[Q] Feedback on negative reviews? - G2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi All,
Been reading this forum for days, and am really keen on a LG G2. I find that just trying them out in the store doesn't really give me a good idea if I'll like it (can't install apps, tweak it too much). I am still concerned about some of the reviews that have come out, what do people who already have the LG G2 think of them?
Examples - I can't post outside links yet but heres my attempt to obfuscate them: arstechnica-lgs-g2-smartphone-gets-caught-living-in-the-shadows-of-giants androidpolice-lg-g2-review-a-pretty-good-phone-held-back-by-some-pretty-not-good-software
The primary concerns from the reviews seem to be the UI, but I'm guessing I can change most of that to my liking? From what I've read here people seem to love the UI and the features, and the more I read the more I think I might too! The font change is probably the thing I'm most concerned about, even the Roboto option isn't like the default Android font option.
The other concern I have is I like to theme and change the icons, but I've heard that the only way to do that with the LG UI is to change them one by one?
Also I can't root due to some applications I need to run for my job (and RootCloak doesn't allow them to run sadly), so I'd love to know what are the first things to do for a non rooted user?
Thanks all, appreciate the advice.

Don't rely on reviews. Try it yourself as I did, and my former Galaxy S4 lost to this nice mobile

I'm a recovering crack-flasher and absolutely love this phone as is. My only gripe with the ui is the folder design, that's it. The performance is incredible, the battery goes on forever, and custom roms can't match the feature content of the stock rom.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

Buy it.

forget the reviews, most of them are paid to write good things about one brand and bash the other. it's an amazing phone and you'll love it.
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

Cool, so any suggestions on things to do with the phone when I first get it to remove as much of the UI bloat as possible? I'll probably be picking it up next week. Excited, as my last android was a HTC Legend (I do also have a Acer A500 tablet).

Stock LG ui font is Smart Gothic but it gives you the option to change to roboto.
The icons has to be changed one by one Unless you use a different launcher like Nova or Apex.
I agree that the folder on the home screen is ugly. (I prefer Nova)
Sent from my JEE TWO

Related

Sense ui on galaxy tab?

since i saw some thread saying it can be rooted, means that we can flash it to a new rom say like HTC sense UI? (if there's any)
i like sense ui better than touchwiz, so i probably want one if it exist
would be appreciated if anybody knows a link to the rom also
I do not know of any roms for the tab yet.
Regarding sence i seriously doubt there will be a rom in the future since its not supposed to run on the tabs resolution. It wouldnt feel right anyways without beeing optimized fot tablet use, the widgets would be ridiculously big (tried with launcher pro widgets) (-:
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Sense would be fugly on the Tab :|
lol, fugly is it?
somehow i still see this one as a huge smartphone than a tab, yet
unless maybe the release of gingerbread will make it feels like a tablet more
anyway, the more the merrier
it wouldnt kill for someone to actually develop a different rom for 7inch tab, or maybe after htc actually release one of his own htc tab
thanks anyway ^^
Before we get custom ROMs, someone needs to work out how to get a custom bootloader and/or recovery onto the device so we can write to the lowlevel filesystem. As of yet, this hasn't happened.
If you want Sense then I suggest getting LauncherPro Plus as their widgets are very similar to the Sense ones. You can also track down a copy of the .APK for "LovelyWidgets" which is a clone of the HTC flipclock. You won't get the in-app changes, but you can make the launcher look a lot like Sense at least.
Also, seeing how much work it takes people to port Sense between extremely similar devices (HTC Desire & the Nexus One for example), there would be a lot more work involved porting it to an unfamiliar system with a screen resolution that AFAIK doesn't exist on any other Sense-based devices, so as well as porting things, they'd need to rescale some of the graphics to make them fit which might not look too pretty.
If you want Sense, then you might wanna either wait until someone _maybe_ ports it, or until HTC release a tablet of their own, which is surely just a matter of time.
ah, i see
is launcher pro gonna affect my original system and i have to root my tab 1st to make it usable?
does it works well on 7" and tab res?
i'll google about launcher pro and see what they looks like, thanks
The pro plus widgets are pretty ugly as well. In any case, something will come along shortly, just you wait.
well, since i failed to get my galaxy tab today, i'll wait for sure lol
only 1000 unit sold for today only and the line is up to car parking area, geez
gonna wait for when it touch the stores then
bad luck
Justin^Tan said:
ah, i see
is launcher pro gonna affect my original system and i have to root my tab 1st to make it usable?
does it works well on 7" and tab res?
i'll google about launcher pro and see what they looks like, thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you don't have to root your Tab to use LP. Just download it from the Market (when Google get's down from their high chair and fixes it so you can actually USE it...) and install. It doesn't replace anything. If you don't select default home, you can even switch between LP and TouchWiz with the Home button.
IMO, the LP widgets look good on the Tab, not "fugly" at all. I'm happy using LP+ as it is, but it will be better when LP manages to support the Tab more fully (using 5x5, 5x6 or perhaps even 6x7 grid of icons?)
AnttiV said:
IMO, the LP widgets look good on the Tab, not "fugly" at all. I'm happy using LP+ as it is, but it will be better when LP manages to support the Tab more fully (using 5x5, 5x6 or perhaps even 6x7 grid of icons?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't you just increase the number of Rows & Columns in the settings?
knightnz said:
Can't you just increase the number of Rows & Columns in the settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, infact I can. I tried that on the SGS and it looked horrible so I didn't try it on the Tab. However, after another member suggested that also, I tried and it isn't that bad. Infact it looks quite good and I'm now using a 6x5 grid on my Tab. So, thanks for the suggestion to the two of you
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
Have you guys tried to change the LCD density on the tab? It makes everything smaller and gives it a high res look. That might look really good on the tab. On the galaxy s you can get rootexplorer and edit /system/build.prop there is a setting "ro.sf.lcd_density=240". When lowered to 180 or 200 on the galaxy s it makes it feel like a tablet and makes changing the rows and columns to something like 5x6 look alot nicer. One of y'all with the Tab should try it out and post back.
Oh yea you have to reboot after edit as well.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

