Need help from all the techies in here!

[Willow]

I am about to brave the 21st century by getting a smart phone (I know I'm old! I just didn't want to give up my flip phone that made me feel like I was answering my "communicator" on "Star Trek"!!!) I have the opportunity to get an LG Phoenix which is Android for free through a current promotion. Firstly, I'd like to know if I should take the free one or wait until I can afford something else. i mainly want it to use for getting all the JW apps you guys keep talking about and also to load the WT library onto. (I guess that would be a download???) But I would really like to understand what the difference is between an Android, Druid and an Alien - oops, I mean, whatever the other types are called (I-Phone, Blackberry?)! If you have a link for me to go to that explains it in sub-genius level language, - and that would be the easiest for you to explain - I'd be happy to check that out instead of making you re-write the book! But I would also like to understand the different capabilities of all the new equipment available - what can a smart phone do that an e-reader can't do; what can a tablet do that the smart phone and e-reader can't do, etc. I also have the opportunity to obtain a Kobe e-reader for free - what can I do with that versus the phone, tablet or my little ol' netbook that I've had for 2 years now and has been real handy but I guess the portability of the others is the attraction? That was why i got the netbook at the time - the techies in the stores said, "Don't buy the netbook - a smart phone can do everything it can do..." - which may be true but I mainly wanted it to study the WT library on and I couldn't see studying on something I had to strain my eyes to see! But now I figure I might as well be able to take everything "JW" everywhere I take my phone so that is why I'm making the leap to the smart phone. I don't always carry my netbook like I thought I would - I have trouble with pain in my arms and hands that causes me to seek the most lightweight way of doing things. And using my fingers to text or push things on a tiny keyboard is painful as well. Can't do the micro movements without pain. I also like the idea of being able to carry something much lighter to the meetings than books (except my Bible, of course) - the week night meeting can get rather "heavy" at times. I know I could use my netbook for that but I am not aware of how to make notes on it as I heard you can with the tablet. Can you do that with the phone or the e-reader? Can I put the library on the e-reader? If I ever have the opportunity to come by a tablet - what are the differences with them? I read something that said the I Pad is pretty skimpy on features as far as what you can do with it and that is why it is so cheap. Again, if you have any links for me to go to to educate myself i'd be fine with that. I wish someone would create a side by side column view of what the smart phone can do vs. the e-reader vs. the tablet vs. the netbook... And then what each type of each sub category can do... I know - pipe dream, right??? I realize it is always changing but a general analysis would be great! If you know of anything similar to this, please let me know! Many, many thanks!!!!

[leannsmarie]

I don't have a lot of time because Im getting ready to go run errands but I have a link that may help you to decide which is right for you.

http://www.howtodecide.com/portable-computing-device/

[Willow]

AWESOME, Leann! Thanks!

[tekmantwo]

@Willow- Dont feel like you are all alone in this---you stated my personal position pretty accurately...thanks for putting my thoughts in your words...

@Leann--Thanks for that link, I've got some reading to do...

Agape to all my family.....

[Willow]

I'm glad this is helping you too, Tim. I thought of another question: If I get one of those "pay as you go" plans, are you able to locate the phone on an internet web site like you can on Verizon and others web sites when you have a plan with them?

[Willow]

Here's the rest of my concern about the GPS related question. On the one hand, it would be nice to be able to locate the phone if, for instance, a child had it and had been kidnapped or you lost the phone, etc. But I read this a while back:

"Smart phones embed the gps coordinates of the pictures they take unless you turn it off. You can also be located that way. Some soldiers in afghanistan loaded pictures of their barracks on facebook and such and the opposing side was able to pinpoint the exact location and bomb it."

I'm getting more than a little paranoid about these kind of things with the G.T. coming. Just don't want to give "Gog" any extra help in finding us! I guess you can't have it both ways - right?

[LeslieDean]

I had not heard that about the bombing of the soilders. How frightening. This tecnology is just too smart. I did see on a dateline about theywere able to locate the body of a missing woman because her cell phone (even though it was dead) kept transmitting low signals from cell towers. I guess it can be used for good and bad like anything.

[leannsmarie]

You can turn off the smart tagging on photos and there are programs that strip the Exif data off of existing digital images currently in your library.

That being said, you can also turn off GPS and only turn it on WHEN YOU NEED IT and turn it off again afterward. This is good for your battery life also because using the GPS data uses battery power.

Some applications on smartphones by nature use GPS in order to provided their stated services. However, there are app optimizers that allow you to set a time to terminate an app at a predetermined time. I have set my Android based Atrix4G so that it will turn off any app after two minutes of inactivity.

[Willow]

Thanks so much for that help, Leann! Do you know if you can make notes on all tablets - or just the I Pad?

[leannsmarie]

I really don't know. If you have a model in mind, you might 'google' it.

[trottigy]

Thanks so much for that help, Leann! Do you know if you can make notes on all tablets - or just the I Pad?

Yes, you can make notes on all the tablets that allow you access to the "market". The android tablets have a nice app called - Tap-a-talk - that will even record while you take typed notes.

[AlexMichaels]

right now since I've been out of the 'game' with smart phones for a little while.. I don't know what would be best, but another thing that would be nice is to look into antivirus and stuff like that for the smart phones.. Before I wasn't aware that it even existed, but with all the technology that allows people who know how to steal your info without even touching you or the phone it's definately something to look into. next smart phone I get I deftinately will have it looked down like FT. KNOX.. lol but that's probably just because I'm paranoid.. not like I have anything worth stealing.. lol