New to Android - and the forum!

[mwatson2]

Hey folks,

I've been an apple user since the drop of the iPod. I've been using the iPhone since its release and always jailbroke it for the use of various tweaks. I recently decided to give Android a shot because, why the hell not. Figured I'd find me a good forum since I'll clearly have a lot to learn (including the wide world of rooting). Hope to learn a lot from you all. See ya 'round.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Welcome to the forums! What phone did you get (if you've bought one already)?

There's a lot to love about Android, but might be a bit of a learning curve if all you've had is iOS. This is as good of a place as any to start:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/137252-apple-users-guide-android.html

 

[mwatson2]

Haha, yeah the more I read the more I feel that anxiety of learning.

The hardware is the catch for me at the moment, perhaps you could help ease my mind. I'm on Verizon at the moment which is paid through my job so I don't have any plans to change. Between the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 I seem to prefer the HTC. I think it's probably the iPhone-like build that attracts me the most; I like the heavy, dense feel when I hold it. The RSS feed page they have is also pretty nice. I'm a blog-a-holic so I love that I could read through there, although I'm perfectly happy with launching Feedly. As I stated before I was used to all the options of customization through jailbreaking iOS, so I'm excited about rooting my Android and getting even MORE options.

The fact the Verizon HTC One isn't here yet has me curious. If I wait and pick it up on release, will I be able to root it out of the box or will I have to wait for a root method to be developed for that provider? If so, what is the normal turn-around time on that? I'm not sure I really dislike the S4 for any reason, so knowing that I could tweak away the day I buy it would really influence me there.

Thanks for the help!
(Also, great thread you linked!)

 

[Golfdriver97]

Haha, yeah the more I read the more I feel that anxiety of learning.

The hardware is the catch for me at the moment, perhaps you could help ease my mind. I'm on Verizon at the moment which is paid through my job so I don't have any plans to change. Between the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 I seem to prefer the HTC. I think it's probably the iPhone-like build that attracts me the most; I like the heavy, dense feel when I hold it. The RSS feed page they have is also pretty nice. I'm a blog-a-holic so I love that I could read through there, although I'm perfectly happy with launching Feedly. As I stated before I was used to all the options of customization through jailbreaking iOS, so I'm excited about rooting my Android and getting even MORE options.

The fact the Verizon HTC One isn't here yet has me curious. If I wait and pick it up on release, will I be able to root it out of the box or will I have to wait for a root method to be developed for that provider? If so, what is the normal turn-around time on that? I'm not sure I really dislike the S4 for any reason, so knowing that I could tweak away the day I buy it would really influence me there.

Thanks for the help!
(Also, great thread you linked!)

Welcome to the forums!
The great thing about Android is that most of the customizing can be done without rooting. I would suggest to learn android for three or four days, then you can download a different launcher. A launcher is a User Interface, and some allow more customizing than the stock ones. Some of the popular ones are ADW, Apex, GO and Nova. I like Nova myself. You can custom the color theme, grid layout of the app drawer and homescreens, change the screen animation and speed, change number of icons in the dock, number of dock pages, plus several more options.

 

[dss2000]

Haha, yeah the more I read the more I feel that anxiety of learning.

The hardware is the catch for me at the moment, perhaps you could help ease my mind. I'm on Verizon at the moment which is paid through my job so I don't have any plans to change. Between the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 I seem to prefer the HTC. I think it's probably the iPhone-like build that attracts me the most; I like the heavy, dense feel when I hold it. The RSS feed page they have is also pretty nice. I'm a blog-a-holic so I love that I could read through there, although I'm perfectly happy with launching Feedly. As I stated before I was used to all the options of customization through jailbreaking iOS, so I'm excited about rooting my Android and getting even MORE options.

The fact the Verizon HTC One isn't here yet has me curious. If I wait and pick it up on release, will I be able to root it out of the box or will I have to wait for a root method to be developed for that provider? If so, what is the normal turn-around time on that? I'm not sure I really dislike the S4 for any reason, so knowing that I could tweak away the day I buy it would really influence me there.

Thanks for the help!
(Also, great thread you linked!)

I think the difference between the HTC One and S4 comes down to battery/charging, camera and build and the importance of each to each individual. Look at the following differences to determine which fits your needs the best.
Battery: S4 is removable so you can bring extra's for times of high consumption and limited access to charger. If after 2 years or so battery no longer holds a charge just swap it out. If you want to change backs because it is scratched or just want a different look you can do that with the S4. (however I know many who never change their battery, for me it is essential)
Wireless Charging: you can change the back of the S4 to get wireless charging, HTC One doesn't do wireless charging.
Build: HTC One has a more upscale feel, metal rather than plastic. If you plan to enclose in a case anyway may not be that much of a factor.
Speakers: HTC One has dual front facing speakers for better louder sound. Eliminates need for accessory speakers such as a Jambox
Camera: S4 has higher resolution but HTC one has better low light performance
Sense vs Touchwiz: personal choice, or just install your own launcher

Think about these factors when deciding and just play with them both to see which suits you.