Is there a "Welcome to Android" / "How To" guide for Android phones?

[Vesbon]

I'm brand new to Android (coming from Palm). Is there a guide on this forum or any website that goes over the core features of Android? Like a basic "How To" guide? Or what's the best way to learn about the key features of android, beyond just playing around with the phone?

I need to know basic things like Google Voice (to get visual voicemail), how to use the turn-by-turn Google Maps, common tweaks (like battery saving tweaks), and all the other cool things I don't even know about.

I've got an EVO.

Thanks
-v

 

[EmoTonyB]

well... playing with it is the best way to learn your phone. google android 2.1 features and that will tell you what kind of stuff it is capable of. Sprint comes with visual voicemail installed and should work out of the box. also, google maps is on it out of the box as well as SprintNav (should be free unlimited with your plan) it works better than most stand alone GPS i have seen.
as far as tweeks... you will have to root and customize. i dont think there IS another way to do that kinda stuff without root access...

 

[Bnice]

I'm brand new to Android (coming from Palm). Is there a guide on this forum or any website that goes over the core features of Android? Like a basic "How To" guide? Or what's the best way to learn about the key features of android, beyond just playing around with the phone?

I need to know basic things like Google Voice (to get visual voicemail), how to use the turn-by-turn Google Maps, common tweaks (like battery saving tweaks), and all the other cool things I don't even know about.

I've got an EVO.

Thanks
-v

You can go to the HTC EVO Thread and find a lot of info on your phone.

 

[jimdroid]

Or just ask away... most people here are quite nice and helpful.

 

[Vesbon]

Yeah, people on this forum are great. Someday when I get more experienced I can give back to the newbies for all the help I've received.

I've heard great things about SprintNAV. My friend had low expectations of it, but he used it and said it worked really well.

I have the "Everything Data Family Plan." It comes standard with visual voicemail? I thought that was a Google feature.

Thanks,
-v

 

[jimdroid]

I much prefer Google's Navigation to SprintNAV, but YMMV. One of the great things about google is that their database is pretty up-to-date, so you can have it take you to a relatively newly opened restaurant and chances are it will know about it.

I've had built-in nav systems in my cars for years now, and despite the advantages they offer vs. a phone-based nav system (larger and brighter screen, integrated with vehicle sound system, dead-reckoning, etc.), I might not get a built-in nav system next time.

Visual Voicemail is a Sprint feature. Open the app drawer and the app is called Voicemail. You can also get Google Voice which provides essentially the same system, including access to your voicemails on your PC and also gives you text transcripts of your voicemails.

jd

 

[alamoe]

I'm brand new to Android (coming from Palm). Is there a guide on this forum or any website that goes over the core features of Android? Like a basic "How To" guide? Or what's the best way to learn about the key features of android, beyond just playing around with the phone?

I need to know basic things like Google Voice (to get visual voicemail), how to use the turn-by-turn Google Maps, common tweaks (like battery saving tweaks), and all the other cool things I don't even know about.

I've got an EVO.

Thanks
-v

There's a downloadable PDF Android user's guide HERE. It's for 2.2 but the things you asked about are in there too.

 

[Vesbon]

Wow, great info.

Is Visual Voicemail from Sprint free? Even if it is, I might just go with Google Voice, which I assume is free, since I'm "Going Google" on nearly everything in my life.

Is Google Voice integrated with the phone (pre-loaded)?

Thanks,
-v

 

[odhinn]

Google's site has several useful "welcome to android" guides. It would be nice if they included it with the phone, IMHO.

There are several threads on here and nexusoneforum.net about migrating from Palm. I've also documented some of my transitions from the TX to the Nexus One here:

Nexus Onederful