Support Group for those switching from WebOS (palm pre) to Nexus S 4g

[milominderbinde]

It's not the same. I use a persons initials to find their number relatively frequently...

The ability to type initials to bring up a contact is a feature unique to webOS. In Android, to find you in my contacts, I would type "LI" or "NG".

But why do you want to look at a contact? Maybe you don't want to look at the contact at all? Maybe you want to text, email, or call them? So why not save the step of finding the contact?

Install Voice Actions and Voice Search. If you are running late, you can text Linh without driving. Long-press Search then say
"Text Linh Will be there in 15 minutes"

With Android you skip the step of looking up the contact. And you don't have to type anything.

I'm waiting for google to let me clear a notification without having to actually view the message...

I do like the ability in webOS to swipe away Notifications without looking at them. So how I do it in Android is tap the ones I want to see and then Clear the rest.

 

[NOMster]

You could also try dialer one.

 

[theotherlinh]

The ability to type initials to bring up a contact is a feature unique to webOS. In Android, to find you in my contacts, I would type "LI" or "NG".

But why do you want to look at a contact? Maybe you don't want to look at the contact at all? Maybe you want to text, email, or call them? So why not save the step of finding the contact?

Install Voice Actions and Voice Search. If you are running late, you can text Linh without driving. Long-press Search then say
"Text Linh Will be there in 15 minutes"

With Android you skip the step of looking up the contact. And you don't have to type anything.

Voice control will certainly be something to get used to (if it works well for me). And an appeal coming from webOS... I've wanted to have a simple voice recorder for a while (it's webOS 2.x only, and well, I'm a first day Pre owner that was let down).

But, just mostly saying it's touches like that I will miss, and something Android can certainly emulate.

I do like the ability in webOS to swipe away Notifications without looking at them. So how I do it in Android is tap the ones I want to see and then Clear the rest.

But doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? Say I get a couple of text messages from a couple of different ppl, some short, some long. I can already see the short ones, so no point in opening it, and then I can just swipe it away while leaving the others alone.

Maybe I don't understand how notifications work completely on android.

 

[milominderbinde]

for those that will miss the card view there is an app called iching thumb that is very similar to card view on the pre. as well as wave launcher for quick app access. other apps that are similar are virtual task switcher and perfect task switcher. I like iching thumb the best but it doesnt hurt to have options. Here are the links below:

Iching Thumb
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bw.flipit&feature=search_result

Virtual Task Switcher
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.esdmobile.taskswitcher

Perfect Task Switcher
https://market.android.com/details?id=org.rabold.android.taskswitcher

Wave Launcher
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mobilemerit.wavelauncher

Dock4Droid
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.urbandroid.dock

I had tried all of these but Perfect Task Switcher and opted to just not use any of them. But Perfect Task Switcher is amazing. I will add it to the Palm webOS Homebrewer's Guide to Android.

Nice!

 

[Slosh01]

Enough of the Pre-

I posted the following on the Introductions Thread earlier.

http://forum.androidcentral.com/introductions/89250-enough-pre.html

Thanks for creating this thread. I am really looking forward to moving on from the Pre- and learning the Android OS.

I think I will miss the Touchstone & Synergy the most. The hardware, I will definitely not!!

Slosh

 

[j_grouchy]

I cannot seem to add my facebook account. Just goes back to the previous page when I try.

 

[jonesey#AC]

Nice to see a lot of familiar users in here from Precentral
I just switched to the Nexus S last week, after 2 years of Pre. I am sold on the hardware, but not the OS. I knew that I didn't like Android... that's putting it mildly... but thought that maybe the pure Google version would be better.
Here's my problems so far...
Can't search email in stock app. (gmail is not my primary account, and I like it that way.)
No SMS tones per contact in stock app.
Searching with initials for contacts, and hard key shortcuts.
Multi-tasking... works, but not elegant. Apps don't really shut down... so I have to manually tell apps like NewsRoom and Doggcatcher to refresh, since I don't like having them constantly search in background.
Etc, etc....
I've tried some apps to get this functionality (K/9 for email, Go SMS for tones, etc.) but I'm not really impressed... they just run aside the stock core apps. So two things running.
I love patching on webOS... simply add functions to stock apps without replacing anything.

