Android HTC Hero Questions

[FromLine]

I recently got a new Android HTC Hero. I have some basic questions about the phone.

First off, is there a user forum(s) to communicate with others who will readily know the answers?

Is there an HTC Hero / Sprint user here who may be able to assist?

Here are my basic questions:

1) I have a lot of pre-installed Google Apps ("Programs" actually) on my phone. I'd like to remove/delete a few of them (i.e. NFL Mobile, Nascar, Teeter, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, etc.).

Or, at least remove them from the "All Programs" display. This can get quite cluttered, especially when I decide to download new Apps.

If these are core apps that can't be removed, perhaps I could place these into a folder.

2) How to I rearrange the order of my Programs? I can view them in either grid or list format, but I don't see a way to rearrange the order.

Edit:

I've determined how to customize the icons and programs on the main screen(s). It's only the program list that views them all it seems.

3) Turn of vibrate when typing?

When I'm composing a message or using the keyboard, every time I hit a letter, the phone vibrates for a very brief moment indicating I've selected a character.

How do I turn this keyboard vibration off?

I've checked through all the settings and can't seem to find.

[Ennis]

You don't need a Hero forum, you need Android forums:

http://androidforums.com/

http://www.talkandroid.com/android-forums/

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/index.php

http://www.androidmobileforum.com/forums/index.php

http://googleandroidschool.com/

[FromLine]

Originally Posted by Ennis

You don't need a Hero forum, you need Android forums:

http://androidforums.com/

^ I think this one appears to be the best. Also, http://phandroid.com (it's parent) is quite useful.

[kirill]

Originally Posted by FromLine

3) Turn of vibrate when typing?

When I'm composing a message or using the keyboard, every time I hit a letter, the phone vibrates for a very brief moment indicating I've selected a character.

How do I turn this keyboard vibration off?

I've checked through all the settings and can't seem to find.

There's a checkbox Vibrate when typing. It's somewhere under Settings, Locale and text.

My Hero is off now. It's a funny phone, but I was really disappointed by the lack of a good e-mail client. Symbian has ProfiMail, so I'm continuing to use the E66 as my primary device...

[FromLine]

Originally Posted by kirill

... but I was really disappointed by the lack of a good e-mail client. Symbian has ProfiMail, so I'm continuing to use the E66 as my primary device...

kirill,

I have some questions about the above, but I've moved this topic and question to this thread:

http://www.emaildiscussions.com/showthread.php?t=58020

Please respond where I quote you over there as I have some questions about Email, email clients, and your quote above regarding email on these devices. Thanks.

[Ennis]

Symbian is excellent, but the Android device is more complete, and if you're a Google Apps user, it's almost perfect. You can now do all the Google Apps tricks with the iPhone, and as much as I really like the Hero, it is no iPhone.

[FromLine]

Looks like Samsung is moving away from Symbian

Samsung to Cease Developing Symbian Phones
http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=5104

[FMRocks]

Originally Posted by Ennis

Symbian is excellent, but the Android device is more complete, and if you're a Google Apps user, it's almost perfect. You can now do all the Google Apps tricks with the iPhone, and as much as I really like the Hero, it is no iPhone.

Well, you may be able to get apps for most Google applications for the iPhone, but one official app is banned, namely Google Voice. Google Voice has become my primary number, and I use it for everything. For my smart phone, I would *require* Google Voice's official app to work on it. It is specifically banned on the iPhone (even though it is allowed on other AT&T devices such as their blackberries). The other thing an iPhone lacks is a physical QWERTY keyboard. I hate those touchscreen keyboards.

I'm switching to sprint and going with their Samsung Moment, which runs on Android because it has a physical QWERTY keyboard.

[FromLine]

Originally Posted by FMRocks

one official app is banned, namely Google Voice.

It is specifically banned on the iPhone (even though it is allowed on other AT&T devices such as their blackberries).

There's a formal FCC complaint pending on this matter.

I downloaded the Google Voice App on the HTC Hero. It's wonderful. I have the settings right now such that every time I hit the call or SMS button, it prompts me whether I wish to call/send through Google Voice or my regular number.

I can see why Apple/AT&T are so threatend by it. The Google Voice app works beautifully on Android, including the SMS feature.

There's also a shortcut toggle button.

