[Q] First Tablet - Where to Start? - Shield Tablet Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all
just got a shield tablet. first time with Android. Got it for portable gaming, and to explore the many possible ways it could be of use in my life. it seems like an endless horizon.
used Windows and mac OS a fair bit, i like tinkering. but this is new.
iv been exploring structure, it seems to be very open.
Iv been looking around for guides and tutorials for Android, but most seem to be centered toward smartphone users. many of the Apps they suggest seem to be optimized for phones and seems a bit naff on tablet.
on top of that, i'm starting out with Lollipop, which has made it trickier to find applicable tutorials.
I would be grateful if anyone could point me towards an Android/lollipop tutorial geared toward Tablets.
many thanks
pw

Not sure what you mean by tutorials. You should just play around with the settings, see what features the tab has. Try out the default apps installed etc. The stylus is pretty fun to use with the Nvidia Dabbler app. Other than that, try connecting an Xbox controller to it using a USB OTG cable. Works pretty well. Connect it to the TV and try out console mode(I still haven't done that ?)
Setup your Gmail account, since that is central to keeping everything synced on your tab. Email, contacts, photos, etc. It is also required for access to the play store, where you can download apps, games, movies and music.
Other than that I generally do the following with all my devices -
1) Root it - Rooting is just getting superuser permissions for your device(which I personally believe should ideally just be a setting which the user can decide to turn on/off). This allows you to backup/restore your app data, uninstall system apps that you don't need, tweak/add certain features (though xposed is not yet working on Lollipop I think), block annoying ads, etc.
2) Install Titanium Backup and restore my data from my previous/other device. A lot of apps still don't have cloud syncing, so you still have to transfer your data. But since this is your first device, you don't really have to worry about this.
I'd suggest posting specific questions about stuff that you'd like to know, as it will be easier for people to help you.
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app

Couple of app suggestions for you to try -
Nova/Apex Launcher - Has lots of added features, like organizing the app list, swipe gesture shortcuts, customizable icons, etc.
Bring! - Really good shared grocery list.
MX Player - Plays almost all formats. And has swipe gestures for playback and volume/brightness controls. Pretty awesome.
Feedly - Get your dose of the latest news
Soundhound - Great at identifying a song playing on the radio or even one that you're humming!
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app

I'm not sure what you want either
If you have a keyboard you can activate Improved accessibility to reassign some keys.
I have Siderbar Pro, so i can swap and open apps has i want.
Adaptative rotation lock free, i use it to force app to open in landscape mode, useful if you have your tablet in a case keyboard.
Floathing Stickies, i use it to write my ideas while I'm reading or browsing, is a floathing resizable window.
Darker, to low the screen brightness and use a color filter.
Ingles(i speak Spanish), i guess you could find it like English is a Livio english dictionary.
WPS its a word, excel PowerPoint PDF editor.
Ivona Text to speech, is the best i have found
Mouse keyboard 2 touch free, i use it to emulate keyboard keypress as touch points, useful to play with a keyboard, but it didn't reconogize my mouse USB or wireless. I had tried other alternatives but this is which works best. Need root permissions.
Thumb Keyboard, is a very customizable keyboard but it seems that it doesn't have further support.
As you can see there are no limits, but has i said i don't know but you want.

I'm with the people who say explore every aspect of the tablet from start to end. Tapping just about anything in some of the most central screens yields interesting results.
From there you'll just sort of have to decide what you want to explore... the Play Store is still a great place to find apps that do a whole lot of things. Do you, like me, want your phone to be kinda like your desktop? There are office suites and sliding keyboards and a whole lot of apps with cloud functionally and desktop like power under the hood.
Oh, about those keyboards... the Google one treats gliding with extreme respect. Would recommend using it like that,maybe trying Swype or SwiftKey if you want to see what else is out there. Heck, even gestures like sliding from Shift to G or just holding down the shift key work kind of in ways you'd expect.
But that's just me... Android can go in a thousand directions. Maybe one day I'll make a YouTube channel called Android is Awesome and show why.

Like most members said, ROOOT IT. Then your endless horizon will be more like space exploration. Once you root, you can ask those questions on what an android can really do. Using a Nvidia shield too, and theres a lot of bloatware that you probably don't want. If you want to uninstall those, you'll need root! If you want to maximize your tegra k1, you'll need root!

Related

[Q] New to Android; need customization tutorial

Longtime WinMo user (now with TP2). Just bought each kid an Android phone.
Been using XDA for a long time to modify my WinMo, add apps, etc...
Not familiar with the Android OS lingo and need to bone up so I can hook my kids up with some cool stuff
Did SEARCH but didn't find specific thread to read. Little help?
DLTempler said:
Longtime WinMo user (now with TP2). Just bought each kid an Android phone.
Been using XDA for a long time to modify my WinMo, add apps, etc...
Not familiar with the Android OS lingo and need to bone up so I can hook my kids up with some cool stuff
Did SEARCH but didn't find specific thread to read. Little help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well..
With android (especially with HTC Sense, HTC's UI) you can add plenty of little things to customize your phone. From the top
You can move application icons from page to page on the homescreen along with widgets. to add an application to the homescreen you can open the app drawer/list and longpress it and drag it to the homescreen. Once on the homescreen you can move it around.
Along with Apps you can add widgets to the homescreen, a widget is an app that runs in the homescreen it can do things like display a news ticker, enable/disable settings (power control widget), and other things like play music and search boxes. these can be very useful for getting a quick glance at information without opening up the app.
To change the background you can longpress the homescreen and select wallpapers.
If your phone supports it you can use live wallpapers, search for them on the market or on XDA.
One tip is dont install lots of apps! dont go and download every app you see it will slow down your phone, also dont use task managers as it messes with android native application closing process.
Also the biggest customization of all if your phone is rooted (IE: full permissions and access to the system) and has a hacked bootloader you can load custom roms that are themed or have a big performance boost.
Best of luck!
If you have any questions PM me and I will be glad to help!
Thanks
I spent the weekend tearing through other forums
Found a program called Sideload Wonder Machine that allows apk files to be put into the Aria without having to "root" the phone or otherwise dcik around with it. Worked pretty good after I found the USB Driver to sync it up with my laptop. that was a bit of a process in and of itself.
At the end of the day (weekend) I didn't really find too much to load into the phone that was not already available at the droid market. Swype, yes, but not for this phone. Loaded F-Secure anti-theft too but that, too, is not for this phone.
I am not sure how business savvy these droids can be but they are cool. Kids love them. The UI operates much like the iPhone and much less like WinMo.
I'll keep dciking around with it and see what happens. Thanks again.
DLTempler said:
Thanks
I spent the weekend tearing through other forums
Found a program called Sideload Wonder Machine that allows apk files to be put into the Aria without having to "root" the phone or otherwise dcik around with it. Worked pretty good after I found the USB Driver to sync it up with my laptop. that was a bit of a process in and of itself.
At the end of the day (weekend) I didn't really find too much to load into the phone that was not already available at the droid market. Swype, yes, but not for this phone. Loaded F-Secure anti-theft too but that, too, is not for this phone.
I am not sure how business savvy these droids can be but they are cool. Kids love them. The UI operates much like the iPhone and much less like WinMo.
I'll keep dciking around with it and see what happens. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can be quite business oriented (IE: Exchange, Calendars, Productivity Apps) If you want help PM me
Cheers,
Cap'n Krtek
Captainkrtek said:
They can be quite business oriented (IE: Exchange, Calendars, Productivity Apps) If you want help PM me
Cheers,
Cap'n Krtek
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree dont let the inteface fool you, android works as a tool just as well as winmo if not better

