Going from Apple to Android. Advice?

[BigBlueBrock]

I flashed an Android 4.2 ROM to my Galaxy Nexus last night and changed up the theme while I was at it.



Grabbed the wallpaper from Zedge. The icon pack is called White Icons. Fiddled with the Beautiful Widgets until I got it to match. Customization/theming is one of the best things about Android IMO.

[BarristerCat]

I installed a program called Light Flow on my phone today. I have to say it is pretty sweet. It allows you to control all of the notifications on your phone from one place with the main draw being that you can assign different LED notification light colors to each different type of notification. You're only limited by how many different colors the LED on your phone can produce.

Want your phone's LED to blink green when you get a text? Light Flow.

Want the LED to blink pink when you get a text from your wife? Light Flow.

Want the LED to blink blue when somebody posts on KSR? Light Flow.

Want the LED to glow solid red when you have a voicemail? Light Flow.

This thing is great.

[Darrell KSR]

That sounds sweet.

I downloaded an app yesterday called runpee. it takes every movie and tells you the best time in the movie to take a break.. it tells you how long do you have and what takes place during that time

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[BarristerCat]

Darrell, it also allows you to assign whatever sound you want to every notification. You can also assign different sounds for individual contacts if you like. I'm really enjoying it.

I'll have to get runpee for the wife. I didn't think she was going to make it through the Hobbit.

[Darrell KSR]

I have reached the point in my life where I like to be comfortable. Going to see Les Mis yesterday, I had heard about the app, so decided it was a good time to try it out. Worked great, although I didn't need it, was nice to have the luxury of an expert opinion if needed.

Will definitely download the other app, sounds cool and usewful.

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[CitizenBBN]

When a phone is so smart it's telling you when to urinate, is it too smart?

[Darrell KSR]

Not for my bladder.

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[PedroDaGr8]

Just came across this website this evening. It's dedicated to making customized homescreens in android. You basically see the final product and most of the posts tell you how to make it. It's not the easiest to make some of them because they expect you to know a lot but it seems like a lot use UCCW (Ultimate Custom Control Widget).

http://mycolorscreen.com/?os=android

Mind you ALL of these are ANDROID home screens. It's amazing the variation you can get.

[CitizenBBN]

About had it w my iPhone trying to sync and update through iTunes on a pc. Has to be he worst piece of software ever written by a major company.

Will android be easier I assume? All I really want is backups updates and to be able to dump my mp3s on it. I shop for apps through the phone.

Going to have to stick w AT&T but can at least look at phone options My 3G iPhone can't handle the new os versions speed wise so something has to give.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[BigBlueBrock]

About had it w my iPhone trying to sync and update through iTunes on a pc. Has to be he worst piece of software ever written by a major company.

Will android be easier I assume? All I really want is backups updates and to be able to dump my mp3s on it. I shop for apps through the phone.

Going to have to stick w AT&T but can at least look at phone options My 3G iPhone can't handle the new os versions speed wise so something has to give.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

If you're at all competent with technology (and I assume you are), then Android can do just about anything you want. There are several really fantastic backup apps for Android and music is as easy as drag and drop and there are several good apps (PowerAmp is my favorite for playing music from the device) for music playback. I personally have all my music on Google Play Music and stream it all, so I have no music locally (though it caches a set amount of songs on the device).

If I were looking to get a phone on AT&T, I'd grab an out of contract Nexus 4: https://play.google.com/store/device...id=nexus_4_8gb - Stock Android is the bee's knees. But the only problem is that it's constantly sold out. If you can't be bothered to wait for the 4's to become available, I'd look at the Note II or the S3 (depending on just how BIG you want to go).

[CitizenBBN]

Thanks. Figured as a more open platform I'd have multiple options. The tech is no problem, it's just that Apple are complete nazis about platform control. That's good in some ways, it makes their stuff reliable b/c they don't have people tossing on crap then wondering why the computer or now phone doesn't work, but it also means if you aren't in lock step with their vision tough luck.

My next challenge is getting up to speed on how to best set it up for Ford's Syncmyride. I'm confident it'll all work, but I can't live without sync.