New Galaxy Tab owner, some questions and comments...

So I just came over to the galaxy android side of things from the ipad. The so far, (and with my verizon 4g mobile hotspot in hand), I'm mostly impressed. It's really a beautiful device and I really enjoy honeycomb.
However, my stock tab is incredibly laggy in normal use. This manifests most notably when moving App icons around. Another good enough example is angry birds which runs MUCH smoother I on the ipad. Honestly, my galaxy s2 feels much more responsive in normal usage also. What's going on here I thought tegra was supposed to be better than that? So far I'm a bit underwhelmed with the performance.
Also, what the heck is up with the lack of sd card slot? I'm absolutely baffled by this missing feature as I foolishly assumed it would obviously have one. 32GB is nowhere near enough storage for what I plan on using it for.
And what's up with the lack of netflix?
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
Forgive the grammatical errors I'm still not used to this swift key keyboard.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
Hmm... First of all,ios does have a smoother build than android. Android has been released like tero years? But ios has been here for more than four years. Android needs time to catch up. well, then samsung's own tweek about android does slow down the system quite a bit. however about angery birds I myself feel it's about resolution.i feel the one on ipad has lower resolution than the one on android(this is my own observation,i have absolute no evidence to bakup my theory), anyone can confirm or correct me please.
Would any of the dev made launchers work properly with a Honeycomb talent and would it likely help with the lag? It is bothersome especially when my galaxy s2 feels much smoother. Thanks guys.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
Suggestions
1. If you want to stay stock honeycomb and it starts to lag between screens, click on + symbol on top right of homescreen, then click other or wallpaper or one of the other options, don't do anything else, then just click the home button to back out. Lag should be gone. Don't know why it works but read it on one of the other forums and it works.
2. Spend $3.50 and buy ADW EX in the market and make it your default launcher. Spend a day tweeking the settings to your liking and you will not see much lag. There is also Launcher Pro Plus but the new update makes ADW EX better IMO. Many forums here will help you set up or tweek ADW EX. Leave your lag behind!
3. What else are you doing while playing Angry Birds? I have never had an issue with a game except for the ones that aren't optimized for honeycomb and are made for a phone. (Which I don't know how anyone plays these games on a phones screen)
4. For typing I absolutely suggest Thumb Keyboard on the Market. I don't know how I went that first week with the stock keyboard. Worth the $2.
Happy Tabbing!
Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately I need another. I just performed that system update thinking it was a good idea but it put that god awful touch wiz ui on my tab!!! Is there any way to get stock honeycomb back??
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
I much prefer stock honeycomb to this touch wiz bloat. The please tell me I can go back.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
I'm literally freaking out. What is wrong with these companies and their inability to stick to the stock android ui. I'm horrified by how bad this updated looks.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
you can go back
But you would have to do too many things above my pay grade to get it back. Not sure if a factory reset would do it, pretty sure you would have to root the device and flash a honeycomb 3.1 rom.
I like the touchwiz, I'm just hoping somebody comes up with a way to make the task bar black so it doesn't look so bad while watching Netflix. That is my only real dislike. And the innability to switch apps on the swipe up. A world clock, wtf am I going to need that for?
Everything you need to get your tab exactly how you want it is here. Including getting back to stock 3.1 as well as putting a black bar on touchwiz, or overclocking your processor, or yes even using custom launchers from the Market or from some of the great devs we have. The whole beauty of Android, IMO, is that we don't have to accept what the manufacturers give us. Everything you need, files, instructions, and further reading is in the "Look here first" sticky in the development section. The key is read read read, read some more, search, read read, and read. I love my tab because I can make it my own.
A factory reset will not remove the TouchMyWilly update. Honestly, it seems like you rushed into this purchase, especially given that you didn't know it doesn't have a MicroSD slot prior to buying it. 32 GB is actually quite alot if you use cloud storage. You can also get the USB adapter and transfer files that way.
But, it seems like you're not pleased with the Tab. There's no reason to force yourself to like a gadget. If you're still able to return it and give yourself some time to properly shop around for something that fits your needs then maybe you should consider that.
You can also check out the Android Dev forum a few links down from the General. That will show you how to root and flash a pre-TouchWang ROM. I didn't like the update at first, but it's grown on me.
SaosinEngaged said:
I much prefer stock honeycomb to this touch wiz bloat. The please tell me I can go back.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not as bad as it seems. But it would be great if Samsung published a sdk to make use of their customization of the Android shell. For one thing I love to see more of those apps that are able to stay on top of other apps and still let you use the other apps. Would also be great to get dirty with the launchbar
+1 for ADW it fixed all lag
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
