never use Apple devices), and now I got the Defy and after a week of playing and tinkering with the setup I'm happy as a clam. I installed LaucherPro (and paid for the plus version although the only widget I ended up using is the calendar) and PowerBar. Then I added Pure Messanger for my unified Gmail inbox. I have no Motoblur accounts, no Social services of any kind, only two home screens (one for e-mail, and one for weather/calendar/Reuters news, and a few shortcuts), and that's it! I've got a phone with good quality calls, great speakerphone, maps, navigation, e-mail, and IM on the go. I'm happy. Less (of good quality) is more.
prophil said:
Or.. maybe.. i am doing it wrong! what is possible with an android-phone? how many hours of customizing do you have to spend to have an android which is exactly like you want it? and where can i copy that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you to some extent. I just finished 2 days of getting my new phone to run, and I only persisted because I am a software developer and never give up on a computer, as small as it may be. In terms of immediate usability, my previous SonyEricsson P1 is still ahead.
just some examples: after importing my contacts through motoblur, I realized that birthdates were not mirrored in the calendar. I created a few test contacts, whose birthdates DID appear. I now decided to delete all contacts from MB and re-import through my google account. After that, the birthday events of the newly created entries were still in the calendar, even though the contacts proper were deleted. I had to root my device, install a database client app, and go directly to the Contacts/Events database to delete the entries.
This morning, the calendar widget insisted on showing yesterdays date. No way of convincing it that this was the 8th of December. Meanwhile (12:00 am) it has caught up, however.
Bottomline: if you feel this platform is still in its infancy, and it is questionable how it will ever become the platform of choice for your wife or for efficiency-oriented business purposes (in other words: non-geek usage), you have my sympathy.
chris
I installed LaucherPro (and paid for the plus version although the only widget I ended up using is the calendar) and PowerBar. Then I added Pure Messanger for my unified Gmail inbox. I have no Motoblur accounts, no Social services of any kind
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds like you did the right things - i will investigate this for myself. But you really just confirm what has already been said. Unless one has a clear understanding of what does not work, and what alternatives are available, the DEFY (and probably any other Motorola phone, and most other brands as well) will cause a lot of frustration.
I say exchange/return it asap and get a diff andriod device before getting stuck in a 2 yr contract....but don't let that one phone give a bad rep to all android phones...get an android that doesn't come w motoblur
*Sent from my Tmobile MT4G*
I installed launcher pro as well. Phone runs supper smooth now. Also, this thing is way better than gameboy. I play nes and snes games all day
@prophil
Windows mobile (note not WP7) is the best OS ever, so i can understand you're disappointed.
But, be realistic, development is getting poor and WM will die soon.
All the OS available today are worst than WM but you have to chose one of them if you want to do more than calls with your phone. In my opinion Android is the best choice among those OS, that's the reason it is so popular.
MarSOnEarth said:
I installed LaucherPro (and paid for the plus version although the only widget I ended up using is the calendar) and PowerBar. Then I added Pure Messanger for my unified Gmail inbox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you please tell me where to find PowerBar? Cant find it in the AppStore
I felt the same way about my hero until i found xda!!
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Lol you're coming from a winmo and saying that android isn't intuitive and that its ugly? Lmao ok. I've never used a winmo that i didn't wanna throw off the bridge.
Sent from my DEFY using XDA app
I love Android noobs
Sent from my defy using XDA App
disturkis4u said:
Lol you're coming from a winmo and saying that android isn't intuitive and that its ugly? Lmao ok. I've never used a winmo that i didn't wanna throw off the bridge.
Sent from my DEFY using XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. BB is too limited and win mo was probably the worst
System ever
disturkis4u said:
Lol you're coming from a winmo and saying that android isn't intuitive and that its ugly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, i see that my poor englisch leads to a miss understanding. I'm not coming from Windows Mobile. I had owned a xda and and xda2i .. thats about 8 years ago i think?.. and i could get used to it. it was cool.. you could do a lot of things.. (while other phones still had monochrome displays).. but the feeling, that the OS and the Device were married like El and his wife in "married with children" is : that just doesn't work.. so i had putted it in my desk and forgot about it. for about 7 years or so. I thought things have changed.. but they haven't really.
