Tech: iOS or Android ?

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Oct 19 - 01:21 PM

Yes, smartphones.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 12 Oct 19 - 12:49 PM

Does this extend to
Nokia smartphones,
or is it only desktops and tablets?

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 10 Jun 12 - 08:51 AM

So it's android. I have just upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S3. Great peice of equipment.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Jun 12 - 08:43 AM

OK here's an update.
I have just loaded the lyrics of 38 songs onto my Samsung TAB, which runs Android.
I made a new file on my PC desktop called Lyrics. I created and saved a file for each set of words, and dragged them from my document file into the Lyrics file.
Then I plugged my TAB into a USB port, opened the relevant file, and dragged and dropped the whole Lyric file into the TAb.
SUCCESS it's all working just fine.
All I hve to do now is make a new list of the songs I know all the words of off by heart with the appropriate key added, and make another paper list for the side of the guitar.
The ones on the TAB are those I'm not yet 100% sure of the words, and any newer ones that haven't sunk in to the cranial filing system I have built in, between my ears.
I have also ordered a small desktop music stand to sit TAB on ;)

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Tootler
Date: 20 May 12 - 04:23 PM

Right, Tootler suggests formatting my song lyrics in HTML. How do I do that please?

Fair comment though that particular suggestion was directed at the Kindle rather than Android. However, I have started a separate thread here.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 May 12 - 02:44 PM

Thanks mate, but no it doesn't work with my Galaxy TAB GT-P7300. I tried downloading it, but it's designed to work with a phone rather than a tablet PC.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 20 May 12 - 02:33 PM

Does this help John?

http://blogs.skype.com/en/2010/10/android.html

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Musket
Date: 20 May 12 - 12:21 PM

If I am on stage, as opposed to a folk club, my iPad is plugged into my Tascam interface and out to the main mixer, with guitar routines etc at the ready. (All you need is Garageband for iPad, nothing more fancy than that.)

Kindle for iPhone is where I have uploaded PDFs of all my songs, suggested playlists and other info. So that can be useful in folk clubs too.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 May 12 - 11:49 AM

Right FYI Android uses Polaris Office, which is compatible with Microsoft Office, and it can read PDF files. I have just experimented by making a PDF file of a set of lyrics, dragging and dropping it into a file I created called Lyrics, and BINGO!
Will keep folks posted, as it may be of interest to others.
Next thing I need to find out is how to load Skype onto it. It's not offered as an option as Google have their own system, but I have read that it can be done.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 19 May 12 - 03:01 PM

Right, Tootler suggests formatting my song lyrics in HTML. How do I do that please?

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 18 May 12 - 10:22 PM

There has been quite a lot of activity in legal circles over numerous claims of patent infringements that have affected quite a number of makers. I haven't followed that news closely (due to lack of interest) but several fairly popular models have been variously banned in places like Germany, Japan, and China, for "patent infringements" and the US has just released a ban on some Motorola phones (still subject to Presidential review?).

While the law moves ponderously, and there's unlikely to be a dispute that would affect the particular device you select (for the uses described) it might be worthwhile taking a look at anything that might be "in process" relative to a particular device/model you're considering. Many of the available devices offer very broad ranges of "features," some overlapping with your intended uses, and it's hard to say whether any legal actions would affect you after you've bought something, especially if they relate to features you don't use. If any such things should come up, it could happen - "sometime," which may not really be worth worrying about now.

This shouldn't be a really serious concern in most cases - just another minor factor to consider(?).

Even Microsoft has announced that there will be no Media Player in default installations of Windows 8 "due to the cost of royalties for all the codecs." It's uncertain whether it will even be "installable" on basic models, and (as of now) will only be a free download in the top versions, and an "if you buy it" download for midrange(s).

John

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 May 12 - 05:51 AM

I was planning to input my words as .doc (or docx) but I have not done it yet.

The input process on my main PC will be more of a bugger than planned as my bloody useless dragon has crashed and burned - back to IBM Viavoice for me!

Then if I put them on a USB stick I can transfer that to a mini-SD card in the notepad.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Carol
Date: 18 May 12 - 05:24 AM

I've been droolling over both of them, especially the IPad but my son-in-law says in effect you're paying for the names and you can get 'unknown' names a lot cheaper that do the same job, especially for my requirements. At the moment I use my Blackberry phone to check song words but could't sing from it! Perhaps tesco will do a double voucher offer some day.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 18 May 12 - 04:48 AM

Good luck John

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 May 12 - 04:23 AM

Well I have ordered the Samsung Galaxy with the Android Op system. All I need to do now is work out how to do what Tootler did.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 May 12 - 03:41 AM

Interesting Tootler, although I have no idea how to do any of the things you mention. I've heard of html, but the others are strangers to me.

