Yes, I think that was it, but only about 3 or 4 cms square. I say ‘was’ because after half dozen trips round the houses and a few repeated blind allies, I got the bigger one back again. I have no idea how I got to it, different advices kept telling me to click on 3 dots which were never there. I managed, again with great difficulty, to cancel Spotify Premium because it couldn’t do easily or not at all what I wanted it to do. But they tell me I am not blocked out but instead have 3 months of the free, non premium version. So I can investigate and, if successful, pay the money in March and reactivate it.
I have seldom experienced anything so quirky and unfriendly to operate. My early days with Windows were nothing like this. Even Google, common to both, is unhelpful. If I keep this thing it will only be by referring back to the pc and Windows to find anything I need to know.
I can do witout the large onscreen keypad but only if the keyboard is well lit. The onscreen version is very bright and easy to read and, because the keys are so well spaced, fairly easy to type on. Of course it might revert to the tiny version at any minute without warning.
It’s only because it’s new to you, it’s like anything new you expect it to act like windows because that’s what you know and have used for years, if you find android complicated you definitely wouldn’t like Linux
Out of all the operating systems I find it the best, as now it’s the one I use the most,
If you don’t like it just send it back and chalk it up to experience, or get a 5 -15 year old to show you how to use it as most will have been brought up on it all their lives
OK, this is what I did with Windows this morning.
1 switch on
2 type code
3 click history
4 click restore previous session.
And I’m off and running, how manty clicks do you need to get going on Android?
And which are they please?
Unless you reply before I have time to get to it, both doctor and aide due any moment, and give me the stages, I’ll try myself and report back.
Windows I switch on, swipe my finger print, open G Mail.
Android I switch on, enter code, open G Mail.
Windows originally had to be set up exactly the same as android, download programs and set them up all , as all vanilla versions of a operating system do
Windows, Android, Linux and MacOS are no different in that respect, unless you are using a back up, every operating system requires setting up with user names, passwords, new programs downloaded and installed, so you can get it running how you want it.
On my Android device, I click a button to unlock the screen, I scan my fingerprint to unlock the device… does that count as a click? (otherwise I could just hold it up to my face and have it recognise me that way but it’s more effort and I’m lazy I like to be efficient).
My browser tabs are automatically restored so no clicking required.
Below is what I started earlier before I was interrupted by the doctor and 2 separate carers. Exhausted by trying to keep up with the rapid exchange between the doctor and the 2nd carer, both French. Distressed to find that the carer is convinced that the events of the week only started yesterday when I have proof that it began in earnest on Thursday morning and really back as far as last Tuesday, but I couldn’t butt in to demonstrate that. Then had to rush to catch the shops and the pharmacie before 1230 and arrived back here totally exhausted yet again at 1245 to then put everything away after giving Fran her breakfast. So, now back to what I started 3 hours ago.
Yes, but this one doesn’t work like @Mark says. I have to press the tiny, very difficult to feel at the side, button but with the other hand holding the otherside.
Then 4 taps or swipes to get anything to happen before the pin pad appears
About 3 seconds to remember the number and find the keys on the keyboard but by then it has disappeared, not just to sleep to be awakened with a tap or a swipe, but the whole start up thing again with 2 hands to press and steady at the same time.
Re-start, tap/swipe and then just manage to get the first number in as it fades.
I reckon about 14 stages to get to the open screen with the icons on it. Never mind the several steps to get to my playlist on Spotify, not always successful.
Reading what you all say, including @Gareth, it is plain to me that this device is nothing like yours. No suggestion of finger print, face recognition or single swipes to get everything started. Also it doesn’t seem to sleep. if nothing is done within 1 or 2 minutes it does not just go blank to be re-awakened with a swipe, it actually switches completely off requiring the whole lengthy startup sequence to bring it back.
I take your point @Griffin36 that much is to do with my ignorance of Android (leave aside the fact that I have had such a tablet for years, and still going which sets off and stays on with a single button push but fails in other ways that don’t really concern me.) , and the fact that I am a complete numpty with anything electronic so that I can only go with what I see on the screen. And that is often misleading.
