Note 2 and Mac user. My advice...

[Agent OrangeZ]

I recently ditched the iPhone 5 and got myself a Note 2. I am a Mac user, and it will be a cold day in hell before I ever go back to Windows. I would like to share my app setup with you to help people with using a Note 2 (And most other Android phones) with a Mac.


Music:
Many of use love iTunes. Those of use who have been in the iOS ecosystem for a while know how easy it is to sync music to your iPhone. It became even easier with iTunes Match. But, iTunes Match costs $25 per year and only works with iTunes & iOS devices.

Enter Google Music. Download Google Music from the Play Store to your device. Also, download the Google Music Manager HERE. Then set it up to use your iTunes Library. When this service first launched 2 years ago, it required you to upload all of your tracks, but now that is not the case. Google has a matching service just like iTunes Match, but it is FREE! Also provides 320k music instead of 256!

File and document transfer:
I recommend Airdroid. It is a wireless file transfer solution. The app runs on your phone, and you can connect via WiFi from your computer's web browser.

To make things more slick, I use a program on my Mac called Fluid to open the Airdroid page in a self contained browser window that acts like a native Mac app. I can store my created "Airdroid app" in /Applications and keep a shortcut in my dock.

Then, because of a slight case of OCD, I gave my Airdroid "app" a cool icon made from a PNG file using a Mac app called FastIcns. (Notice the little Apple Droid icon in my dock )

As for my phone... to automate things somewhat, I bought an Android app called Tasker. In Tasker, I created a setting that will automatically turn on Airdroid service on my phone if 2 things are true. If I am connected to the WiFi in my home, and if my phone is plugged into AC charge.

I do this because I DO NOT charge via USB on my computer. It charges too slow. I plug it into my wall charger. So if I am not right next to my phone, but it is plugged it, I can access the file system from my computer, with out having to get my phone and turn on Airdoid.

If you do have your phone with you, AirDroid does have a really nice widget for toggling it on/off.

Camera Backup (Photostream replacement):
Dropbox. Period.

Documents in the Cloud:
Google Drive. Period.

SMS Desktop Integration (OSX iMessage sync replacement):
I thought about this before switching from an iPhone to Android. I absolutely LOVE the iMessage synchronization between iOS and OSX. I can be having an iMessage on my iPhone, then get home and continue it on my Mac. But... one downside I always noticed is that it was always limited to ONLY iMessage. Any of my contacts without iPhones were limited to SMS on the phone only. Android has a solution for this that I think is even better... because it does support SMS.

Enter MightyText! This app runs in the background on your phone and syncs up with their servers. Then, from your web browser, you can visit https://mightytext.net/web/ to send SMS & MMS. You can get desktop notifications if you install the Google Chrome extension (I think there is a Firefox extension too). On a Mac, they will appear in the Notification Center... just like iMessage... but better because you are not limited to messaging to/from iPhones.

Other notable apps worth considering for Android:

Shush - If you toggle off your ringer, this app will popup asking you to set a timer (ex: 8 hours... like my work shift) that will automatically turn on your ringer after that amount of time.

Zedge - Download free ringtones directly to your device. Huge library to choose from.

Jellybean 4.2 Keyboard - Stock Android keyboard with new swipe functionality.

Swiftkey 3 - Best 3rd party keyboard. Period. Supports themes.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

The reason I like iOS over Android is because this is all done for me instead of me having to configure it all myself. I'm a tech geek but I still make mistakes. Still, I passed this along to my Droid toting friends. Good tips.

 

[nick_elt]

I find android file transfer much faster than all the wireless options. Drag and drop. Done.

 

[daveathall]

Excellent post, OP, thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to post links as well, I will be following up on some of your recommendations.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

I find android file transfer much faster than all the wireless options. Drag and drop. Done.

I have used that. But I don't really keep a micro usb cable at my computer anymore. I like my desk clutter free.

 

[nick_elt]

Just curious. I have office on all my comps and just save to dropbox. What does google drive offer over this? Never really used it am I missi g out on something?

