Backing up apps

Thanks to the kind folks on Android Tablet Zone, I have downloaded APKoptic. This is a great little utility which finds apk files on the tablet and will back them up to the SD Card. Just select the apps you want to back up and choose save to SD Card. I now have all my apps backed up, just in case!

I hadn't tried out the ear bud headphones which came with the tablet yet. I had been using my regular headphones. Well my daughter's headphones broke today and she asked if she could "borrow" my ear buds. She is now using them with her iPod and she says they sound great. So it looks like Coby delivered a decent set of ear buds with this tablet.

My first reset

So my tablet was in sleep mode, in the case, with a fully charged battery. I went to awake it by pushing the power button, and nothing happened. I wondered if the tablet was really just turned off, so I held the power button in, waiting for the boot screen; no boot screen - nothing at all on my screen. Thoughts of horror flashed through my head: is it broken, I've only had this tablet a month, how do I recover apps I downloaded?

I got out the Coby User's manual and found how to do a soft reset, by pushing in the small button on the rear of the tablet. The manual said to use a paperclip, but I was able to depress the button with my finger. The tablet's home screen immediately came up; great news! So the tablet was sleeping like I thought; it just wasn't responding to the power button. So why did this happen? I wasn't loading any new apps. Years ago when my Palm would hang up, it was usually when I was loading new programs. Hopefully this won't happen often with my Coby tablet.

This minor event still brings up some important questions. How do I back up my data and apk's in case I need to do a hard reset on the tablet. Most of my data was moved to my tablet from my PC, so it is backed up. My WikiMind app is configured to save files to my SD Card. NoteEverything can export my text notes to the SD Card but it is a manual process, which I should start doing on a weekly basis. I need to find out if Docs to Go can be set up to save new files to the SD Card by default. If not, I will have to manually copy them over to the SD Card.

The other question is how to back up apk files. Because my tablet is not rooted, I can't use the Android Marketplace, so I have been downloading apps from other sites, such as Amazon Android market. I would like to copy these apk's to my SD Card for safe keeping. Now I have to search my tablet to find out where the apk's live. I have only purchased one app so far - Docs To Go; I have the license key for that, so I should be able to figure out how to restore that app. When I find out the process, I will post it here.

Oranizing my destop

So I decided to add the apps I use a lot, to my tablet's desktop.
I did a long press on the home screen and a dialog box appeared, giving me the option to add a shortcut to the screen. The problem is that when I chose this option, it did not list all my apps, only some of them. So I opened my launcher tab instead and performed a long press on one of my apps. It was immediately copied to the home screen. Success! I copied the rest of the apps this way to my home screen.

Back on my home screen, I removed the icons that I didn't want. I followed the steps on page 19 of the owner's manual. I did a long press (press and hold) on each icon and dragged each one over to the trash can that appears on the launcher tab. I then moved my new apps around to where I wanted them on the screen by using the same long press on the icons. Now I have my home screen just the way I want it!

By the way, if you haven't done it already, copy a pdf of your tablet's owner's manual to your tablet, so you will always have it with you for reference.

Importing Palm memos and my current list of apps

So today I imported memo files from my Palm desktop on my PC into NoteEverything. Memo files are text files on my Palm device, which can be organized into different categories.

The process worked and was fairly straightforward. I followed these instructions on the SoftXperience website. I experienced a couple of gotchas: it is best to do this with the tablet held in portrait orientation. That way you can see the full pop up menus. (I had the tablet in landscape orientation and couldn't find the "Import from Palm Memos" option. At first I didn't notice the little scroll bar and the options below the screen. If I had held my tablet in portrait mode, this would not have been a issue.) NoteEverything defaults to the /nand directory. To get to my SD Card, I have to select Parent Directory to get to the root / directory. Once I was there I found my SD Card and the file I needed to select for the import.
I now have all my memo files on my tablet so I don't need to do any conversions.

My current list of apps on my tablet:

• Docs to Go (full version)
• Swype
• Graffiti for Android
• NoteEverything
• Wiki Mind
• ES File Manager
• Dolphin browser
  

Graffiti on Android

I am a long time Palm OS user and was pretty decent writing in Palm Graffiti. I downloaded Graffiti on Android onto my tablet yesterday and installed it. When the tablet is held in portrait mode, the Graffiti writing area is about twice the size as on my Palm device, so there is plenty of room to draw large letters, which improves accuracy. I wrote words with both my finger tip and the stylus; both do a good job. This version of Graffiti gives you immediate feedback - as you draw a letter, the shape you drew is displayed on the screen. This feature helps you to draw the letter shapes correctly and tells you what the tablet thinks you entered, as opposed to what you think you entered. As you print a word, a list of suggested words pops up. This appears to be a typical Android feature, but I found it to be annoying when entering text. Maybe I will get used to it over time. Drawing a line from the input area upwards into the display area brings up a Graffiti help screen for when you need to enter special characters (I have forgotten the Graffiti strokes for most of them). This version also recognizes some of the alternate Graffiti strokes for letters, such as drawing a 3 (in text area) instead of tracing the full letter B, and drawing a 6 in the text area instead of tracing a G. I believe this version uses Graffiti 1 as opposed to Graffiti 2. (Don't ask me the difference, because I have always written in Graffiti 1)!

