Questions from a former BB user

[AprilStorm]

Hi,
I took delivery of a Samsung Galaxy S last Friday and have spent some time over the weekend getting set up and familiarising myself with the phone. I had the Blackberry Storm 1 (9500) previously and, while it took a lot of criticism, I had it working well for me. I changed because I wanted wifi and more memory.

After the weekend playing with the Galaxy, I am impressed with the screen, the speed, swype inputting, the range of apps etc. I had been using a lot of google products so the integration with those is excellent. Astrid seems a good product and it syncs with RTM. I like having voip on the phone.

However, there are some basic things that either are missing or I cannot find.

I thought the user guide very skimpy. You need more detail than the tiny booklet that was obviously designed just to fit into the box, rather than inform the user. I realise this is more samsung than Android.

Overall, the phone does not seem to be designed for quick use. I had Quicklaunch app on the BB and could access all my key apps with very few keystrokes - usually 1/2 keystrokes. I am finding the Galaxy very slow -

With the Galaxy, its seems much slower to get to the apps that I want unlock, navigate, open, confirm etc. Even dialling a number was slow - enter number, press call then you're asked to confirm before it dials. Strange.

Even accessing Gmail is much slower. I get a notification. I then go to Gmail but which account - I have to get overview of the accounts.

Is there anything like Quicklaunch for android? Can I put folders with key apps on the home screen?

The lack of notifications is also an issue - I miss the led.

The alarm did not sound this morning - there seems to be no bedside mode. I had my phone off so the alarm was off.

I think it is less of a phone and more of a little computer. But the phone part is very important to me.

I suspect there are answers to all my frustrations out there but I am finding it hard to find them. If anyone can point me to a good resource for recovering BB users please point me in the right direction.

Thanks

 

[Q-fugee]

I still own one of each. I can't get rid of the BB until I find a replacement for some specific BES+MDS applications I use for work.

I thought the user guide very skimpy. You need more detail than the tiny booklet that was obviously designed just to fit into the box, rather than inform the user. I realise this is more samsung than Android.

Actually, the phone makers give the carriers next to nothing, and it's up to the carrier's marketing folks to make the instructions. In the case of Android there's even less because the handset maker paid nothing for it and gets little support.

Overall, the phone does not seem to be designed for quick use. I had Quicklaunch app on the BB and could access all my key apps with very few keystrokes - usually 1/2 keystrokes. I am finding the Galaxy very slow ...
Is there anything like Quicklaunch for android? Can I put folders with key apps on the home screen?

There are alternate "home screen" or launcher applications out there that can replace Samsung's TouchWiz and include support for gestures that can execute macros or launch programs. There are also standalone gesture applications that can work with the existing UI. Several replacement Launchers have home-screen folders. You can search the marketplace for them.

Speaking of which, I would reccomend AppBrain as a replacement for the standard Market application. It's much better for searching, and you can search on the web and then "push" apps to your phone. For every problem you're having, AppBrain's website search can probably find a solution.

As for speeding up your Android, I'd look in the Galaxy forums for the Tips & Tricks sticky. In short, there's a lot of junk running on these things that you can kill with a task manager (or not, there are those who think killing tasks does no good).

Which Galaxy did you get? I don't think you mentioned it in your post. There are specific forums for each.

Even accessing Gmail is much slower. I get a notification. I then go to Gmail but which account - I have to get overview of the accounts.

Yep. Email sucks. There's no polite way to put this. It's not real push email like the BB, and thanks to RIM patents it never will be. If you are an Email-centered user, stick with BB. People forget that Android has no mail client. Gmail isn't part of the stock Android, its a separate app that the handset maker pays for. If they choose not to pony up, the handset makers work with the carriers to slap something on the phone. Most go with Google's separate Gmail app, but they have to stick on a completely different but similar-looking application for Exchange access. There are many third-party mail replacements that try to integrate all the mail doodads that carriers slap on. Touchdown is the best for Exchange clients but it can't grab Gmail mail. It's all a compromise around the one client you use the most. The rest will suck. The BB is the only phone that really integrates all of your email into one consistent client app.
The same goes for contacts, to-do lists and sticky notes. It's all a compromise hogepoge of different apps glued together to meet your needs.

The lack of notifications is also an issue - I miss the led.

There are hacks for various phones to do things with the LED. You'd have to search the forums to see if anyone's done anything with the Galaxy you own. I for one hate the BB's all-knowing-all-seeing-blinking-red-light-of-doom. That damn thing just burns a hole in your retina from accross the room and dares you to ignore it. I'd like to know how much stress that damn thing induced on the population as a whole on weekends. I'm sure it sent some people to the emergency room with chest pains.

