Android questions from a noob

[Poitings]

Hi. I have a new Galaxy note 10.1. I just made the switch from iOS. It's running ICS.

Can someone please answer these questions please.

1. Is it possible to alphabetise my photo albums? I have about 30 photo albums on my Note 10.1 and they are not arranged alphabetically and there is not option.

2. The long black black bar at the bottom of the screen with the 'back', 'home' icon etc is always up, even when I'm in Photoshop touch and it obscures some of my editing. Is there a way I can dismiss it to get all of the screen real estate?

3. What's the difference between the Google play store and the Samsung app store? Are there apps in the Samsung one that I can't get in the Google play store?

4. In the promo video I saw the guy with the multi screen use the S Pen to draw around and cut out a PNG and drag it to his email or s note. So far I could only do that in PS touch. How do I do it in all programs and web pages?

 

[Raymond Tan]

1.Don't use the stock gallery, use Quickpic it can be arranged alphabetically, and has a lot of other usefull features. Most other gallery apps are better than stock.

2.The black bar can not be removed. There would then be no home, or back buttons if you could. I just think of it as part of the bezel or frame of the device.

3.I think all the apps in the Samsung Store are in the Play Store, but not the other way around. Some apps that are pre-installed on the Note need to be updated through the Samsung App Store(like PS Touch) unless you also bought it (or installed it) in the Play Store. The Samsung Store is behind in updating PS Touch so I just bought it in the Play Store so I could always have the latest version.

4. The feature that you described is a function of JellyBean. They have already started rolling out the JellyBean update(the U.S. has not gotten it yet).

 

[J HighNote]

1.Don't use the stock gallery, use Quickpic it can be arranged alphabetically, and has a lot of other usefull features. Most other gallery apps are better than stock.

2.The black bar can not be removed. There would then be no home, or back buttons if you could. I just think of it as part of the bezel or frame of the device.

3.I think all the apps in the Samsung Store are in the Play Store, but not the other way around. Some apps that are pre-installed on the Note need to be updated through the Samsung App Store(like PS Touch) unless you also bought it (or installed it) in the Play Store. The Samsung Store is behind in updating PS Touch so I just bought it in the Play Store so I could always have the latest version.

4. The feature that you described is a function of JellyBean. They have already started rolling out the JellyBean update(the U.S. has not gotten it yet).

Raymond, great answers for 1 through 3. For both of you, I can help with the way to cut out a piece of a web page and slide it onto an Snote. Start the web (using stock browser) hit the multi screen and open S Notes on the other side and open either the note you want to add something to, or start a new note. Use the S pen and holding down the button, do long tap on the web page. It will do the screen shot just of the web page and then it will put that screen shot over the web page side. Up at the top left of the screen shot, there are the two tool choices to use to select what you want to copy. Tap your choice of outline to select, then either draw or use the rectangle to outline what you want. When it's right, select done at the top right. You should now be able to slide it directly to your S note using your S pen. When you slide it onto the note, you should get a menu of options next to the graphic. Pick copy and you should have it in your note. You can resize it, move it around, write on it. If, at some point, you want to move it, or resize it, just do a very long hold on it and the outline around the graphic will reappear and you can make your changes.

 

[Poitings]

Thank's guys. Very impressed by your answers.

I followed the instructions on the capture and I've got it now. It's pretty awesome. Does this mean that when Jelly Bean comes to my Note 10.1 I can do this for any app and I won't need to use the multi screen? I'm in the UK by the way and my Note 10.1 says there is no new update and I'm on ICS.

A few observations on your answers.

1. I downloaded Quick pic and it took me about 4 seconds to prefer it. I thought I might have to do a lot of work to transfer everything to it but it seems to be a portal to all the photos on my tablet rather than a storage system so it's all done. All alphabetised and I much prefer the album view as they are a bit smaller so I can see more on the screen and also I felt a little uncomfortable looking at the stock Gallery view as their is no gap or boarder so they all tend to bleed into one another. It's a big relief. One question though. When designing the stock Gallery, why would they 'not' give an option to alphabetise the folders? It seems basic and a no brainer to me.

2. I understand that I'll have to just think of it as part of the bezel but that means I have less screen space than I thought. When I was going through a PS touch tutorial online with my tablet the bar really did get in the way of part of the image. I guess I have to pinch the image smaller in view of the bars permanency.

3. I guess I can delete the Samsung app store from my front pages and it will just reside in the 'Apps' section. I like to only have apps I use in front of me. I hated that certain apps on my iPad (soon to be sold) couldn't be deleted.

* Additional thoughts and questions.

Before I tranfered to Android I did some reading and as I transferred to be free of iOS's ridiculous restrictions I accepted what I read about Android being rough. In fact I think its really beautiful and much smoother than iOS or even Windows. I think it's the most beautiful OS I've ever used. Google need to do a better job at getting this over to the other potential iOS refugees so as to encourage them to switch.

