Feelings and perhaps questions about Droid (i.e. Android 2.0)

[myx_2000]

Hey all,
Again, I am coming from a Palm 700p. Now, I am in a few weeks and a lot of the learning curve is behind me (although I keep finding new things). But a few little stickers keep getting me and I am not sure how to get around them. So, I am putting this out to the Android Old timers. I keep trying to do searches, but there is enough differences between 2 and previous versions, that it is hard to tell what should and shouldn't be working. Also, if something sounds like complaining, the complaints are relatively few and gathered together in one post. I could go on and on about the good things.

I will warn you ahead of time, this is in no particular order and sort of hops around.

On that note I start off by stating how much I like the Droid. It is a lot of fun and has SO much to offer. It really feels like a little tiny PC and less like a phone. If fact, I have had to change my mindset to think of it like a computer, not a phone. It is just a computer that happens to make calls too. The screen is just... well coming from the old Palm OS, it is so... massive and rich and gosh darned sharp. yeah yeah yeah... get on with it...

Ok, question 1, when going into messaging and I want to start a new message, I get the "To" box. I will start to type someone's name, but no contacts show up. Am I missing something here? On the palm, I would just start a new message, start to type a name and it would start to sift down through the names. Here it is like there is no connection between the messaging and contacts (aside from the tab at the top).

In the phone area, it would be nice if it had a search box right there. Currently I have to go to contacts, then select the contact, then select which number to call. On the palm, you just set up some defaults. I am using the stared set but it would be nice for faster searching.

It would be cool if when a message comes in, it would turn on the screen, and if you unlock it, it would go straight to the message.

I love that I can be playing a game (which tends to be Robo Defense a lot lately) and a call comes in, it goes to the phone (nothing new here), but then when the call is over, it goes back to the game. Man on the palm, I could go back into it, but I would have to start over at the beginning.

Is there an easy way to swap between open apps? As I understand it, I have to long press the home key and wait for the little window to pop up. Then select it. In many apps it is like starting the app for the first time, it does not go to it's previous state which is what I think of when we talk multitasking.

Camera...
I bought the device with the understanding that the camera took crappy pictures. I am sort of ok with this because I do have a rather nice camera that I carry most places. BUT, that said, even with this "date round off" focus issue on the current time cycle, I gotta say that my phone still can't focus for crap. It will focus up nicely. Take a psudo still (which looks great BTW) then after a few seconds a different picture shows up with totally color that is totally wrong and focus that is no where near what the proxy was. Really odd. They need to put out a call to Canon and see if they can get some pointers.
Now, on my side of fault, I have to learn not to hold it with my left hand as it keeps in the way. Hands free and clear, I hope they do make this work better.

Video...
I know that the iPhone offers editing of their videos. Is this within the possibilities of this device? I would love to be able to trim and join some of these clips. I am actually finding that the video camera is a lot of fun.

Can anyone offer any good apps (not strictly games) that really show off the capabilities of the video processing? I have tried Iteration which does some cool stuff, but is not interactive at all. Speed Forge 3D is about the heaviest thing I could find and it looks great.

Is there any way to adjust the sensitivity of the 4 face buttons. I always seem to hit the back or search buttons all the time. It is a little annoying.

[extorian]

1 - You're missing something. If I go to Messaging -> New message, and as you say the cursor is in the To box, so I start typing a name, by the time I've typed the first two characters of the name it's offering suggestions. I take it you do have some contacts? Also some phones sort contacts by last name then first name. Android sorts by first name so you start typing the first letters of their first name. If this doesn't work, then I don't know what's up.

2 - There are a number of quick ways to search for contacts to call/text. The way I do it is to go to Contacts (you can put a shortcut on your home screen if you want, or press the dial button and hit the Contacts tab). Once there just start typing any first or last name, and it'll narrow it down to the list of contacts that contain what you've typed. Another way is to add the Search widget to your home screen, and just start typing a contact like before. When it suggests it you press it. A final way is to download the app Any Cut from the Market and make a shortcut to your commonly used Contacts on your home screen.