[PedroDaGr8]

Thanks. Figured as a more open platform I'd have multiple options. The tech is no problem, it's just that Apple are complete nazis about platform control. That's good in some ways, it makes their stuff reliable b/c they don't have people tossing on crap then wondering why the computer or now phone doesn't work, but it also means if you aren't in lock step with their vision tough luck.

My next challenge is getting up to speed on how to best set it up for Ford's Syncmyride. I'm confident it'll all work, but I can't live without sync.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1692077


Thread of people with GSIII's saying it works with Sync. From what I gather looking around on the web, you need to be on one of the most recent updates to the software. Apparently, some of the older ones didn't play very well with Android.


Yeah, I agree on the platform control issue. The big thing with android is that it is so easy to make an app that looks like crap, you get lots of crap looking me too apps. On the flip side, you are seeing nicer and nicer apps in the Play store as the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 have sold like hot cakes. Combine that with the new 1080p display phones and people who purchase apps are pushing more for a quality user interface.


By the way an article you may find particularly relevant:
http://gizmodo.com/5973073/an-iphone...s-4-completely

[CitizenBBN]

Thanks Pedro. I have to upgrade my sync. It doesn't play well with iphone either. Microsoft, what can you do? It works but has some odd behavior. If you play music over bluetooth audio, the next time you get in the car whether bluetooth is selected or not it tells the phone to play. So it's in your pocket running down the battery like crazy and you don't know it. Sometimes you can disconnect from USB and leave the car and it will start to play over the regular speaker. It's just weird. Typical Msoft. I know the updates will fix a lot of it, I just have to take the time.

Great app control and lack of app control are double edged swords. Mostly for iphone I hate iTunes. It's hard to to the simple things and it's not stable at all on Windows.

[Darrell KSR]

If you're at all competent with technology (and I assume you are), then Android can do just about anything you want.

And even if you're not at all competent with technology, Android works pretty well. Of course, all I ever do is just do a dumb grab of apps that kinda run themselves, or else I couldn't do it.

[BarristerCat]

What Brock said on the phones. If I were on AT&T I'd go with the Nexus 4.

I'm on Verizon so I went with the Motorola Razr Maxx HD. I'm really happy with it. I noticed yesterday that it was Consumer Reports highest scored phone on Verizon -- beating out the S3, Note II, and iPhone 5.

BTW, if any of you are on a Verizon Android phone, disabling the Verizon bloatware apps is the best move you can make. That junk hogs up your RAM like you wouldn't believe.

[PedroDaGr8]

What Brock said on the phones. If I were on AT&T I'd go with the Nexus 4.

I'm on Verizon so I went with the Motorola Razr Maxx HD. I'm really happy with it. I noticed yesterday that it was Consumer Reports highest scored phone on Verizon -- beating out the S3, Note II, and iPhone 5.

BTW, if any of you are on a Verizon Android phone, disabling the Verizon bloatware apps is the best move you can make. That junk hogs up your RAM like you wouldn't believe.

My boss has the LG Nx4 (he switched from the SGIII to the Nx4) and I have to say that is a damn nice phone. It feels nice (which samsung really needs to up their game in that area) the screen is gorgeous, its fast, it runs stock android. Not much more you could want from that.

Yeah, disabling the bloatware is always a good thing. I'm rooted and S-Off but running the stock rom the first thing I did was load a script that removed ALL of the Sprint programs (plus pretty much everything else uncessary) from my phone. Freed up roughly 1/3 of the used RAM. This is why Verizon fights tooth and nail to prevent companies like HTC from allowing S-Off or Root like access on their phones. They want you to be forced to keep that bloatware because it is monetizing your phone for them.

[Darrell KSR]

Consumer Reports says get the latest Motorola Droids over the latest iPhone, too. They still have the Samsung S4 as their highest rated of the year, but truly, you can't go wrong at the top of the chart on any of the smartphones. It's like choosing your favorite flavor at some point; everybody's opinion will differ, but they're all great.

http://news.yahoo.com/consumer-repor...141527796.html

[PedroDaGr8]

consumer reports says get the latest motorola droids over the latest iphone, too. They still have the samsung s4 as their highest rated of the year, but truly, you can't go wrong at the top of the chart on any of the smartphones. It's like choosing your favorite flavor at some point; everybody's opinion will differ, but they're all great.

http://news.yahoo.com/consumer-repor...141527796.html

qft!

