New 'smart' phone

[JeffinNZ]

Why is it that in this day and age that it still takes 2 hours of fumbling and searching to get a 'smart' phone up and running? It came with a set of instructions on setting up all manner of server settings etc. You'd think that could be done prior to delivery. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this technology. That said, my first app will a ballistics related one.

[Saint]

I work in the cellular industry and one of the most common misconceptions we see about smartphones is people that expect them to be easy to use. What makes them "smart" isn't ease of use, but the amount of things you can do with them compared to a basic phone. In all honesty most things that you would do on a basic phone actually take longer on a smartphone but try tracking your finances on a basic phone and you will find quite the chore by comparison.

As far as apps go I just started using Tapatalk. I know many people on Castboolits use it and I highly recommend it. It makes forums like this much nicer to view on a smartphone.

I know Android pretty good so if thats the OS you are using i would be happy to help if you run into any problems
GL

[GRid.1569]

my first app will a ballistics related one.

If your going for a "Paid For App" I've used the Field Tactical App for iPhone (actually use it on an iPod Touch)... I quite like it....

http://ballistic.zdziarski.com/

Looking forward to installing it on my iPhone 5 when it arrives.... just had to drop that in... :-)

[fryboy]

they're called a smart fone because they make us ( the common user) feel stupid :killingpc lolz

they do take a bit of getting used to ...a bit more than just a plain new fone ( which by it's self can be or can appear to be daunting at first , dont worry amigo in a couple months it'll be great !

[blackthorn]

There aint no "dumb" dogs------LOL!! Thats why I don't have a "smart" phone! I have enough trouble with a basic cell!

[JeffinNZ]

So far my sequence of operations as follows:

Get phone from pocket.
Push 'on' button to wake it up.
Pause and stratch head.
Go to touch a screen icon, think twice, pause and stratch head.
Touch icon.
Blaspheem out loud.
Pause and stratch head.

And so on, and so on.

But seriously, not a bad little unit AND the incompetent cell provider sent me TWO phones. Idiots.

[fecmech]

You fellows make me feel bad with this "app" stuff and Tapa talk! I'm still trying to figure out how to read a text someone sent me on my Tracfone.[smilie=1:

[SciFiJim]

If you find a good ballistics app for Android phones, please post the title. I have a Samsung Galaxy S2. Don't make many calls with it, but finding myself using it for more and more things. I have it "rooted" and running a custom ROM, which gives me many more options than come on the stock phone. I enjoy playing with it, so am getting very familiar with what it can do.

In stead of just a phone, it is a computer that you carry in your pocket that can also make phone calls.

[RU shooter]

Or just do like I did , walked into the Apple store said I want this one! And tell the techno. Whiz thats helping me " ok kid set it up for me" for me anyways the the I phones are easy to use although it probably does alot more things that I'm even aware of . The touch screen technology is great alot better than my old trac phone .

[Saint]

I do work with iPhones quite a bit as well. I normally recommend them for first time smartphone users but Apple severely limits what you can do with them. Apple has a rule for app developers stating that no app is allowed on the phone that duplicates a function the phone already has. Meaning if I find a text messaging app that works better than the built in one I am SOL on an iPhone. Apple also charges extremely high fees to developers of apps meaning that if I wanted to write a ballistics app and put it in there app store it will cost me hundreds of dollars therefore I will likely charge for the app to recoup the cost. Last I looked Google charges around 20 dollars to post an app in he Android play store meaning I can just eat the cost myself and make it a free app just to be able to say I wrote the ballistics app that everyone uses. On the downside there is no quality control on that app like there would be on an Apple version. Still though I would prefer an app with some issues to no app.

[KCSO]

Phone, app??? I dial and I talk and thats the only app I have.

[dragon813gt]

Two hours isn't that bad. After jailbreaking my iPhone I spent a few weeks getting it running exactly how I wanted it to. I can only recommend an iPhone if you jailbreak it. Apple is to restrictive and I'll be damned if they can tell me what I can can't do with my phone. BiteSMS is far superior to the stock message app. WeekCalender works so well that Apple keeps forcing the developer to remove features and tweek the app so it doesn't work as well. It's also nice to be able to roll back after you update an app. To many times the new versions suck and you have no recourse if your only option is the app store. I'm patiently waiting for the iPhone 5 hype to die down and an untethered jailbreak from ChronicDevTeam to be released so I can upgrade from my 3GS.


Brought to you by TapaTalk.

[JeffinNZ]

FINALLY got to download a couple of apps last evening. My wife had the function. I didn't. Same phones. Same supplier. She used "Play store" by Google. I ended up looking at an app on my phone named "Market" and dang it all if it didn't then turn into "Play Store". What's that about? Anyways, good now. Downloaded an app for our bank and Angry Birds. Love Angry Birds as does Abby. Ironically enough a gent in his 70's introduced us to AB's.

[Saint]

Market is what the play store used to be called. Some of the phones that have been on the market for a while may still have older versions still installed and they update after opening the market for the first time. That has been the source of many calls to me in tech support. The new game that is sweeping my call center now is called Temple Run, its fun and/but highly addictive.

[JeffinNZ]

Market is what the play store used to be called. Some of the phones that have been on the market for a while may still have older versions still installed and they update after opening the market for the first time.

That explains it. Precisely what happened. Thanks.

[ph4570]

They are called smart phones because stupid folks pay big bucks to line smart folk's pockets.

Just kidding -- if those things bring you pleasure have at it.