Android training

[Rapscallion]

I'm vaguely competent in IT terms. I can get by. I'm usually the first person turned to when the brown stuff hits the fan in the sales area. Windows and our very peculiar stock control and sales operation? Consider me someone who can sort other peoples' shit out. That's me.

I've been sort of designated main IT support contact for the sales area. As in, I'd be the first one to turn to, and if I can't solve it then I go to our IT team as I can speak their language. That's not a problem.

The one thing I know I lack is knowledge of the Android operating system, and we have an app being developed for tablet etc use on Android and I've never touched an Android device.

What I need is either some sort of online training in how to use it, or to find a local introductory course - the local courses all seem to involve how to create apps, which is definitely not the level I'm aiming at.

Any online resources anyone can suggest that are good? Something that maybe emulates an Android device?

Rapscallion

[Rapscallion]

Hmm - found this when I thought about googling for Android Emulator.

http://www.redmondpie.com/android-emulator-for-windows/

Actual link's at the bottom. Anyone played with it? Can't really install at work.

Rapscallion

[Pedersen]

Good news/bad news: Android is one of those "it's so simple a caveman could do it" things. Bad news is that, because it's that simple, I don't think there's a lot of training in how to use it. What makes it worse is that each and every device can have different optional buttons (hardware and silk-screened), resulting in any instructions given being slightly different.

To provide example, I have the G1 (what? it makes for a good timer now, plays music, etc). It has the following buttons on it: Green Phone (make/answer call), Home, Back, Red Phone (end call/screen off), menu, camera, volume, all of them actual hardware buttons. It also has a full keyboard on it.

I also have the Samsung Vibrant. It has power and volume as hardware buttons, and menu, home, back, search as silk screen buttons.

The super quick/dirty for Android: Each of the buttons has a function. Menu brings up some sort of menu, usually at the bottom. Home returns to the home screen. Back is somewhat application dependent, so you have to try it out in the program and see what it does.

The top line usually have date, time, and notifications. Tap on it, drag it down, and you'll see a whole notification menu with icons and entries to tap on.

Many things that can be tapped can also be long-pressed. Press and hold for about 2 seconds, and you will get a different menu when you release.

Aside from that, it's mostly just a case of play with it. Get one of the tablets that are going to be deployed, and make it your personal mission to find ways to use it during the day.

Apps that could be useful in that regard: Note Everything (good notepad application), Amazon Kindle (good for buying/reading books from them), B&N Nook (same), Amazon MP3 (Amazon's music store), Barcode Scanner (scan pretty much any barcode and search for it, get product reviews, etc), BeyondPod (if you listen to podcasts, it can even automatically download them), Forum Runner (it's how I interact with here when I'm on my phone only), Google+ (if you're into that), Facebook (if you're into that), TweetCaster (if you're into Twitter), Reader (if you use Google Reader).

And, really, just try to use it for a few days. It's unlikely to replace your desktop, but you might be surprised how much you can do. Oh, and check out Pocket Cloud, too. It will allow you to have access to your desktop using Windows Remote Desktop. Could allow you to be in the warehouse and checking out your desktop from there, if they have wifi setup and working already, anyway.

[Rapscallion]

The tablet's not really an accessible option for me. We paid the shop owner half the cost of one and told him to get it, and we'd provide the app from a third-party - one that had already been selected before the project management had started. Gives you an idea of how classic our place is... It's sort of a test of a system for an important customer who hand fills a template with what he wants and we type it in, when all we really want is for him to tap a tablet a few times on each shelf, tap the final button, and it downloads on our system here. We may roll it out to other customers as well.

In short, I'm sort of expected to provide a basic level of support on a device I've never used. Granted, I agreed to this, but I don't know if you tap an icon once, double click, or what. I'm not willing to spend a four-figure sum on a tablet I'm unlikely to use - I'm more likely to buy a Kindle for recreational use.

I'll try out that doohickey tonight and see if I get anywhere unless there are better ideas.

Rapscallion

[EricKei]

I wanna say things like Android are mainly single-taps/clicks. My semi-smartphone has anything internetty disabled intentionally so I'm not sure.

[Chromatix]

I've worked with one or two Android devices at the office. They're very much like an iDevice except that there's more than one physical button.

Hot tip: try going into a phone shop and playing around with one of the display models. The phone version of Android is close enough to the tablet version.