wish there was an easier way
FillTheVoid said:
Everything you need to get your tab exactly how you want it is here. Including getting back to stock 3.1 as well as putting a black bar on touchwiz, or overclocking your processor, or yes even using custom launchers from the Market or from some of the great devs we have. The whole beauty of Android, IMO, is that we don't have to accept what the manufacturers give us. Everything you need, files, instructions, and further reading is in the "Look here first" sticky in the development section. The key is read read read, read some more, search, read read, and read. I love my tab because I can make it my own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have read a little of the forum for the black taskbar but I am not that well versed in android to go messing around with folders. If it was on a PC I would be good to go, just need a simpler solution, hopefully an update. At least the taskbar matches my keyboard, just looks awful when watching Netflix.
Thanks for all the responses.
The tab itself is definitely growing on me. I still find it perplexing Samsung left out the micro SD slot; it's one of Apple devices worst "features" and for Samsung to copy that seems bizarre.
To be honest, I have no idea how to go about setting up cloud storage. I'm just used to old fashion storage methods. I have Google Music but really don't know how to get it set up as a network sharing player. I know I'll have to read read read, but I simply don't have the time right now to get into such an endeavor.
Really, don't let some of my negativity fool you. This tablet is awesome. It's just a bit of shell shock coming from my comfortable experiences with the ipad and my knee jerk dislike of the Touchwiz UI I had no idea would pop up in that update.
I'm very much a fan of stock OS's. Especially Honeycomb, I feel like if it ain't broke, why fix it?
But I'm looking into ADW right now.
SaosinEngaged said:
Thanks for all the responses.
I'm very much a fan of stock OS's. Especially Honeycomb, I feel like if it ain't broke, why fix it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because Honeycomb IS broke. It's a beta, an interim build, came out of the oven months and months before it was ready. The TW update is a partial attempt to address some of these problems, and add some extra functionality.
As for looks, for a lot of people, Honeycomb is an eyesore in stock form, color-wise. The very cold color choices are not welcoming.
I daresay most non-geek people aren't fans of neon blue on black, or of faux-retro computer fonts, and above all else, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was meant to compete in the mass market, so it needs mass market visual appeal.
Croak said:
Because Honeycomb IS broke. It's a beta, an interim build, came out of the oven months and months before it was ready. The TW update is a partial attempt to address some of these problems, and add some extra functionality.
As for looks, for a lot of people, Honeycomb is an eyesore in stock form, color-wise. The very cold color choices are not welcoming.
I daresay most non-geek people aren't fans of neon blue on black, or of faux-retro computer fonts, and above all else, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was meant to compete in the mass market, so it needs mass market visual appeal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I totally understand.
I actually really liked the neonish theme of stock honeycomb. It matches very well with the neon color of swiftkey keyboard and just gave a very futuristic vibe.
The added functionality is nice, but that can always be addressed through widgets and apps.
As an aside, what is the name of that app that organizes widgets by grouping similar ones in the widget menu?
Like all of beautiful widgets would lump together into one until you click it?
SaosinEngaged said:
As an aside, what is the name of that app that organizes widgets by grouping similar ones in the widget menu?
Like all of beautiful widgets would lump together into one until you click it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ooh, ooh. When you find that, please postback! My collection of widgets is getting unwieldy. Takes quite a while to scroll from left to right thru the whole collection. Its begging for some organization.
I had a Superclean ROM running on my Fascinate phone that collapsed widgets into folders (ex: all the Beautiful widgets into ONE).
I'd love that on my Tab.
SaosinEngaged said:
And what's up with the lack of netflix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can grab the APK here - just sideload and you'll be streaming
http://www.multiupload.com/XTEWL8CLCZ
It's a matter of preference. I like the TouchWiz update as it eliminated the worst feature of HC 3.1... the typing lag in forums. I also like the Quick Access panel in the bottom-right corner. One or two clicks to get to what you need, unlike the 4-5 clicks it takes to get to the same things on HC 3.1/3.2.
I am also wondering if this was a rush purchase for you if you didn't realize the Tab 10.1 doesn't have an SD card slot. Not picking on you, please don't misunderstand, but if an SD card slot was important, you could have picked up a 32GB Asus Transformer ($460) instead of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 32GB ($600) and used the savings to buy SD cards. I don't have money to burn (says the guy with a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and an Asus Transformer, lol ), so I do a lot of research before I drop $600 on something.
You can't "uninstall" the TouchWiz update once you have it. Wiping the Tab with a factory reset does not remove TouchWiz. You'd have to load a custom ROM to get rid of it.
And as far as Netflix, just head to the Themes and Apps part of the Galaxy Tab forums and grab the Netflix .apk from there. Easy to install, even for an idiot such as myself. That's the only thing that's making me want to keep the Galaxy Tab over the Asus Transformer at the moment.