3 - There are a number of apps that can do this. SMS Popup and Handcent SMS both offer features like this. Try Handcent first.

4 - This depends on the app. A lot of apps (in fact most games in my experience) save their state before switching to the call. Sure, sometimes you might go back to your last turn or whatever, but this is up to the developer as to how this works.

5 - Again, it depends how the app's developer made their app as to what happens when you switch between two apps. Some apps exit, some remain in the exact same state, some go back to the start of the level. The long press of the Home button is the standard way to switch between the last 6 *recently used* apps (it's technically not running apps). You can also use apps like Advanced Task Manager to switch between running apps. But, as you've noticed, a lot of apps save and exit rather than actually switch.

Video - Not sure... Maybe there's an app that can do that, but I've not seen one... but then I haven't looked.

Iteration is pretty cool yeah. Alas I've not looked for any apps like what you describe - maybe someone else can help there?

Face buttons - not that I know of, sorry.

[constellanation]

no in phone video editing capabilities yet, (developers! make one!)

don't think you can adjust the sensitivity of the buttons.

and for everything else what extorian said.

[myx_2000]

Yes, I have like 300+ Contacts. It does not mater if I try first or last names, nothing shows up (in messaging). If I am in "Contacts", yes it does reduce quickly to whom I need, but I would rather not have to go there first before I want to make a call or message someone. I have tried changing my search settings so that it only looks at contacts (not music, web, photos...)
I do have a shortcut for contacts on my desktop... sorry, home screen. I also have one for messaging and phone in hopes to be able to go there right away, but I seem to have to keep going to contacts eventually anyhow. Or, is this one of those places that I need to change my mindset and make Contacts my default place to start from for all my messaging/phone needs?
After posting the original post, I am realizing that I am having the same searching problems in my email too. (not gmail)
I have a friend Kurt. He is the only Kurt in there. I put in K... U... R...T and still no number, email address or anything show up.

[extorian]

Android is pretty flexible - so you should be able to send a text message to someone by either going to Messages and starting to type their name, or by starting from the contact.

If you start from the Messaging app, you have to select the app (one press), select New message (second press), start type the name (some typing), select the name (third press), and then enter the message. So to get to the entering the message stage it's three presses and some typing.

So, lets try starting from the Contact... If you go to Contacts (first press), start typing the contact you want to text (some typing), select the contact (second press), select Text whatever (third press), and then start entering the message.

So either way it's the same amount of work to get to the same point (three presses and some typing).

I don't know what this would help prove, but if you go into the Messaging app, New message, and start typing your friend's phone number, does it show his contact then after the first few numbers?

You could also try resetting the messaging app. You will lose all your messages in there though, so make sure you've got a copy of any important information in there. Then press Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications -> (wait for list to populate) Messaging -> Clear data. Then try creating a message again starting with the messaging app - does it find names now?

If not, you could try the same procedure to reset your contacts list... This will remove all your Contacts (which you'll get back afterwards) and your recent call log. You do the same as above to get to the applications list, but then select Contacts from the list off applications, then Clear data, and then do the same again but for "Contacts Storage" and Clear data this time. Once you've done that you'll need to get your contacts back so go into Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Data synchronization -> uncheck Contacts, and then recheck Contacts. This will make the phone download all your contacts again from Google. Wait for it to finish Synching (the little circle of two arrows symbol will disappear), then check if the Messaging app finds stuff now.

Good luck!

[darreno1]

To make a call, email or message someone from the home screen simply hit the search button and start typing the name of the contact. Also you can just type the contact name in the google search box or speak the name by clicking the microphone or holding the search button.

I tried going into messaging first and typing in the to box to see if I have the same probelm but I don't. My contacts show up as I start typing.


As for multitasking if you hit the back button after each app to back out to home, when you press the home button to multitask, the app will start from scratch because hitting the back button closes it's current state. The best way to get out of apps and leave them in their current state is to just hit the home button rather than the back button. I multitask a lot and have no issues with apps staying in their current state.