Could I be happy if I switched from Android?

So let me preface by saying Ive gone from iPhone to Android and have been watching WP since launch and plan on it being my next OS after I can get a hold of an off contract Verizon phone relatively cheaply or when my upgrade is up. I love how fluid it seems with its native apps and I want to get away from my buggy and laggy/stuttering Droid X (Which is the same for everyone I know with one).
But there's some things that you really don't take into account when you don't actually use the device everyday, so I figured Id ask here and see how WP stacks up.
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
I only know of TouchXplorer for HTC for file management but im sure there are others for the other brands. Not sure how you would go about storing files for re installation. Dont think anyone has figured out how to invoke the xap installer from files on the phone. Most of these apps are found here on XDA
Most apps are pretty smooth. Depends on the dev. Id say they are all smoother than android though.
Dont think you can download to the file system from IE
You can access Skydrive from the office hub. You can open media files and pdfs etc. Once again not sure about install files.
I havent had a problem with the volume. I use my phone for media and games. I just put it on vibrate when i need to which is easy to do on the lock screen.
Cant toggle from the homescreen yet, there are apps that are shortcuts to the setting though
There is a homebrew backup program here on XDA somewhere
I dont get annoyed by the animations. They make for a nice experience
The XDA app is a version of board express i believe and its not too bad. I Haven't tried any of the Reddit apps
There is a bit of panning. I find its just easier to find a good zoom level that you can read it on
Hope i helped
Mike415 said:
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
I've never used TouchXplorer, so I don't even know if it is compatible with Mango, but if it is it would be the only file explorer option I know of. WP is not designed as an open system, so file explorers are not officially supported.
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
I have around 175 third party apps installed on my phone, and at least half of them exhibit enough lag/stutter that it is noticeable, and some are quite annoying, even some of the major apps (such as Accuweather.com and USA Today). Generally, it seems that if an app is fetching data from the internet while it is also rendering to the display, you will probably notice some lag/stutter. I've never owned an Android, but from the videos I've seen on YouTube and also from what I've observed watching my son use his Samsung Captivate, the lag (at least in third party apps) is comparable.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
All apps are sandboxed on WP, so downloading to "the filesystem" is not supported.
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
Again, I don't know about homebrew, but generally speaking SkyDrive only supports photos and Office documents from your phone.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
This one is a bit tricky. As far as missing alarms due to turning the ringer on or off, that is probably not likely. Turning vibrate-only mode on or off is remarkably simple on WP. Just wake up the phone, press either volume control, and then tap the ringer icon to toggle it on or off.
However, that is the good news. The bad news is that the universal volume means that having the volume high enough to be able to hear the phone ring from your pocket also means that any app, game or media will also blast out of the phone at annoyingly loud levels. And conversely, if you turn the volume down far enough to play a game or listen to music at a comfortable level, but forget to turn it back up when you are done, you will miss calls, guaranteed. It has happened to me more times than I care to count.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
Quick setting toggles are not supported. You can, however, get a reasonably adequate shortcuts to the four main toggles (WiFI, 3G, Airplane mode, and Bluetooth) on your start screen. The unfortunate annoyance is that, depending on how you lay out your start screen, you may have a few button presses/scroll swipes necessary to complete the toggle of a setting). As for brightness, there is no toggle support for that.
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
There is no support for backup of app settings, game saves or SMS messages, period. None at all. You can (using a homebrew app) perform a complete device backup, but it cannot be transferred to another device.
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
Do the animations annoy me? Yes. Contrary to the apparently popular opinion here, I find much of the animation on the start screen to be gimmicky (the people hub, game hub, and "me" hub icons especially so). And many third party apps flip their icons for no reason at all, just for the sake of flipping it. For example Flixster flips the tile between a static photo of a currently-playing movie on one side (with the program icon in the corner), and the program icon filling the tile on the other side. It serves no purpose.
With that said, SOME of the app tiles are VERY useful, such as most weather apps, which usually flip between current conditions and forecast conditions. Being a weather junky, I love that feature.
Regarding the app list, it is more than just an annoyance, it is a major frustration for me, every single day. With no app grouping capabilities at all (I wouldn't care HOW it was implemented, I just want SOMETHING implemented), finding apps in a long list can be a real chore. I don't like it at all. If you only ever plan to have 20 or 30 apps, it might be OK. But if you need more than that, the number of taps and flicks and swipes needed to find and launch an app can be time-consuming.
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
I've only used the trial version of Board Express, and didn't like it at all. Most of the reports from people here are that it is painfully bad to use.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
That depends entirely on the layout of the web sites you visit. On some sites, the tap-to-zoom works very well, and makes the text fill the screen (without reflow, of course) at a nominally readable size. But on other sites, it just doesn't help at all, and I end up panning quite a bit.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
I've never owned either, so I can't say. However, unless things change I will most likely be moving to an iPhone within a couple of months. WP has a LOT going for it, but unfortunately (for me) it still has too many gaps in its features, and some of them are too annoying to just live with them and wait patiently on Microsoft.
I hope the features that I need do get added in future updates, because I'd be happy to switch back. But after reading the snarky attitude of many of the fans here, I can't help but wonder if that same attitude isn't prevalent at Microsoft, which would kind of imply that those features won't be coming any time soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My answers are in blue.
To be honest, from your questions, I would say you would be better off staying with android, don't get me wrong, i love wp7 and it does everthing i need it to do, but you may find some of the stuff you want is not available and get frustrated.
I just switched and am very happy! After two years on android, wp7 feels so smooth and coherent
IMHO, go to a store or carrier centre and request a WP7 and play with it, as from what I believe, everyone has their own preferences.
My advise would be to stay away if you're a tweaker, which is sounds like you are.
pillsburydoughman said:
My advise would be to stay away if you're a tweaker, which is sounds like you are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was though, but sometimes you get sick of constantly flashing roms, chaning things around, and want something that just works.
I'm happy that now it seems as if I have much more time since I'm not constantly fiddling with my phone 24/7.
I guess that is dependent on the person themselves though
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
*No, you will be stuck at your pc for deploying XAPs. However Dotcomp says there is a way to deploy XAPs from IE.
MS security is a complete joke, you can just download the XAPs from MS.
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
* Well get used to it, its the exact same on WP7. However there aren't many apps with long scroll list, most take advantage of Metro.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
*NO, and no
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
*Skydrive was a afterthought on this OS, my opinion. Works great for Office documents, OneNote, and pics. That's it.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
* Depends on you. I'm used to multiple volume settings, so its a pain to me.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
* If you can call a wifi icon on homesreen quick, then yes, other than that NO.
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
*If on the go, NO. If at your PC, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19341502#post19341502
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
* Actually the animations are what make this phone. They're pretty quick and elegant. I like the live tiles, but they ruin the glance and go concept, because I have to wait on it to flip.
The app list is horrid.
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
*Board Express made by Tapatalk, is nothing like Tapatalk on Android or IOS. It is like a sick joke. The browser is faster on WP.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
* Double tap usually makes the text readable, but if the site has text and pictures you want to see, you're SOL.
Also if you like to read comments, or deal with a HTML5 website, you will find yourself having to load the full website a lot. I can't even get the smartphone version of mobile sites, IE9 doesn't render some correctly.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
YES! GOOGLE APPS! GAMES!