I'm really trying to learn and love this Nexus, and Android... but I miss the elegance and intuitive user experience. So far Android seems to me a powerful, fast, yet clunky machine. Hence the robot?

I'm hoping to be shown I'm wrong... will keep reading this forum and hoping...
But there's no doubt that if Sprint announces Pre3, or even iPhone, later on... I'll jump right back to what just works.

 

[piaband]

Nice to see a lot of familiar users in here from Precentral
I just switched to the Nexus S last week, after 2 years of Pre. I am sold on the hardware, but not the OS. I knew that I didn't like Android... that's putting it mildly... but thought that maybe the pure Google version would be better.
Here's my problems so far...
Can't search email in stock app. (gmail is not my primary account, and I like it that way.)
No SMS tones per contact in stock app.
Searching with initials for contacts, and hard key shortcuts.
Multi-tasking... works, but not elegant. Apps don't really shut down... so I have to manually tell apps like NewsRoom and Doggcatcher to refresh, since I don't like having them constantly search in background.
Etc, etc....
I've tried some apps to get this functionality (K/9 for email, Go SMS for tones, etc.) but I'm not really impressed... they just run aside the stock core apps. So two things running.
I love patching on webOS... simply add functions to stock apps without replacing anything.

I'm really trying to learn and love this Nexus, and Android... but I miss the elegance and intuitive user experience. So far Android seems to me a powerful, fast, yet clunky machine. Hence the robot?

I'm hoping to be shown I'm wrong... will keep reading this forum and hoping...
But there's no doubt that if Sprint announces Pre3, or even iPhone, later on... I'll jump right back to what just works.

I understand where you are coming from. I was a day one pre owner. I miss a lot about webos.

You really have to stop comparing them. I know thats hard to do but it's the only way you will enjoy something else. android offers a ton of things you just can't get on webos. Mainly the apps but a lot of other things too. The swype keyboard is awesome. The ability to change nearly any app on the phone.

Android is just different. You just need to give it time and put the same effort into learning what makes it great like you did with webos.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[NOMster]

Let me amend my earlier post. Making a shortcut to 4g settings does work with launcher pro.
Long press a blank spot
Choose shortcuts
Choose activities
Choose 4g settings
Click the dialog that opens.

Your shortcut will be on the screen and it will work. I just made it several times and used it. Not sure why it was force closing earlier. Most likely user error.

 

[milominderbinde]

...Here's my problems so far..
Can't search email in stock app. (gmail is not my primary account, and I like it that way.)

From the Getting Started, Email Tips and Tricks:

Sort and Search
- ? Emails are sorted by most recent date first but you can sort them any way you like: Tap Menu > Sort
- ? Search Email: While in Email tap Search -or- Home > Search and tap the blue G button for Email only.
​

Of get K-9 Mail for dozens more great added features.

No SMS tones per contact in stock app.

From the Getting Started, Setup Tips and Tricks:

Set Alerts and Ringtones
To set ringtones and alerts:...
? Home > All Apps > People > {contact} > {Ringtone}
​

Searching with initials for contacts, and hard key shortcuts.

Yes, you would probably have to type "jons" to find Jonsey's contact instead of "tj". But was the point to look at a contact or to do something like send them a text? To send a text to Jonsey, you might long-press Search and say "Text Jonsey Are you still going to the party tomorrow"

That is one keystroke with Voice Actions and Voice Search or about 50 keystrokes in webOS.

Multi-tasking... works, but not elegant. Apps don't really shut down...

Try Perfect Task Switcher for Recent App cards like Ice Cream Sandwich will have. Click X to close an app.

I wrote the Pre Getting Started guides because of how frustrated people were trying to find everything. Some people are great at change. But after helping a zillion people you know some should not try to change.

 

[jonesey#AC]

From the Getting Started, Email Tips and Tricks:

Sort and Search
- ? Emails are sorted by most recent date first but you can sort them any way you like: Tap Menu > Sort
- ? Search Email: While in Email tap Search -or- Home > Search and tap the blue G button for Email only.
​

Of get K-9 Mail for dozens more great added features.

From the Getting Started, Setup Tips and Tricks:

Set Alerts and Ringtones
To set ringtones and alerts:...
? Home > All Apps > People > {contact} > {Ringtone}
​

I wrote the Pre Getting Started guides because of how frustrated people were trying to find everything. Some people are great at change. But after helping a zillion people you know some should not try to change.

