Help New to Android, New to Xoom

[EarsToVanGogh]

Hi there.

I've got the Xoom coming in a couple of days and I'm new to the whole tablet technology and to the Android world. I would welcome any and all tips and ideas from unboxing and first charging - to screen protectors - to whatever you think I should know about the Xoom.

I am planning to put Autodesk Sketchbook Pro on the Xoom and finally do the drawing that I force Photoshop to do right now. I know that it is not optimized for the Xoom, but I can put up with the lag time and whatnot for now.

What else do I need? What does the Xoom come with as far as apps, etc. Like I said, I am new to this so I don't even know about getting on the internet, browser, etc on the Xoom.

Here's what I'd most like to do on the Xoom:

1. Draw
2. Check email
3. Surf
4. Something akin to Word or Excel for keeping LONG lists of things.
5. Listen to music on StreamTheWorld.com.
6. Transfer files from my PC - images, etc.
7. Watch something that I have on DVD.
8. How about scanning the ISBN number on a book and having the info come up, or at least go into my LONG lists. (Pipe dream?)

I am so excited about the Xoom. I don't have many tech toys, so this is a huge deal to me and I am gonna burst. I haven't skipped down the street in many, many years, but I think I might have to when it arrives. (I'm not so much of a tech-geek as I am a tech-dork.)

If you've got a few minutes to spare for the pathetic newbie, I'd be grateful. If not, can we talk about Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory? I think he's my twin.

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

So, I'm making a list of stuff that I find on the forums. So far:

I need to download Adobe Flash 10.x What are we up to - 10.2?

Turn off the standalone GPS - battery waster

Use a dry microfiber cloth for cleaning, unless I have been eating fried chicken and then I might need a wet clean-up.

Don't drain battery all the way - Li-Ion don't like that.

Charge anytime on the dock, and leave it there if desired. No harm, no foul.

Get a screen protector!

(I'm having fun.)

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Uh, how many apps can you cram onto this thing??

 

[mjf1]

Uh, how many apps can you cram onto this thing??

Way more than you will ever want to use. The limitation is really on how many videos and songs you load on it. This problem will be eliminated once we get the SD card working.

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Cool - like it can handle a whole crap-load of apps?? That is great news!

I won't be putting music on the Xoom - I usually only listen to streaming stations. The video comment brings up a question:

What kinds of formats for videos and pictures does the Xoom like? Does it "see" all of the "regular" formats? What's the video player on the Xoom?

Thanks for your help.

AND

I've also been snooping around the posts and see some apps that people have deemed as "must-haves":

Google Goggles
Solo Lite
YouTube
Google Earth
Androidify
Google Body

What about relaxing games?

Angry Birds
Fruit Slice

Anything to add?

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Another question:

When the SD card gets enabled (whenever that may be), what size card does this puppy want? It's a micro-SD, correct? A bajillion Gig? 2 gig?

 

[mjf1]

Another question:

When the SD card gets enabled (whenever that may be), what size card does this puppy want? It's a micro-SD, correct? A bajillion Gig? 2 gig?

Probably 32Gb since that seems to be the norm for other devices.

Re your other questions on video formats, etc. - try using the search function on this forum as there is a lot of info available.

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Thanks for the info.

I looked at the video formats and I must admit that there are some that I don't even know, let alone ever used. LOL

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

I've watched quite a few "unboxing" videos of the Xoom and everybody just powers up right away. Is there no need to do a full-charge before using? Is that a Li-Ion thing? If so, I'm happy! I hate that wait.

 

[mjf1]

I've watched quite a few "unboxing" videos of the Xoom and everybody just powers up right away. Is there no need to do a full-charge before using? Is that a Li-Ion thing? If so, I'm happy! I hate that wait.

There are several posts on battery maintenance. Basically, no training required, avoid discharging completely, and no problem topping up all the time.

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Thanks. I saw that about topping off and not letting it fully discharge - just wasn't sure about the first time charge or not thing. Good news.

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

I know that this isn't exactly a dumb question, but it is a newbie one. I've tried to nail this one down, but I must not be understanding what I'm reading.

Do you need to be connected to the internet to use apps?

In my noob-minset, I thought that the apps were like more enhanced "icons" on a pc. The icon just takes you someplace, but I thought that apps were taking you someplace and prepping you for doing something... like the app was a little bit of part of the big activity. The Xoom can't possibly hold all of the stuff it needs for all of the applications to run on just itself, right?

I know that things like Facebook need to be connected because, well, Facebook "happens" on the internet. Does something like Autodesk Sketchbook need the connection? I can draw on my pc because I have loaded a big-arse piece of software into it. Loaded it on there - use it on there. (I'm not on Facebook, so I don't know exactly what I'm talking about.)

Am I making sense? I'm not really making sense to myself. I'm so glad that none of you will ever know who I am on the street and be able to point at me as the "asker of obviously off-base questions".

 

[mjf1]

I know that this isn't exactly a dumb question, but it is a newbie one. I've tried to nail this one down, but I must not be understanding what I'm reading.

Do you need to be connected to the internet to use apps?

In my noob-minset, I thought that the apps were like more enhanced "icons" on a pc. The icon just takes you someplace, but I thought that apps were taking you someplace and prepping you for doing something... like the app was a little bit of part of the big activity. The Xoom can't possibly hold all of the stuff it needs for all of the applications to run on just itself, right?