I come from WebOS.. that was.. is.. my actual smartphone-OS. That is exactly like a OS should look und feel in my opinion.. <- that was my mind before i every tried iOS or Symbian or Android... i never will go to Apple, so my curiosity leads me to android. That should be the best, they all told me. (ok, like iOS is the best is what all the apple-people tells me). And.. its not
Have to ever had the chance to test webOS?
anyway, my work is done, im at home now and im just going to reset the device and try my luck again
Fact is Android might not be for you. But that doesn't mean it's a bad OS, just means it's not what you want in an OS.
Definitely need to take your time with downloading apps your first try out with the phone. Don't go app crazy. Download a few of them, test them out, uninstall those you don't like and go on, but don't do this with twenty apps at a time.
My first Android phone was a Cliq...believe me you are much better off with the Defy.
Its me again
I've been installing and testing.. configuring and uninstalling.. i think.. i made one mistake on my first run. i didn't installed the launcher Pro!
after i installed the launcher pro, the OS is becoming usable.. i can make folders instead of scrolling through a buggy endless list of apps. and if i want to scroll, it is smoothy
then, i have found very attraktiv apps, like a file-manager with bluetooth and smb support. and i can send everything from and to my dlna-devices. .. ok.. thats just funktionality, not more.. but.. i think, i just have to play some more days with the OS to get used to it..
or.. shouldn't I because i will give it away (gift^^)
I used my Samsung Soul for more than two years before I moved to Motorola Defy to increase my productivity. In 2000 I bought the HP Jornada 720 (WinCE) that I really liked but stop using it as it wasn't truly a portable device and I couldn't possibly have it with me everywhere. I kept it until 2008 as a secondary backup solution for important information such as contacts before threw it away.
Now that I own an Android OS based mobile phone for more than a week I can say that I'm kind of disappointed with the OS. Maybe I had too much expectations but I'm not disappointed enough to give up the OS just yet.
Android 2.1 out of box is hardly worth investing in my opinion when you have no use for social networking i.e. Facebook and twitter features. However, the prospect of checking emails on the road with availability of a wireless connection is very appealing to me but Android 2.1 is very poor in supporting multiple email accounts. I understand that Android 2.2 has a better email support but I have to wait up to six months for better support. It is beyond me how Google didn't see the demand of such feature in the first place. I think the lack of proper email support in Android 2.1 demonstrates that Google didn't target users like me originally.
The lack of Office Suite is another disappointing thing for me. Out-of-box I cannot even write/read a simple note in a text file. The sticky notes widget shipped with Motorola Defy does not serve my needs at all. I would have loved to be able to trasnfer a word document to my phone for later reading.
I'm sure there is an app on the market for whatever I want my smartphone to do but the cost and time I have to invest deters me even from trying.
I haven't found browsing internet on a 3.7" device a pleasant experience but having that feature in Android by default is assuring for urgent matters when a laptop or desktop PC is not available.
I'm also pleased that I can watch videos and listen to music when I left my Sony Walkman S series at home. Watching video on 3.7" device is certainly an advantage but the battery usage is always a concern on phone devices but not with PMP devices.
I was also surprised to find the lack of customisation compared to my Samsung Soul. Everything about Samsung Soul can be customised and one can build his own theme without any technical knowledge. In Android 2.1 only ring tones and wallpapers are customisable. I can't even change the background colour of system menus for instance. I'm sure there is an app for that.
Google's own services/apps are great if you have a use for them. For instance google's map comes handy for me very occasionally. I have lived without it so far while I was on the road. On the other hand, I will have a use for a proper GPS software such as CoPilot that I intend to purchase soon and I'm pleased it is available for Android platform.
Conclusion
I doubt it Motorola will upgrade Defy beyond Android 2.2 and I'm willing for the time being stick with Motorola Defy until end of 2012.
By no means I dislike Android but in terms of productivity I expected much more. All the features I use on my Motorola Defy can also be found on other mobile platforms so nothing to praise about when it come to Android. The initial ownership cost of my Motorola Defy which I like the hardware very much is much lower than equivalent/similar handsets on other mobile platforms.
