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Is Android for non-techies too?

B

Bill Hallahan

Lurker
I am on a month to month and am trying to decide if I should get an iphone 5 or the Thunderbolt. Too many homescreens and layouts with no written instructions to lead one through it. How can I expect to be happy? Trying to ascertain if Android's level of difficulty is worth the effort for the average user, like me. :confused:
 
Hi, New to here and would really appreciate some info on DesireHD. I went to htcsense.com to register/sign up and no can do. It undermaintenance??? Is there a new website I go to for this as I am trying to sync my phone to my computer.

Cheers!
 
here is a thread on the subject:
http://androidforums.com/2483445-post1168.html

iphone is simple to use.. it is designed for general smartphone use.

android is easy.. but can be more complex ..if you want the extra customization.

iphone = chewing gum and walking..
android = pick the favor of gum, the size of the piece so that it is your favorite package in your pocket...then from then on chew and walk.
 
dan330 said:
iphone = chewing gum and walking..
android = pick the favor of gum, the size of the piece so that it is your favorite package in your pocket...then from then on chew and walk.
Click to expand...
Ha ha, a brilliant analogy... :D
 
If you go with android, this forum community will try to help so that the experience is as smooth as possible.
 
Android is pretty simple to learn. My mother had a Razr as her last phone, now she has the original Droid and she does pretty well with it.
 
I wouldn't consider my self a true techie, but I'm very computer literate. Granted "rooting" seems to complicated for me, but the phone isn't hard to learn.

If you read the owners manual and play with the phone and not compare it to a previous OS, you'll be good to go.

Using the Andriod system is just like using any new piece of hardware or software, there is a learning curve.
 
i think most of the problem ... is human nature... we hate change.

most that have used iphone before.. say android is difficult. because they are brainwashed to the iphone methodology. it is not difficult it is different!
 
I'm not exactly sure if my answer would be completely true..As I am a pretty techie person myself...But I don't think Android is very complicated to learn, even for non-techies.

Especially with a forum as great as this one...You'll definitely have no problems learning. :)
 
For me it depends on your definition of "techy". I'm more than computer literate but don't really consider myself a techy(I could be in denial though,lol).

That said, I have plenty of friends that are non tech people. The sort of person that basically turns on their pc and expects it to work and not really caring how or why. They have Android phones and love them for the same reason.

The other thing they enjoy about Android is the fact that they can customize thing enough for them without knowing the technical dtails of how or why.

I don't know if this answers your question, but I can tell you that if you do go Android this forum is a great resource. Help is just a question away and no question that I have ever seen on here has been laughed at or made fun of here.

This forum is one of the most friendly and respectful ones I have ever belonged to and I am a member of quite a few
 
dan330 said:
i think most of the problem ... is human nature... we hate change.

most that have used iphone before.. say android is difficult. because they are brainwashed to the iphone methodology. it is not difficult it is different!
Click to expand...

It's called the baby duck syndrome, a term developed by UI engineers.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/wa-cranky50.html

It is probably why we still use QWERTY even though anyone can change the keymap in Windows
 
Bill Hallahan said:
I am on a month to month and am trying to decide if I should get an iphone 5 or the Thunderbolt. Too many homescreens and layouts with no written instructions to lead one through it. How can I expect to be happy? Trying to ascertain if Android's level of difficulty is worth the effort for the average user, like me. :confused:
Click to expand...
I know plenty of non-techies who love their Android phones. I'm not sure what you mean about too many homescreens and layouts. On my phone, I have three home screens. If you fill up your iPhone with apps, you'll also have three home screens. You just swipe back and forth horizontally... just as you would on an iPhone. If you press an icon with your finger, it launches that application... just as it would on an iPhone.

Really there's nothing complicated about using an Android phone. It just offers you more customization options (options you don't have to bother with if you don't like to tinker) without needing to jailbreak/root the phone.
 
I'm new to android phones, have only had my Incredible for about 3 weeks and it's not that complicated. I have been learning on the fly without any major hiccups and feel like I got more for my money with an android based phone than I would have with an iphone.
 
