Arts Entertainments

An entry-level Android user guide

Everyone is excited about how cool Android phones and devices are, but what is it that really sets the Android OS apart from other device OSs and how do you harness the power and openness of this great platform? What devices are for beginners and what devices are for the root user / developer, and what the heck does it mean to root an Android phone? All of these questions will be addressed here, but only at an introductory level. More detailed guides will be published shortly.

First of all, we must understand what Android is. Google and Lucas Arts teamed up to develop an alternative smartphone operating system that would take full advantage of the powerful tools that most modern phones incorporate. Google’s phone was the “Original” Android phone, offered at T-Mobile. It was an impressive operating system from the start, mainly in its open source nature, which means that anyone can access the source code and develop applications or change different aspects of the kernel and user interface. Although many manufacturers and vendors may deny it, the open source nature of the operating system is the key to the success of Android devices.

Once people started developing apps and rooting their devices, the game changed. Certain devices, such as the original Motorola Droid, were found to take root quite easily and developers began to institute what is known as custom ROMs. ROMs are simply: custom user-created, device-specific, and out-of-the-box user interfaces for Android devices. CyanogenMod was, and still is, one of the most popular ROMs available. (The ROM series is named after its creator’s forum identifier.) With the advent of these highly customizable interfaces, the iPhone’s “all look the same” interface lost a large share of the smartphone market share.

Android phone rooting has become both a boon for device owners and a thorn in the side of some hardware vendors and manufacturers. Gaining root access simply means removing security locks that prevent users from accessing the system. In many ways, these security measures are there to prevent people from damaging their operating systems, as untrained actions can make a phone as useless as a brick, hence the term “lock your phone.” Most root users have learned where the proper forums are and how to avoid damaging their device, as well as restoring it to work, should the unspeakable happen. The biggest benefit of root access is that you can remove bloatware (the unwanted apps that come pre-installed on your device, taking up space and resources) and the ability to fully customize the interface by using ROMs or customization apps.

The most popular Android phones are the HTC and Motorola line of devices. The main thing to look for if you want a highly customizable device is a popular device that has been around for several months. That way you have a large user pool and developers have had time to create numerous offers for you to install. New devices are often a challenge for developers, as manufacturers and vendors have not yet realized the benefit of offering full access to users. People buy these devices for hundreds of dollars or multi-year contracts and, as the owners of the phones, they have the right to have a say in how the device looks, how it reacts, and what version of Android they want on their device. . It has become an intellectual tug of war that is entertaining and important.

There are also a host of ‘entry-level’ phones – phones that offer the Android operating system, but without all the benefits of the more popular high-end phones. LG and Sony-Ericsson have several models that are great as phones, but they just haven’t had as many user updates. Some don’t come with WiFi, or haven’t been rooted, maybe they lack CPU speed or system memory. These phones are great for the casual user, but if you want to “own” your phone, want root access, or just want to try your hand at developing for mobile devices, you may want to do your research at any of the following numbers. Android specific developer forums. Just look it up, you will find plenty of them out there. You can also download Android ROM.

As for the other smartphone operating system offerings, there’s the ever-popular, but lost ground, iOS on iPhones, as well as a few iterations of Windows for mobile phones. Both are closed source operating systems, which makes it difficult to develop, dramatically limiting application offerings. The market just isn’t that competitive. Ease of use is pretty high across the board, but the final decision on which operating system you prefer should be based on well-documented research on your part. Put your hands on the different phones and touch them. Many of the available options are more device-specific than operating-system-specific, so be sure to check out numerous phones and familiarize yourself with what might well be your best friend for the next two years.

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