Currently my speed at entering text is fastest with Graffiti and then about equal speed using Swype or the built in Android keyboard. I think as I practice, I will get faster with Swype, but I'm not sure if I will get as fast as using Graffiti.

I have been using Amazon Apps market to download most apps, since my tablet is not rooted and I do not have access to the full Android Market. The version of Graffiti I am using is free, but it has advertisements and I understand the tablet must be on line to use it. There is a 'pro' version which removes the ads and the on line requirement; it only costs $3. If I decide to stick with Graffiti, I will purchase the upgrade.

Apps and files

I'm still trying to wrap my head around where files are stored on my tablet.
One insight I learned today is that some applications store data files in their own special database. NoteEverything stores its data in a separate database. This app allows the user to export files as text files to the SD card and also allows importing text files into the NoteEverything database. More info can be found here.
Other apps such as Docs to Go store documents as individual files.

Wiki On A Stick (WOAS) on the tablet

I keep a lot of notes on my PC in WOAS. This is a single html file that works as a self contained wiki. It uses Java Script to make the file work as a wiki. I downloaded WOAS to my tablet and was able to open it with Dolphin Browser. WOAS works in that I can follow links from page to page. I am not able to edit or add new pages on the tablet; the save button does not work in editing mode. So I can use WOAS on my tablet but I cannot make changes to it.
So my search for a wiki on my tablet continues.

Upgraded Docs to Go to full version

I upgrade Docs to Go to the full version. I upgraded using my tablet. I was connected with Amazon Android apps, which I have used previously. The license key downloaded and I had the full version working. Due to a DataViz promotion, I was able to purchase the full version for $15. I transferred the pdf of the Docs to Go users manual to my tablet, so I can refer to it for help. The full version of Docs to Go has a pdf viewer built in, so I can get rid of my separate pdf viewer app. I will report further on Docs to Go after I use it for awhile and learn the menu structure.

Some useful links

Android Tablets.net forum has lots of useful information on the Coby here.

A new forum specifically for the Coby Kyros 7015 opened in May and can be found here.

This link gives recommendations for maximizing the life of your lithium ion battery. Basically keep the battery from overheating, allow partial battery discharge but avoid full discharges.

Android Freeware is an alternate to the Android Market, as well as Amazon Android Appstore.

Sound recording and external keyboard

I tried to record some audio from the television last night. I used NoteEverything and made a 'sound note'. It worked but I didn't have the tablet close enough to the tv. Recording my voice speaking directly at the side of the tablet worked well. This may be useful for recording quick verbal notes to myself.

I've been using Swype with a stylus and I seem to be doing reasonably well. I am at about the same speed swyping as I am using the android keyboard with my finger. The stylus is a necessity for me using Swype. I have a couple of spare stylus from my Palm, which are the same length as the included stylus, but they are slightly larger in diameter and weigh more. I stick my Palm stylus in the loop on the tablet case and it stays put around the house.

I hooked up an external USB keyboard to the USB adapter cable today. The USB adapter cable is the short cable (I wondered what that was for!). The USB keyboard worked immediately. There are no settings or messages which need to be acknowledged. The number and symbols work fine. The arrow keys work to move the cursor. The following keys did not work on my external USB keyboard: ` ~ Caps Lock, Control, ALT. The numeric keypad did not work. Because the Control key doesn't work, I was not able move the cursor word by word, using CTR arrow. One strange thing is that when I press the End key, my tablet went into sleep mode!
Now that I know the external USB keyboard works, I may look into one of the roll up keyboards that I have seen on the net. It is definitely useful for entering large amounts of text.

WikiMind

I downloaded WikiMind lite today to try out this wiki application. It seems to work well. It allows you to select the option of storing your wiki files to your external SD card. The wiki data is stored in plain text files. It uses double square brackets for wiki links, which is what my PC wiki application uses for links. I can save my wiki pages as text files, with the file name being the same as the link name. This should make transferring files between my tablet and PC easier.

One thing to be careful of, is to save your page edits before returning to the previous page. If you use the silver hardware Back button, it warns you: "Do you want to save this page?". If you use the on screen arrow key to return to the previous page, without first saving your page, you will loose the data you just entered. Developer needs to fix that one.

