Help Non Techy User

[mapleleaf-mick]

I am really not a techy person and after reading a number of threads, I am coming to the realization that I am the owner of communication device that one can do a lot of "modifications" on. I read in another thread that " installing Launcher Pro instead of keeping the stock UI would make the phone more efficient". I have to be honest with you here. I have no friggin idea what that person is talking about. I am just sitting here like a log waiting for the 2.2 update. Is there a thread out there that will instruct and I am sorry I really mean instruct as to what things I can do to make my phone more efficient, fun etc. I really didn't buy the phone for gadgets, I bought it because I loved the screen and clarity there of, the touch and swipe ability and that the Android operating system was supposed to be superior to Apple and Blackberry. My wife tells me I bought way too much of a phone and I will never use most of its capabilities. Rats, I hate that she says that although, she is probably right. I need to become knowledgable in good and easy things I can do to my phone to
spruce it up and impress my wife......

Seriously though, is there or are there threads that will take someone like me who really knows nothing about roots and toots and allow me to make modifications to my phone so that it runs better and is better for my usage. I don't play games so I am not sure how useful any of the applications are to me. I do get my work email on it which I really like but I know there is a lot more to this phone than that. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading my post.

 

[talktoanil]

go to market app and download Launcher Pro and install it , see it yourself and better get a iPhone ..seriously

 

[GalaxyTDM]

As said above just download it and install, when prompted select 'use ADW' and click the little box underneath to 'always use for this action'.
Then check Android market for ADW themes, download and install them.
Then press menu button (left softkey) on the phone and the pop up menu will have an ADW settings button press this then......
Well to save me typing it all go here to see how to use ADW menu
See this site for Android apps
And also here
The first app I would install though is Barcode scanner,search for, download and install via Android market on your phone.
This is invaluable as you can scan QR codes displayed on your pc screen instead of having to search for the app on your phone.
Just open the scanner (usually runs in landscape) point at the QR and move in slowly until the app captures the code, the press the open browser button and follow the instructions.
You will also find these codes printed in magazines and on posters for quick access to websites.
HTH

 

[NZtechfreak]

Few ideas:

LauncherPro Plus is a must I think.

If there are websites you check daily for news and stuff how about getting an RSS reader on the phone? It'll automatically alert you when new content is available, NewsRoom is a good one if you aren't a Google Reader user.

How about using your phone as a remote for your PC? GRemote is a nice program for this, and there are several free ones out there too.

Get a TV Out cable (Nokia ones work and are cheap as) and hook it up to the television, especially nice with bluetooth keyboard and mouse once you get to 2.2 (Froyo).

Get some good Widgets on there, LauncherPro Plus has several really nice ones, but others that I use are: BattStat and Beautiful Widgets.

Replace the horrible TouchWiz lockscreen with Widget Locker, which lets you run widgets of your choosing from the lockscreen (or add custom sliders, I have one set to open the dialler or the camera, really nice for when you want to get that shot ASAP and you're starting from a locked screen!).

Get your SatNav on too, and start using it for things like tracking your walk/runs/trips etc with programs like Endomondo, Run.GPS.

Use it as a WiFi hotspot when you're out and about using the inbuilt Mobile AP to share the phones data connection to your laptop/partners phone/friends phones.

Use apps like LastFM/Pandora/Grooveshark to get highly customisable streaming radio stations on your phone - best if you find a way to hook it into your cars stereo too (I use a 3.5mm-3.5mm jack, but tape deck connectors/FM Transmitters/Bluetooth will also work depending on your car stereo).

 

[SlowRain]

E-book reader.
Take pictures of your wife. Photo editing and vintage camera effects.
MP3 player and radio.
Unit conversions (metric to imperial, etc.).
Barcode scanner for helping you research products when shopping and comparing prices online.

 

[mapleleaf-mick]

First of all thank you very much for your advice and suggestions. It is much appreciated. I purchased LauncherPro Plus for $3.00 and they send me the link to mu PC. I am supposed to load launchpro first and then choose preferences etc. to upgrade to Launch Pro Plus. This is a copy of the message I received:

Thank you for download LauncherPro.

Download link:
http://www.androidzoom.com/web/indice/qrLink?appCode=gxph&dwnId=6470982

That link is designed to work within an Android Mobile with the Android Market application installed; it won't work on a regular computer, non-Android devices (iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian...) or Android devices without the Android Market Application installed. Some of the Android tablet do not come with the bundled Android Market application.

Is also important to know not all applications are available for all mobile phones; it depends on your country, on the OS version and the inner characteristics of your terminal (ie. the size of the screen). AndroidZoom shows results from the US Android Market. If your device is not compatible with the application you are looking for then no result are obtained when looking at the Android Market.

Thank You,
AndroidZoom.com

Two questions,

1. Where on my phone is the Android Market Application. How can I tell if it is installed.
2. It seems to me that I must somehow get this link on to my Galaxy phone. It is currently on my PC but I cannot figure out how to get it over. I have tried copy and paste from my PC to a folder called"downloads" which I created on my external SD card but it won't paste. I guess I could send the email back to myself and open it on my Samsung. Would that work?
3. I am facing the same problems with the App "barcode scanner" I have the link on my PC but how to run it on my phone is the question.

