Confused/Eager to learn/Please help!

[Liebo11]

Hi,

I got the Moto Droid today and I think its awesome. I do have a few questions though . . . 1) Can I download android apps from anywhere but the market? And, how do I take a picture of those "bar code" looking things to have it recognize the app? 2) Do you guys think its a necessity to have an activity manager, taskiller type app on the phone? 3) Tell me some really cool things I can do with my phone haha . . . i just want to really get the most out of it THANKS!

 

[taypotts]

1. Yes if you have the apk file (format an app is in) of the app you want and use the app "app installer" you can install from you SD card

2. app called barcode scanner

3. yes

4. free turn by turn navigation, customization, MORE! haha just gotta play around with it. you can play emulators on it too... check out the game forum.

 

[andjarnic]

It's not necessary to have an app manager/task killer. The platform manages memory just fine, better than any other phone including iPhone. Each app is installed as it's own user and runs in it's own sandbox (JVM) so if it crashes, it does nothing to the rest of the phone including any other apps running. The underlying OS is linux..the same OS that is used on a lot of desktops and servers world wide. It manages memory very well. What you are going to run in to is applications that don't have a clear cut way of exiting. This is partly bad programming, but also partly a mind set that android devices can run multiple apps and switch between them at will. If an app you run has an exit option, use it, it will close. If not, and you just use the back or home buttons to leave it, it may run, or the OS may suspend it while you're not using it. Really depends on the programmer and what "hooks" they listened for to take care of the app in different situations. Coming from an iPhone is going to be the biggest problem for Android uses. That one little button always closes the one running app, and puts you back in the home screen. On Android, that isn't so. If you don't use the exit option (if provided), you may very well NOT be exiting the app. Application developers can put in hook to listen for when a user goes back, or hits home..and could very well exit the application to "mimic" iPhone like functionality. But most I've seen don't do that.

As for what you can do with it.. the question should be phrased..what can't you do with it. Android is a very very open platform, far exceeding the iPhone and any other phone out there. The fact that Google is building an operating system that will include Android, tablet devices and other devices (dvd player for one, DVR another) that will have Android in it, and so on should tell you that Android is much more than just a phone platform. With Java the language of choice for Android apps, you've got the largest developer base in the world with the largest (or perhaps 2nd largest..not sure if it passed up C yet in this respect) libraries at its disposal. As well, android based devices (mostly phones) are going to be part of every phone carrier, including in early 2010 the largest carrier in the world in China, that hosts more than 500 million subscribers. If you don't think java developers aren't going to jump on this bandwagon... oh they will! There are 10s of thousands, if not 100's of thousands of java developers world wide, and when Android hits most devices and all these carriers, it will grow a lot faster than iPhone. Sure, iPhone has 100,000 apps and 45 million users. Wait till the 88 million Verizon, 500 million china, and some other millions of other carriers deliver android devices, all coming in the next few months.

So the question should be.. what WONT it do.

 

[Liebo11]

thank you for your responses . . . i understand that the droid can basically do anything. I really just want to know some ultra cool things I can do and does anyone have any experience downloading android apps on a mac and then putting them on the device itself?

 

[andjarnic]

You can download .apk files and drag/drop them I believe to your phone when you connect it via USB, although unless its not on the market, why would you do it that way?

I just got the Google Sky... neat program.

 

[Liebo11]

well I don't know I feel like there are other programs not listed in the market? I could be wrong i really don't know?

 

[phoenixdroid]

I think the voice nav is pretty cool. Click on the google microphone on the home page. Tell it "Find Pizza" or "Find Beer". I've been tempted to try "Navigate to He**" and see if it sent me to Michigan (there really is a city by that name).