I know that things like Facebook need to be connected because, well, Facebook "happens" on the internet. Does something like Autodesk Sketchbook need the connection? I can draw on my pc because I have loaded a big-arse piece of software into it. Loaded it on there - use it on there. (I'm not on Facebook, so I don't know exactly what I'm talking about.)

Am I making sense? I'm not really making sense to myself. I'm so glad that none of you will ever know who I am on the street and be able to point at me as the "asker of obviously off-base questions".

Believe it or not, the apps on Android are just like PC apps in that they run on their own unless they do need access to other information. Installed apps run around a couple of hundred KBs. One reason that the apps are small is probably due to the fact that they don't have huge help files embedded in them. Also, Android memory management is much different than WIndows - you can have a whole bunch of programs started and Android makes sure that the one you are using has enough memory (not totally true with the earlier versions but Honeycomb seems to work quite well).

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Gosh - I had no idea! Thanks for helping me to understand. I'm going to get back to surfing and see if the stuff that I'm reading makes more sense now that I have your info. Android is a whole new world.

Thanks much.

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

Is there an app that would let me transfer a very long, two-column Excel file to the Xoom? It's a homemade dictionary - one column is the word, the other column is the definition, just text.

I received my portfolio case and gel (back) case today. Xoom should be here by Thursday!

 

[mjf1]

Is there an app that would let me transfer a very long, two-column Excel file to the Xoom? It's a homemade dictionary - one column is the word, the other column is the definition, just text.

I received my portfolio case and gel (back) case today. Xoom should be here by Thursday!

Any file can be transferred to the xoom simply by connecting via the USB cable and doing a standard copy/paste. Your xoom looks just like another drive. Now, whether or not the spreadsheet will run is another question altogether - depends on what apps you have installed on the xoom and whether the format is acceptable (check out Documents to Go in the Market).

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

I'll do that right now. Thanks much!

 

[EarsToVanGogh]

I was wondering if someone would mind explaining to me (fairly simply) about how Android works in regards to how the Xoom can hold so many apps, etc.

Also, in comparative terms to a pc, how much "stuff" can the Xoom hold and still be a functional gizmo? Will I come close to maxing out if I have a lot of drawings from something like Autodesk Sketchbook, a fistful of Excel type documents, 100 apps and I don't know what else?

I guess I just want to know how much (ballpark figure) of anything the Xoom can hold due to Android. I could easily bog down my pc laptop, though it is about 8 years old now.

Since Android manages memory differently and Honeycomb makes sure that I'm getting what I need to be using at any given time - what does this mean in practical terms?

How much of whatever do you have on your Xoom?

(I'm learning a lot by reading the posts, and at the Motorola Xoom site. I appreciate your help and patience with my newbie-ness.)

 

[mjf1]

Forget space for apps..will be minimal. Storage for all your other stuff is close to 30gb until we get sd card enabled. So, same space used on the xoom as your pc for your files. Still room for more than all the apps you could ever use.

 

[blkbeltkid17]

i love having the ability to all my music and stuff on my sd card it makes this thing amazing... i hope it comes along soon for you guys

 

[Stepintothedark]

Been debating about picking one up for a while now...

I've HAD the Hero, and now the wife and I both have HTC Evo's. Sprint pissed me off a while back and I'm slowly moving over to Verizon.

I bought my wife a Samsung Galaxy tab, last year? She likes it, she doesn't really do much with it, play games, fb, e-mail, nothing huge.

I HAD an iPad 1, and pretty much hated it from the getgo. I'm digging my Xoom, waiting to hear about the LTE/SD upgrade.

What are some of the first things I should get/do to my Xoom, upon opening it up.

I got the standard dock, and a case.

I don't see any root info out yet? that true?

 

[3devious]

I've got tons of offline mapping data and lots of music. If I was confident that the root version of SD support or USB host worked consistently, I'd root without question.

 

[3devious]

Been debating about picking one up for a while now...

I've HAD the Hero, and now the wife and I both have HTC Evo's. Sprint pissed me off a while back and I'm slowly moving over to Verizon.

I bought my wife a Samsung Galaxy tab, last year? She likes it, she doesn't really do much with it, play games, fb, e-mail, nothing huge.

I HAD an iPad 1, and pretty much hated it from the getgo. I'm digging my Xoom, waiting to hear about the LTE/SD upgrade.

What are some of the first things I should get/do to my Xoom, upon opening it up.

I got the standard dock, and a case.

I don't see any root info out yet? that true?

Oh, there's lots of good root info out there and a pretty popular ROM. There are more LTE rumors as of last night. Checkout the Phandroid main page.

 

[blkbeltkid17]

Been debating about picking one up for a while now...

I've HAD the Hero, and now the wife and I both have HTC Evo's. Sprint pissed me off a while back and I'm slowly moving over to Verizon.

I bought my wife a Samsung Galaxy tab, last year? She likes it, she doesn't really do much with it, play games, fb, e-mail, nothing huge.

I HAD an iPad 1, and pretty much hated it from the getgo. I'm digging my Xoom, waiting to hear about the LTE/SD upgrade.

What are some of the first things I should get/do to my Xoom, upon opening it up.

I got the standard dock, and a case.

I don't see any root info out yet? that true?

Save your self the headache and root now. ... there are already tested and working one click methods over at xda