Inc: New Verizon HTC Eris incoming

[waxlight]

I just ordered my Verizon HTC Eric today. It'll be my first time running something with the Android operating system (I'm coming from a nerfed Verizon HTC touch pro, which drove me up the wall with the lag).

So, my question is - what are a good few things to do first? Is there an unlocking procedure similar to the way there was from the touch pro, or is Android more open out of the box? What sort of tips/trick are there to improve the battery life? What are some of the best apps out there?

I'm starting for 0 here, so any and all suggestions are appreciated - I've been reading through the forums posts, but I very well have missed a few things.

Thanks!

[Ed Zachary]

Originally Posted by waxlight

I just ordered my Verizon HTC Eric today.
...
I've been reading through the forums posts, but I very well have missed a few things.

Thanks!

I think you missed quite a few things. Such as, it is Eris, not Eric.
And that Android is a different OS from WM, such as:
You don't unlock an Android phone, you root it.
No one has published a reliable root for the Eris yet.
And:
Getting your contacts from the Touch Pro to the Eris can be an adventure.
Moving other things, such as pictures, from the Touch Pro to the Eirs could also be interesting.


You may want to revisit those threads.

Believe it or not, Android is a bit more closed to the user in some respects than WM. For instance, the file system and other aspects of the phone are hidden from the user. It is important to remember that, although Linux is called an "open" OS, that means that it is more open and extensible (more "visible") for developers as they write software.
And Android is a proprietary "flavor" of Linux that was developed by/for Google. A bit reminiscent of MS's habit of "embracing and extending" other companies' efforts.

Battery life is not really an issue. It is far better with the Droid OS than with WM, so you don't have to jump through hoops to keep your phone alive for a whole day.

The hottest tip: Fire up the Eris, learn the new OS (and HTC Sense!), spend some time enjoying the ****ens out of your new "environment" for a while before your start sweating over trying to be an uber user.

Enjoy it, for cat's sake!

[Maverick0984]

I had a Touch Pro and went to the Droid. Congrats on your purchase. Don't let Ed Zachary get you down. While he's mostly right, I get a decidedly 'know-it-all' tone from him. Anyway...

Transferring anything from the TP to Android based device isn't really a huge deal.

Not sure how moving pictures from TP to Eris would be "interesting" just move it ANYWHERE on your sdcard and the Android gallery will pick it up. Same with music but with the Android music app.

As for contacts, I used Windows Live to sync my contacts on Windows Mobile. From there you can export to a CSV file and then import that back into your Gmail contacts. Rather easily actually.