New to Android

[Seeker2787]

Hi all... I'm brand new to both the forums and to Android. I was a blackberry user and read about the Android OS and was hooked. After playing with the phones in the store, I ended up going with the Devour.

I just got home and it's charging as we speak (or type...whatever) My question is what should I do first? I read somewhere (maybe here) that I should backup my device right off the bat. That way if I goof something up I can hopefully fix it. Any advice on how to go about doing it? I don't want to be a complete newbie, but after some issues with my blackberry, I'm just wanting to make sure I have all my bases covered.

So if anyone has some advice on apps that should be installed or settings that would help out an Android beginner I'd definitely appreciate it. In the meantime I'll be checking out the various "Top Apps" posts and things...

Thanks for any input

 

[Raptor007]

I will add that as a former BlackBerry user myself I am also looking for a quick intro, although it may seem we need to dive in. I decided after reading about the HTC Incredible and my company VP how great Android was that I should well do what I do best dive in head first.

I sold off ALL of my BB stuff this weekend, so at this moment I have just a basic cellphone for about 11 days until the Incredible arrives. The upside is I have those days to learn a bit about what I got myself into.

So any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated even if they are simply to point to an existing thread that may be buried deep inside here.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Welcome to Android and the site guys!

My advice -

Make sure your calendar and contacts are sync'd through Gmail.

Then go hog wild for a week or two. Download any and every app you think you would like, try out all the things you read about* (some of them require that you're rooted, so not all will work). If things wig out, just factory data wipe and restore from the settings menu and try again.

Read the front page, and for sure subscribe to the podcast. Remember, ALL of us were in your shoes not too long ago. If there's anything you come across that you think we could spend more time exploring and talking about, PM one of the staff here. We will certainly forward it where it needs to go

Once you have a feel for what you want out of your new Android phone, invest in a good back-up app from the market, wipe it clean and start fresh.

* One thing to add here - Android is still taking baby steps, and some of the tips and tricks you read about have changed - most for the better . If something doesn't work as you'd expect it to, don't get discouraged, just ask a few questions and try again.

 

[Cory Streater]

And be sure to read all of Jerry's articles