From sense to touchwiz

Always had HTC phones currently the desire HD,been waiting to see what they had to offer and have to say the x1 doesn't do it for me,so thinking of jumping ship and waiting for the SGS3.thing is I really like HTC sense.So to any former HTC user now with the SGS2 and touchwiz,how did you find the transition,can you get it set up to suit and what should I be aware of if making the jump once the SGS3 is out
sent from my leedroid powered Desire HD
Transition is pretty easy. I never found sense very useful (in a global way) but it's really pretty. I think touchwiz is the opposite. It's kind of ugly with all these shiny icons but it's discret and have a few cool features (especially around the notification bar).
Plus, TW is a lot snappier than sense used to be (didn't get to try newer HTC devices). I even find TW snappier than any launcher you can find on the market.
I moved from desire z to sgs2, and I must say that touchwiz was a big disappointment to me.
It's not hard to get used to touchwiz, but it will be hard to get used with the missing features, for me the most annoying thing was that the dial pad can not search after the second name, I mean if you want to search for "combat goofwing" and you type in the dial pad 4663 for "goof" it will not find anything.
Another annoying thing is that in the app drawer the apps are not sorted in alphabetical order, they are sorted in the install order, and you can move them around but I don't have the patience to move apps around, for me this makes apps harder to find.
I own this phone for a few mounts now and I used to it, but I still miss sense.
The hardware is great, I still can't believe how good the display is, everything works very smooth, but unfortunately touchwiz is light years behind sense.
Any way I'm sorry I didn't bought the sensation, but my next phone will definitely be a HTC.
You can always choose alphabetical listing option. Move to a custom ROM, the phone rocks.
Sent from my GT-I9100
ionut.micu said:
I moved from desire z to sgs2, and I must say that touchwiz was a big disappointment to me.
It's not hard to get used to touchwiz, but it will be hard to get used with the missing features, for me the most annoying thing was that the dial pad can not search after the second name, I mean if you want to search for "combat goofwing" and you type in the dial pad 4663 for "goof" it will not find anything.
Another annoying thing is that in the app drawer the apps are not sorted in alphabetical order, they are sorted in the install order, and you can move them around but I don't have the patience to move apps around, for me this makes apps harder to find.
I own this phone for a few mounts now and I used to it, but I still miss sense.
The hardware is great, I still can't believe how good the display is, everything works very smooth, but unfortunately touchwiz is light years behind sense.
Any way I'm sorry I didn't bought the sensation, but my next phone will definitely be a HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto for me, I think I will go buy a One S or X; there are just so many little things missing from touchwizz compared to sense ( I don't mean just the launchers but all the apps htc and samsung, include or modify); don't get me wrong touchwiz is not bad at all, especially compared to stock android but it's just not as good as sense.
Used to have a htc desire before my SGS2.. the only things I liked about sense 2.1 was the lockscreen that gives the caller/texter name at the bottom, instead of a little numbered flagged like touchwiz (being honest I know I could get widgetlocker and get that back but don't mind the sammy lockscreen that much) and I liked the screen unlock weather animations (which I have on my SGS2 courtesy of Beautiful Widgets)
The rest of sense wasn't that great, the contacts app is a little more intuitive than SGS2's but not really an issue
Oh, the touchwiz launcher is pretty useless, but I've been using LauncherPro since day 1
Beautiful widgets' superclock is just annoying, I disabled the animations because you see them everyone time you unlock unlike sense where you will only see it when the widget is visible. Also better in sense : keyboard (best touchscreen keyboard), friends pictures in the gallery, friendstream, sense unlockscreen with shortcuts, dialer, app drawers.
i dont really care because when i get a phone i just put cm on it')
Sent from my SGS2 powered by cm9 love
I have an amaze 4g and my wife has the tmobile sgs2. We both are from the htc g2 running sense. She loves how simple TW is, but she says its missing quite a bit of things she liked, all little things but none the less missing them.
