Apps - I have a dumb (n00b) question

KatanaDV20 · 24 Jan 2013 at 02:07

Ok lots of eyes will roll when reading this but I just had to ask

So apologies...

Ive just got my very first smartphone - a Galaxy Note 2. Enjoying Androiding and Ive got a lot to learn.

Ok I'll get straight to it.

Apps like this:

Facebook
Flight tracker
Google maps
XE currency exchange

...and many other similar ones: whats the point of them?

Cant you just have bookmarks for those websites in the Chrome (or Opera) browser on your Android device? Why have apps for each one of them?

Are these apps simply bookmark "widgets"? In Chrome you can just have all of those sitting pretty on the bookmarks bar ready to rock.

I can understand gaming apps, utility apps...but apps for website urls? You can go to them from your browser..? Am I missing something?

Ok...bracing for replies

V4NT0M · 24 Jan 2013 at 02:26

Google maps does a lot more than the website and works better too. The Facebook app does more too like push notifications.

I have not used the other apps so I cannot comment.

Bloomfield · 24 Jan 2013 at 03:14

They're basically apps made for touch screen devices, unlike webpages (obviously some apps are just total ****, but that's the principle behind them) and they have stuff like, as Skyfall said, push notifications (the most battery efficient way to always be updated instantly).

The only apps I use where there's website counterparts is Maps as the app is so much better to use since it's designed for touch screens and it connects with Google Nav by itself.

The other one is Twitch.tv, which while lacking certain features of the website atm it does have advantages like keeping the screen awake (Opera used to do this with flash video but they stopped supporting it, the stock browser just goes to sleep while watching flash

) and generally being better to use than the flash player on a browser. I do still use the website sometimes though and just change my display timeout, as when you do multi window with either full screen flash or with the twitch app it keeps it landscape and just squashes a 16:9 video into 8:9 (well, not exactly that with the multi window and notification bar, but you get the point

). Using the stock browser then means I can just zoom into the flash window and have it the proper aspect ratio at the top of the screen

.

So yeah, they're basically meant to be easier to use (mousing over menus is a big thing here, can be annoying using some menus on a touch device) and allow constant updates with little to no battery hit

.

For the most part I prefer websites though.

KatanaDV20 · 27 Jan 2013 at 22:07

Ahh cool thanks guys, appreciate the replies. Didnt think about the touchscreen aspect of it. I dont think Im sold on the idea of what I can only call bookmarklets (apps like facebook etc) but I will check them out. Good point on the Google app being more functional than the service, thats one I shall def check out.

TheVoice · 27 Jan 2013 at 22:25

The apps are usually quicker, have more features and should use less data.

Simian · 28 Jan 2013 at 08:11

The Facebook App will also sync your contacts (All of them, Just what is in your phone/google contacts list already, or None!!) and your Calendar, so you can see events like Invites, Birthday's etc, from Facebook in you phone/Google calendar

cjgardens · 28 Jan 2013 at 09:48

Simian said:
The Facebook App will also sync your contacts (All of them, Just what is in your phone/google contacts list already, or None!!) and your Calendar, so you can see events like Invites, Birthday's etc, from Facebook in you phone/Google calendar

Not that you would want any of this imo so if you don't when you log into the Facebook app choose don't sync.

The facebook app also murders your battery. Try fastbook search in the play store

KatanaDV20 · 28 Jan 2013 at 19:33

Do the apps switch off when you are done with them? Arent they supposed to? I just found (under Settings) in Android a list of "Running Apps" and geez theres a LONG LIST of them. 90% of which I didnt even know I had lol, what is all this stuff....battery-hoggers :mad:

Maybe I need an app to control the apps?!

cjgardens said:
...The facebook app also murders your battery. Try fastbook search in the play store

Thanks for that tip m8

cjgardens · 28 Jan 2013 at 20:08

Not all do. hold the menu button (one in the middle) and then swipe them to close them

KatanaDV20 · 28 Jan 2013 at 23:37

cjgardens said:
Not all do. hold the menu button (one in the middle) and then swipe them to close them

Thanks

kona786 · 28 Jan 2013 at 23:43

You have a note 2?

Hold down home button and press the little pie chart on the bottom left:

Here you'll get an excellent task manager and see the real active apps like mine:

Only close apps that are hogging lots of RAM or using the CPU while you are not using the app.

You have 2GB of RAM so you may aswell use it

KatanaDV20 · 29 Jan 2013 at 21:02

kona786 said:
You have a note 2?

Hold down home button and press the little pie chart on the bottom left:

Here you'll get an excellent task manager and see the real active apps like mine:

Only close apps that are hogging lots of RAM or using the CPU while you are not using the app.

You have 2GB of RAM so you may aswell use it

Whoa...thanks dude , as soon as I get home Im gonna try this

In the manual it says you can tap-hold the screen and flick it over for instant access to the camera but its not working! Ok back to the manual..prob a setting somewhere. Long night ahead. Im not taking this thing outta the house until I master it cuz dont wanna look like a n00b

Grrrrr · 29 Jan 2013 at 21:48

KatanaDV20 said:
Do the apps switch off when you are done with them?

Don't think of phones in the same way as windows. Apps are kept in the memory when closed but in an inactive state, that way if you open the app again it's a) faster and b) doesn't use battery loading it into the memory. If you need more memory then those apps are removed to make way for whatever else needs it.

Dave**** · 30 Jan 2013 at 12:45

Some apps have an exit function. Like, for example, if you press the back button on the title screen of an app it will ask you if you want to exit the application. That means what it says and it will end the process.

But most apps don't have an exit function and you are expected to press the home button, back button or task manager button (this button is new to me as I just upgraded my phone) to switch to another application.

You will eventually get into the habit of opening the task manager and killing the apps which you know you cannot exit in the usual fashion.

If you want to relate it to windows in some shape or form: the task manager is the start bar, the app drawer is the start menu, the home screen is the desktop and the notification bar (the pull down thing) is the system tray.

TheVoice · 30 Jan 2013 at 12:55

Most apps will close if you press the back button to exit out of them. Pressing the Home button will, more often than not, keep it running in the background.

Worth noting though, that exiting an app won't necessarily terminate the process completely. Not that you generally need to worry about that.