New to Andriod, need some advice.

[MikeModular281]

Hello everyone,
My name is Michael. I recently switched from my Iphone 4 to the HTC EVO platform. I want to gain a better understanding of the software and hopefully learn to love it. First off the only reason I made the switch is because I could no longer afford to pay for AT&T's ridiculous rates. Secondly I loved the simplicity of the Ip4 and would like to perhaps make my experience with the EVO the same or better. The main issue I have with the EVO is that in comparison the software seems to be very glitchy and often it takes the phone considerably longer to complete simple tasks such as post a picture to my facebook account than my Ip4 did. The EVO was rated by multiple technology guru's as a better platform than the Ip4, so I can safely say that I am the weakest link in the equation not the phone. Perhaps some of you who made the switch can help me with the transition by sharing your experiences and or advice. I honestly want to learn how to operate the telephone efficiently but right now it seems a little frustrating and a bit overwhelming. Pardon my vagueness it's just I cannot seem to put a concrete foundation on what the issue is other than general glitchiness (if that’s even a word) and long wait times for otherwise simple tasks. Another thing I cannot understand is that sometimes I notice that applications that I did not open or use will show up in my task killer app. Why is this happening? For example I may be using facebook and the opera mini web browser and when im complete with my tasks ill open my task manager app to kill those two apps. I will then find the Google Maps app open along with 20 others that I didn’t use, running for no reason. Lastly, I want to emphasis that I am by no means bashing the software or telephone. Thank you for any advice or feedback!

 

[tndank]

Take your 'task killer app' off there. That's probably the root of most of your problems.

 

[metro39]

Welcome to the darkside!

Agreed, remove the task manager. The Android platform is Linux based and has memory management built into the software. Those apps are essentially sleeping (not using memory) until you open them again. It is a habit that will take some getting used to if you grew up using a Windows PC. The open source developer community for Android has given the user access to limitless applications that can enhance the phones functionality. Check out the recommended apps for the Evo. You will find Android Central a very useful tool in your learning experience.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[eldub1]

Get rid of the task killer. Go to your application settings. Check your running apps. Kill the one that's not vital for phone operations.

 

[igotsanevo4g]

Yes, please get rid of your killer and reboot. While the killers were useful in the pre-froyo 2.2 days, they are now obsolete.
1/2 of the apps you close, reopen anyways, killing your battery.

As for general glitchy-ness, lend a few examples? I know thinking of some off the top of your head can be tough, so look out for them

 

[Complex Pants]

Ok, first Welcome to android! Second, Android is very different and very similar to iOS. The best analogy to compare the two OS's is that Android is like chess, while iOS is like checkers. Checkers (iOS) is very easy to pick up, but there isn't a lot of diversity to it and the games never really evolve. All the pieces are essentially the same and the moves are basically the same. Chess (Android) is a much more complex games that is a bit difficult to pick up. However, the move you play, the better you get and you start to realize how all the pieces work together.

Those extra Apps you see in you task killer are probably services that other Apps are running. Unlike iOS which only allows apps to multitask in 7 areas, Android allows full multitasking and these services are part of the multitasking components of your applications. You shouldn't kill them and as other has mentioned above you really don't need to use your task killer. Android does a very good job of managing itself.

The first thing you should do with your phone is clean off all of the home screens. You can do this by picking the "Clean Slate" scene. This will give you a chance to set up your home screens just the way you like, which is one of the core reasons why Android is cool. I assume you have figured out how to add widgets and apps to your home screen at this point, but if you need help, just ask!

Once you have this up and running, here are some tricks to getting around Android.

The Magnifying Glass button in the corner is your go to search button. Tapping this button will bring up a universal search option, so you can search your apps, contacts and the web. If you hold down this button, you bring up the voice command app. From here you can just tell your device to do stuff like call a contact or call a restaurant or business. Just say "call home depot" and the app will find and call the phone number of the closest home depot. Nifty eh?

Unlike iOS, Android uses lots of menus in each app. This is generally where you will find all of the settings for each app. They are not located in a single settings app like in iOS, so you generally never have to leave the app you are in to adjust how it is running. Just tap the menu key and you get modify all sorts of goodies. A lot of apps have common functions hidden in the menu too. For example, Gmail has the compose new email button in the menu!

Quickly switching apps is done by holding down the home button. This will bring up a window that will let you switch between the last 8 applications you had open.

Those are pretty much the basics, is there anything specific you are having trouble with?