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Hello and Help!!

R

richmatthews76

Well-Known Member
Ok, I admit it I just came from all things Microsoft after many years of providing support for Windows for my living....lol. Well I think I am going threw a mid-life crisis? I now have three Android devices. Talk about being Clueless I mean a hugh Duh!!!!. I am running a note3, galaxy s4 mini and a tab 2 10.1 all running different versions of android? I am working hard to learn but the carriers all give me a how to guide for each device. Is there a good source for all things things Android? Here my biggest issues.

1. These devices come loaded with piles of junk apps. I have figured how to disable but not completely uninstall?
2. How can I tell if a applications can install and run on my SD memory and how do you tell it to install there?

Then I think I need a good cover all book or something that gives standard operating system commands. If there was a Android for Dummies I would have posted this there.....lol. So any guidence you can suggest? ?
 
1. the junk you are referring to is what is commonly referred to as bloatware. This is stuff the carriers like to put on the phones. All you can do is disable them like you have done. These cannot be uninstalled without rooting the phone.

2. Ability to move apps to the SD was removed by Google with Android 4.0. However, Samsung did give this ability back in some newer phones. I know the S4 can do it but I'm not sure if the Note 3 can. On the S4, go into application manager and select the app you want to move. You should see a button to move to SD. Remember, the entire app does not get moved, only a portion of it gets moved. Do not move any apps to the SD that uses widgets. The widgets will not work if the app is on the SD.
 
... the manufacturer/carrier expects the pre-installed software to be present and may update it with their periodic maintenance update. If you delete the pre-installed software that maintenance update may fail.

In many (but not all) cases you can uninstall it and use an alternate launcher (like Nova Launcher Prime) to simply hide it so you no longer have to look at it.

The biggest difference I think you will find is that there are so many developers involved with the system and the apps that you will add that there are a lot of updates that are needed on an ongoing basis. I have 185 added apps installed and update about five of them every day. These are bug fixes and incremental improvements.

... Thom
 
richmatthews76 said:
Ok, I admit it I just came from all things Microsoft after many years of providing support for Windows for my living....lol. Well I think I am going threw a mid-life crisis? I now have three Android devices. Talk about being Clueless I mean a hugh Duh!!!!. I am running a note3, galaxy s4 mini and a tab 2 10.1 all running different versions of android? I am working hard to learn but the carriers all give me a how to guide for each device. Is there a good source for all things things Android? Here my biggest issues.

1. These devices come loaded with piles of junk apps. I have figured how to disable but not completely uninstall?
2. How can I tell if a applications can install and run on my SD memory and how do you tell it to install there?

Then I think I need a good cover all book or something that gives standard operating system commands. If there was a Android for Dummies I would have posted this there.....lol. So any guidence you can suggest? ?
Click to expand...

1. most of the stuff you cannot uninstall unless you are root.
2. depends on the device you are using on how it accepts apps running from the sdcard. Again there is away to install to the sdcard but it again requires root.

As far as learning your devices here is the best place to start.
1. Note 3
2. S4 Mini
3 Tab 2 10.1

Some of the forums may not be very active nor helpful but its always a good place to start. Also This is the best forums for learning Android. Its how I have learned.

Good Luck :)
 
Thanks everyone. I was thinking last night , and you know I am trying to find a fun way to learn Android? After all those years of Microsoft Manuel's and classes, I know I am not going there again‼:p So I need to figure a way to do it and make it fun. Right now I muttle threw but I'm sure there are much better ways to do things?

And the bloatware really pisses me off. I always thought Android was all about getting away from that? The major developer must be friends with Bill Gates:D







,
 
richmatthews76 said:
Thanks everyone. I was thinking last night , and you know I am trying to find a fun way to learn Android? After all those years of Microsoft Manuel's and classes, I know I am not going there again‼:p So I need to figure a way to do it and make it fun. Right now I muttle threw but I'm sure there are much better ways to do things?

And the bloatware really pisses me off. I always thought Android was all about getting away from that? The major developer must be friends with Bill Gates:D







,
Click to expand...

You can't blame Google for the bloatware. It comes from the carriers and the phone manufacturers. It's a profit center for them so they aren't going to get rid of it (or give the user the ability to delete it) any time soon.

The good news is that for the most part, those devices are well supported and can easily* be flashed to a more uniform, less bloated OS.