I will keep at it, I have plenty of time before the end of January deadline, but it is not encouraging.
I don’t have any browser tabs, unless you mean the drop down list of search history, is that it? If so, how do you delete it to stop it getting too long?
It like windows is all down to changing some settings, if you bear with I will address them later as I am cutting trees down for my neighbour just now, trying to miss our barn and his outhouses
Yes, it does feel like it’s perhaps not a match made in heaven. Luckily you’ve got time to decide.
If you do send it back, would it perhaps be worth going to a bricks-and-mortar store on the high street to try one out before buying it? The sales assistant may be able to demonstrate how to use it too.
It’ll be more expensive than Amazon but less frustrating too.
OK, I’ll try cut the moaning tone but just ask a simple question, or questions.
Into Spotify at the moment and it is playing a Leonard Cohen album, but while I am listening, after about 3 minutes the screen fades and goes black. The music continues though but the thing is switched off. No amount of tapping or swiping from all points of the compass will bring it back. The only way is a long press on the start button and then through the PIN procedure all over again. Really? Every 5 minutes or so if I want to do something else while listening? What am I doing wrong?
If I want to get back to Spotify and either stop the music or exit and choose something else, is this the only way to go?
Do I have to login to Spotify every time I want to get access to it?
How do I create a Spotify icon on the opening screen? Would it get me straight in without login each time assuming I can get one?
On a different theme but connected, because I want to listen to music at night and set one or the other to stop after a certain time, although I tried it successfully yesterday, this time a setting 5 minutes ahead produced a little message after saving to say it would shut down in 4 days.
It’s pretty annoying, even more so when it puts the app to sleep and it stops playing
Go to settings/display and you can set the timeout (but don’t think it can be cancelled completely).
A quick Google doesn’t reveal any way to set the device to stay on when a particular app is active - though the application writer themselves can defeat the normal time-out that’s not much use if the Spotify app isn’t written to do so. There’s an app called Tasker (but it looks like it’s ££) which might be able to do it.
Go into settings, display, screen time out, never.
Android has a screen timeout as does a pc which shuts the screen down after a certain time to save power, moving the mouse or touching a key on the keyboard on a pc wakes it up, pressing the power button briefly does the same on the tablet.
If you set the time-out to never the screen will stay on indefinitely.
I just noticed Billy answered as I was typing, my bad
To get an icon on your start screen, touch a blank part of the screen and swipe up, this opens the app drawer and go to Spotify, long press and move the icon upwards and onto your home screen, it’s basically the same as dragging a shortcut onto a pc screen.
If you haven’t downloaded the app swipe up to open the app drawer, go to play store which is the multicoloured triangle, in the search box put Spotify and then tap on install.
Thanks for all the suggestions and not sure I understand what an app is because I assumed that I have got one which enabled me to sign up to Spotify. The same with Google, I must have that but when I wanted to do something the other day it said ‘go to the google app’. aren’t I already there? I thought so but the steps suggested after than just don’t work.
The only reason I bought this for was to go to sleep listening to music and for it to shut itself off after 1 hour. 18 months ago I signed up to Spotify on the pc to use on my laptop. But Spotify only have this shut off (sleep timer) available on Android not Windows. And now I find, only with the premium version, the one I cancelled yesterday.
So I got this thing but found it impossible to get this sleep timer there either. But I do know, because it worked once, just once, I can shut down the power of the tablet instead while the music was playing. But today, after accepting the time I set it to, it re-set itself to 4 years without me touching anything.
On a more cheerful note I did manage to get the Spotify icon on the screen and I think I know my way into the playlist without too much trouble, but I can’t remember how I got the power to shut off at the required time. It wasn’t with an app and all I can find are apps which either don’t apply for one reason or another or have adverts. If I didn’t want to avoid adverts I could stay with what I’ve got, the internet radio set to Classic fm. One click on the remote to start it as I settle down for the night, and 5 rapid clips to choose one hour, that’s all. But I don’t get to choose my own music with that as I do with a playlist.
If only I could find my way back to the power off method I found yesterday, And trust it to work again.