Youtube on Android is the greatest, Lazytube comes close but you have to pay for it.
Im used to sitting on my couch and flinging websites and videos from my phone to the TV(google tv), impossible on WP7.
Custom SMS, ringtones, and email notifications. You can do custom ringtones but its a hassle.
I can say I like the Email on WP7, however its not instant like on IOS or Android.
Oh, there is no auto update option. If there is a app that needs updating you have to open the market and tell it to update.
---
All of that being sad, you could still be Happy using WP7. It just totally depends on what you use your phone for.
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my lady took over the vibrant, lol.
-------------
Another thing, some people say they get tired of flashing custom roms on Android. The exact same OPTION is avaliable on WP7. You don't HAVE to flash either.
there are no custom roms for my phone...
I was continually trying to get my phone smoother, and smoother on android.
I just don't feel the need to with this. Once again, just my own two cents. I never said that it would be the same for everyone
Thanks for the replies so far. It helped me get a better feeling for WP and it seems like I should really just wait for all the new OS updates like Ice Cream and iOS 5.x+/iPhone 5 before diving into WP. I am a slight tweaker of Android, but I don't actually want to do that very much anymore. I just want a phone that works and suits my needs. Android suits my needs, but doesn't really work great and it annoys me.
WP seems like it would be okay for me. Im not an app whore anymore since Ive been a smartphone user for several years now and I pretty much just like to be able to get the news, read some forums, text a lot, use yelp to find places to eat, and occasionally pass some time on leisure games. Android is pretty weak as far as finding decent games IMO and I think WP could actually be better in that regard (iPhone is the only one I would consider good for leisure games, but if Ive gotten by on Android this long I think WP could be okay, especially since I still would have an iPhone and Droid for those games). Right now, using Launcher 7 on Android I only use 2.5 screens of tiles so Im not going to have too much of an issue with the app list I think (Homebrew folders support will do me fine in that regard as I can toss all the leisure games in there also).
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
--
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Mike415 said:
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With Mango both of these issues are addressed. You can put your ringer on vibrate and still listen to music, and even adjust the volume without affecting the "vibrate only" setting. However, when you turn the ringer back on, it will be on at the current volume setting, not what it was before.
Also, you can have the ringer on vibrate and still hear alarms. In fact, alarms are now treated as "special" by the OS, and they ignore both the volume and ringer (vibrate) settings. They start low, and get progressively louder until dismissed.
Mike415 said:
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WP will eventually be fantastic, and the ecosystem will mature. But I have to be honest and say that for me it isn't there yet, and it is unclear how long it will take to get there. If your only option right now is to go off contract to get a WP device, I would have to suggest that you wait at least until Apollo is released (which, by all credible accounts will be Q4 of next year).
My reason for saying this is because each time Microsoft does fix a problem, they do an admirable job. But they need to (IMO) be more aggressive with their release schedule. Following the "one small release mid year and one major release annually" model isn't enough. There should be smaller patch releases to address issues, rather than making people suffer with them for 6+ months.
Mike415 said:
Thanks for the replies so far. It helped me get a better feeling for WP and it seems like I should really just wait for all the new OS updates like Ice Cream and iOS 5.x+/iPhone 5 before diving into WP. I am a slight tweaker of Android, but I don't actually want to do that very much anymore. I just want a phone that works and suits my needs. Android suits my needs, but doesn't really work great and it annoys me.
WP seems like it would be okay for me. Im not an app whore anymore since Ive been a smartphone user for several years now and I pretty much just like to be able to get the news, read some forums, text a lot, use yelp to find places to eat, and occasionally pass some time on leisure games. Android is pretty weak as far as finding decent games IMO and I think WP could actually be better in that regard (iPhone is the only one I would consider good for leisure games, but if Ive gotten by on Android this long I think WP could be okay, especially since I still would have an iPhone and Droid for those games). Right now, using Launcher 7 on Android I only use 2.5 screens of tiles so Im not going to have too much of an issue with the app list I think (Homebrew folders support will do me fine in that regard as I can toss all the leisure games in there also).
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
--
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mike,
Like you I mapped Skydrive as a network drive and simply drag/drop my pdf files there. PDFs are natively supported on wp7 once you download the official adobe pdf app.
The PDFs will show up on skydrive in the Office Hub. Infact if you use the Documents folder as the "root" of all your files and simple create folders within there, they will all show up in the office hub's skydrive folder. As you see I have a "PDF" folder with all my pdfs. You download them when you select it and it is saved to adobe's app storage locally on the phone.
Skydrive on the phone will also stream audio and video files! Sometimes my friends would share a video or some music with me and I'd be able to access it natively!
You can view any pdf or office document (provided it is in later version format i thnk office 2007 up) hosted on websites. It will download and open in adobe/office.
Also OneNote is absoulely terrific in the Office hub for syncing notes to the PC/web and phone. I use it extensively to manage my classes!
Hope this helped.
Mike415 said:
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PDF's are just working fine. Just install Adobe's PDF app and IE will automatically hook them and forward them to the app. Same on SkyDrive, you can even zip those PDF's as WP is able to look into zips.
As for the sound it should work the way you described. Volume control is for everything on the device but the button for vibration is only for the ringer. So if you mute your device via volume rocker then everything will be muted. If you only press the vibrate button then only the ringer will be silenced.
Awesome, guys. Great replies. The volume issues and PDF issues seem like they would be fine for situations like mine. Loved the screenshots!
Really I dont see too many issues not to switch over eventually, as the replies here have quelled my main doubts. As more apps come and current apps are optimized theres very little reason to not switch for most people. Its just that damn app list!
Good thing there's homebrew folders now though!
Mike415 said:
Awesome, guys. Great replies. The volume issues and PDF issues seem like they would be fine for situations like mine. Loved the screenshots!
Really I dont see too many issues not to switch over eventually, as the replies here have quelled my main doubts. As more apps come and current apps are optimized theres very little reason to not switch for most people. Its just that damn app list!
Good thing there's homebrew folders now though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
scoobysnacks said:
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and search too. I actually prefer the app list to iOS pages of icons. The applist I know exactly where to find it alphabectically using the jumplist. Need twitter? Tap a letter jump to T and its in that group. iOS its a "which page is it?' scenario.
The homebrew folders is also pretty nice. I use it for all my "News" apps and "Social" app but it doesnt have live tiles so it defeats the wp7 purpose of glance and go
scoobysnacks said:
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sayonical said:
and search too. I actually prefer the app list to iOS pages of icons. The applist I know exactly where to find it alphabectically using the jumplist. Need twitter? Tap a letter jump to T and its in that group. iOS its a "which page is it?' scenario.
The homebrew folders is also pretty nice. I use it for all my "News" apps and "Social" app but it doesnt have live tiles so it defeats the wp7 purpose of glance and go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just planning on throwing all my leisure games (non-XBOX LIVE) in folders. Does the XBOX Live hub hold non-Live games too? I wouldn't really need folders if all my games were in the XBOX hub, but I was thinking that it was only for Live games.
Mike415 said:
I was just planning on throwing all my leisure games (non-XBOX LIVE) in folders. Does the XBOX Live hub hold non-Live games too? I wouldn't really need folders if all my games were in the XBOX hub, but I was thinking that it was only for Live games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the live hub holds all games!
It's a good thing too, I have a ton of games
scoobysnacks said:
the live hub holds all games!
It's a good thing too, I have a ton of games
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only drawback of the xbox live hub is that is missing the jump list. I'd really love to see it in there too.
On topic:
I'd really recommend you go into a mobile shop and try different devices. I for one came from Window Mobile 6.1 over 6.5 and Android (2.1 and 2.2) all the way to Windows Phone. First I was missing several things I know from my former mobile OSes. But once I got used to the limitations (which were a lot more before NoDo and Mango), I've never ever looked back. I'm a proud WP7 user. But it really depends on what you use your device for.