I haven't been able to find where WikiMind is storing my files on the SD card. I have tried both the file manager and looking at the card from my PC.

Docs to Go

I downloaded Docs to Go today on my tablet. It appears to work well and opened the Word and Excel files that I transferred to my tablet. Docs to Go could not find files I put in my /Stuff folder on the SD card. ES File manager could find them and I was able to open the Word and Excel files using ES File manager. Maybe subfollders are included in the full version, which I definitely plan to purchase. Creating and editing Word and Excel files is something I definitely want to be able to do on my tablet.

I've turned the key press sound on my Android keyboard. I want to see if this improves my typing with this keyboard.

Why I bought my Coby Kyros 7015 tablet

I have always wanted a tablet computer. Maybe it goes back to when I was watching Star Trek as a kid. I was excited when PenPoint OS and the Newton came out in the early 1990's. It took another 15 years for tablets to get into the consumer market.

Why do I want a tablet computer? What do I plan to do with it? I've used a Palm for many years and have been waiting for something with more capabilities. I like to keep some basic reference information and reading material with me. I would also like to be able to do some work at times away from my office. My laptop is great, but I'm looking for something lighter, with a longer battery life than 2.5 hours.

The iPad is a marvel of technology but carries a premium price for this technology. I also don't like the fact that it is a closed system, without USB ports. If I had the money, I would have bought a Notion Inc Adam tablet. It has an open Android architecture, is reasonably priced and has several technological firsts.

But I don't have a lot of money, so I researched the low priced Android tablets and the Coby Kyros had the best reviews.

Some of the features that influenced my decision:

• Low price: I bought mine from Walmart for $138
• 7 inch screen which is a good size; anything smaller would be too small and the iPad 10 inch screen is not that much larger. I was never impressed with the Droid phones because the screens were too small to do anything with.
  
• Has accelerometer
• Runs Android 2.1
• Has one of the better resistive touch screens
• Is supposed to have a 5 hour battery life, although I haven't done a time test yet.
  
• Plenty of external memory - supports 16 GB external micro SB card
• 256 meg of RAM
• 4 gig internal memory
• USB port can see 4 gig drive
• Has standby mode of sorts - the screen can be turned off to preserve power
  

Switching keyboards and wikis

Thanks to one of the members of Swype forum who told me how to change on-screen keyboards: on any text input box, I press and hold my finger on the screen. That brings up a Select Input Method window, which lets me choose which keyboard to use. It couldn't be easier! My verdict is still coming on this Swype keyboard - I am having a lot of wrong word suggestions. Hopefully this will diminish over time.

I use a wiki throughout the day to store and organize information. I hope to do this using my tablet as well. So far I have seen 4 wiki products for Android: Ema wiki, NoteEverything, AnyWrite wiki and Wiki Mind.

Ema wiki has both an Android and PC wiki interface, which can be synced up. The problem is, I have only found Ema wiki so far in the Android Market, so I am unable to download it with my tablet. I may email the developer and see if he will send me a copy. I downloaded and installed the PC version; it works well but only has basic wiki functionality.

I have NoteEverything installed and have been playing around with it. If you enable the option, when you type a CamelCase word, NoteEverything will automatically create a new text file with the same name and mark the word as a link. You can press and hold over the link and get the option to follow the link, which is how a normal wiki works. The Back button returns you to the previous page. I need to play with the folder options in NoteEverything so I can store all my wiki text files in one folder.

I need to try out AnyWrite wiki and Wiki Mind as well.

I use wiki on a stick (WOAS) on my PC. It is a single html file with Java script which stores all my wiki information in the html file. This is the reason I have been trying to find an Android browser which will open a html file - so I can use WOAS on my tablet. No luck yet, but the search goes on!

PDF files

I downloaded a pdf viewer and transferred some pdf files to the tablet. The pdf's work fine. I put the Coby user's manual on the tablet for reference. I have a 3 novel trilogy in pdf, so I loaded those onto my tablet for reading material.

I copied a txt file to the tablet. Using the ES File manager, I was able to open and read the text file. When I opened the file, it gave me the option to open it in ES File manager editor or Dolphin viewer. I have NoteEverything on my tablet, but I was not given that program as an option. I know NoteEverything can import existing notes. I'll need to try that soon.

I still haven't figured out how to switch back and forth between the Android keyboard and Swype. I'll look next on the Swype forum. I was fooling with some options on the Android keyboard and I found an option where it puts suggested words on the screen for me to select. I also am experimenting with using the key press sound when typing.

