New to Driod

[godzilla000]

Hello all, I have just ordered my very first andriod. After doing a bit of research I decided to go with the Incredible. It should arrive Tuesday of next week. I have been using an Lg dare but have always wanted something I could do some custom stuff on. Anyway I have done some reading and bookmarked some things I would like to try. I was wondering if some of you guys ( and girls ) could suggest some things I my want to do or try as a first time andriod / smartphone user. What apps do you people really like and find useful ?

[FramCire]

There is an apps section of this forum.  Use it and other forums to make lists of interesting apps.

Go to appbrain.com and sign up.  Find all the apps there (they have descriptions and reviews).  Mark them for install.

When you get your phone, download appbrains app (free in market) .  Open it up, go to manage my applications, sync, and install....... it will walk you through installing all the apps you marked for install.

If you have other questions, send me a message.....

[godzilla000]

Hey thanks for the repy. It seems I have a lot more reading to do about this new phone. I have a couple of apps in mind and I will search for them. I do have another question, I used to use a palm, not the phone, but an actual palm pilot. I used the calender a lot. I am interested in a calender that I can sync to my computer, but don't really want one take is cloud based. I only want to connect to my phone and computer. I hope I explained that right. Has anyone run into something like that ?

[FramCire]

Try Jorte (look it up on appbrain)

Stock syncs to google calendar.

Others will have more calendar ideas.  Also check other forums and appbrain recommendations and such.

If you havent been on appbrain yet, you got a TON of work to do

[smbeach]

I went from a Blackberry World to a Blackberry Storm and then to the HTC Droid Incredible. I downloaded the HTC User's Manual for the Incredible and bought books on Droid a month before my contract was renewable. I LOVE my Incredible, don't know if I'll ever look back. I can't say enough about it.

Yes, use the HTC software that comes with your phone and sync to your Outlook calendar. Alternatively, you can convert your calendar to a .csv file and import.

I made the mistake of converting to .csv and uploading to the Google Calendar, AND syncing to my Outlook. Got lots of duplicates. It would be nice to do both if you keep, say a separate "family" calendar and "business" calendar,both will show up on the calendar tool. I have a medium sized "widget" on my initial screen that shows events for that day, and you can tap it and add another.

As to your question regarding apps, I have found some I use every day off the Android Market. My number one recommendation is "Advanced Task Killer Pro". The Droids do burn up the batteries; I downloaded this and every time I use my phone for anything before I put it to sleep, I swipe down, select Task Killer and kill everything BUT "Advanced Task Killer Pro".

Love, love, love the "Car Panel" tool that comes included on the Incredible - maybe all Droids, not sure - you can do voice search, Navigation, View Map, Make a Call, and Footprints (geo-tagging - take a photo and immediately set it in Footprints it saves latitude/longitude).

"Calorie Counter" is free, tracks your food intake. Has restaurant lists with menus and if you are doggie bagging some of your food you can show the serving as 1/2 or 1/4. Has a bar code scanner that you scan your food purchase and it shows the calories; also an exercise diary. Very cool, very powerful; I LOVE IT!!!

Google Sky is free and really neat. Go outside, point to the sky and it will show you the constellations you can see in "color" and "night vision" (red). Can also search!

I am a sailor and downloaded Navionics for the east coast of the US. Has the ENTIRE EAST COAST, and works as a chartplotter. Click on various things on the chart and you can get marina info (with a phone number - click and it dials!), depths, tides, etc. You can set waypoints, tracks, etc. The only thing it does not give is compass heading. I love it, have shown to fellow boaters and they are off to Verizon for their Droid! Best $13.26 I've ever spent! This items shows on Android Market (at the time I bought as 9.99 euros, which converted to $13.26...) Geotags photos, if you want to take a pic of, say a marina click the camera icon in the program, and it geotags it with longitude/latitude. I also downloaded "Geowake"... deleted after 24 hours, much cheaper, but I'd be aground before the screen would redraw. Very slow, DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Photo Effects - cool photo effects, morphing, etc.

Knot Guide (again, I'm a boater...) has over 100 knots with step-by-step instructions... $2.99... fabulous!

I have State Farm insurance, downloaded "Pocket Agent" for free, has copies of my insurance cards when I open it up, as well as my agent's contact info, repair facilities, "on the road" (hotels, gas stations, tow trucks, taxi's, locksmiths, rental cars), "after an accident" step-by-step instructions and how to record an auto claim!

Intuit's free "Mint" tracks bank account $ (you have to set up via computer, does not save account #'s on the phone), assets, etc, and sends you a weekly report. Not what I thought it would be, but still pretty neat for a free program...

The Coupons App - ties in with the GPS to give you local specials, lowest gas, etc. Has a barcode scanner that will show the cheapest local price.

All really cool and fun to use! All apps automatically notify you if there is an upgrade.

I cannot say enough good things about the Droid Incredible, have been babbling to everyone I meet for a month now!!!

[FramCire]

Task killers are very controversial.

Read up on forums about it. 

They are not needed usually and can cause many small and some large problems

make up your own mind about them by reading up.

[AZSALUKI]

i use an app killer simply because it is easier to kill the apps than the stock method. HOWEVER....you need to learn what not to kill. for example, if you "kill all" and your alarm clock is set, don't be upset when it does not go off....or your calendar does not remind you of an appointment, etc. you can create an "ignore list" with most app killers. just make sure if you use one that you include your clock, calendar, and whatever else you'd like to keep running in your ignore list.

and yes....USE appbrain. hands down better than the "market" app on the phone. i'd also suggest a file manager. i use es file explorer (astro is good too). these are apps that allow you to go into the phone or the sd card and view them in a "windows" feel. like windows explorer if you are familiar with it.

[AZSALUKI]

shop savvy is a cool gps based coupon app with built in barcode scanner and aloqa is a really nice app. you select what you are looking for (atm, bar, restaurant, hotel, coffe shop, etc) and it pulls them all up in order of distance from you. you can also norrw down....like under atm's you can limit it to wells fargo or under coffe shops you can limit it to starbucks. it includes ratings/reviews for the places. a really nice app.

[TheGreatOne]

Here are the must have apps I would recommend:

• Opera Mini 5 Beta
• HandCent SMS
• Note Everything
• Cardio traininer
• RingDroid
• Ringo Lite
•  Coupons
• Lookout Security
• Where's my Droid
• aTrackDog
• Shazam
• Brightkite

[fezzik]

I would suggest

Google Goggles. I know but it actually is one of the better barcode scanner apps I have used when connected to Google shopper.

eReaders - Aldiko, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Borders, Wordaholic

File manager - Aexplore, Astro

Google Voice - Great for voicemail if nothing else

YP Mobile - most up to date location based business lookup.

Dictionary.Com

Fandango

Twidroyd - Peep is good but Twidroyd remembers your location.  I like it cause I don't like starting with the newest I like starting with the last read.

Onion News Network

Personal preference - Youversion Bible app, Bank of America app, Facebook for Android (better than the HTC version in my book), {edit for TOS violation}.

[godzilla000]

Hello again and thanks to all of you who replied to my questions. I ordered my phone on Tuesday and was told it would arrive next Tuesday, but it is here today and charging. I am going to set it up today after following some instructions I read online about  fully charging the battery.  I got some good suggestions for apps from you people and I after I get used to my new phone I'll start learning about installing them and trying out a few.