Any more thoughts folks? I still haven't plumped for either one.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Tootler
Date: 12 May 12 - 07:50 PM

A magazine I was reading recently did a comparison of iOS and Android. They came to the conclusion that there was not a lot to choose between them but that iOS was easier to get started on and seemed more intuitive initially but that Android was more flexible and capable in the longer term, but you needed to explore it to get the best out of it.

I keep most of my song words on my Android phone in pdf format and I find it very useful for a quick check before I sing. It's possible to expand the font size in Android to a reasonable readable size but you certainly can't sing from it.

For songs I am learning I put them on the Kindle. I tried pdf initially but I don't find that satisfactory. You really need to get them into an ebook format, which for the Kindle is Mobi.

After a bit of reading, I eventually found that the standard eBook formats are based on HTML so I have formatted my song words as html and used Calibre to convert them to Mobi. You can do a "quick and dirty" conversion by saving your song words as .rtf files and converting them using Calibre but the formatting does not come out very well. I tried Amazon's conversion service but that was useless for songs as they are just converted to continuous text as if they were prose.

I don't have a tablet though I might consider one when I come to replace my netbook.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From:
Date: 12 May 12 - 06:53 PM

I keep entire my word library on an android base, using both a seven inch tablet and a standard small screen smart phone (both items Huawei models). It depends what your usage requirements are and what your close-vision eyesight is.

If you want to read as you go the bigger the tablet the better, if you want a quick run over before you start then the 2.5-3 inch screen phone will suffice.

Jack

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 May 12 - 02:15 PM

I've just got a 10 inch android tablet off ebay for £99 with leather case and additional keyboard and GPS locator. I've downloaded a free office program, and a free file organiser and it now talks happily to a USB stick. It took a bit of working out as it doesn't work like a PC exactly. It will also take data cards so I reckon I could put songs on data cards - but I haven't done it yet. It has Wifi but is not set up for a broadband dongle (yet) I figured that wifi was likely to be enough for my needs.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 May 12 - 10:19 AM

Difference that is, not total price ;-)

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 May 12 - 09:38 AM

Not much to chose price wise, £10 if I buy from Tesco.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 May 12 - 08:19 AM

I would go with Android John. Apple are to restrictive and grossly overpriced.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 May 12 - 08:12 AM

The screen on a Kindle is too small for my liking. Even the ones I am looking at are on the small side, but the 10.1 Samsung, is just a tad too unwieldy. Anyway, iPAd is only available in one size, so by comparing the two I am considering, there is a more 'Like for like' element. Screen size wise at least.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Stu
Date: 12 May 12 - 07:56 AM

iOS.

I got my iPad 2 so I could carry scientific papers (dinosaurs - yay!) when out and about. I have a whole library on mine now, plus you can get the Kindle app for iOS too so you're not missing anything. Then there's Garageband, Angry Birds, the web, Photostream . . . I could go on.

The flash thing can be a pain in the arse though, I have to admit. Not too much, but enough to notice especially when the BBC web site uses it so much.

Subject: RE: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 May 12 - 07:49 AM

One of the regular drop in performers at The Tap turned up last night with his song lyrics on a Kindle ! I believe tey have to be PDF format , but it does look like a decent idea

Subject: Tech: iOS or Android ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 May 12 - 05:05 AM

I had this bright (?) idea that instead of carrying round a bulky file of song lyrics, that I would treat myself to a tablet PC and load them all onto that, thus saving space.
Firstly, has anyone else tried this, and how well did it work, and what system heve you used?
Secondly, I am split between the iPAD 2 with 3G (4G not working in UK, and likely to be non compatible with other 4G systems anyway), and a Samsung Galaxy Tab with the 8.9 screen. Both with 16 GB of memory.
The iPAD has a metal casing, which I prefer to the plastic of the Samsung. However, I find Apple too restrictive in what they will and won't allow us to use. Flash being a good example.
So my little techie Mudcatters, please help me decide.
I have looked and looked, and read reviews, ad infinitum, and I'm no nearer a decision.