New to Android: Couple of Questions

[Jira]

Hey guys!

Well, I've just come from a Env3 and this Droid X that I just bought today is a pretty big upgrade for me. (I'm so happy that I got the last one from a small retailer, I called 30 other stores before this one and all were sold out.)

Anyways, I just have a few questions that I would really appreciate if answered since I am still a beginner in the ways of "Android".

1) So, I have heard of this LauncherPro Beta, but I downloaded it and it seemed almost identical to the pre-loaded interface. Actually, the pre-loaded interface seemed easier to use. Why do people speak so highly of LauncherPro Beta?

2) Where do I get more cool widgets to put on my home screens?

3) The photos that I take on the Droid X seems kind of blotchy. First I took one out in the daylight inside the verizon store where I had then just bought it. The picture was crystal clear and bright but I have taken a couple right now inside my house where it is night-time and dark and the pictures seem very sub-par. Any ideas?

4) Which screen protectors and case do you recommend for me? I bought the screen protectors from the Verizon store but they were HORRIBLE. I had to cut them out to make them fit the screen and they made OH SO MANY bubbles.

5) And lastly, what are some cool apps/widgets that you would recommend for me?

Thank you so much!

I really hope the Droid community and myself enjoys our awesome new phones!

-Jira

 

[Lefaid]

I am no expert but I do feel like answering a few of your questions

1. Why is LauncherPro awesome?

Coming from the Droid, LauncherPro adds a lot to the home screen experience. For one, it can have up to seven screens while the Droid Launcher only has 3 for some reason. Also you get a dock, the Droid Launcher does not have a dock, LauncherPro allows you to put 5 shortcuts down there and you can even scroll that for even more endless possibilities. And there are lots of other nifty little things like turn the homescreen and have five rows of stuff if you want to be adventurous with it Now most of these issues have been resolved with the Droid X such as the homescreens and some of the dock options If you want some of the nifty and frankly less stable stuff then check out LauncherPro, otherwise the default should be fine. Just a warning though, some Android phones with an overlaying skin will never quit their own Launcher, HTC being a big culprit, and I do not know how Motorola's skin will work with it. I will tell you that if it does not shut of the default Launcher then it will drain your battery and slow down your phone a lot.

2. More widgets

The App store. There are plenty of things there. Most people seem to like Beutiful widgets though I have never tried it myself. Also a lot of apps come with widgets like SportsTap and Weather Channel, both of which I recommend, that populate a good bit of your screen.

3. Camara Quality

That could just be the quality of the camara itself. Some review sites seem to emphize that more MegaPixels do not make better pictures. There are a lot of things that determine the quality of a picture and coming from a droid I don't think I can help you out there

4. Screen Protectors

I don't use them and my screen has held up great for the last two months. I am just sure to clean and stuff but after two months of moderate abuse my phone has no scratches on it. Just keep it in its own pocket and considering its size that should not be to hard. As for getting them... ask someone who uses them if you feel you need them.

5. Great Apps

Well I mentioned the Weather Channel for weather, SportsTap for sports, and Beutiful Widgets for widgets or something. WeatherBug is also suppose to be good but I like the Weather Channel better and I am not sure they have a widget. Also the Weather Channel can send me alerts for when severe warnings and what not are nearby. For sports you may also look at ScoreMobile. It has more leagues and news then SportsTap. I just like SportsTap better because it's widget shows scores from the teams I want to see not the entire league. It also send me alerts for when I team scores though I have not played with that just yet.

For games, my two favorite right now are Age of Conquest, a turn-based conquer the world strategy game much like Risk that is a ton of fun though a lot of the maps cost money and Tetronimo, my tetris rip-off.

Other good apps include Pandora, to listen to pandora anywhere, UrbanSpoon, to find good places to eat, Engadget, Huffington Post, NPR News, and Stocks from Dato, to follow news and whatnot from their respective news sites and stuff. It can also be fun to play with Google Sky Map on a clear night to locate stars.

Anyway I hope you enjoy your new Droid X and the Android universe. I have switched over and could never be happier. The possibilities are endless.