In my opinion Android platform is not suited for very active business users nor power users like me out-of-box. Once out-of-box features are improved for business oriented users or power users then I do not see why I should consider what other mobile platforms are offering.
All of my past devices (Siemens SX56 & SX66; HTC Kaiser; and presently HTC Rhodium - see ROM below) have been Windows Mobile, so I'm hoping to appeal to those of you who made the leap to Android from WM to answer several newbie questions...
A Little Background History About Me & My Mobile World
As device technologies are steadily and rapidly advancing faster than they ever have before, I am finding myself wishing that my current device was capable of many of the tasks/speed that the newer devices are. Unfortunately, my lack of knowledge of other OSes are keeping me from making an informed decision that I will be able to confidently live with.
Coming from Windows Mobile, I bought a used LG Quantum (Windows 7 Phone) cheap from Ebay hoping to play with it for a bit to help me understand the new Windows OS and enable me to transition more easily to it's newer technology and features. Unfortunately, the most critical aspect of transitioning to Windows Phone is the ability to seamlessly and accurately transfer my data (calendar, contacts, tasks, etc.) from Microsoft Outlook to the new device. I was appalled to learn that Microsoft has completely removed the ability to sync via USB as I have always done with ActiveSync all these years!
Sure for many, this isn't a major problem, but for me it is an absolute deal breaker! My data is tied to my work PC and my company (being a very large global company) is very serious about it's data security, so they have blocked access to all third-party email and file storage options, therefore syncing my data to the Quantum in the conventional manner is impossible. I've tried extracting/importing the various Outlook data files with Google, Hotmail, etc., but the data's integrity proved to be worthless, as many contacts were missing their contact names and all of my recurring appointments were broken out into separate events making future rescheduling a complete and utter nightmare. So, needless to say, I ran screaming back to my Rhodium in less than 2 days!
I am an AT&T customer and an avid fan of a 'real' hard keyboard (an absolute MUST for my next device!), so I am considering the Samsung Captivate Glide as an upgrade option, hence why I am posing my questions in this subforum.
My Questions/Concerns to Users Who Made the Transition from Windows Mobile to Android:
I've been searching the web looking for newbie guides to Android and am finding that many of them are tailored to those users who have no prior experience with smart phones at all, as it basically describes what a smart phone can do and what 'apps' can be found for various simple tasks. What I need to know from you all is:
What obstacles have you encountered switching from WM to Android and how did you overcome them?
What are the biggest pro/cons that you have come across and how have you managed them?
How are you managing your data? It appears to me that Android also utilizes OTA syncing, however, I have read that there are programs out there that will allow you to work around this and sync via USB. Is this correct and which applications do you find work the best?
My Device Needs:
I am not a 'gamer' by any sense of the word, so I have no use or interest of what Android is capable of in that aspect. My interests clearly lie in contact, calendar, notes, & task data management; email (multiple AOL accounts); GPS-guided navigation; Internet access; photo/video capturing capabilities; and, of course, as a reliable phone.
I do not typically listen to music on my Rhodium, as I have a 60GB Zen which can store far more music than my phone can, but I do enjoy the ability to listen to FM radio or whatever MP3s that I do choose to store on my Rhodium. I don't usually watch videos/movies on my current device, but may choose to more often, as I expect the experience to be much more pleasant on the newer technology anyway.
In Conclusion
First and foremost, I appreciate you reading my post, as I am sorry it has gotten so long, but I wanted those responding to know what my experience has been, what my needs are... Basically, where I'm coming from. If there are other scenarios that any of you have encountered in your transition from WM to Android that I haven't addressed, I would be most grateful if you would care to share them with me.
Given all of the above, is the Captivate Glide a smart choice? I understand that the Android 'Ice Cream Sandwich' update is expected later this year, as well, and that the Captivate Glide is rumored to be among the devices slated to receive the update. Is the SCG a solid device that will be able to make good use of this anticipated update? Are there rumors of any new Android devices coming to AT&T (with a hard keyboard) that I should look out for before I consider my transition?