GTA III works flaswlessy on Tablet

All you have to do is purchase on phone and sideload it, it will let you download data directly from tablet, at 1mb per second, it took about 7 mins for the whole process, 400mb download and data install. Go buy now, best 5 bucks ever spent.
Ps. I bought using my evo 3d, which also runs the game perfectly.
Edit: before you start asking, how to sideload it:
Dropbox, gmail, titanium backup, blue-tooth, etc. It also verifys market, so make sure you buy it.
excellent news, I did download the app, but got error parsing package message. Also says incompatible with my p6200, lets hope for the best for us 3g guys.
chrisrotolo said:
excellent news, I did download the app, but got error parsing package message. Also says incompatible with my p6200, lets hope for the best for us 3g guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try downloading with phone, then sideload it. It should work since it works for dell streak, even though it is android 2.3, it is a 7 inch tablet. It worked on my SGT7+ wifi, it should work on Tmobile. Just make sure you purchase it.
Downloaded but seeing quite a bit of lagg. Replacing user data files with GSII files now hoping that they will fix it
Which version do you have? Wifi or 3g? Also did you just sideload apk, and download data from tab, or copy both. Mine has no lag whatsoever with the data download directly to tab. I also have no lag with the data downloaded from my evo 3d. They both work perfectly. I also recommend using the analog steering and driving controls.
I sideloaded the .apk and let it download, had lag, so I replaced the data files with ones for the GSII from a site I found. No lagg now, just had to reset the controls as it aligned them for the S2's resolution. I don't have another Android device so I had to go the less legal route to get the APK, but I have bought the game on the iPad so I don't feel bad about it. Thumbs down to Rockstar for not having the compatibility in order
Cptnodegard said:
I sideloaded the .apk and let it download, had lag, so I replaced the data files with ones for the GSII from a site I found. No lagg now, just had to reset the controls as it aligned them for the S2's resolution. I don't have another Android device so I had to go the less legal route to get the APK, but I have bought the game on the iPad so I don't feel bad about it. Thumbs down to Rockstar for not having the compatibility in order
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come one bro, dont include those details, as it can get you booted.
Also what type of lag were you referring to?
FPS issues in the entire game, basically. Driving around was very laggy and basically unplayable
The game is great and works better on 7 inches than the 10 inch iPad imho... just hope rockstar gets a grip and fixes compatibility settings. As a new Android user I can't even begin to express how utterly idiotic this issue with erroneous compatibility blocks is
Cptnodegard said:
FPS issues in the entire game, basically. Driving around was very laggy and basically unplayable
The game is great and works better on 7 inches than the 10 inch iPad imho... just hope rockstar gets a grip and fixes compatibility settings. As a new Android user I can't even begin to express how utterly idiotic this issue with erroneous compatibility blocks is
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok, mine still seems very responsive, Ill try other data file from other phones i have. Ill post results later. Yup, thats the problem with android fragmentation, but either way any android phone beats an iphone.
No...it doesn't. Believing that is just pure bias as there is no, and probably never will be, an OS that beats the other on everything. That's why I have one of each.
Youre still very new to this community, give it some time, to the infite modifications and freedom android gives you.
Customizing something all the way to Mars is nice, but still doesn't make up for lack of apps. I've been using the iPad in ways that physically aren't possible on Android because of the lack of certain apps and types of apps
give me an example and Ill try to tell which apps are available. I have over 400 apps installed. I go thru the apple catalog and I only see nonsense apps, or social apps, how many of those do you need. But its true there are more apps, but almost all are already in android. Maybe not the market but getjar, amazon market, appbrain and more.
Ok, here's a challenge for you, and if you do manage to find an app, you will be my hero:
One of my most used apps on the iPad is a certain type of note taking app. I say a certain type rather than a specific app as there are quite literally dozens of these available on iOS now. This type of app will let me import documents - minimum requirement is PDF, but more types is better - and write on top of them. So far Android has alternative. Then you get to the most important feature, magnification mode. The way this works in all of said dozen apps is that you have a window at the bottom of the screen that shows a small portion of the screen magnified. This allows you to write big letters and have it be shrunk down. These boxes are resizable and can be set for various zoom levels. They also have auto-advance, meaning that when you get to the end of the box it automatically moves it so you just write from the beginning again. This way you can write sentence upon sentence just as you would on paper, and just as accurately, even with a normal capacitive stylus. Other features that are often in these apps include the ability to insert images, machine text, web clips, audio recordings etc. You will also need to have the ability to export PDF. There are apps on android that can annotate PDF, but not at that level. All semester I've been using the iPad and nothing but the iPad both in lectures and outside, scanning paper documents using Scanner Pro and an external camera, annotating them (this is why just text editing is useless - I need to be able to have 100% control over size, placement, angle etc of the text on a page, underline and make arrows and drawings all over the place, not just write some text down) and storing them for reading. Just had an exam with 900 pages worth of curriculum and notes, all read on the iPad, and created on the iPad to begin with in the case of notes.
That kind of app in particular is crucial, and it has to be able to do exactly what I mention here, no "almost" with missing the magnification mode etc. They even provided all the lecturers with iPads this fall, and they've been using the same types of apps connected to projectors via VGA (try finding a VGA adapter for the galaxy tab, btw ).
This is just the ultimate example though, as it's not only the type of app I've used the most, but it's an app that is 100% productivity. No widgets, games or anything like that - it's a productivity issue, and an issue for Android's usability in settings outside of people who like to watch videos and play with ADWlauncher (which also includes me in my spare time, hence why I have an Android tablet).
Other examples off the top of my head: Splashtop's secondary product, xDisplay. It doesnt exist on Android (yet), and it's an example of an app where I don't care if there are "similar products" - it's the system I'm invested in and missing apps from major services like that is an issue. I could also bring up apps that have some sort of equivalent, but far from anything that works as good. Goodreader on the iPad -> ezPDF on Android, much less powerful app. Scanner Pro -> CamScanner, same thing, and they even broke 7.0 plus compatibility in the last update. There's no direct access app for the educational system my school uses, Classfronter, which isn't really an issue due to browser access but still an issue as it's slower. No good alternative to Reeder either, not that I've found anyways.
Education in itself is an interesting field. There are so many apps that make the iPad a powerful tool for both teachers and students on iOS. How about the ability to annotate documents wirelessly using Syncpad, an app that streams the image on screen to any HTML5 browser that's connected to the internet (not just local wifi)? Used that one a lot. Replaynote, letting you do notes and commentary and have it automatically turned into a video that you can send off to help people. Dictionary apps; when you study ENglish like I do, "a dictionary" isn't enough. You need as many as possible. That's iOS, not android.
Enough productivity. Fun apps. BBE's app has brought a music enhancement technology, that so far has only been licensed to Cowon for portable use, to iOS. There's no comparison to EQs in apps like Poweramp. Flipboard, awesome RSS reader that I use instead of Reeder when I want to relax, not read feeds for work. Tried Pulse, not the same, or even close. Neither is Currents. Zinio is luckily on both OSes though there are several magazines that are only available through Newsstand. Connecting the iPad to a synthesizer via USB and playing around with it on an amateur level is always fun.
Enough examples.
I love my 7.0 Plus. I love how personal the homescreen is after tweaking it, Google Talk on it is awesome, it's the device I reach for to check email in the morning, I love using a Wiimote for games, i use it as a mouse and keyboard for my PC in bed, remote control utorrent, browse the web, as a flashlight at night (LOVE that), video support makes me weep tears of joy, read books that aren't scanned A4 documents (and hence possible to reformat for 7 inches) etc. It's a great device, which is why I have it. However it isn't perfect. There's plenty of room for both OSes in my life, for the exact reason that neither is perfect.
Repligo reader for first, lets you write on top of pdf files (shapes, text,highlight, selections,w/e), I use it in class alot, but also lean to quick office since I just use camera to copy what i dont feel like typing.
Currents instead of pulse, much better. Also with repligo everything should be capable to be done, what ios app are you refering to which can do all that.
splashtop is on android also.
I think I answered what you needed, to long to read over again, while trying to study for nueuro final.
How did you get the GTA apk to your Tab? I tried AppInstaller, but I get an "access denied" error when I try to export it?
*edit* Nevermind. I was able to get the apk using Root Explorer. Can't wait to fire it up!
theundeadelvis said:
How did you get the GTA apk to your Tab? I tried AppInstaller, but I get an "access denied" error when I try to export it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you need root, and you can use root explorer to copy, to sd card. Make sure you click on r/w to be able to write and copy.

[Q] Anybody replace their desk/laptop with a Xoom?