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

Just curious. I have office on all my comps and just save to dropbox. What does google drive offer over this? Never really used it am I missi g out on something?

Well... Google Drive gives you more space. But even so... I just use both, to get that much more storage. I guess you could just use Dropbox.

But, Google Drive just goes well with Google Docs... etc.

 

[nick_elt]

Also soon mega will have mobile and desktop clients, its much faster than dropbox. Something to look out in the future. 50gb for free for life rather than just 2 years.

 

[vastoholic]

Shush - If you toggle off your ringer, this app will popup asking you to set a timer (ex: 8 hours... like my work shift) that will automatically turn on your ringer after that amount of time.

I would love something like this on iPhone. If I could set certain times on certain days that I'm in class or work to be on silent, that would be awesome.

 

[sk1wbw]

Well... Google Drive gives you more space. But even so... I just use both, to get that much more storage. I guess you could just use Dropbox.

But, Google Drive just goes well with Google Docs... etc.

That depends. DropBox gave me 25 gigs for referrals. Can't complain about that.

 

[Sylon]

Really good info in here, thanks for making this thread!

 

[RandomKamikaze]

Some excellent tips there. And I'm going to get those Mac apps now.

As an additional app for consideration, when I was looking to replicate the 'Do Not Disturb' functionality I settled on 'I'm Sleeping' which allows the phone to go to silent automatically based on a timer. It features a contract whitelist and call through functionality.

 

[mrskullfreak]

Great post.
I have one question my daughters music from itunes is on her new s3 but she just bought more music from itunes and I had to use file transfer to get it on there.
Its in google play on the computer but not on her phone in google play so how do I get it on her phone?\\
Hope this makes sense thx

 

[jrswizzle]

I would love something like this on iPhone. If I could set certain times on certain days that I'm in class or work to be on silent, that would be awesome.

It's called "Do Not Disturb" - a feature of iOS 6. You can set quiet hours and allow certain contacts to ring no matter what - in case of emergencies or what not.

I do wish there was more extensive scheduling - like different times for different days without having to change it, but generally I just set mine to turn on from 10 pm to 7 am.....that way, even if I forget to silence my phone, it won't go off while I'm sleeping.

Great thread OP - I'll be looking into a few of these myself as well - especially the SMS and AirDroid apps. iMessage is probably the thing I miss most going from my iPhone 5 to my Nexus 4.

----------

Great post.
I have one question my daughters music from itunes is on her new s3 but she just bought more music from itunes and I had to use file transfer to get it on there.
Its in google play on the computer but not on her phone in google play so how do I get it on her phone?\\
Hope this makes sense thx

You can set the music manager to automatically update with any new music that is added to the folder you have synced.

For example, I have my iTunes folder synced to my Music Manager. Anytime I purchase a song on my iPhone, iPad or iMac it is automatically downloaded to my iMac into that folder and subsequently loaded into the Music Manager and into my Play Music library.

 

[mrskullfreak]

It's called "Do Not Disturb" - a feature of iOS 6. You can set quiet hours and allow certain contacts to ring no matter what - in case of emergencies or what not.

I do wish there was more extensive scheduling - like different times for different days without having to change it, but generally I just set mine to turn on from 10 pm to 7 am.....that way, even if I forget to silence my phone, it won't go off while I'm sleeping.

Great thread OP - I'll be looking into a few of these myself as well - especially the SMS and AirDroid apps. iMessage is probably the thing I miss most going from my iPhone 5 to my Nexus 4.

----------



You can set the music manager to automatically update with any new music that is added to the folder you have synced.

For example, I have my iTunes folder synced to my Music Manager. Anytime I purchase a song on my iPhone, iPad or iMac it is automatically downloaded to my iMac into that folder and subsequently loaded into the Music Manager and into my Play Music library.

If its in your play music library it will be on your phone also?
Thx

 

[Tinmania]

Also soon mega will have mobile and desktop clients, its much faster than dropbox. Something to look out in the future. 50gb for free for life rather than just 2 years.

I got 50gb from Box with my Nexus 4 and 50gb for 2 years with Dropbox with my Note 2. I am not complaining.