Thank you all again for the time that you have taken out of your busy lives to read my post and for your consideration in taking even more time to respond to my questions. I've been a member of this community for a few years now and have the utmost respect for the collective knowledge and selfless assistance that I've received thus far, so please feel free to direct me to any outside forums/sites, which are better suited to my needs as I may have missed them in my initial searches on the subject. Of course, I am open to conducting my research/questions via private messages, if forum administrators think that my inquiry is too elementary for the forum.
Debbie
I have not own a Win Mobile before so I can't answer most of your questions. But I can tell you what my android device(s) do for me.
-It performs well and can do almost anything you need while you're mobile
-SMS, MMS, email, calls, calendar, etc are most (let's say 90%) used functionality for me, and my Glide (and previous android devices) never failed me on those. So pretty much, telephony and PDA features are awesome.
-Android supports auto sync, so your apps (like Calendar and contacts) will push all changes as long as you have data active. This feature can be disabled.
-Email: the stock Samsung Email app does the job for me and can hold about 10 emails or so.
-Contacts, is very rich, from first name to nickname, to organization , you can add many details in one. Contacts merging is also available.
-Virtual Keyboard, just make sure you turn off some features like "Quick Fixes" and XT9 if you don't want your Android to mess up you're text. Many 3rd party Virtual Keyboards are available, for different styles, functionality, and looks. For a hardware Keyboard of the glide, it's not that great, but not bad as hell for the reason that the keys are almost flat that there is a little to no tactile feedback on some keys.
-Web Browsing, I am having a very good experience in terms of web. Renders pages in reasonable speed, supports flash, and there are third party WEb browsers that supports HTML5 as well.
-Wireless tethering (Rogers), I use this quite a lot too, and connection is solid and pleasant. (You may need to Root to activate tethering on ATT ROMs/Versions)
-APPLICATIONS all-in-all, a ton of apps are available
-Battery life: in my case, battery is about 50% from the morning I wake up til the night I am about to sleep. This is fine with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're gonna ask me about the 10% of my usage:
-7% goes to hacking: I am no developer, but I do learn a lot of tweaks (like Rooting) to make the fast device faster. I admit, it's was not easy for me at first, screwed up my androids(s) lots but everything paid up. Learn from mistakes i guess.
-3% goes to games....
Thanks!
Your post is very much appreciated, gabby131!
I just revisited the local AT&T store and they indicate that this device is the only Android model offered by them that has a hard keyboard, with no ETA on when other keyboard/Android devices will appear on the horizon. Therefore, it's very good to know that you are having pleasant experiences with your SCG. I have a few more months before I am eligible for an upgrade, so I have that much more time to conduct my research.
I will continue to keep an eye on the forum for other members' experiences with the ICS OS update when it comes out. 'Til then, I will continue to read this and other devices' forums for additional information.
All the best,
Debbie
I had windows Mobile 6.1 for many years. I went from a Dell axim X51V to a Samsung Omnia and now to the Samsung Glide.
Windows mobile had many downfalls but for the people who got used to it, we were able to use it quite well. Web browsing was always a pain on Windows Mobile. Android does fix this and I find I surf on my phone quite well ,especially using the Dolphin browser with the gestures that I have created.
I love the Glide for its ease of use with Excel and word files. The ability to open those and modify them on the fly with a hardware keyboard is great I just wish the hardware keyboard had a dedicated Number row.
Active sync had its benefits and its downfall. I loved that I could sync my phone with outlook and do miss that. I have come to move all my information in my outlook contacts to Google contacts and I just sync in the cloud. I also switched to using Google Calendar instead of the Outlook Calendar. This way I can access my calendar anywhere from any computer or my phone.
The touch display is 1 million times better on my glide then my Omnia as now we are talking capacitive over resistive. I will never go back to resistive!
Funny thing is that on My Windows Mobile device the voice command I find was better than on my Android. I used to tell Windows mobile to play a song and it would with no issues. With Android I am still learning how to do this, and if the screen is locked Bluetooth can not be used for voice commands.
The Glide is a better phone then many out there and the Hardware keyboard is what drew me to it, I just hope you will as happy as I am with mine.
Thanks, dudejb!