Hey all,
I'm looking into the possibility of using my Xoom as my daily computer and making a current PC more of a home theater setup in the living room. I don't do anything heavy on the computer (besides occasionally gaming but no big deal) it's all mostly web browsing, IMing, Facebook, etc, so I don't see too much of a reason why I couldn't do this.
My question is this: Have any of you done it? Made the switch from the PC (or mac) being your primary computer to the Xoom? If so, thoughts? Anything to pay attention to? If I do go through with this, I will end up getting a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, I'm sure... but I'd rather not waste 100 bucks on something I end up not using often.
i use my laptop just to root my xoom =)
Anything I should pay attention to, or an accessory that will make a huge difference or anything? Besides the bluetooth keyboard/mouse, obviously.
thank you for the reply, but I already have a xoom... just trying to decide if it is feasible to use as an everyday computer.
Advise Only
This thread and the linked thread reminds me of the discussions an older man like myself would have with so called computer sales persons. If I'd listened to all their talk about specs and hardware I'd owned a missile launcher capable of high end mathematical computations !
What I'm saying is my advise is to list your requirements and expectations first. Look at the specs and hardware and decide what you'll need.
I am a retired engineer and I spend most of my time on my Xoom. A properly installed version of ICS, personally like EOS, I have NO problems surfing, emailing, playing some games and yes I even break out a spreadsheet once in a while.
Yes there are netbooks and laptops that can offer more...just be sure to aim those missiles correctly!!
TheRandom1 said:
thank you for the reply, but I already have a xoom... just trying to decide if it is feasible to use as an everyday computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, there was no need for AngryBulleteyeTruth to be so negative. I makes me wonder why he is even lurking the xoom forum if it is no use to him. Anyway.
I use my xoom more than I use my laptop and desktop. It Is wonderful for Im/text, typing documents to later be altered on a laptop/desktop, some games and media. I use my xoom everyday. The battery life is also great. Yes the document editing isn't on par with desktop suites but is an android tablet, not a laptop. The simplicity comes with its drawbacks but the portability, battery and ease of use is unmatched.
Also if you really need to run desktop quality apps you can just use an app like pocketcloud or splashtop hd to vnc into your laptop/desktop and do what you must. The internal 32gb + a 16gb micro sD card is more than enough room for me. You also have cloud storage available. There is even a app called pocketcloud explorer that will allow you to download and upload files remotely from your machines, with the addition of their companion software. AngryBulleteyeTruth just lacks creativity and the will to find a solution. Don't let his negativity drag you down. Also take a look at when he joined. Feb 2012 means he is fairly new to the community and possibly butt hurt by his unrealistic dream of his xoom transforming into a tiny robot and being his sidekick didn't work out as planned.
I love my xoom! With Team EOS nightlys + undervolting + some simple but useful apps to automate certain task at certain locations = WIN for me. I have a 4g xoom so I can pop my sim card from my HTC thunderbolt in there and use all of that unlimited data. Or tether via Bluetooth if I am on the go.
My uses also include: gps, scanning/PDFing documents on the fly, video chat, voip, portable netflix/media play w/ my micro hdmi cable, getting my fix on reddit, sexytime material and more. People are working hard and doing great things with this device. There will also be more to come. The device is an awesome tool but but you can't expect Apple like commercials that spoon feed what you can use it for.
Tips: checkout androidpolice.com and droid-life.com for explanations, news, reviews, tips and tweaks. Lifehacker also has some good android stuff from time to time. I use justreader to subscribe to the rss feeds.
Search YouTube for useful tablet apps.
Check out the Themes and Apps forum sections for other popular android tablets on XDA. I use tapatalk to subscribe to the Samsung galaxy tab 10.1, Asus prime, Asus transformer and nook color Themes and Apps sections.
Finally share your discoveries and leave constructive comments on XDA. This keeps the community going, makes you feel involved and spread the knowledge to others in your situation.
May you and your xoom find happiness.
AngryBulleteyeTruth said:
Did you write it on a xoom or on a netbook?
Just imagine my 50+ tabs on opera working on any xoom browser, and making my 5+ pages documents on it
...not ignoring the embeded video browsing other than you tube
runhopskipjump - I'm not ashamed of being disappointed. That's the point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wrote on a xoom with swiftkeys while eating some carrot cake if you must know. I currently have 23 tabs open in opera from looking at reddit links that I would get back to later. And a couple more in chrome because I am downloading some music from beemp3 and prefer that the native download manager handles it. Yes I have typed 5+ pages with and without a Bluetooth keyboard on Docs to Go. My grammar isn't that shyty that I would require a stronger office suite to highlight the crap out of my paragraphs. You can always embed media at a later point or vnc into a desktop to complete the task as desired.