I my self hate TW seems like a child's launcher in a way.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA App
I miss the dialer and contact screen from Sense. I can get everything else with some minor modifications and apps so it's not a big deal. Shame for the contacts and dialer though.
Touchwiz is fast, unobtrusive and smooth, but in stock form, very, very ugly and lacking in features.
Mind you I've always found HTC Android phones somewhat unresponsive and glitchy.
The only flavour of Android I get on with now is AOSP ICS. Its a big improvement to me. That said, my next phone might not be Android, I might give WP7 a go. I've had a few tries and it is starting to look like a fantastically polished OS, and flashing ROMs all the time is beginning to lose its appeal. It may not have the apps, or the flexibility, or capability, but it makes up for it in other ways.
I haven't seen or used sense, but I know how unfulfilling TW feels. For me, flashing and playing around with MI-UI did the trick. It's the perfect combination of neatness and usefulness. Combined with minor add-ons (such as a new keyboard, kernel, ...) it turns out to be the most stable and enjoyable rom I have ever used. Check it out (google miuandroid).
HTC all the way!
I had htc desire hd which i still have and love. I then got htc sensation and the missus got a sgs2 she hates the user interface and loves the htc user interface. If your looking for something that will in my opinion be comparable to the iphone then htc all the way.
malcovitch said:
I had htc desire hd which i still have and love. I then got htc sensation and the missus got a sgs2 she hates the user interface and loves the htc user interface. If your looking for something that will in my opinion be comparable to the iphone then htc all the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For an iphone-ish look I strongly recommend the previously mentioned MIUI rom.
For me, I don't know. I couldn't do Sense. I liked the graphics and what not - but I found the user-interface a bit stubborn. Touchwiz was clean and simple.
I have the desire s and SII, and I like sense better than TW.
Sense feels like it's more developed than TW.
For me software htc > samsung and hardware htc < samsung.
So SII with sense would be great for me personally.
ionut.micu said:
I moved from desire z to sgs2, and I must say that touchwiz was a big disappointment to me.
It's not hard to get used to touchwiz, but it will be hard to get used with the missing features, for me the most annoying thing was that the dial pad can not search after the second name, I mean if you want to search for "combat goofwing" and you type in the dial pad 4663 for "goof" it will not find anything.
Another annoying thing is that in the app drawer the apps are not sorted in alphabetical order, they are sorted in the install order, and you can move them around but I don't have the patience to move apps around, for me this makes apps harder to find.
I own this phone for a few mounts now and I used to it, but I still miss sense.
The hardware is great, I still can't believe how good the display is, everything works very smooth, but unfortunately touchwiz is light years behind sense.
Any way I'm sorry I didn't bought the sensation, but my next phone will definitely be a HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download appzorter from market. Rearrange apps alphabetically. Simples
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Thx, unfortunelley "this app is not compatiblewith youre device" maby it's because I'm ussing LPH rom, but it's good to know.
And I forgot to say, I came from a long series of HTC phones (diamond, touch pro, touch pro 2, wildfire, desire z), all of them are still in use today and work great, guess wich phone needed to go to service becsause microusb port mallfunction after a few mount of use... exactly the sgs2.
Great feedback thanks,having seen the videos of the new HTC X1 now I may just stick with HTC still lots to look at
Thanks again
sent from my leedroid powered Desire HD
combat goofwing said:
Great feedback thanks,having seen the videos of the new HTC X1 now I may just stick with HTC still lots to look at
Thanks again
sent from my leedroid powered Desire HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's a pretty tough choice between the X and S, they both have their pros and cons (S has the more powerful CPU(in spite of the 4 cores of the tegra3) and AMOLED; X the more powerful GPU, more storage and higher DPI)