Did you load Microsoft Office onto your Glide, or does it already come equipped with an application that will allow you to work with those files? I haven't had to use my device for MS Office files (outside of Outlook, Notes, Tasks, of course), but I really liked that I was able to, if the need ever arose.
Unfortunately, as all of my calendar/contact data is tied to my work PC, setting up this data on Google, etc. is really useless to me. Direct USB syncing is an absolute MUST for me, due to my company blocking other email services, so I have no choice. I'm hoping someone else who also syncs via USB on Android will chime in with suggestions on the best application to use.
I'll need to get used to the screen more. Looks fantastic, but I'm used to using my fingernails a lot and I noticed that the screen doesn't respond quite like my Rhodium does... Hey, I'll adjust! LOL
I used Voice Command a lot with my Kaiser and when I first got my Rhodium, but I've stopped using it after loading Jacko's ROMs, because his ROMs don't recognize/make use of the PTT button, which I always assigned to VC. Sure, I know that I could have used a 3rd-party software to assign the PTT button to that command, but I've just been too damned lazy.
I'm not totally sold on the keyboard, but even the Rhodium took some getting used to after coming from a Kaiser, as my fingers were used to the Kaiser's key layout. I gotta admit though, once I got accustomed to the layout, I determined that my Rhodium has one of the best keyboards out there and I will truly miss it. I played with the Glide on display at the AT&T store for quite some time the other day. To me, it felt that the keys on the Glide are spaced too far apart and didn't have a great feel to them. Shame it's the only keyboard Android model for AT&T right now. What I will truly miss that I never thought I would is the tilt screen of my Rhodium (and Kaiser)... I can't tell you how many times that thing came in handy and it would totally mesmerize my friends when they saw it in action! LMAO!
Again, thanks so much to the both of you for responding. I do believe that I may be taking the 'Android' plunge soon. I just gotta have a plan in place for USB syncing before I actually commit though.
Debbie
I had WinMo 5.x then 6.x devices for many years as well, still have the last one though (Touch Pro 2, runs great !).
But, I decided to move to Android because it had some great capabilities that WiMo 6.x didn't have:
- Managing Outlook sync OTA with more than one Exchange Server
- Managing / Merging Calendar Display (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- Managing / Merging multiple contact lists (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- User friendly Web browsing
- ...
Of course, I had to save some SMS/MMS and call logs in order to get exactly what I had when leaving WiMo world.
So over a year ago, I used (payed) for one of these migration apps from SPB (or any other) to migrate all my data. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spb.migration&feature=search_result).
Migration worked great. All data were restored on the Android device.
My first WiMo device replacement was a HTC Desire Z .. with a keyboard. No the same keyboard experience than the touch Pro 2, but it worked.
I then switched to a far more powerful device : the Glide.
I rely mainly on OTA sync : Outlook, hotmail, gmail, yahoo mail.
No USB sync at all (used to do that with Desire Z, but IMO OTA is better).
The Glide lacks a few things (FM tuner, ...) but it has a great processor, a great display ... and huge software library ! (TomTom is still missing !)
Keyboard is nowhere near the Touch Pro 2 experience, but it does the trick and you get used to it.
So Glide (and Android) is my day to day phone. It runs great and is reliable.
I kept the Touch Pro 2 just in case ...
frav said:
I had WinMo 5.x then 6.x devices for many years as well, still have the last one though (Touch Pro 2, runs great !).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I am currently using on AT&T... OMG, I *so* love that device!
frav said:
But, I decided to move to Android because it had some great capabilities that WiMo 6.x didn't have:
- Managing Outlook sync OTA with more than one Exchange Server
- Managing / Merging Calendar Display (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- Managing / Merging multiple contact lists (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- User friendly Web browsing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm becoming more and more aware of how ancient my Tilt 2 is getting, although it's still an impressively performing phone with Jackos ROM below. The biggest reminder is when I use it's camera at only 3.2MP, no flash/zoom, and poor video quality. The SCG's camera doesn't zoom, from what I can tell either, does it?
frav said:
So over a year ago, I used (payed) for one of these migration apps from SPB (or any other) to migrate all my data. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spb.migration&feature=search_result).