I am experimenting on how to orient the tablet: either in portrait or landscape. In portrait orientation when typing data, I can see more of my document on the screen; I can see the context of what I am typing but the keyboard is smaller. In landscape orientation, the keyboard takes up most of the screen; I see very little of the document I am typing. In portrait orientation, I find using the stylus can be helpful because the keyboard is smaller.

Moving files

I hooked up my tablet to the PC today with the USB cable. I mounted the internal memory of the tablet when prompted and I could see the tablet as a USB device on my computer. I created a directory on the tablet called Dave and copied some jpg, mp3 and html files to the tablet. After ejecting the tablet as a USB device, I disconnected the USB cable. Using the Gallery app I could see my jpg files; the Dave directory also showed up in the Gallery app window. Using the Music app, my Dave directory showed up as an album with my music files inside it; the mp3 files played fine.
My html files are not visible with the 2 file managers that I have downloaded: Advanced File Manager and AndroFile. I either don't know how to use them, or they are junk. I am going to try to download ES File Explorer or ASTRO File Manager next.

Where do the files live?

I was able to download my first webpage from the Dolphin browser to my tablet. It indicated that the file was placed in the /nand directory. I started my file manager and looked for that directory, but couldn't find it. I want to be able to go to a directory and select the html files I saved and open them in a browser. More searching and studying needed on my part.

I still have a love / hate relationship with Swype. It works pretty well when I use the stylus to swype, but gives me extra letters when I use my finger tip. Last night I was trying to enter a URL and every time I pressed the . key, Swype would change the name of the URL to what it thought I meant. Not good. I reverted to the default keyboard to enter my URL. I wonder if there is a way to turn off this feature in Swype? I need to watch more of the Swype tutorial videos.

I tried to download ASTRO file manager using the URL that was emailed to me. Unfortunately it refused to download because this tablet is not rooted and does not have access to the Android market. So I am going to try and find it on some of the alternate sites: slideme.com, getandroidstuff.com, m.getjar.com, givemeapps.com, appbrain.com and freewarelovers.com/android. Hopefully I will have more luck there. I don't want to root my tablet at this point.

Tomorrow I hope to hook up my tablet to my laptop and transfer some files.

Day 2 with my new tablet

I downloaded Dolphin browser from SlideMe last night. It installed smoothly and seems to work well. I still have to download instructions on how to use all it's features. Eventually I want to learn how to download web pages to the tablet for reading them when I am off line.

I also downloaded EZ File manager, but when I tried to install it, the app disappeared from the screen. I'll try a different one tomorrow. I haven't found any file manager on the tablet as shipped.

I finally have Swype keyboard installed and working. It took me 3 tries to install it. A couple of times the tablet rebooted. Learning to use Swype is going to take some time. I need to look at more of the tutorials. The Swype keyboard has numbers and symbols in the upper right corner of each letter key. If I press and hold on the key, Swype will give me that number or symbol. It appears that I was Swyping too slowly, so Swype interpreted some of my letters as numbers.

I am getting the hang of scrolling the screen. The key seems to be to keep my finger pressure on the screen as I scroll. If I lift my finger too soon, the tablet thinks I am selecting an icon or row.

I am also getting the hang of filling out fields on a web page using the screen keyboard. Once I type my info into the first field and I hit the Next key, I can continue entering info into the next field. The problem I was having is that I have to press the Back button to go back to the web page and see what the next field is asking me to enter. I think I've got it now, and more importantly, the tablet knows enough to advance to the next field by itself.

First steps with my tablet

I received my new tablet yesterday. I charged it for 1 hour and then fired it up. I pushed the power button and nothing happened. I then decided to read the manual (I had printed out the manual from a pdf on the Coby site. The enclosed manual has small print, so the pdf that I printed out is much easier on my eyes.) To start the tablet you need to hold the power button in until the screen comes to life. I need to time the boot up time. My tablet started right up to the opening screen, with the animated falling leaves in the background. This is nice but I plan on adding my own background and eliminate the animation. I then went to settings and connected to my Wi-Fi network. This went very smoothly and I was now on line.

I tried the default browser and went to my website. Most of my page showed up fine but when I zoomed in and out, the sidebar on the right side disappeared. Scrolling the web page vertically worked well using my finger tip. I went to FaceBook using the default browser. I had a problem logging in to FB. After I entered my email address, it would not let me continue to enter my password. Maybe I was doing something wrong?

I then went to the AppsLib Store using the app on the main page. It asked me to register, which I tried to do. I don't think I was successful in registering, but it brought me to the AppsLib main page. I found that scrolling through the apps was difficult, because when I tried to swipe down with my finger, it thought I wanted to open info on that app. Maybe I should have pushed the calibrate icon first; I'll try that today. I was able to download and install Note Everything successfully.