The four options are:

1) Make all calls through Google Voice
2) Prompt me to make the call via Google Voice
3) Only make international calls via Google Voice
4) Don't use Google Voice for any calls

Originally Posted by FMRocks

The other thing an iPhone lacks is a physical QWERTY keyboard. I hate those touchscreen keyboards.

I'm switching to sprint and going with their Samsung Moment, which runs on Android because it has a physical QWERTY keyboard.

This is a matter of preference. Some people are fine with the touchscreen keyboards. Motorola Droid has a physical keyboad, but many have claimed the landscape touch keyboard works so well, that they may hardly, if ever use, the pullout keyboard.

On the other hand, many are fine with the touchscreens.

You may view the video discussing this with the Motorola Droid at

http://phandroid.com/video

It's one of the earlier Motorola Droid review videos where the touch screen keyboad is discussed in comparison to the optional physical one.

I"m using the HTC Hero from Sprint and I find the touchscreen keyboards (both regular and landscape) to work well and a well designed predictive text mode makes things very easy. There's a calibration feature to customize your typing and a way it saves your common words for future typing.

But again, it's all a matter of personal preference of physical keyboard vs. touchscreen.

There will probably be about 18 to 20 Android phones out at the end of year, so this leave many options.

Android Forums:

Originally Posted by Ennis

You don't need a Hero forum, you need Android forums:
http://androidforums.com/
http://www.talkandroid.com/android-forums/
http://androidcommunity.com/forums/index.php
http://www.androidmobileforum.com/forums/index.php
http://googleandroidschool.com/

I started many of the Android discussions here both before obtaining my phone and before discovering other forums.

I have experimented and researched many Android forums and I beleive this one is the best:

http://androidforums.com

I find that it's quite helpful, thorough, knowledgable, well-monitored, and a decent community.

I post on this forum as "abourne" if anyone wants to see my discussions or starting threads.

[FMRocks]

Originally Posted by FromLine

This is a matter of preference. Some people are fine with the touchscreen keyboards. Motorola Droid has a physical keyboad, but many have claimed the landscape touch keyboard works so well, that they may hardly, if ever use, the pullout keyboard.

On the other hand, many are fine with the touchscreens.

Well, of course it's a matter of personal preference. My personal preference is that a physical keyboard is a must for me. Touchscreen is good for a lot of things, but personally, for me, not for typing. I will note, however, that with a device that has the keyboard, one can still use the touchscreen keyboard if one prefers. On a device with a physical keyboard, no functionality of the touchscreen is lost.

[Ennis]

As an iPhone power power user, I can tell you that a touchscreen keyboard is just fine after you adjust to it. I make as many mistakes on a hard keyboard phone as I do on the iPhone. I've used many hard keyboard phones, and in the end, the keyboard isn't a slam dunk for any of those phones. The other thing I question is going with Sprint. Why buy a CDMA phone? We live in a GSM world. CDMA is being phased out everywhere. Canada's two national CDMA carriers went GSM this month, joining the two existing, national GSM carriers. Verizon is going GSM. Only the US and South Korea now have CDMA. Get a phone you can unlock and use with any carrier. Forget about international roaming, get a sim card from a domestic carrier in countries you visit, and pay as you go.

GSM all the way for people who know cell phones.

[FromLine]

CDMA vs. GSM may also be a matter of preference for mobile phone users. I believe that a 1900 Mhz CDMA network has its advantages, in particular with higher data speeds over GSM.

There are many arguments out there doing CDMA vs. GSM comparisons and that's something that can go on and on and probably better debated on mobile phone forum. In brief, I found one objective comparison study that lists the advantages and disadvantages of CDMA here:

Advantages of CDMA include:

* Increased cellular communications security.
* Simultaneous conversations.
* Increased efficiency, meaning that the carrier can serve more subscribers.
* Smaller phones.
* Low power requirements and little cell-to-cell coordination needed by operators.
* Extended reach - beneficial to rural users situated far from cells.

Disadvantages of CDMA include:

* Due to its proprietary nature, all of CDMA's flaws are not known to the engineering community.
* CDMA is relatively new, and the network is not as mature as GSM.
* CDMA cannot offer international roaming, a large GSM advantage.