[CitizenBBN]

My boss has the LG Nx4 (he switched from the SGIII to the Nx4) and I have to say that is a damn nice phone. It feels nice (which samsung really needs to up their game in that area) the screen is gorgeous, its fast, it runs stock android. Not much more you could want from that.

Yeah, disabling the bloatware is always a good thing. I'm rooted and S-Off but running the stock rom the first thing I did was load a script that removed ALL of the Sprint programs (plus pretty much everything else uncessary) from my phone. Freed up roughly 1/3 of the used RAM. This is why Verizon fights tooth and nail to prevent companies like HTC from allowing S-Off or Root like access on their phones. They want you to be forced to keep that bloatware because it is monetizing your phone for them.

Dont' suppose you can recommend one for S4 and ATT to get rid of some of the junk?



Darrell -- they're all good, but Iphone is falling behind fast. S4 and the LG and HTC are all coming out with nicer screens, faster, pretty much everything just a bit better. I have a lot to learn about android still, but apple had better be coming up with something more than a biometric scanner b/c these other companies are really pushing.

[BarristerCat]

Dont' suppose you can recommend one for S4 and ATT to get rid of some of the junk?



Darrell -- they're all good, but Iphone is falling behind fast. S4 and the LG and HTC are all coming out with nicer screens, faster, pretty much everything just a bit better. I have a lot to learn about android still, but apple had better be coming up with something more than a biometric scanner b/c these other companies are really pushing.

I'm not an Apple basher by any stretch and still own/use several Apple products, but I have a growing sense that they're relying on user comfort with their UI to keep selling phones. Rather than aiming for any innovation or attempting to offer features that Apple users overwhelmingly desire (larger screen size option), Apple seems content to put out essentially the same phone/OS year after year knowing that most people will buy it just because they don't want to have to learn a new OS.

[CitizenBBN]

I'm not an Apple basher by any stretch and still own/use several Apple products, but I have a growing sense that they're relying on user comfort with their UI to keep selling phones. Rather than aiming for any innovation or attempting to offer features that Apple users overwhelmingly desire (larger screen size option), Apple seems content to put out essentially the same phone/OS year after year knowing that most people will buy it just because they don't want to have to learn a new OS.

The Steve Jobs philosophy (which is still ingrained at Apple) is a blessing and a curse. His obsession with control and sense that he knows the one best way to accomplish any task and the users should just do it his way has a great strength in that the Mac/Iphone world gives you a reliable, consistent product that lacks the crazy 10,000 ways to install a printer situation you see in Windows. The Mac has such tight controls on hardware/software that they get good quality that doesn't require user tweaking.

The downside is that tight control limits user innovation and customization, and it can diverge from the market when Jobs/Apple's view of how things should be diverges from how a lot of users think it should be.

Apple treats developers like bastard stepchildren. I have to go through hoops with them if I want to write an iphone app even if I don't offer it for sale, pay them a developer fee annually to be allowed to offer apps for the iphone plus have their blessing. For Android I can download the SDK (software development kit), plug in my phone and go at it. I have a few apps I want to write for the phone, guess which phone I bought to get my feet wet? If I ever happen to write something that could be commercially successful (I have a few ideas) I'll probably outsource writing the iphone version or at least get it all going on android first.

One other thing. If something does go wrong on a Mac, forget fixing it yourself very easy. The original Macs were built with these crazy deep allen wrench bolt slots so you had to have a special tool just to open the case, this at the same time you could order all the parts for a Windows machine and build it from scratch in your living room. That attitude hasn't changed since those early days.

I had the iphone for a long time, and like them, nothing wrong with them at all, but I see the same thing you see, and ended up switching. My S4 has a bigger screen, more flexibility (I've tried 4 different keyboards for this thing already), and if I do want to try to write apps I can be up and running with just it and the free SDK download from Google.

Oh, forgot about another HUGE feature -- I can take the case off this S4 and swap the SD card or battery, no sending it back to Apple to do something simple like change out a freakin' battery. Yep, Apple still has the "12" allen wrench to open the case" mentality they had in the 80s. It's served well in the consumer market, but there's a lot of users who would like a bit more control over their devices.