For the camera, try cleaning the lens really well, this has helped a lot of people. Personally, except for a little noise in low light pics, I have little issues with my camera and the video is amazing for what it is. Good luck with yours.

I don't think there is a way to adjust the sensitivity of the buttons, but I'll post if I come across anything.

[paul roberts]

For the camera, try cleaning the lens really well, this has helped a lot of people. Personally, except for a little noise in low light pics, I have little issues with my camera and the video is amazing for what it is. Good luck with yours.

there's a calendar rounding bug in the autofocus, you're good for about 20 days by which time expect a fix. :)

http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/11/18/1943209/Bizarre-Droid-Auto-Focus-Bug-Revealed?from=rss

[tiki]

RE: Your last request I assume you are looking for apps to show off the video/3D graphics?

there's one called "armadillo roll" i beleive- its got a good 3d graphic demo going, also there was an early one with a sci-fi/transformers kind of video demo- but i cant remember the name.. anyone?


__________________
HTC Dream (TMobile G1) | JF 1.5 ROM |Androider since October 2008 | Fave App: Pandora |
Wanted App: Rhapsody | Fave Sites: Android Community, (http://androidcommunity.com/forums/members/tiki-2349.html)Mobile Pornhub (http://www.mobilepornhub.com), Android and Me|
QWERTY or VK: Qwerty All the Way | Looking forward to: Motorola Droid (http://androidcommunity.com/forums/members/tiki-2349.html)

[extorian]

That would be the app called Neocore.

[myx_2000]

there's a calendar rounding bug in the autofocus, you're good for about 20 days by which time expect a fix. :)

http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/11/18/1943209/Bizarre-Droid-Auto-Focus-Bug-Revealed?from=rss

Yeah, I had seen those fixes, but cleaning the lens is not going to help a camera that focuses (nice and sharp) then when it actually takes the picture, it is blurry. I keep getting excited. The proxy looks great, but the real deal is grungy. And just for troubleshooting purposes, I did clean the lens area. I had to do that on my palm because the pictures would get hazy. You know, a little slider on the screen for manual focus would be cool.

And as a guy who has done a little bit of programming here and there, I do not understand how or why one would tie the focus to the to a calendar. Now, I have never programmed a phone, but I have programmed many microcontrollers. I could see if that was where it was getting it's timing from for shutter speed and such, but that kind of stuff should come from the processor clock, not a calendar.

And yes darreno1, you are right, the video side of things really is amazing. I have used it quite a lot. I can actually pull the clips into premiere and chop them down. They are of course not a 3 chip ccd, but for a "phone" to be able to record full screen video at a fairly respectable frame rate is crazy cool.

As to the contacts, I am still trying to make this work. Like Extorian said, I go to the contacts but have to hit the search button to get the on screen keyboard to show up, or slide out the keyboard. Then when I type, I DO get the contacts that I want. But, if I start within messaging, or email, I press into "To:" and start typing a name and keep typing but nothing comes up.

Thanks Tiki and extorian, I will see if these load. I somehow have to get myself weened off of Robo Defense. I think it might take a 12 step program or something.

[hondamx525]

I would do a factory reset and see if that fixes the mesaging issue. For messaging, try donwloading either chompsms or handcent sms, they are both free, and see if it gets your contacts to show up in the to: box.

[tranz]

If you came from a Treo with 300 contacts you're gonna be a frustrated as I am with the DROID (gmail) contacts.

Yeah, the camera IS wierd, and for the fact that the ONE prominent, easy to use button on the thing is for the CAMERA instead of starting and ending phone calls, you'd think the camera would be everything wouldn't ya?!

On Dec 11 there's gonna be a live software (and firmware?) update that fixes some stuff including camera problems. I think it's also supposed to deal with some (MS) Exchange stuff too, including calendar stuff.

[tranz]

yeah, I'm an old Palmy and am doing a bunch of forums too. (too many) http://androidforums.com is good for us ex-Palmys, and there's another one I just can't find right now.....