I'm a computer tech for a living so I would probably qualify as a techie. I work with people who are not technically inclined at all, but they use Android phones and love them. Do they root, run custom ROMS and use Tasker profiles for everything? Probably not. I'd be shocked if they do, yet they're very happy with their phones.
 
Bill Hallahan said:
I am on a month to month and am trying to decide if I should get an iphone 5 or the Thunderbolt.
Click to expand...

If you are going to wait for the 5, consider adding the Bionic to your list as well.


Bill Hallahan said:
Too many homescreens and layouts with no written instructions to lead one through it. How can I expect to be happy? Trying to ascertain if Android's level of difficulty is worth the effort for the average user, like me. :confused:
Click to expand...

Background: I never owned a cell phone - smart or dumb. I have some basic computer knowledge, but dont consider myself all that techie.

I went w/ the Optimus V for my first phone and think that after 3 weeks of owning it, the learning curve is on the lesser side. As w/ any new OS, there is a learning curve, but I feel I have a really good feel in less than a month. Heck, I know more about the phone than I do of Vista, which Ive had for a number of years.

I say entering the Android world is almost easy. A lot depends on you and how difficult you want to make it. There in lies the beauty - use it 'stock' as-is or root it and take more control. Android = Choice.
 
Bill Hallahan said:
Too many homescreens and layouts with no written instructions to lead one through it.
Click to expand...

Then just use one home screen. There is no reason why you have to use more more screens than what you need. Just because others use many home screens with many layouts does not mean that you have to as well. It can be as simple as you like.

I have an HTC Desire Z and here is the written instructions: http://member.america.htc.com/download/Web_materials/Manual/HTC_DesireZ/DesireZUserManualEnglish.pdf

How can I expect to be happy? Trying to ascertain if Android's level of difficulty is worth the effort for the average user, like me. :confused:
Click to expand...

A lot of people discuss about all of the complex things because it is generally more interesting to do so than discussing how you just have one home screen with 4 short cuts on it. For instance, just because you see people with roller blades doing all sorts of fancy flips and tricks on ramps and obstacles does not mean you have to as well. You can just as easily roller blade to the nearest rapid transit station and take the train.
 
Bill Hallahan said:
I am on a month to month and am trying to decide if I should get an iphone 5 or the Thunderbolt. Too many homescreens and layouts with no written instructions to lead one through it. How can I expect to be happy? Trying to ascertain if Android's level of difficulty is worth the effort for the average user, like me. :confused:
Click to expand...

The Thunderbolt has 7 homescreens and the iPHone has 9.

Vanilla Android only has 5. Used to be 3 back in the old days.
 
Stuntman said:
Then just use one home screen. There is no reason why you have to use more more screens than what you need. Just because others use many home screens with many layouts does not mean that you have to as well. It can be as simple as you like.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Start with 1 homescreen and add it up to as many as you want (you can go up to 27 homescreens with some launchers).
People have different needs.
 
Android, out of the box, is pretty simple to use. Use more "technologically inclined" folk on this forum make it much more complicated. But, that is the price one pays for pushing their hardware to it's limits, and modifying the out-of-the-box experience.

But, if you just want a smart phone, and don't care to change much, or tinker; then it's just as easy (Some say easier) than iOS. My wife (Who is NOT a techy) preferred the Ally to the iPhone. She couldn't wrap her head around the UI for iOS.
 
Greetings bill,

Let me see if I can lay some of your fears to rest. My mother-in-law is 55, and she has owned nothing but dumb phones in the past. 6 months ago, she got a droid incredible when my wife and I got our fascinates. While she was a little shaky at first, in no time at all she was texting, tweeting and downloading apps like a champ.

My mother-in-law is not tech savy by any shade of the imagination, but she gets along just fine. As others have stated, android doesn't have to be hard at all. Its different from iphone because of its available customizations, but you don't have to customize anything if you don't want to.

Hope this helps.
 
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