The alarm did not sound this morning - there seems to be no bedside mode. I had my phone off so the alarm was off.

Yep, there's no equivalent to the "power down at night" mode of the BB. You'll need a bedside charger for the Galaxy.

I think it is less of a phone and more of a little computer. But the phone part is very important to me.

That's the trade-off. BB is unmatched for email, security, VPN access to corporate assets, battery life and in general replacing your secretary. If your life is centered around the corporate LAN you're better off with the BB. It's built to be a thin client to a powerful corporate LAN. On its own, the BB flat-out sucks at everything else.

Android is a very small general-purpose computer built to do everything independently and access the Google/Gmail cloud for server-side data. If your life doesn't center around that cloud you're going to be frustrated. Like any general-purpose computer, you'll have to wait for user-space applications to replace what's built-in to the BB's Operating System.

So, can you enjoy all the Android coolness long enough to wait for third parties to build all the other applications to replace what's on the BB? Eventually, they will.

--Qfg

P.S. You may get more hits on this thread if you move it to the specific Galaxy forum for your handset.

 

[AprilStorm]

As for speeding up your Android, I'd look in the Galaxy forums for the Tips & Tricks sticky. In short, there's a lot of junk running on these things that you can kill with a task manager (or not, there are those who think killing tasks does no good).

Which Galaxy did you get? I don't think you mentioned it in your post. There are specific forums for each.

Sorry, I was not clear enough there.
The phone - the hardware is not the issue. It is the software, the number of keystrokes needed to get things done that I find slow.
I am coming from a storm 1. You would not expect me to find a Galaxy slow!

I have the i9000. I think models are named differently here in Europe. We only have one galaxy S.

Yep. Email sucks. There's no polite way to put this. It's not real push email like the BB, and thanks to RIM patents it never will be.

Again, its not email itself I have a problem with, its the number of keystrokes to get at the right account. The push mail with Gmail is as good as my BB was.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[milominderbinde]

I think that most of these is in the Getting Started with Android - Tips and Tricks. Here are some of your answers from that Guide:

I thought the user guide very skimpy.
See above.

Overall, the phone does not seem to be designed for quick use.
See Multitasking. With 2 taps you can switch back where you left off to your
• Recent Apps: Long Press Home (for 1 second) > {App}.
• 16 Homescreen Apps: Tap Home > {App}.

In addition, you can put Folder icons on your homescreen allowing you to have up to 256 apps just 3 taps away: Tap Home > {Folder} > {App}. Notice my Websites, Tools, Media, Multimedia, Reference, Productivity, and Fun folders. I have 140 apps 3 taps away.

EVO with FolderOrganizer Folders & Icons and Earth Live Wallpaper​

The lack of notifications is also an issue - I miss the led.
• Missed Call lets you set different repeating reminder sounds. LEDS, and vibration patterns for missed calls, emails, and messages.

Even accessing Gmail is much slower. I get a notification. I then go to Gmail but which account - I have to get overview of the accounts.
When a Notification appears in the Topbar, just swipe the Topbar down to see your list of pending notifications that will look like this:

If you have an email, tap it and you will go to that email clearing that Notification. You can also clear all of the Notifications at once.

I had my phone off so the alarm was off.
That's just a setting in the Clock to alarm even if the volume is off. If the stock click does not have this feature download one of the others from the marketplace.

There seems to be no bedside mode.
The silent profile works really well. Consider an app like Juice Defender to turn on Airplane mode and turn off sounds at a certain time each night and turn them back to daytime mode each morning. It can also turn WiFi on and off as available, etc.

There are a couple hundred other tips and tricks like this in the Getting Started with Android - Tips and Tricks.

 

[Q-fugee]

Ah. If keystrokes are the big problem, you'll definitely want to look at alternate launchers to replace TouchWiz, or some of the macro/gesture software out there. I don't use any of them, I just put what's important to me on the home screen. You should be able to replace the generic Gmail icon with one that goes straight to the desired inbox on your home screen. I have one icon for each inbox on my home screen and it works okay.

Since the European models are sold carrier-unlocked, you may have better choices than some of the junk we get loaded on our phones.

--Qfg

 

[AprilStorm]

There are a couple hundred other tips and tricks like this in the Getting Started with Android - Tips and Tricks Guide

Thanks, the guide and your answers really helped.

I have it set up now so that its quite efficient. It will take time to get everything the way I'd like but I have most of it now.

Thanks again.

PS had to edit the URL - I don't have enough posts for posting URLs