About my new droidX

[pickinflat]

Hello everyone

I am new here today and happy to be a part of the community. 

The reason I picked droidX...

My first cell phone was an LG flip, then I went to the Motorola Rival, however I came to understand that I needed more than a cell phone or something to send texts. Its my line of work is the reason I chose the droidX.

I am in Materials Management and deal heavily in managing a wide variety of materials. Each item I deal with has its own part number and there are 1,000's of part numbers.

I chose the droidX for its memory capabilities. Now I plan on using my "files" to store information about some not all of the parts I deal with on daily basis. I want to categorize each part in a folder by vendor name and part number and also give a brief description of that part number like wattages, amperages, voltages, BIL's and so on.

I'm not always by the company computer to look these part numbers up to satisfy my clients needs. I plan on using to start with maybe 300 part numbers.....

Smartphones are becoming more and more popular now days and it seems I need an instruction book on how to operate my droid, is what I am asking is there a proper way to begin this task from the beginning so my files and folders will look right.    

[droidsw]

The link below will connect you with the User's Guide.

For file management, I like the app called Astro File Manger by Metago. You can Google it and find out more about it and download it from the App Market from your phone. I think it is more user friendly than the stock file manager on our phone.

You may also choose to create folders with customized icons for your homescreens. For this, I recommend Folder Organizer by Fabio Collini.

There are free and paid versions of these apps, the difference being the paid versions have no ads and offer more options. The free versions are very good.

http://www.motorola.com/Support/US-EN/Consumer-Support/Mobile-Phones/Motorola+DROID+X

[pickinflat]

Thank You droidsw

I will give Astro file management a try.

As I said from the beginning, I am in the elementary stages of learning how to handle my droidX and there is no one around to show me the ropes so to speak.

Another thing I like about droid is I have another e-mail address and that really helps as I also deal with Buyers as well as my clients and supervisers.

[pickinflat]

Thank You droidsw

I will give Astro file management a try.

As I said from the beginning, I am in the elementary stages of learning how to handle my droidX and there is no one around to show me the ropes so to speak.

Another thing I like about droid is I have another e-mail address and that really helps as I also deal with Buyers as well as my clients and supervisers.

[gerio]

I have my X (and now my X2) set up to do something similar to what you are looking to accomplish, although I don't work with so many files or an inventory such as yours. But I need to be able to sync files and notes back and forth between my phone, my office computer, and my notebook that I carry on road trips and tours.

I agree 100% on Astro File Manager. Great for working with files. I plan to check out Folder Organizer. I haven't tried placing files on home pages and this sounds like it could save me a bunch of keystrokes (or having a stroke because I can't put my hands on a file quickly enough!...)

In addition to what DroidSW suggests, I use Evernote between all of the devices to make notes and lists that I don't need to keep as files. It's invaluable when making notes such as items to note for repair when I get home. And I use Dropbox to sync what files I need between all of the devices. There are free versions of both programs that have plenty of storage space for what I do. The pad versions offer more storage.

I would also use a mobile security program that will allow remotely wiping your data if the phone is lost or stolen. The popular ones that I'm aware of are Kaspersky Mobile (the one I currently like and use), Lookout, AVG, Norton Mobile (which will get some groans, but this ain't yer Father's Norton), and I'm certain that there are more worthy contenders, as well. 

I really like Documents To Go, so much that I bought the full version. It has a lot of MS Office-compatability features. I make extensive use of the PDF feature, although I need to find something that I can create PDF docs with on the phone. I'm certain that something is out there, I just have't gotten around to looking for it yet.

You really have a LOT of options for doing what you want to do. You''ll have to spend some time figuring out what works best for you and don't get frustrated if you try somethings and they don't pan out as you wish at first.

Good luck, Geri O

[demmo86rt]

You might also look into Google Docs, a cloud-based document service from Google.  They have spreadsheets, written documents, as well as some others.  You can access them via the internet here and there is a free app in the market that allows you to view and edit them.  The thing I like about it is not having to add another program on the computer and everything is free.

[pickinflat]

Thank You Geri O

Wow thats a lot of information....I will print a copy of your relpy and give all of them some consideration.

Give me a year and I will be able to navigate the droid without sinking the ship.

[Ann154]

@gerio

You can check out the official PDF maker. I have no need for the application at this time, but I am sure someone will use it.

http://market.android.com/details?id=com.adobe.createpdf

[gerio]

Well, you might take on a little water, but the X is quite bouyant, LOL.

Geri O

[curtterp]

I would think that a database would be a better choice for your use. To have that many part numbers, using files would be time consuming to use/update.

The database software I use is HanDBase. I started to use it with a Palm V, then moved over to my Windows Mobile Dell Axim3, and now on my Droid X. One advantage that HanDBase has that others do not, is the ability to work with different platforms. They use a proprietary database file that can be used on different platforms. I have databases that have started on the Palm and now use on my Droid X.

They also have a desktop component that sync's and backup your databases. You can design a database on the desktop, and install it to your Droid. They also have a 30 day trial for the desktop software, so you can use it to see if you might like it.  The desktop software has 3 levels. The basic level to design/sync/backup. The Plus version does everything the basic does, but also sync's with MS Access. The Enterprise version does everything the basic and Plus, but also sync's with ODBC databases. You can decide how much you need and want to pay for.

The Android version is located in the Android Marketplace. It does cost $9.99. I would suggest that take a look at the desktop program to see if it would work for you. You do have 30 days to play with it before buying it. Unfortunately, the Android market money back policy is only 15 minutes (Stupid I know) so you do not get much time to see how it really works for you on the X.

You can check out the software at http://ddhsoftware.com

They also have a user forum at http://ddhsoftware.com/forum

I do not have a financial interest in DDH, but I am a long time user of their software.

If you have any questions about it, you can ask questions in the user forum. You can get answers there from the developer or longtime users like me.