I hated netbooks. But that is not the point. The OP asked if it was viable to use the Xoom as his main device, not his only device. Yet you saw it fit to run your mouth, blabbering about your opinion, disappointment and flawed understanding of what the device is meant to achieve. I hope this exchange between us will be our last because I am not hear to convince you. You have made it clear that you aren't ashamed by your crys for attention using BOLD red font, linking to your own poorly placed Microsoft Dic-Riding thoughts on another thread and your clear inability to find a solution.
On Ice Cream Sandwich, this machine is a powerhouse. If you can't hang, Get Out. Good day sir/madam.
I feel dirty... like I am standing in the middle of a p***in match.
For what it is worth, I ordered a keyboard today and turned off my monitor to my computer to test this. I installed an rdc app on the xoom, and have done everything on it since I got home. So far, so good. I have a desktop at work I can work with if needed, however, I really do only use my computer for email, web browsing chatting, Facebook and other similar very light duty things. I honestly don't care if i can keep 30 tabs open...because I dont do it anyways. Same for documents. With a keyboard, it should be pretty easy, but I am not in school and do not type long essays, so it doesn't matter. If I have something super long to post, I have other options.
And yes... I typed this post on the xoom. It is on its dock in front of me, and I am using the hunt and peck method of typing on the on screen keyboard.
TheRandom1 said:
I feel dirty... like I am standing in the middle of a p***in match.
For what it is worth, I ordered a keyboard today and turned off my monitor to my computer to test this. I installed an rdc app on the xoom, and have done everything on it since I got home. So far, so good. I have a desktop at work I can work with if needed, however, I really do only use my computer for email, web browsing chatting, Facebook and other similar very light duty things. I honestly don't care if i can keep 30 tabs open...because I dont do it anyways. Same for documents. With a keyboard, it should be pretty easy, but I am not in school and do not type long essays, so it doesn't matter. If I have something super long to post, I have other options.
And yes... I typed this post on the xoom. It is on its dock in front of me, and I am using the hunt and peck method of typing on the on screen keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Avert your eyes my child from the darkness and bickering that may arise on these public forums. Lol.
May I suggest that you invest some coin in Swiftkeys Tablet X, Thumb Keyboard and Swype to have a more pleasant on screen experience. You won't regret it.
Also I use Keyboard Manager (only like $1) to automatically change keyboard when you switch from landscape to portrait and back. Swiftkeys Tablet X has a pretty good prediction/auto-correct function but I don't like the way it is displayed in portrait mode. Thumb Keyboard has a better layout (i use it in portrait mode) but the prediction/auto-correct isn't even close to Swiftkeys Tablet X. And Swype is free so why not try it. My experience with the stock keyboard is a dreadful one. All three are worth getting and are a wonderful investment.
Cheers.
I use my Xoom probably 90% of the time when I'm at home. Occasionally I will sit down and use my desktop for other stuff - BUT I already had a desktop at the time I bought my Xoom. If something must to happen to my desktop, I seriously doubt I would replace it. There is an app out there for practically everything now with a little time spent setting the Xoom up like I wanted it, it has almost replaced my desktop (and at some point it will probably replace it). I work in IT on a daily basis and I'm a power user and I'm very impressed with Android and what it can do.
OK then... time to ignore the obvious troll.
Anybody else have an opinion on this?
What Troll?
Looks like I owe you some thanks Andy!
That's what were here for.
Every device forum has them. We just need to keep an eye on them.
sold my netbook and kindle and ipod when i got the Xoom!
Well, I got the keyboard in today and it is awesome... when it works. For some reason keys keep randomly not working, specifically the r, l, g' z and backspace keys. Anybody else ever have this issue?
TheRandom1 said:
Well, I got the keyboard in today and it is awesome... when it works. For some reason keys keep randomly not working, specifically the r, l, g' z and backspace keys. Anybody else ever have this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What ROM are you running? I had this issue in the stock honeycomb ROM with an apple keyboard. I no longer have such issues on team EOS ICS nightlys.
Tip: swiftkeys Tablet X work great with an external keyboard. I say this because when an external keyboard is present, swiftkeys Tablet X only displays the predictions and auto corrections. Hitting the space bar selects the highlighted word. Is is very convenient and not something people speak of.
I haven't rooted yet, still on stock honeycomb
TheRandom1 said:
I haven't rooted yet, still on stock honeycomb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take some time to root it. Trust me, it is worth it. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Backing up apps, settings and game saves with titanium backup is so awesome. Android police has a wonderful set of articles about rooting, why you should do it and essential apps for rooted devices. Droid-life and lifehacker have some articles and pieces on the topic as well. Team EOS ICS nightlys are also one of the most up to date roms I have ever encountered. Rooting is even easier with tools like xoot and cornea, which will take you through the steps with a couple of clicks. I personally haven't tried those methods since I was rooted before they came out but others have been successful with them.
I will probably do that today just to see if the keyboard works better, it's so incredibly frustrating to only be able to type half a word! Hm... maybe I should root my Revo...again...