[Q] How can I make the Nexus 7 super-easy to use?

How can I make the Nexus 7 super-easy to use?
I have an elderly relative who has never used any Android device, or much technology at all to be honest besides old feature phones and television boxes, and we shall soon be purchasing her a Google Nexus 7. We settled on this idea after noticing that the 8GB Nexus 7 model is only £159 GBP, which isn't much more than the Kindle Touch and also offers a slightly larger screen. I am looking to make the experience personal and also easy for her.
Since I am going to use a custom launcher to prevent access to the app menu and simplify the user experience by showing her only the apps she will need to use (preventing access to the settings will prevent her accidentally deleting things), I am looking for a widget which will allow me to add my own custom text set to a custom size to the home screen. With this, I'll separate up the few apps she plans on using. Any recommendations for such an application?
Since this person does not have full function of a second arm, are there any applications which make one-handed operation easier on the tablet's 7 inch display?
Is there a widget which will allow me to add "picture frames" to the home screen? I could put some pictures of the family in these, which will add a nice personal touch.
Are there any keyboards which are good for one-handed use? Please do not say Swype.
Any suggestions to any of my issues I face? Also, any general app recommendations are welcome, but keep in mind who this tablet is for when making suggestions. For example, no messenger apps.
No ideas to any of those applications/features I'm looking to implement?
Twenty minutes before the first bump and between the first and second - get a bit of patience! People aren't lurking on forums waiting to jump on your every post...
1. Yes - Minimalistic Text and others
3. Yes - search Play store for "picture widget"
4. Why not Swype? What makes it unsuitable (that'll make it easier for others to make suggestions.
Swype probably requires two-handing on a device this big.
Honestly, any keyboard that works well with one hand, will also reconfigure so much that you'll essentially have to relearn it.
Messagease and 8pen are good with one hand, but they obviously don't look anything like qwerty. And one-hand typing is really only feasible with phones anyway.
Best bet is just to use voice recognition and hope it really is as up to snuff.
You're probably not going to like my answer, but I tried this (also with a person who had use of only one arm) and it didn't work. I mounted it to a table on a movable arm to make it easy to use.
Beyond the shaking hands and weak eyes, the biggest problem is understanding the UI. To you and I it's not complicated, but we grew up with computers. That's not any sort of judgment; the guy was capable of using a windows XP computer (very very slowly), it's just that switching to a new IU is much more confusing to the older brain than for a younger brain. They just don't have the filters to pick out the important information from the screen quickly, and every step requires conscious thought. This can be very tiring for an older person, and--at least in my experience--older people don't have a lot of tolerance for frustration.
I don't want you to be discouraged by this; I spent weeks on this (and several hundred dollars) and ended up getting him a small laptop on which I installed a simplification program that allowed only basic email and internet. But your relative may be more savvy, have better coordination, or just more interest in making it work. Here's what I'd suggest:
1) "minimalist text" can be customized to put static text on the screen. You'll have to play with it a bit.
2) There's no applications I can think of that make it easier, but I'd suggest giving her some system to mount it where she can both see and reach it. Have her sit as she would when she wanted to use it (chair, table, bed) and figure out how she can use it with her arm resting on something.
3) I think the picture frames widget is included in stock android. I'd strongly suggest against using anything other than a solid-colored background though. Again, it's difficult for an older brain to parse large amounts of information, and older eyes to see past the contrasts. I'm sure there's some way to have a rotating photo widget on some part of the screen in the market though.
4) Swiftkey. It's a bit advanced, but has one major advantage: predictive text. She can enter a few letters and the software will come up with a few words. Often it will get the intended word within a few letters, which can save a lot of inputs. That said, I think the stock android keyboard in JB has this functionality too, so you might hold off and try that.
A few other suggestions:
1) Get a launcher that can be cut down to just one screen. ADW EX does this. And get rid of the elastic screens (allows it to stay static). You said you already have a custom launcher in mind; which one were you thinking of?
2) When AOKP gets their hands on this, they'll allow you to add and change buttons to the notification bar. Get rid of the long-presses, maybe even get rid of everything but the home and back button.
3) Forget the speech recognition stuff. Old voices are not easy to understand for anyone, much less a computer, and convincing an older person to speak slowly and annunciate is not easy. Also, the first time it doesn't work you'll have a very frustrated relative to deal with...
4) Keep it simple. The first time you show her how to use it pick one thing (probably email or video chat) and show her how to do just that. If you take just one suggestion from me it's this. Add something next time, once she gets how to do email or video chat (test her first). Seriously, everyone will end up happier as a result.
OK, good luck! Hope it works better for you than it did for me!
I would say, a very simple background. No live wallpapers. A Big clock widget,
Get her a Bluetooth Keyboard, there is no sense in trying to force an older person to use a touch screen, that requires near perfect fingers. A normal keyboard is something she most likely has seen and used before. So it will feel normal.
A Widget for changing volume. Something with like a large Plus and Minus sign, and a big percent so she can easily see how loud it is.
Brad387 said:
How can I make the Nexus 7 super-easy to use?
