Samsung Galaxy Note question / help?

[dura]

Tip for G-Note readers: I use Mantano, where you can make your own profile: I use a black background (saves current, looks easy on the eyes, doesn't disturb sleeping afterwards, use it during the day too) with white letters very slightly off to orange; pick the lettertype you like, distance and fontsize, set the gestures right (don't use everything just because you can) and you have a really wonderful reader, completely customised.

Edit: oh, I forgot; if you do a long tap an empty place on the homescreen you can add a direct shortcut to the book you are reading; no more starting the app and selecting the book you were reading, marvellous idea in Android.

[DuaneAA]

I don't know if anyone else is into reading fanfiction, but there is a nice app in Google play called 'fanfiction reader'. The free version has ads on the screen while the $3 premium version does not. It has some nice features to search fanfiction.net which mimic what you can do at the m.fanfiction.net website. The nice thing about this app is that it pulls down the complete story rather than just a chapter at a time, if you are reading off-line. It also has a 'resume reading' option so you can close the app and then restart in the same place. At least on my Note, the browser keeps closing all the open windows when I reopen it and it has been a pain relocating the story I was reading and returning to the same spot, which this app solves. The app also has basic controls for things like font size, portrait or landscape, and day or night mode. I've only been using it for a couple of days, but it seems well worth the $3 price.

Duane

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by DuaneAA

I don't know if anyone else is into reading fanfiction, but there is a nice app in Google play called 'fanfiction reader'.

I've tried FanFiction Reader but converting fanfics to epub (via FLAGfic or Calibre with FanFictionDownLoader plug-in) works much better for me. Converting to epub also gives me plenty of choices for reader apps (I prefer Mantano Reader) and it's easier to back-up the epub files to my computer so I have a copy of the story in case it gets deleted from FanFiction.Net. Being able to use regular epub reader apps also gives me features such as bookmarks, annotations, highlighting, etc.

[DuaneAA]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I've tried FanFiction Reader but converting fanfics to epub (via FLAGfic or Calibre with FanFictionDownLoader plug-in) works much better for me. Converting to epub also gives me plenty of choices for reader apps (I prefer Mantano Reader) and it's easier to back-up the epub files to my computer so I have a copy of the story in case it gets deleted from FanFiction.Net. Being able to use regular epub reader apps also gives me features such as bookmarks, annotations, highlighting, etc.

I have gone that route in the past as it is the easiest way to get fanfiction onto a Kindle. But it requires extra steps of running the software on the computer and then moving the files to the reader. Since part of my goal with getting the Galaxy Note is to reduce the number of devices I lug around, I want move most of my reading to it from the Kindle. I like the way the fanfiction app eliminates the extra step of having the computer in the loop and I find the display style of the program perfectly adequate for my needs. I have never had any desire to bookmark, annotate, or highlight fanfiction. I don't think I have ever gone back and reread anything other than my own fanfiction stories (I never would have guessed when I started writing that I would end up my own favorite writer, but it turns out I write exactly the kind of stories I like to read!).

Duane

[graycyn]

Well, I'm really liking my Note! I don't do a ton of reading on it, my eyes just don't prefer a backlit device for that, but I'm happy that it is possible to read for short periods while on the go and the resolution sure makes web browsing more pleasant!

If there are downsides for the Note vs. the Galaxy Player, it is the battery life, which is about half that of the Player and the fact that the color saturation of the screen is a little over the top, especially for reds and oranges. It's no deal breaker, I might prefer more natural color on some icons and in some apps, but I can live with it.

On the plus side, it seems to come to a full, 100% charge about twice as fast as the Player!

I used it with my Bluetooth headphones the other day, and was expecting a fast battery drain playing music while I shopped, but in fact, it wasn't bad at all. Have not yet tried the GPS on a walk yet, perhaps this afternoon if the weather stays nice.

I adore the S-pen, it's *really* fun sketching on the Note! Handwriting to text recognition isn't too bad, though nothing I would rely on over much. Fine for jotting grocery shopping lists though! Dictation to text is pretty darned good as well.

Playing games is much smoother than with the Player! I upped my Fruit Ninja Puss in Boots Desperado score considerably the first time I played on the Note, even though I hadn't played that game in an age!

Camera shutter doesn't have the same lag as the Player, and of course the videos are nicer as well.

I'm totally thrilled with it, now I just need to be careful and not drop or damage it!

Oh, I did try night mode in Mantano, and it's possible if I tweak the white text color that might even be usable for me. And my eyes normally can't light text on dark backgrounds! It's really been an eye-opener for me just how MUCH difference the higher resolution makes for my eyes.

All I can say is that I won't be buying any kind of 7" or 10" tablet device until there's one that can match this kind of resolution.

[jlg432]

Graycyn - how are you dealing with the phone side of the device? I read earlier that you were only interested in it as a tablet with the occasional wifi access. I have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 wifi/4G and I keep my 4G turned off by having it de-selected under the "Mobile network settings" (Use packet data).