Migration worked great. All data were restored on the Android device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into that to see if it would help me out as well, thanks!
frav said:
My first WiMo device replacement was a HTC Desire Z .. with a keyboard. No the same keyboard experience than the touch Pro 2, but it worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was initially looking at the Desire Z as well, but it never came to AT&T and I don't want to sacrifice my data speed or call quality by not being able to utilize all the bands that I should have access to on the AT&T network, so I thought it best to wait a bit for something else to pop up.
frav said:
I rely mainly on OTA sync : Outlook, hotmail, gmail, yahoo mail.
No USB sync at all (used to do that with Desire Z, but IMO OTA is better).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish that I could use OTA syncing (because that would make my life SO much easier & open up a whole ****load of options to me), but my company will not allow me to upload my Outlook data to any 3rd-party email/file storage repositories, so I am left with no choice but to find a suitable USB-syncing method.
frav said:
The Glide lacks a few things (FM tuner, ...) but it has a great processor, a great display ... and huge software library ! (TomTom is still missing !)
Keyboard is nowhere near the Touch Pro 2 experience, but it does the trick and you get used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will actually miss the FM Tuner on my device, and I never thought that I would, because it sure came in handy sometimes! LOL Yeah, I adore the keyboard on my Tilt 2 and it will really suck to have to give it up, but as you say I'll adjust.
frav said:
So Glide (and Android) is my day to day phone. It runs great and is reliable.
I kept the Touch Pro 2 just in case ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, make no mistake... I will never totally give up my Rhodium! As a matter of fact, I've already got another one in reserve (but it's got an effed up USB port) in case I ever need it. Hell, I won't even give up my Kaiser (original AT&T Tilt), because that thing rocked, too!
Thanks so much for your feedback on the Captivate Glide... I'm feeling more and more confident that this is the device for me (until something better comes out, that is), so you may be seeing me around this forum more often.
Thanks again!
Debbie
@Debbie
i believe that if you set up your Office Email on the Glide, you will also get the events, tasks, appointments, etc. You can use the stock Samsung email or any 3rd party apps that support outlook and/or exchange servers. (Please disregard if this is not allowed by your company you're working). As in my case, I need to download TouchDown app, and because I am happy with it, i purchased the license (yes it's kinda pricy, about $20). It does the job very well.
gabby131 said:
i believe that if you set up your Office Email on the Glide, you will also get the events, tasks, appointments, etc. You can use the stock Samsung email or any 3rd party apps that support outlook and/or exchange servers. (Please disregard if this is not allowed by your company you're working).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, they got that locked up tight, too. There is no way that they will give me the Exchange server credentials to allow me to do that unless I am using a company-provided device, which would be a Blackberry... Yuk!
gabby131 said:
As in my case, I need to download TouchDown app, and because I am happy with it, i purchased the license (yes it's kinda pricy, about $20). It does the job very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into that, but I suspect that it may not help me much, so I'll be researching USB-sync software. If I poke around here enough, I might find someone who can recommend a reliable one.
Thanks for responding again!
Debbie
I believe the Samsung synch application for windows will allow you to synch with outlook and your android/Samsung Phone. I just found the application to be buggy and a pain to install. I tried at work and it did not communicate with my glide, but at home it worked but I did not attempt on connecting with outlook so I can not tell you how well that works but have heard others mention that it works.
Many Sync Options Apparently, But Which Actually Work???
dudejb said:
I believe the Samsung synch application for windows will allow you to synch with outlook and your android/Samsung Phone. I just found the application to be buggy and a pain to install. I tried at work and it did not communicate with my glide, but at home it worked but I did not attempt on connecting with outlook so I can not tell you how well that works but have heard others mention that it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really??? Can it actually be *that* simple? LOL! Is the application that you speak of the one called "Kies" or something different?
My problem is a bit complex: I have Outlook 2003 at work and Outlook 2007 at home. My work PC is the one that contains all of my important data since that is where I get meeting requests, etc. My home PC's Outlook has never been accurate, since it is Vista and utilizes Device Center for syncing my WM Rhodium, which conflicts horrendously with MS ActiveSync on my work PC (which is NT), so I've ended up with tons of empty appointments and duplicate (even triplicate) contact entries. Back when both PCs were XP, I was able to sync both of them perfectly with ActiveSync and have my data agree at home *and* at work... I miss those days.