[Q] With a tablet like the TF300T and Dock, what software is missing...

I am a software developer, and have been creating Android apps for businesses since 2008. Up until recently all of the apps I have created have been for businesses to serve specific needs.
When I recently bought my TF300T I quickly wanted to start leaving the laptop home, but there are just a few things left I still cannot do on Android.
So my question to you is, what would you like to be able to do in Android that you cannot yet do?
I'd like to see a word processor that supports features such as: multiple columns, page numbering, a ruler, fonts, spacing, margins, multiple paper sizes, printing directly to a wireless or shared printer etc.
Some of these features are available for various Office suite word processors, but I have yet to find one that supports them all. It's getting better, but we're not there yet.
A robust office suite, really, is the only thing that's missing for me.
Google bought quickoffice, so I hope to see a Drive/office hybrid. MS is also working on office for android tablets afaik.
So office apps might not be the best choice as a software dev.
Has someone made a nice music player app that takes advantage of the tablet screen? Basically multiple frames so you can see what's playing (with basic controls) on one side of the screen, and be able scroll through your playlist or music directory on the other side of the screen.
Something like that with pop up windows (or frames) for additional features (like an Equalizer) would be pretty nice.
Actually not sure if the TF300 has a good music player, as I haven't received mine yet, but on my other tablet, everything I've found seems to be made for phones, and I hate having to cycle through different screens just to browse the playlist
I really want an app that synchronises handwritten note taking with audio, like the echo smartpen does. Then I could use it in meetings really effectively.
I think there is an ipad app that does this (grr...) but nothing for Android
mike-y said:
Has someone made a nice music player app that takes advantage of the tablet screen? Basically multiple frames so you can see what's playing (with basic controls) on one side of the screen, and be able scroll through your playlist or music directory on the other side of the screen.
Something like that with pop up windows (or frames) for additional features (like an Equalizer) would be pretty nice.
Actually not sure if the TF300 has a good music player, as I haven't received mine yet, but on my other tablet, everything I've found seems to be made for phones, and I hate having to cycle through different screens just to browse the playlist
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Play Music, which comes on the tablet, is tablet-optimized. The tablet also comes with MusicFX, which is an equalizer, and it integrates with Play Music.
EndlessDissent said:
Google Play Music, which comes on the tablet, is tablet-optimized. The tablet also comes with MusicFX, which is an equalizer, and it integrates with Play Music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd hardly call Google Music tablet optimized, it scales well but doesnt use space very efficiently.
This is the only one I know of, but its really ugly
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...jects.musicplayerforpad&feature=search_result
But yeah, I'd also like to see a better office editor. Quickoffice is a little too light on features to be taken seriously for more than minor edits.
The docks USB port does not recognize my camera and I do not like the way the tablet just puts your pictures in one big conglomeration. I would like a tablet that recognizes any digital camera and places your photos into files by date like a PC does. I use the tablet for work and I have to upload photos to my reports and then send the reports to my office. I have been able to type reports but it takes so many steps to get pictures from my camera into the tablet and then load them onto my reports that I am not able to do my reports quickly unless I am at home at my compute doing them.
I would love to get my hands on an Android clone of the airsketch app another teacher in my building has for his ipad.
Sent from my jitterbug using tapatalk.
I would like to have an app was functionally similar to Quicken. Personal financial tracking that was not web based. I have to carry a netbook to get that currently.
Mike
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA
Biggest problem with Android apps right now is they aren't optimized for tablets. Most of the apps are designed for phones.
Yeah, but that should change as tablets get cheaper and more popular.
I would like at least a word processor (if not a whole office suite) That;
1: Had all but the most advanced of a PC's word processors features such as full formatting, the ability to add fonts, full text options; the whole nine yards.
2: It having a nice ICS tablet layout. Not a clunky phone UI that has the features but not the layout to be of any use.
3: Full usb (or our dock) and bluetooth keyboard support with hotkeys and shortcuts (ie: Ctrl+V for paste etc etc...)
4: A supportive dev who would listen to community input and have a way to contact them easily where the other members of the community could also see the discussion (ie: a forums).
If you actually intend to do this (I REALLLLLLLY hope you do, its sorely needed) then I myself will plan on donating to the projects development as it goes along.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T
SilentStormer said:
I would like at least a word processor (if not a whole office suite) That;
1: Had all but the most advanced of a PC's word processors features such as full formatting, the ability to add fonts, full text options; the whole nine yards.
2: It having a nice ICS tablet layout. Not a clunky phone UI that has the features but not the layout to be of any use.
3: Full usb (or our dock) and bluetooth keyboard support with hotkeys and shortcuts (ie: Ctrl+V for paste etc etc...)
4: A supportive dev who would listen to community input and have a way to contact them easily where the other members of the community could also see the discussion (ie: a forums).
If you actually intend to do this (I REALLLLLLLY hope you do, its sorely needed) then I myself will plan on donating to the projects development as it goes along.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a project I hope to release this coming week sometime. It will be a tool specifically for Tablets and geared towards software developers mostly.
I am responding to you because the app I am about to release does support all of the typical hotkeys like Ctrl-V etc.
