Android Tablets Made Simple

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. What Is Android: Choosing the Right Tablet

Abstract

Android followed the iPhone to the market, yet it has surged in popularity. Android is already found on phones by virtually every phone manufacturer, and it is available on every major US wireless company, plus most of the regionals. It’s flexible, fun, and boasts thousands of apps. It doesn’t hurt that Google released the OS for free.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 2. Getting Started

Abstract

This chapter is here to help you once you’ve gone from eyeing a tablet to actually buying one. There are quite a few Android tablets available, so we’ll stick to those running Android 3.0 Honeycomb and above, unless otherwise noted. Your screens may not look exactly the same as those shown here, but they should look very similar.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 3. Typing, Copy, and Search

Abstract

One of the great things about owning a tablet is that you’re not constrained to typing on a tiny thumb keyboard, as is the case when you are on a phone. As it turns out, you’re not even constrained to typing at all. In this chapter, you’ll explore how to handle text by typing. You’ll also look at the copy and paste and auto-correction features, as well as explore some alternate methods of entry, including voice dictation and the Swype app.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 4. Syncing with Your Google Account

Abstract

In order to use an Android tablet, you really should have a Google Account. A Google Account is the username and password you use for most Google services, including Gmail. Fire and Nook tablets are exceptions to this rule and don’t use Google Accounts. They use Barnes & Noble or Amazon accounts instead.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 5. Syncing with Other Accounts

Abstract

In Chapter 4, you learned how to sync with your Google Account. In this chapter, I’ll cover syncing with other accounts. Gmail is fantastic, but there’s a good chance that your work email uses Exchange. In this chapter, I won’t go into the details for using your tablet’s email or social networking apps; instead, I’ll discuss how you can sync your tablet with Exchange email and other non-Google accounts.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 6. Understanding Connection: Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G

Abstract

One of the best features of an Android tablet is its ability to connect to the Internet. Going online doesn’t just mean using the built-in Web browser. When you use many apps, add contacts, save your email, and do a wide variety of other activities on your tablet, you’re going to use data.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 7. Personalizing Your Home Screen

Abstract

There’s a lot you can do with a tablet without leaving the Home screen. In Chapter 2: “Getting Started,” you learned a little about the Android tablet’s Home screen. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to personalize the Home screen with interactive widgets, app icons, and live wallpapers.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 8. Email on Tablets

Abstract

Android tablets add a new ease to keeping up with your email. The relatively large screen makes it easy to see what you’re doing, and the Honeycomb interface makes it easy to see and respond to your messages.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 9. Managing Contacts

Abstract

This chapter assumes you’ve set up your Google, Exchange, and other email accounts. This is important because you won’t have many contacts to manage if you’re not syncing with any accounts. You may have even set up your Twitter, Facebook, and Skype accounts, but it’s OK if you haven’t.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 10. Working with Calendars

Abstract

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to use calendars. On default Android Honeycomb tablets, Google Calendar is the primary calendar tool. You’ll learn how to use the Calendar app on your tablet, even with Microsoft Exchange accounts. I’ll also discuss alternatives.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 11. Using Maps

Abstract

Your tablet is more than a laptop without a keyboard. Depending on the device, it’s also a map, compass, GPS navigation system, and a restaurant guide-all rolled into one.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 12. Browsing the Web

Abstract

Chapter 6 covered how to get your tablet connected to the Internet. Plenty of apps use your Internet connection to do things like check your email or update your calendar; however, you can also use your tablet to surf the Web directly. In this chapter, we’ll focus on how to use Android’s default Browser app and other alternatives.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 13. The Android Market

Abstract

You can do a lot with the apps that come with your device, but sooner or later you’ll want to install something new. This is the chapter where we’ll cover downloading and installing both free and paid apps from the Android Market on your tablet. In Chapter 14, we’ll discuss downloading apps from other sources.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 14. Alternative App Markets