I went into my "applications" and then went into "Market" but could find nothing there. I am doing something wrong here?

Appreciate all your comments/suggestions and help.

Thanks for reading my post.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Do you have the app called Market on your phone?

 

[mapleleaf-mick]

NZtechfreak, Yes I do have "Market" on my phone. I just went through it and activated "Barcode" I did not see Launcher Pro anywhere. Should it be on there?

 

[NZtechfreak]

Search for LauncherPro in the Market and install it from there, within LauncherPro settings at the bottom you'll see a place for putting in your code for LauncherPro Plus.

EDIT: Oh, while I'm giving advice - if you're looking for apps on your PC use appbrain rather than Androidzoom. Appbrain has two applications Appbrain Market Sync, and the Fast Installer, both of which really help with finding new apps to install on your phone. Market Sync lets you choose applications on your PC from within the browser, then the phone application will install those you selected when you sync it. If you have the Fast Installer on the phone it gets even better, if you select install then it automagically starts installing it on your phone! The Fast Installer works for free apps only though.

 

[mapleleaf-mick]

I found Launcherpro in the market and installed it. I find that it has changed my home page. My icons have all changed. I did not get the option to enter a code when I installed Launcher Pro. How can I get at it now? Thanks for your help NZtechfreak.

Is it possible to delete applications? I notice I have a number on my phone that I know I will never use and they are probably just taking up space in memory.

Can I put icons to the symbols at the bottom of my home page? As well, my contacts will not load now. Is that a problem with Launcher Pro?

 

[NZtechfreak]

Yep, LauncherPro (LP) is a UI (user interface) replacement. Its far better than TouchWiz, as you'll soon find out. If you hit the menu button whilst on a homescreen you'll see an option called Preferences, that will take you through to the LP settings (the one you're looking for is towards the bottom). Take a while to tinker with LP from its settings, you can do lots of cool stuff (like turning on the 3D application drawer, activating the homescreens overview view by 'pinching' the screen, choose how many homescreens you want, which LauncherPro widgets you want - I can recommend Friends and the calender widgets particularly).

Oh, and for your default homescreen make sure to get Beautiful Widgets!

You'll notice when you hit the home button for the first time that a dialogue box will appear asking you which application to use to perform that action from then on, tick the box for 'make this the default', and then select LauncherPro.

You can delete applications that were alreadyinstalled on the phone when you got it if you want, but the handset needs to be Rooted, and you'll Titanium Backup in order to do it (not to mention that you probably want to know a lot more about the phone before you do that, things can go seriously wrong if you delete an app that the system needs!). Rooting the handset is simple with the Z4Root application, free from the Market, but again I think you'll want to do some research before going anywhere near that level of activity (since you're just getting to grips with basics like the Market). For applications you've installed you can uninstall them via the Market (go to Downloads, click the app you want to uninstall and then click uninstall), or via Settings --> Applications --> Manage Application --> click the app you want to remove and click uninstall.

 

[mapleleaf-mick]

I did see mention in my responses to "ADW". I don't think I got that option when I downloaded Launcher Pro. I did get the option to choose between Launcher Pro and Touchwiz and I choose Launcher Pro and put the checkmark in the box. I did not see anything that applied to ADW.

 

[NZtechfreak]

ADW is another UI replacement like LauncherPro, so you won't see anything about it in LP.

 

[tempest7]

I think he needs more of a 'howto' do things, instead of flooding him with a list of new apps. Launcher Pro or launchers in general isn't the best way to show off to his wife how to utilize his beautiful screen.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Can I put icons to the symbols at the bottom of my home page? As well, my contacts will not load now. Is that a problem with Launcher Pro?

Sorry, missed this the first time around.

Yes, you can put icons to the symbols - long press the shortcut and choose 'change shortcut', wait until it loads all the apps and then select the application you want (and choose whether you want its default icon, or use a LP one). For the contacts one do exactly what I've described here but select contacts (I think LP is looking for the stock Android contacts app, which is not on the Galaxy S, so it fails to load your contacts).

You will also see the option to assign a gesture action ('swipe gesture action'), which makes the icon do double duty, pressing it will open the assigned app, but swiping upwards over it will open whatever you've assigned to the swipe gesture action. So on mine I have a shortcut to the messenger app, but swiping brings up email and so forth.

 

[NZtechfreak]

I think he needs more of a 'howto' do things, instead of flooding him with a list of new apps. Launcher Pro or launchers in general isn't the best way to show off to his wife how to utilize his beautiful screen.

True, they sure do make the user experience a lot better though!

With a view to showing him more 'how to' stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCpwna3o8_Q


When you feel like you're getting to grips with LauncherPro mapleleaf-mick let us know what else sounds interesting of the suggestions so far.

Personally I recommend this app, you can show off the weather unlock animations and pop-out screen to the Wife:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COy4dig2FI0&feature=related