I don't know what other devices or android versions do, but on the Nexus S with Gingerbread, pressing search in the Mail app does nothing at all. And pressing the blue G in search does not give an option to search Mail. Settings does not list it as an option. Seems like they really want you to use GMail. I tried K-9 and it does search, but not as you type.

On the tones per contact, are you saying that changing their ringtone assigns that to the SMS alert also? I didn't realize that if it is the case... but still isn't the point. I want a SEPARATE tone for SMS than for ringtones. (I like loud, long ringtones, and short, quiet text tones. I'm odd that way.)

I'm really trying... went back to GoSMS and am trying to make it work for me. I put on the Launcher Pro and actually like it... much better dock. You've recommended Missed Call; do you mean Missed Call Deluxe? I may try it since I miss my repeating alerts... Just not sure if it'll work with the ones I set up in GoSMS? Also saw RingoPro which does similar things...

I still have a few weeks to try to learn and love it. Really appreciate the suggestions and help!

 

[j_grouchy]

I tried K-9, but it didn't seem to work, it wouldn't bring up any emails no matter how many settings I messed with. I uninstalled it after about 30 minutes of trying. Not worth the effort, in my opinion. I'm down to using the straight GMail app. At least that one tells me the correct number of unread messages in my notifications. It has all I really need. I don't really do tags or labels. I read, delete, archive or just let them sit in the inbox. I enjoy emails only slightly more than talking on the phone which, if you know me, is almost not at all.

 

[hi-tech34]

I am trying to get the gmail app to show all of my inbox like teh web does but I can't seem to find the correct setting to use. If I set it to sync 5 days it shows all my inbox but only for a little while and then goes away and only shows back to like 5 months or so.

 

[Kloneicle]

I didn't have any issues myself switching over. I had already configured everything to be "preety" and gmail contact syncing with the Pre. I wasn't a huge fan of the webOS Profile contact managment, nothing was ever kept linked.

 

[j_grouchy]

Another thing I miss from webOS: screencapture.

With webOS, it was just a matter of hitting the "orange key" + SYM + P simultaneously.

With Android, apparently one has to root their phone. I'm not interested in doing that right now...so I suppose I'm just SOL.

 

[darrenf]

I tried K-9, but it didn't seem to work, it wouldn't bring up any emails no matter how many settings I messed with. I uninstalled it after about 30 minutes of trying. Not worth the effort, in my opinion. I'm down to using the straight GMail app. At least that one tells me the correct number of unread messages in my notifications. It has all I really need.

If you are using a gmail account, the stock email reader is good (or so I hear). The stock IMAP reader, on the other hand, is terrible.

I installed K9 on two different phones and in both cases push email wouldn't work right away no matter what I tried. In each case, though, they were getting push email within 24 hours and I haven't had a problem since.

-darren


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[hi-tech34]

How do you set up the Gmail so all your inbox messages show on your phone?

 

[NOMster]

the tones per contact, are you saying that changing their ringtone assigns that to the SMS alert also? I didn't realize that if it is the case... but still isn't the point. I want a SEPARATE tone for SMS than for ringtones. (I like loud, long ringtones, and short, quiet text tones. I'm odd that way.)

If I understand correctly, you want customized ringtones and SMS tones, right? Easy.
You can do customized ringtones although its a little different than the guide. I think it was written using an HTC phone. Just open contacts click on a contact hit menu and click options. There you can set the ringtone.
The easiest way to set a custom notification without using a 3rd party messaging app in my experience is to use SMS popup. It adds all the stuff those third party apps have that people like without actually being a third party messenger. Custom notification tones. A popup, reminders, customized icon for notifications, quick reply, the whole nine yards.

 

[theotherlinh]

I didn't have any issues myself switching over. I had already configured everything to be "preety" and gmail contact syncing with the Pre. I wasn't a huge fan of the webOS Profile contact managment, nothing was ever kept linked.

huh? my gmail contacts were always in sync. do you mean linking your palm profile to your gmail contacts? yeah, there should have been an easy way to do that.

 

[stlsports]

for 4g on launcher pro....long hold on blank area of desktop,shortcuts,activities,4g settings,4g settings. viola!