Abstract

In the last chapter, we discussed the Android Market and how you can download and install both free and paid apps from it. In this chapter, we’ll discuss other sources for apps you can acquire. Google doesn’t like to lock Android down. Unlike an iPad, your Android lets you install apps from third-party sources without having to jailbreak your device. One caveat: Google doesn’t lock Android, but that doesn’t prevent the device manufacturer (or your carrier) from trying to do so. Some tablets, such as the Nook Color and Kindle Fire, use modified versions of Android that prevent you from installing apps from outside sources. In the Fire and Nook’s case, “outside sources” include the Android Market.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 15. Social Media

Abstract

Tablets are great devices for keeping track of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. Not only can you use these services to type messages, but you can also use them to sense location, take photos, and even edit movies. In this chapter, you will learn how to share content from your Android with your colleagues, friends, family, and fans.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 16. Video and Voice Chat

Abstract

Just because you have a tablet doesn’t mean you can’t call someone. Modern Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) tools offer the ability to relay voice calls over the Internet. You can even use your tablet to make calls to people who use telephones.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 17. Reading E-books, Newspapers, and Magazines

Abstract

Tablets make fantastic e-book readers. Some tablets, such as the Nook Color, are primarily e-readers that also run apps. You can carry an entire library in a device smaller than a single book; and unlike dedicated e-readers, you’re not chained to a single store or app for your reading. There are so many reading apps that I couldn’t possibly cover them all in this book. Instead, I’ll cover some of the most popular apps for reading books, newspapers, and magazines.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 18. Taking Notes and Working with Documents

Abstract

Remember when nobody lugged a heavy laptop to meetings? You can experience that freedom again. One of the reasons to use a tablet instead of a smartphone is because it makes it easier to work with documents. You may want to take notes at a business meeting, edit a Microsoft Office file, or even write a new document-and you can do all that with your Android tablet. This chapter will explore note taking, document editing, and other valuable skills for productivity.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 19. Viewing Videos and Movies on Your Tablet

Abstract

Your tablet is a self-contained movie showcase. It can display high definition videos to entertain you or your kids on a car trip, or it can display rented videos while traveling on a plane. You can even use your tablet as a portable movie player that you hook up to a TV to bring your movies to your friends. In the next chapter, we’ll discuss how to create video; but in this chapter, we’ll pop some popcorn and enjoy the show.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 20. Creating Photos, Videos, and Art

Abstract

In the last chapter, we learned how to view videos from commercial sources. Now it’s time to use your tablet for creative expression. Depending on which tablet you have, you can use it to snap and edit photos, film, and publish movies, and even use your tablet as a canvas for painting pixel artwork.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 21. Listening to Music

Abstract

Your tablet is a combined computer and compact entertainment center. You don’t need to carry a separate music player when your tablet has the storage and hardware capabilities to play your music as you read an eBook or surf the Web, and you don’t need to keep track of different music libraries you’ve loaded onto different computers. You can sync them all. In this chapter, we’ll explore a few ways to enjoy music on your tablet. This chapter is by no means an exhaustive resource on the available music options for your tablet-there are just too many quality music apps out there to try to cover them all here. However, we’ll touch on a few highlights.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 22. Fun and Games

Abstract

We’ve already discussed books, movies, and music, so now we’ll look at games on the tablet. Starting with Honeycomb, Android tablets got a lot faster with dual-core processors. And many of these Honeycomb tablets have sharp screens that allow highquality graphics displays optimized for Adobe Flash playback.

Marziah Karch

Chapter 23. The Clock, Calculator, and Other Utilities

Abstract

This chapter will explore those little utilities that can end up being very handy in a pinch. As you might expect, we’ll look at the Clock and Calculator apps; but

Marziah Karch

Chapter 24. Using Bluetooth for Keyboards and More

Abstract

Bluetooth is a short-range radio designed to serve as a wire-replacement technology. With Bluetooth, you can do many things that would otherwise have required you to plug something in, such as connecting devices to keyboards, mice, headphones, and printers. You can also use Bluetooth to transfer files between devices without using a USB cable. Thanks to improved Bluetooth technology, you can even listen to your music in stereo.

Marziah Karch

Backmatter