I have an elderly relative who has never used any Android device, or much technology at all to be honest besides old feature phones and television boxes, and we shall soon be purchasing her a Google Nexus 7. We settled on this idea after noticing that the 8GB Nexus 7 model is only £159 GBP, which isn't much more than the Kindle Touch and also offers a slightly larger screen. I am looking to make the experience personal and also easy for her.
Since I am going to use a custom launcher to prevent access to the app menu and simplify the user experience by showing her only the apps she will need to use (preventing access to the settings will prevent her accidentally deleting things), I am looking for a widget which will allow me to add my own custom text set to a custom size to the home screen. With this, I'll separate up the few apps she plans on using. Any recommendations for such an application?
Since this person does not have full function of a second arm, are there any applications which make one-handed operation easier on the tablet's 7 inch display?
Is there a widget which will allow me to add "picture frames" to the home screen? I could put some pictures of the family in these, which will add a nice personal touch.
Are there any keyboards which are good for one-handed use? Please do not say Swype.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brad387 said:
Any suggestions to any of my issues I face? Also, any general app recommendations are welcome, but keep in mind who this tablet is for when making suggestions. For example, no messenger apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brad387 said:
No ideas to any of those applications/features I'm looking to implement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol man, RELAX. Bumping your thread like that is terrible forum etiquette.
I'd refer to your own thread that you opened not long before this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1757848
Aps at startup
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
This might dumb the phone by a lot but: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.activity&hl=en
Here's a photo widget app that people seem to like though : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thinkjava.androidphotowidgetfree
If you can wait for further development.. flashing MIUI seems to attract a lot of newer android users due to the similarities with iOS. If not you can always get the MIUI style launcher.
Thanks. I will likely use Nova Launcher to keep the amount of screens to a minimum.
darkamikaze said:
This might dumb the phone by a lot but: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.activity&hl=en
Here's a photo widget app that people seem to like though : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thinkjava.androidphotowidgetfree
If you can wait for further development.. flashing MIUI seems to attract a lot of newer android users due to the similarities with iOS. If not you can always get the MIUI style launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yuck. No thank you on miui. I hate the unorganized nature of having every icon on the home screen. App drawer please.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
blackhand1001 said:
Yuck. No thank you on miui. I hate the unorganized nature of having every icon on the home screen. App drawer please.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Fascinating. But this isn't for you; it's for an older person.
OP, the folks pointing out that it's bad forum etiquette to create multiple threads and bump them are right. And considering the time folks put into answering your question, it wouldn't hurt to respond and click the "thanks" button.
thebobp said:
Swype probably requires two-handing on a device this big.
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Click to collapse
I don't understand how you would use Swype with two hands even if you wanted to. Swyping requires one continuous swipe with one finger across all of the letters that spell out your word, and besides the actual act of swyping, I don't understand how using it would be any different from using one finger to type on a non-Swype keyboard.
blackhand1001 said:
Yuck. No thank you on miui. I hate the unorganized nature of having every icon on the home screen. App drawer please.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry that you don't know much about MIUI. It's the easiest ROM that I have used and now have it on my Infuse and Nook Color.
I am 66yo and like very simple and clean screens that are easy to use. The attached s/s's are from a 7" Nook Color screen.
1. Home screen.
2. Favorites expanded
3. 2nd Page....only have 2 pages...show all my apps in folders...no app drawer.
4. Reading folder opened
EDIT: You can set up as many or as few folders as you need and name them anything you choose.
dparrothead1 said:
Sorry that you don't know much about MIUI. It's the easiest ROM that I have used and now have it on my Infuse and Nook Color.
I am 66yo and like very simple and clean screens that are easy to use. The attached s/s's are from a 7" Nook Color screen.
1. Home screen.
2. Favorites expanded
3. 2nd Page....only have 2 pages...show all my apps in folders...no app drawer.
4. Reading folder opened
EDIT: You can set up as many or as few folders as you need and name them anything you choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used miui on several devices. I just find it clunky. I like having an alphabetically sorted app drawer.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I'm working on the same issue for my mom, who just turned 86.
I downloaded Minimalistic Text for her, but I had assumed it would be simple to set up - it isn't.
Am I correct that it's very limited as to what it can display? It appears to be able to display the time, date, temp, and then a few other things not important to your typical 86 year old, such as battery level, cpu speed, etc.
I had hoped I would be able to have it launch apps, so I could for instance, have it show "Email", Facebook", etc.
Older people have difficulty remembering the names of apps sometimes. "K9" for instance, would not mean email to my mom.
Something that would allow you to make app icons larger might help. But I had high hopes for Minimalist Text!
Btw, we did a four way hangout with her yesterday. She has beginning Alzheimer's, but she loves technology!
Edit: I see in the OP's other thread someone mentioned Simple Text . Can that be used on a stock N7? Must I use a different launcher?