I've been giving the web search engines a work out on this one topic alone! Found this thread in the Android Software & Hacking General forum, which helped point me to SyncDroid.net. They have a listing of several sync applications (paid & free) that syncs various types of data using various methods of syncing. Out of that list, it appears that these softwares are the best for my particular problem and syncing needs:
- Android-Sync
- MyPhoneExplorer
- VCOrganizer Pro
- SyncRoid
Some are free, some not, and others have free trials or light versions. I'm not fussed with paying for an application if it actually works reliably. So, I'm hoping that others who share my scenario (which may be difficult to come by) can chime in on which are best. Even if I didn't have these limitations, I'd still be wary of putting my data out on the web. Are there others that I should be looking into, that I haven't come across yet?
Damn, why is something that should be so simple proving SO difficult?!
Many thanks!
Debbie
Did you try Kies first? I tried it again and it said it can synch with outlook contacts and Calenders.
Not yet, but will give that one a try first. Thanks!
dudejb said:
Did you try Kies first? I tried it again and it said it can synch with outlook contacts and Calenders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad I found this thread as I'm thinking about switching to android also.
My quick phone history
1. Samsung sph i330 (palm 3.0 or .5 don't remember)
2. ppc 6700
3. HTC touch pro 2 (current Phone)
All of these phones have been great, and as you can see once I find something I like I stick with it.
Okay Debbie, did you switch? What do you think of android?
For me my biggest concern is loosing my stylus, and other functions that come so natural to me like cut & paste. My wife has an Epic 4G (android) but I'm not yet sold the thing doesn't even have spell check!
The main reason for me to switch. I run a small business and want to accept credit card payments with Square (Android and I phone only), and I will never own anything made by Apple
Frav: do you miss the stylus?
If I do switch I'll be going with the galaxy S III
any input would be great!
If you are dead set on stylus you may want to look at the note as it also has a stylus. It is rather large but for businesses it may be worth it for you. A friend of mine has 1 and she loves it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927R using xda app-developers app
Thats a good point dudejb. I have thought of that, but i worried about the size. I'll have to give it a test run at the store
http://www.google.com/shopping/prod...tFbL02wWztsG1AQ&ved=0CGEQ8wIwAQ#hsec:overview
Stylus... $3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app
Wow very cool thanks ajt1995. I didn't even know that existed! I guess I have been kind of sheltered with my Touch Pro 2.
you could always go with the Sausage Stylus:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/sausage-stylus-for-the-iphone-now-on-sale-in-the-us/
Though it sounds dumb and funny, but I hear it really works well.
84mopar said:
Wow very cool thanks ajt1995. I didn't even know that existed! I guess I have been kind of sheltered with my Touch Pro 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app
I'm having some really bad issues which are making the forums not usable. I haven't really changed anything so am not sure what the issue is.
1) The fonts and spacing is very odd, with sometimes larger or smaller font than expected and sometimes it's all scrunched in on one side.
2) Ads will often overlay on top of the forums, the sidebar on the right will sometimes be right in the middle of the forum page blocking my view, I don't see any way to move it.
3) Very jerky scrolling, sometimes scrolling jumps an entire page, other times it is just kind of ratchety, I turn my mouse wheel and it seems like every scroll takes a half second to catch up. My mouse is set to scroll 3 lines, but I've tried it with 1 line and it's the same. It's the same with smooth scrolling turned on or off.
4) The forums in general are very very slow, I mean unusable slow. A forum page may take upwards of 10 seconds to load, it seems like the ads are what's slowing it down because I can see the page stall, then the ad loads and everything works.
5) Most of the elements on the forum webpage seem to overlap each other, and many elements don't show up, or don't show a graphic but you can still mouse hover and see it's there.