This prevents the radio (4g access) from being turned on while still allowing access to the wifi radio. You do not have to use "Airplane Mode" as this turns off all wifi/4g and probably bluetooth as well.

This may extend your battery time.

Also for use of stand alone map/navigation access via the GPSr. Look into MapDroyd (free) and NavDroyd (small one time fee). You just download the maps that you need for your area and you have a fully functional GPSr. Once you purchase NavDroyd you can download it across both of your devices.

I believe the cell service is not required to do any OS upgrades as my tablet suggests using wifi (faster downloads of large files).

John

[ilovejedd]

Having seen how big the Galaxy Note is at the AT&T store, for the owners, I'm curious, do you ever hold it against your face/ear during phone calls or do you just use headsets?

[DuaneAA]

I'm not much of a 'talk on the phone' person. When I call my mother and I know I am going to on the phone for awhile, I use a headset, but I did with my old Galaxy S, too. (Regardless what they say, I'm not comfortable with holding a transmitter right up against my brain for extended periods of time.) Otherwise I typically only make a couple short calls a week and I just hold the Note up to my head. I've had my Note for about two weeks now and it no longer feels that big. Of course, I am 6'2" and have large hands.

Duane

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Having seen how big the Galaxy Note is at the AT&T store, for the owners, I'm curious, do you ever hold it against your face/ear during phone calls or do you just use headsets?

Against the ear is the only way to go. Besides, it's not that big when compared to others.

Spoiler:

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by DuaneAA

I'm not much of a 'talk on the phone' person. When I call my mother and I know I am going to on the phone for awhile, I use a headset, but I did with my old Galaxy S, too. (Regardless what they say, I'm not comfortable with holding a transmitter right up against my brain for extended periods of time.) Otherwise I typically only make a couple short calls a week and I just hold the Note up to my head. I've had my Note for about two weeks now and it no longer feels that big. Of course, I am 6'2" and have large hands.

Duane

"It is too big" is just the perception instilled into most of us by marketing from other brands. I hold the Streak up to my ear all the time, and I have very small hands. I have given it to plenty of other people to make calls or to talk to callers. Nobody felt it was awkward after a few seconds.

Well, I had one of the earliest Motorola phones, now that was big! The Note/Streak is the perfect size.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

"It is too big" is just the perception instilled into most of us by marketing from other brands.

Not really. Personally, the iPhone is already on the bigger side of the phone spectrum for me. My tastes run towards the petite (previous phones being: T68i, T630, Nokia 8890; current: Xperia Ray, Xperia Mini Pro). I guess being 5'2" with small hands does play a part in my preferences. The Nexus S is the biggest phone I can comfortably hold/operate with just one hand.

[HansTWN]

Actually quite a few 4.9 and 5.0" people held my phone. The only problem is if you get self conscious. And there is always a headset... Now personal preferences, that is a different story.

Besides, if your phone is only a phone then definitely, get the smallest you can find. However, for other functions, like browsing, reading, and typing, large screen size is infinitely better.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Having seen how big the Galaxy Note is at the AT&T store, for the owners, I'm curious, do you ever hold it against your face/ear during phone calls or do you just use headsets?

I don't even own an earbud, I use a dash mounted BT hands free while driving, otherwise I hold the phone up to my ear.

The fact of the matter is that as cell phnes go, my GNote is huge; but compared to an old school telephone reciever (as well as my 7" GTab) it's still pretty small.

[Laine]

I use my Note solely as a tablet with wifi. I keep it in flight mode and the wifi still works. I use my router at home and a portable wifi when out.

I use another smaller phone for calls as the Note only let me have one ringtone and the sound quality on calls was appalling most of the time - unintelligible in fact.

[macminer]

Originally Posted by Laine

I use another smaller phone for calls as the Note only let me have one ringtone and the sound quality on calls was appalling most of the time - unintelligible in fact.

I am not sure what you mean by "only let me have one ringtone". I have a Note and I can have as many ringtones as I wish. In fact now I have one "general purpose" tone, and a separate tone for each member of my family. What's more, you can use any mp3 file as a ringtone, so you use practically any sound file, as long as you know how to connect the phone to your PC and transfer the mp3 to a directory on the Note.

Also, sound quality in my case leaves nothing to be desired, but sound quality always depends on two factors: the phone itself and the mobile network. Some mobile networks may push sound compression to the limits and with some phones this may result in unintelligible voice quality. I am not an expert in GSM technology, but I have been using it long enough to notice how different can the same phone sound in different conditions (eg. weak signal, overcrowded network, signal in places prone to interferences). From what I have read it seems that CDMA technology has its own problems with sound quality, but these are mostly related to the distance from the transmitter.

All in all, I have chosen Galaxy Note purposefully so that I won't have to carry two devices, as it can serve both as a phone and tablet (and car navigation and e-reader, and many more) and for me it works as expected.