[REQ-IDEAS]

Hey all!
I like my G2 and I like where the development for this phone is going!
We all like too custom roms, custom kernels and tweaking/modding.
However, I can see there's a lot of aspects of this phone that has not been tweaked, modified, played with etc...
Mainly I can think of:
1-Quickwindow enhancements:
Maybe make it show more widgets, make it show all notifications (maybe the notification bar), can assign actions to cover flip on and off, etc... I a sure our great developers can look into it.
2-Qslide apps
As you know, Qslide apps are limited to little number of apps. I think this can be exploited somehow to be able to run any app in that mode!
3-You can think of anything else besides rom and kernel!
Sorry for mentioning you our great developers (between other of course) but I would like this issue to be looked at, at least.
@Wootever, @houstonn, @StarFighter, @[vertigo], @g.lewarne, @Heatshiver, @xdabbeb, @BlackDino, @rohan32, @Gerrett, etc...
Thanks all!
i did start a thread about dual booting roms as i previously had that on my samsung s2 and really miss having my daily driver rom on all day n simply switch to test rom when needed or have time to find bugs/test
we have a good amount of devs but yes development is kind of slow, probably due to kitkat or whatever reason
for now stock rom with a lil tweaking is working good for me having all features available with no problems, still miss taking part in helping devs test stuff out
A dark/white theme rom would be great. I know that LG G2 is already mostly white but it be really nice to have that type of color scheme.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
comk4ver said:
A dark/white theme rom would be great. I know that LG G2 is already mostly white but it be really nice to have that type of color scheme.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Done.
Sent from my C6802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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