A few Galaxy Nexus Questions

[birdbird]

Hey guys, got my Galaxy Nexus a little less than a week ago. I've already manually flashed to takju JB thanks to Andrew's stickied guide.

I still have a few questions though.

1. Is there any way I can customize my lock screen without downloading WidgetLocker (forgot the exact name) or removing the lock screen? I'm mostly just looking to be able to see my notifications, weather, and percentage of the battery I have left on the lock screen. Nothing else, don't need to launch any apps or anything.

2. Is there still nothing like the GoodReader app for Apple devices?

3. What exactly does "rooting" do? I'm still a bit confused after reading a few articles.

4. Does anyone know what files the default Video player that comes with the phone is compatible with?

5. Is there a way to display the Battery % next to the battery icon on the top status(?) bar? Or do I have to get an app for that ...

6. What are some of the more popular and useful Apps? I did Google some and found some, but just want to see what you guys use for weather/clock etc.

7. How do we uninstall the apps that the phone came with like Google Earth or Currents etc?

I have a few more, but can't seem to remember them offhand.

Thanks to whoever replies!

 

[randall2580]

Let me try my hand at the ones I think I know:

3. Rooting - in order to keep dummies from screwing up their phones, when the manufacturer loads the operating system onto the phone - they in effect lock it down so you can't change the very basic operations of the phone, and of course, remove bloatware. When you root, you effectively take the "lock" off the phone and give yourself "SuperUser" status allowing you access to the inside workings of the phone. This can obviously be very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

4. MP4, H.264 and H.263 codecs for video

6. One more clock widget is my fav clock app

7. No way to remove the core apps without root and even there I would be careful.

 

[birdbird]

Let me try my hand at the ones I think I know:

3. Rooting - in order to keep dummies from screwing up their phones, when the manufacturer loads the operating system onto the phone - they in effect lock it down so you can't change the very basic operations of the phone, and of course, remove bloatware. When you root, you effectively take the "lock" off the phone and give yourself "SuperUser" status allowing you access to the inside workings of the phone. This can obviously be very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

4. MP4, H.264 and H.263 codecs for video

6. One more clock widget is my fav clock app

7. No way to remove the core apps without root and even there I would be careful.

Oh, thanks! I don't think I'll try rooting then for the time being.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

1. Is there any way I can customize my lock screen without downloading WidgetLocker (forgot the exact name) or removing the lock screen? I'm mostly just looking to be able to see my notifications, weather, and percentage of the battery I have left on the lock screen. Nothing else, don't need to launch any apps or anything.

Nope, you're stuck with stock unless you add a lockscreen app.

3. What exactly does "rooting" do? I'm still a bit confused after reading a few articles.

Rooting simply gives you the option of granting administrator access to the phone with apps that ask for it. I would do a lot of reading and make sure you understand the pros and cons of rooting before you decide to go that route.

5. Is there a way to display the Battery % next to the battery icon on the top status(?) bar? Or do I have to get an app for that ...

Nope, not a stock option. There are plenty of widgets that will do it. I find I'm better off not knowing the %. You end up draining more battery worrying about the % than just using the device .

6. What are some of the more popular and useful Apps? I did Google some and found some, but just want to see what you guys use for weather/clock etc.

SO MANY OPTIONS. Just go browse around the Play Store a bit . We also do an "Apps of the Week" listing every week on Android Central.

7. How do we uninstall the apps that the phone came with like Google Earth or Currents etc?

You can't uninstall without root, you can "disable" them though. They'll be as good as uninstalled but still take up space on the phone. You can do this by going into the apps list and selecting each one and disabling it. Be aware that some apps when disabled will cause issues because other apps are dependent on it.