The biggest problem with creating an office suite for tablets is supporting all of the various file types that are out there (Office 2000/2003/2007 etc.) If it was just a matter of supporting one file type, and having the ability to import/convert from/to the other file types than it would be much easier. The problem is that would add an extra step for users to deal with.
I also think that Google will be releasing a very nice Office Suite for Android very soon. I think with the push for Chrome OS, and the already stated fact that Google plans to merge Chrome OS into Android points to that even more.
sgrant said:
Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a project I hope to release this coming week sometime. It will be a tool specifically for Tablets and geared towards software developers mostly.
I am responding to you because the app I am about to release does support all of the typical hotkeys like Ctrl-V etc.
The biggest problem with creating an office suite for tablets is supporting all of the various file types that are out there (Office 2000/2003/2007 etc.) If it was just a matter of supporting one file type, and having the ability to import/convert from/to the other file types than it would be much easier. The problem is that would add an extra step for users to deal with.
I also think that Google will be releasing a very nice Office Suite for Android very soon. I think with the push for Chrome OS, and the already stated fact that Google plans to merge Chrome OS into Android points to that even more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Im excited for whatever Google has up it's sleeve. (maybe a built-in office suite in jelly bean? )
sounds like an interesting app and Ill be sure and give it a try!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T
some apps require sd card to work (like this one or this one), because they put the data on sd card, so i want an app that have the abiltiy to use the internal memory as an "virtual sd card",
i know sd cards are not expensive, but i just feel like it's not necessary to use a sd card while there's still a lot of space on my device (like this one has 32 GB) and sometimes you forget your sd card or because of whatever reason you don't want to use your sd card.
so an app like that would be very useful (at least for me, i really need it )
i'd also like to see the list of apps you've created
I would like a virtual server running.
I have a particular need and idea to get some of my phone apps working on the tablet.
My idea is to create a virtual space something like Stick It! or Super Video, those app allow you to open a window and play your videos inside a hovering and movable window.
I took a measurement, and since owning an Asus TF300T with the keyboard dock, my tablet is mostly in landscape mode .
In landscape mode I can fit 3 windows of virtual space (or however you want to call it technically) of my phone in portrait mode.
So the apps on my phone where the developer is; for whatever reason, not interested in making those apps tablet ready, I can run those apps and see them the way they would look on the phone.
Because of the space that I measured, I can run 3 portrait phone apps at once. And just tap to switch between windows.
Does this sound like something that would benefit users?
Thanks
Rob
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
pepperonihead said:
The docks USB port does not recognize my camera and I do not like the way the tablet just puts your pictures in one big conglomeration. I would like a tablet that recognizes any digital camera and places your photos into files by date like a PC does. I use the tablet for work and I have to upload photos to my reports and then send the reports to my office. I have been able to type reports but it takes so many steps to get pictures from my camera into the tablet and then load them onto my reports that I am not able to do my reports quickly unless I am at home at my compute doing them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
There's a few apps I can think of off the top of my head. A gallery, a calculator & an app that brings all your social feeds together.
For the gallery, I'd like something similar to the stock gallery app except with the option to view it in list or folder view or something similar. Sorting options like sort by name, type etc and the ability to flick through them in that order would be good too.
For the calculator, heaps of buttons on the screen would be nice, and maybe they could be scrollable to reveal more buttons. Right now most calculators are just simple calculators with giant buttons lol. I'd really appreciate a scientific or graphic calculator on Android.
I'm also yet to find a decent tablet app that brings all your social feeds together. Something like the desktop Tweetdeck where you can have multiple panes would be great plus the ability to view profiles, messages, notifications etc.
I'd be willing to pay for any of these as long as their recently priced. (Not gonna pay $20 for a gallery lol)
If any of these are already on the market a reply or link would be appreciated lol, maybe I'm not digging hard enough.
---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------
rlanza1054 said:
I would like a virtual server running.
I have a particular need and idea to get some of my phone apps working on the tablet.
My idea is to create a virtual space something like Stick It! or Super Video, those app allow you to open a window and play your videos inside a hovering and movable window.
I took a measurement, and since owning an Asus TF300T with the keyboard dock, my tablet is mostly in landscape mode .
In landscape mode I can fit 3 windows of virtual space (or however you want to call it technically) of my phone in portrait mode.
So the apps on my phone where the developer is; for whatever reason, not interested in making those apps tablet ready, I can run those apps and see them the way they would look on the phone.
Because of the space that I measured, I can run 3 portrait phone apps at once. And just tap to switch between windows.
Does this sound like something that would benefit users?
Thanks
Rob
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for double post but I'd love something like this. Like multitasking with 3 vertical apps running in phone mode would be beautiful. Maybe not a virtual server (do you mean online?), but just running an app in a phone version rather than tablet. That way we could have apps like Launcher 7 etc run on tabs. Or maybe have 2/3 of the screen having a browser and the other 1/3 of space occupying a phone app. Great idea man.
It would seem pretty hard to code or implement though.
+1

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