*One man's easy is another man's rocket science. ;)
 
Haha. Remember having to adjust the "tracking" :D
Android is easy, im completely computer illiterate but ive never read an android or phone manual and im, id say, above average in android terms. Sites like this really are the place to learn. Before you know it you realise youre answering more questions than youre asking. Thats the beauty of the android community imo, knowledge gets passed down and shared.
Share the love :D:beer:
 
richmatthews76 said:
When it comes to this I without a boubt fall into the rocket science catagory:o
Click to expand...

its really not that hard and to be honest you landed at the best place for learning you could have. I have learned everything I know about android from these very forums. I am continually amazed at how much I learn on here daily.

Your device is only a smaller version of your computer running a different OS. If you have some computer smarts then you should have no problem working and learning your devices. After all its only Android :p
 
When a person has spent years with a certain mindset such as Microsoft, you tend to devolope certain habits. Switching operating systems can almost be like quiting a bad habit!!! I find myself reaching for a certain key and it does something completely different:confused: I don't think I've turned on my desktop since I got my tab.
 
I think the secret is to start with a completely open mind. Try and find ways to do the same tasks you did with windows but dont look for clones and try to completely emulate the experience. In the words of the great Primal Scream, "dont fight it, feel it" :D
 
richmatthews76 said:
When a person has spent years with a certain mindset such as Microsoft, you tend to devolope certain habits. Switching operating systems can almost be like quiting a bad habit!!! I find myself reaching for a certain key and it does something completely different:confused: I don't think I've turned on my desktop since I got my tab.
Click to expand...

Sit down I'll tell you something you may find hard to believe. I at one time was a Micro$oft fan boy. Thought that was the proper way to compute. I then discovered Linux and for a while I shared the computer with the two. Eventually though I found myself disliking M$ and all their crapware. There are many people around here who can run circles around me on Linux but that's ok I'm not in a competition with any of them :)

When I got my first Android Phone (HTC EVO 4G) I new nothing about Android. Quickly though I learned because I was so delighted at the help I received that I ended up staying and helping myself. That act alone taught me more about this Android Community then any other thing. Needless to say that I was very disappointed when I joined another (Unamed) forum and found it to be completely the opposite of this one. So I stick to what I love.

If I may make a suggestion which worked for me. Start reading other post and see who is having trouble with what. See if you get the same issue or not. You may be surprised at how much others problems can teach you about your own stuff. Getting involved like this has taught me so much that I can't even begin to describe the benefits.

Around here we love questions and we love to help solve problems. We may not be able to do it all the time but we don't let that stop us. You have questions please ask and like it says in my signature Asking simple questions can keep us from doing dumb things. Remember the only dumb question is one that is not asked. So please fire away and we will help you learn your Android System and maybe even get you to like it like we do :)
 
^ this lol. Must admit its a buzz when the advice you give really helps someone. Especially if it like brings their "dead" device back to life :)
 
rich, first off it seems as though you are a real fart smeller, er, smart feller and fairly new to this site so I will give you my standard welcome to the site :hello:

Second it is really too bad that my esteemed colleague's here have not given you the welcome and more so have given you such bad information. What you are experiencing is Android Overload, what with you taking on three new and different Android devices, that is just way too much for you. I suggest that you PM me your paypal account info so I can pay the postage for you to immediately send me your Note 3 and Tab 2 10.1 to teddyearp, 123 main st, anytown usa, 66666!

Seriously, the devices you have, unfortunately are not running a pure (or vanilla) version of Android, hence the 'bloatware'. Unfortunately, in a state like that, even if you 'root' your device it is hard to know what you can go and delete as it could have dire consequences on said device; from not getting an updated version of Android to making the device not function well at all.

As argedion mentioned, look to those sections here for your device(s) and of course elsewhere; however some other places are not as friendly to questions.

To get the best pure Android experience out of your device(s) without bloatware would be to find out which of your devices has an unlockable bootloader; those tend to have the most development of a custom recovery (essential in case something goes wrong) and of course more pure Android Rom's to play with.


good luck
 
p.s.:

argedion said:
Start reading other posts and see who is having trouble with what. See if you get the same issue or not. You may be surprised at how much others problems can teach you about your own stuff.
Click to expand...

That has been my best teacher as well. Reading who has been having troubles with what ROM has helped me immensely in my ROM choices as well.
 
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