New to Incredible, seeking assistance

[Enrisan]

Hi everyone. So I just got the HTC Incredible yesterday, I love it so far. This is my first real "smartphone", my prior phone was an LG Dare... I've been playing around with it for a few hours trying to figure everything out. I've done a bit of searching around the forums but I still have some questions that I was hoping you experienced users could help me with. I'll try and be as clear and concise and possible.


Unlocking its Secrets
I'm new to smartphones, so I'd really like to know if there's some sort of How to Everything guide. I want to know what it can really do in order to use this phone to its full potential.


Email
I primarily use hotmail, 1 personal email and 1 business email. I'm using the default email app that came with the phone. I get a lot of important job related emails and I need to know when I receive one as soon as it comes through.

1) Is there a better app or way to have the emails come through as soon as I received them? The notifications don't seem to pop up soon enough. While I was typing this, I received notification of new emails, which I had received on my computer about 15 minutes earlier.

2) Is Gmail the best email client available? I've been using hotmail mainly just because it gives me pop up notifications on my computer when I'm running Live Messenger. I'm basically looking for something efficient that will notify me as soon as an email comes through. If so, I will begin to phase out my hotmail account for business.


Synching
1) How can I sync together my phone and computer so contacts are updated in each? If I add a new contact in my phone, I'd like it to be available on my computer under my email contacts, vice-versa. A friend that has the Iphone has something like this, very useful.


Social Networking
1) Which is the best, real time Twitter/Facebook apps? Currently using the Twitter app that came with the phone and the Facebook for android app. The twitter one seems to work ok but the facebook one won't let me check my messages.. also seems to update slower. I got a notification saying I had 2 new messages on Facebook and it took me to a blank page, it never loaded.

2) What is the difference between the Twitter program and the Twitter gadgets like Peep? This goes for gadgets/programs in general.


System Update
1) Just received a pop up for a new system upgrade for the phone. Should I download it? Thinking back to those darn Windows Updates that screw up my computer..don't want that happening here with my phone.


Security
1) How safe is the security when using phones to access email, banking, etc.? I want to make sure my stuff isn't at risk of getting hacked.


Okay, I think that's about all the questions that I have right now. I appreciate any help, thank you all for your time!

[JayCizzo]

Welcome to Android world. I came over from a LG Dare as well. Night and day difference eh?

For email, if you haven't done so yet, go into settings and set the frequency that your phone checks for mail to a shorter interval. If that doesn't work, I would suggest getting a Google account and using the Gmail app or the default mail app with IMAP enabled. Your email will come through blazingly quick.

Synching, your issues will be solved if you change over to Google. I'm not aware of any apps that sync to Hotmail automatically.

Facebook, The newest verison of the Facebook app has Inbox access. Check the market to see if an update is available. I don't use Twitter so I can't comment on that.

System Update, Go ahead and install it. It merely contains a fix for corporate/exchange email. No biggie.

I use the USAA Mobile banking app. My account hasn't been hacked yet. It forces me to logon everytime, no saved logon data, which is good in case my phone gets stolen. I don't think you have to worry too much about your phone getting hacked.

[Enrisan]

Okay thanks a lot for the help! I think I'll start moving everything to Gmail. I have a few more questions:

1) Sometimes my buttons (Home, Menu, back, search) don't light up when I unlock the phone. Why is that?

2) When I make a call, it does a short vibrate to let you know it's dialing. Anyway to turn that off?

3) Anyway to set the phone so it doesn't send me email alerts, etc. within a certain time frame (when I'm sleeping)?

4) Is there any app that tells me approx. how much battery life is left in a percentage, hours/minutes?


Thanks!

[bass_lover1]

Okay thanks a lot for the help! I think I'll start moving everything to Gmail. I have a few more questions:

1) Sometimes my buttons (Home, Menu, back, search) don't light up when I unlock the phone. Why is that?

2) When I make a call, it does a short vibrate to let you know it's dialing. Anyway to turn that off?

3) Anyway to set the phone so it doesn't send me email alerts, etc. within a certain time frame (when I'm sleeping)?

4) Is there any app that tells me approx. how much battery life is left in a percentage, hours/minutes?


Thanks!

You could always keep your hotmail account and forward it to your new Gmail account. Unless you don't mind going through the hassle of letting everyone know your new email address.

1) Probably has to do with automatic brightness, if you're in a bright area there isn't a need for them to turn on.

2)Mess with the haptic feed back settings. If it's the same short vibrate you get when holding your finger down on an empty space on the home screen (to add widgets, programs, etc.) then probably not. If you're talking about the phone vibrating when you're tapping the numbers, then yes. I turn that off too, it annoys me.

3)I forget the name of it, but I believe there is an app in the market that does just this. Also, you could check out Locale. It makes changes to your phone based on your circumstances like location, time, screen angle, etc. Works pretty well but still a bit buggy.

4)Yes, there are a few in the market, just search for battery and you'll have plenty to choose from.

[Enrisan]

Thanks for the help! I got a few more issues now:

1) So I decided to switch to Gmail and also have Gmail fetch new emails from my hotmail account. They take too long to show up though. Am I supposed to turn IMAP on Gmail? I don't have Outlook or anything like that. I just want to have my emails on my phone come in basically as fast as my computer, sometimes it takes 45 minutes or an hour later for a message to appear.

2) How do I sync my Gmail contacts with my phone? I added a new contact on my phone and I checked on my computer to see if it was in Gmail contacts and it wasn't.

3) Handcent message program. I read somewhere that someone had theirs set so when they aren't using their phone and get a message, when they turn it on a pop up will come up...but if you are actively using the phone (internet browsing, etc.) only a notification will come up without a pop up. I got the first part, just don't know how to remove the pop up when the phone is in use.

4) Handcent- the LED color won't change for notifications when I select Blue, is this not available on the Incredible?

Thanks for all the help!

[Backnblack]

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