Q: What's the best calender app? I have the stock one and also S Planner so far.

Q: Whats the best 'Contacts' book for Android/Samsung? It truly drove me crazy on my iPad that I couldn't categorize (Work, friends, church etc). I want to have the option to input a contact and their info and photo etc and give them multiple labels such as 'work only' or 'work and friend' or 'friend only' or 'friend and church' etc.

Q: Shouldn't programmers design an OS to learn the user rather than the other way around. I have all 32 of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas in my files. One per folder and all in a folder called 'Sonatas' which its self is in a folder called Beethoven. However, they are listed Piano Sonata 1, Piano Sonata 2 and on. The computer sees Piano Sonata 11 as coming before Piano Sonata 2 as it thinks 11 is something like 1.1 so I have to call 1 '01' etc so as to accommodate the software. Would it be that difficult for programmers to create software that could know how to arrange number sequentially in the way humans think?

Also, would you agree that it would be good if they could rubberise the tip of the S Pen a little or something to create a bit of drag/resistance as it sometimes slides around in a way that feels like there is a frictionless energy field between it and the screen and I feel less control due to this.

 

[Rockdog97]

Q: What's the best calender app? I have the stock one and also S Planner so far.

Also, would you agree that it would be good if they could rubberise the tip of the S Pen a little or something to create a bit of drag/resistance as it sometimes slides around in a way that feels like there is a frictionless energy field between it and the screen and I feel less control due to this.

I use a Calendar called Business Calendar Free.. it's an awesome calendar program.. (Google Play)

Your S Pen should have come with replacement tips.. I'm using the black one with the white tip and that seems to be a little more "rubbery" than the white/white tip..

 

[J HighNote]

Thank's guys. Very impressed by your answers.

I followed the instructions on the capture and I've got it now. It's pretty awesome. Does this mean that when Jelly Bean comes to my Note 10.1 I can do this for any app and I won't need to use the multi screen? I'm in the UK by the way and my Note 10.1 says there is no new update and I'm on ICS.

A few observations on your answers.

1. I downloaded Quick pic and it took me about 4 seconds to prefer it. I thought I might have to do a lot of work to transfer everything to it but it seems to be a portal to all the photos on my tablet rather than a storage system so it's all done. All alphabetised and I much prefer the album view as they are a bit smaller so I can see more on the screen and also I felt a little uncomfortable looking at the stock Gallery view as their is no gap or boarder so they all tend to bleed into one another. It's a big relief. One question though. When designing the stock Gallery, why would they 'not' give an option to alphabetise the folders? It seems basic and a no brainer to me.

2. I understand that I'll have to just think of it as part of the bezel but that means I have less screen space than I thought. When I was going through a PS touch tutorial online with my tablet the bar really did get in the way of part of the image. I guess I have to pinch the image smaller in view of the bars permanency.

3. I guess I can delete the Samsung app store from my front pages and it will just reside in the 'Apps' section. I like to only have apps I use in front of me. I hated that certain apps on my iPad (soon to be sold) couldn't be deleted.

* Additional thoughts and questions.

Before I tranfered to Android I did some reading and as I transferred to be free of iOS's ridiculous restrictions I accepted what I read about Android being rough. In fact I think its really beautiful and much smoother than iOS or even Windows. I think it's the most beautiful OS I've ever used. Google need to do a better job at getting this over to the other potential iOS refugees so as to encourage them to switch.

Q: What's the best calender app? I have the stock one and also S Planner so far.

Q: Whats the best 'Contacts' book for Android/Samsung? It truly drove me crazy on my iPad that I couldn't categorize (Work, friends, church etc). I want to have the option to input a contact and their info and photo etc and give them multiple labels such as 'work only' or 'work and friend' or 'friend only' or 'friend and church' etc.

Q: Shouldn't programmers design an OS to learn the user rather than the other way around. I have all 32 of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas in my files. One per folder and all in a folder called 'Sonatas' which its self is in a folder called Beethoven. However, they are listed Piano Sonata 1, Piano Sonata 2 and on. The computer sees Piano Sonata 11 as coming before Piano Sonata 2 as it thinks 11 is something like 1.1 so I have to call 1 '01' etc so as to accommodate the software. Would it be that difficult for programmers to create software that could know how to arrange number sequentially in the way humans think?

Also, would you agree that it would be good if they could rubberise the tip of the S Pen a little or something to create a bit of drag/resistance as it sometimes slides around in a way that feels like there is a frictionless energy field between it and the screen and I feel less control due to this.

You are way ahead of me with most of your questions and what you're doing with your Note. I envy you all that experience. I can make a suggestion about the very last part regarding the tip of the S pen. You should have gotten a funny looking metal ring and some little S pen tips with your Note. The ones that are mostly black with just the very tip, where it's rounded, being white, are the rubbery kind of nibs. You might find you like that a lot more. I just changed one tonight and was surprised at how easy it was to do.