Michael

 

[jrswizzle]

If its in your play music library it will be on your phone also?
Thx

Correct - available for streaming anyways. You would need to download for offline listening.

 

[vastoholic]

It's called "Do Not Disturb" - a feature of iOS 6. You can set quiet hours and allow certain contacts to ring no matter what - in case of emergencies or what not.

I do wish there was more extensive scheduling - like different times for different days without having to change it, but generally I just set mine to turn on from 10 pm to 7 am.....that way, even if I forget to silence my phone, it won't go off while I'm sleeping.

Great thread OP - I'll be looking into a few of these myself as well - especially the SMS and AirDroid apps. iMessage is probably the thing I miss most going from my iPhone 5 to my Nexus 4.

The only problem (unless I'm missing something) is I can only do one time frame every day. My class schedule is only two days a week, and one day is different than the other. I also have a semi large break between one of the classes that I would like to have the ringer back on. So until they allow full on scheduling, then it doesn't work the way I would like.

 

[throAU]

The reason I like iOS over Android is because this is all done for me instead of me having to configure it all myself. I'm a tech geek but I still make mistakes. Still, I passed this along to my Droid toting friends. Good tips.

Ditto.

I'm a tech geek, but playing with phones (UI tweaking) and doing manual file management is dead, wasted time I could be spending doing something productive.

 

[Tinmania]

Ditto.

I'm a tech geek, but playing with phones (UI tweaking) and doing manual file management is dead, wasted time I could be spending doing something productive.

The work-arounds to get the same thing done on iOS is the waste of time.





Michael

 

[sentinelsx]

Ditto.

I'm a tech geek, but playing with phones (UI tweaking) and doing manual file management is dead, wasted time I could be spending doing something productive.

The one time extra 5 minutes for first time "set and forget" are really that important to some users i guess

 

[marc11]

Ditto.

I'm a tech geek, but playing with phones (UI tweaking) and doing manual file management is dead, wasted time I could be spending doing something productive.

Really you felt the need to manage your file system so often it wasted your time? I can think of only three times I had to look at my file system and that was to delete some pdfs that downloaded by mistake and I wanted to clear the storage space.

As for tweaking the UI, again, no one I know sits there and tweaks it all day, everyday, they get it right and leave it. No different than iOS when you group icons into folders or move apps that just downloaded around home screens.

Really, I would expect a tech geek to get this and not "waste time" playing with the phone.

Man, I love people who self proclaim to get it, but really do not; Android is NOT about having to tweak it all day everyday, it IS ABOUT giving you the CHOICE to customize if you WANT. You can, just like iOS use it right out of the box and be perfectly happy.

The difference is choice:

I TELL MY PHONE/TABLET how I want to use it = Android.

My phone TELLS ME how I am going to use it = iOS.

It is up to the user which they prefer, for my kids iOS is perfect, for me, Andorid devices work better for my needs. Choice, it is a great thing.

This post makes me lol as much as people who say they love Android except for the Apps but cannot back up the comment; it reminds me from when I was a little kid and Apple was being sold in Sears, my friend asked me how come I like (at the time Atari computers) over Apple and I said "there was no software available for Apple computers" as if I actually knew what I was talking about...I didn't.

 

[Tinmania]

This post makes me lol as much as people who say they love Android except for the Apps but cannot back up the comment; it reminds me from when I was a little kid and Apple was being sold in Sears, my friend asked me how come I like (at the time Atari computers) over Apple and I said "there was no software available for Apple computers" as if I actually knew what I was talking about...I didn't.

How would you like to be the kid with a TRS-80 (granted a "Model III"). Now that was embarrassing.


Mike

 

[MACis122]

Audiko is way better than Zedge

 

[marc11]

How would you like to be the kid with a TRS-80 (granted a "Model III"). Now that was embarrassing.


Mike

Lol, the funny thing is, back then we would argue about Commodre, Atari, TRS, Apple, etc just like we do over Android and iOS. But we did it at the arcade over a game of Space Invaders, Galaga or Robotron instead.