I've got a tablet but I'm a total newbie with Android

[fluidistic]

Hi guys, I've been given a tablet -samsung galaxy note 10.1- whose operating system is Android. Although I don't have wifi yet, I plan on getting it in the next days. I've some experience with linux (ubuntu), but Android seems quite different, I don't see any terminal for instance.
So I wonder if there's any way I could program some stuff in Fortran like I do under ubuntu.
Also, it says that the cpu of my tablet is a quad core at 1.4 Ghz while my desktop cpu is a dual core at 1.86 Ghz. Does that mean that I can run heavy programs like say stockfish (a free top 5 chess engine that can use all your cpu "power") and beat my desktop cpu at it?
Whenever I type "Android tutorial" in google, all what appears seems to be related to programming Android applications rather than a guide of Android.
Is there anything I should know about Android or tablets in general? I'm a real newbie.

Thanks.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Don't forget to download the PF App for Android :)

 

[fluidistic]

Don't forget to download the PF App for Android :)

I sure will. As soon as I get an internet connection. PF is my most visited website (ahead of google, youtube, facebook, etc.).

 

[harborsparrow]

You *can* get remote clients for Android that will allow you to connect to other machines. That might be the best way to do Fortran programming while on the tablet. For example, I can use a Remote Desktop client to connect to Windows. Then, I added a USB keyboard and mouse for easier usability (since I'm a programmer).

I have no idea if Android has a viable Fortran compiler--it would mildly surprise me if it did. Nor is there, to my knowledge, a built-in command line OS, but you can get file manager apps to browse around the file system. I've found it fairly useless looking at the file system. I mainly enjoy my tablet for playing games, watching movies, taking videos or photos, listening to music, and browsing the web (though it's not as satisfactory as browsing on, say, Linux or Windows). I do love my Android but I wouldn't want it to be my only computer.

 

[harborsparrow]

As for learning to USE Android, I would suggest looking at a web tutorial to learn a few basics. You need to know how to get into the Settings--when you find that, just explore it fully. You need to be able to look at Notifications and go into your Apps area. You need to know the Back button, and the Home button. With these few things, you can function pretty well.

 

[fluidistic]

Thanks harborsparrow. I've been playing with it today with a friend, so I've tested internet and the gps. I'm almost familiar with the back-home and setting stuff.
I still don't know what the notifications are. The applications area appears when I press "home" and then the upper right icon?
I find it a bit weird the way to find out which programs are running/closed and why some programs won't close even if I try to close them, such as google maps.
I'm currently trying to make stockfish (the chess engine) functions, but I lack wifi. I can only download the program from my desktop computer and transfer it via USB. I've done it but I lack another program (the GUI) which I don't seem to be able to download with my desktop PC. Apparently I must download and install them via the tablet only.

 

[harborsparrow]

There a nice slang term for manual installs on Android: it's called "side loading" if you just copy the necessary files over from USB or elsewhere. Here's a tutorial on that: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-manually-install-side-load-apps-on-your-android-device/

You might try taking your tablet to a Starbucks or the library, where there is free wifi, and connecting to the internet. You'll then start to see Notifications, as apps will tell you they need to be updated. And, you'll be able to set up some accounts such as Google and download additional apps the bone-head way.

I have found DropBox to be one good way to move files back and forth from a conventional PC to Android. And, DropBox will automatically upload any photos I take (if I ask it to), which I find very convenient--my Galaxy 10 tablet has no USB port at all.

I've grown very fond of my tablet. It makes an especially good Kindle reader; I actually prefer it to a real Kindle, since no mechanical buttons need be pressed to change pages (just swipe right or left, gently). And card games are much more fun touching directly on the screen.

Enjoy it!

 

[Hepth]

I use "Wifi File Browser" or "Wifi File Transfer" to copy files rather than USB. You don't need internet, just a wifi connection both computers are on. Basically you run it on the phone/tablet and then the computer can use a browser to access it.

There are also some file browsers out there that (though theyre not free) have plugins that let you use network browsing. So you can see shared directories from windows machines/etc.

The best way to familiarize yourself with Android is to play with it. Go though all of the settings see what it can do. Its just like a smartphone.

Also, I don't know the name, but there ARE command line unix interfaces out there, though I don't see how useful it would be.

You can also use LogMeIn to remote login over wifi to another computer to use its desktop.
I think I heard somewhere you can SSH in from a command line as well. So you could program something on a remote server from your tablet.