I'm using Internet Explorer 11 on windows 10 on a surface pro 3 (i5/8gm RAM). Any help or suggestions for streamlining would be appreciated. Included a screen shot of the odd fonts and spacing. Zooming, or CTRL+ +/- doesn't help.
spinedoc said:
I'm having some really bad issues which are making the forums not usable. I haven't really changed anything so am not sure what the issue is.
1) The fonts and spacing is very odd, with sometimes larger or smaller font than expected and sometimes it's all scrunched in on one side.
2) Ads will often overlay on top of the forums, the sidebar on the right will sometimes be right in the middle of the forum page blocking my view, I don't see any way to move it.
3) Very jerky scrolling, sometimes scrolling jumps an entire page, other times it is just kind of ratchety, I turn my mouse wheel and it seems like every scroll takes a half second to catch up. My mouse is set to scroll 3 lines, but I've tried it with 1 line and it's the same. It's the same with smooth scrolling turned on or off.
4) The forums in general are very very slow, I mean unusable slow. A forum page may take upwards of 10 seconds to load, it seems like the ads are what's slowing it down because I can see the page stall, then the ad loads and everything works.
5) Most of the elements on the forum webpage seem to overlap each other, and many elements don't show up, or don't show a graphic but you can still mouse hover and see it's there.
I'm using Internet Explorer 11 on windows 10 on a surface pro 3 (i5/8gm RAM). Any help or suggestions for streamlining would be appreciated. Included a screen shot of the odd fonts and spacing. Zooming, or CTRL+ +/- doesn't help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First let me say that I'm moving this thread to About xda-developers since that's where site issues and discussion belong.
About your issue specifically: I haven't seen anyone making this complaint, but I do have a suggestion. Internet Explorer is terrible at rendering websites. The worst bar none. Since you are on Windows 10, I'd switch to the Edge browser (even Microsoft wants you to). Or you could switch to Firefox (my personal favorite), Chrome, or any other derivative of those. Microsoft only included IE in Windows 10 for backward compatibility and so I'd quit using it. I even got my 70 year old father in law to give up his beloved Internet Explorer. If he can do it, you can too! :highfive:
Thanks, hopefully someone here can offer a solution. I'm kind of stuck on IE11 until Edge gets extensions, but the reality is that millions of people still use IE11 and it should be supported.
I stopped using IE because I was having a lot of the problems you describe, especially the sticking and locking up ones. I switched to Chrome and have not looked back. Edge is too plain and like you said, lacks extensions. You are not stuck on IE though. Other browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera, etc use the same extensions IE does. Have you tried opening up the XDA page in another browser just to troubleshoot? If you want to stay on IE, you can try deleting your IE cache and junk files, reset it to default settings, or even try putting the XDA webpage in compatibility mode and see if that helps. Try opening up IE with all plug-ins disabled, again, just for troubleshooting . Another note about IE. Microsoft just dropped support for versions 10 and below, and I will bet version 11 will be the last of it.
I had this problem recently. It's good to see it wasn't just my usual bad luck!
I do most of my modding at work (sshh..) and our IT department has recently moved everybody over to IE from Chrome. It is noticeably worse at displaying this forum and is, to be honest, a horrible program to use. I even miss Navigator..
Good to see I'm not the only one suffering, though!
I also have a lot of trouble using IE11 on XDA.
For the past few months I have had all the problems listed in the original post.
Now it seems like the page layout problems has been fixed, but for now I can not load a single page on XDA without IE11 locking up.
I have had more problems loading pages on XDA the past few months, than I have had on all other websites combined for the past 10 years - nothing but trouble on XDA..
It must be possible to make this site compatible with IE11, right?
(FYI: I am not using IE11 to write this post - it would be impossible)
gruntyoldbag said:
I also have a lot of trouble using IE11 on XDA.
For the past few months I have had all the problems listed in the original post.
Now it seems like the page layout problems has been fixed, but for now I can not load a single page on XDA without IE11 locking up.
I have had more problems loading pages on XDA the past few months, than I have had on all other websites combined for the past 10 years - nothing but trouble on XDA..
It must be possible to make this site compatible with IE11, right?
(FYI: I am not using IE11 to write this post - it would be impossible)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm getting that as well. It's very depressing...but it's good to know that it's not just me.