CDMA, code division multiple access, was originally only used in the military and in 1997, I did personally speak with the Chief of Engineering at Pacific Bell (later SBC (changed name to Cingular), and today AT&T). When they built out the network in late 1996, CDMA wasn't finalized yet so they went with GSM. He told me that in his opinion as the company's chief engineer, he felt CDMA was superior, but it was still in theory at the time, they needed to build out their network, so they had to go with GSM.

Today, GSM is certainly more prevalent around the world.

Advantages of GSM:

* GSM is already used worldwide with over 450 million subscribers.
* International roaming permits subscribers to use one phone throughout Western Europe. CDMA will work in Asia, but not France, Germany, the U.K. and other popular European destinations.
* GSM is mature, having started in the mid-80s. This maturity means a more stable network with robust features. CDMA is still building its network.
* GSM's maturity means engineers cut their teeth on the technology, creating an unconscious preference.
* The availability of Subscriber Identity Modules, which are smart cards that provide secure data encryption give GSM m-commerce advantages.

In brief, GSM is a "more elegant way to upgrade to 3G," says Strategis Group senior wireless analyst Adam Guy.

Disadvantages of GSM:

* Lack of access to burgeoning American market.

Conclusion

Today, the battle between CDMA and GSM is muddled. Where at one point Europe clearly favored GSM and North America, CDMA, the distinct advantage of one over the other has blurred as major carriers like AT&T Wireless begin to support GSM, and recent trials even showed compatibility between the two technologies.

GSM still holds the upper hand however. There's the numerical advantage for one thing: 456 million GSM users versus CDMA's 82 million.

In a US city, or around major US cities around the country, with a built out functional CDMA network, it's more about the quality the network within the country you're in. I've been with this 1900 Mhz CDMA network for 12 years at this point and there are many JD Powers Assoc. studies regarding the reliability, quality, of Sprint's technology. There are also studies out there that show that on a 1900 Mhz CDMA system, the data speeds are shown to be faster and more efficient. Even Verizon has supported this.

Verizon switching to GSM? Not sure about that. There was extensive discussion about that in 2007, but it appears that Verizon is maintaining it's CDMA network in the US. The Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Heris phones are both CDMA Android phones on Verizon's network.

[Ennis]

I agree with you. However, GSM is the world standard. Verizon is going GSM.

[FMRocks]

Originally Posted by Ennis

The other thing I question is going with Sprint. Why buy a CDMA phone? We live in a GSM world. CDMA is being phased out everywhere. Canada's two national CDMA carriers went GSM this month, joining the two existing, national GSM carriers. Verizon is going GSM. Only the US and South Korea now have CDMA. Get a phone you can unlock and use with any carrier. Forget about international roaming, get a sim card from a domestic carrier in countries you visit, and pay as you go.

GSM all the way for people who know cell phones.

Well, actually, Verizon is going to use GSM only for its 4G network, as far as I can tell. I couldn't find anything else with regard to Verizon switching its entire network over to GSM. Also, Sprint and Verizon are not the only networks in the US that are on a CDMA network. Local smaller providers like Metro and so on uses CDMA as well (some smaller providers use Sprint's voice network, I don't know of any that use AT&T's). Other than being the USA's top networking technology, CDMA is showing rapid growth in the world's fastest growing mobile market (and if you leave out China, in which a state owned company controls almost all the mobile market, this country runs away with the prize), India. I do not see any indication that CDMA is about to become quaint technology.

Nonetheless, my motive behind choosing Sprint wasn't CDMA vs. GSM, it was the phone, and the plan (this, supposedly, is how most users choose their carriers). I'd decided on an Android phone, and T-mobile ceased to be an option after reading about all its recent outages. I researched the Samsung Moment, and it promises to be a great phone for me. Second, and equally importantly, the plan. Sprint has a "Simply Everything" plan - that's unlimited minutes, unlimited data, unlimited messaging, and unlimited use of Sprint's GPS service - in other words, unlimited everything for $100 a month. A comparable plan with AT&T would cost $100 just for the unlimited minutes, plus $30 for an iPhone (or blackberry) data plan, plus $20 for unlimited messaging, plus another $10 for AT&T Navigator. That's $160 a month for a comparable package to Sprint's Simply Everything. You can say that I don't really need this or that, but that's not the point, the point is what is being provided for the price. Oh, and the iPhone 3GS, at the lower price, would cost me $200 as opposed to $180 for the Moment. The decision wasn't even close.

[Ennis]

Whatever works for you is the way to go.