Android Mobile Computing Using Samsung Tablets and Smartphones Running Android 2.3

Book excerpt: An Android smartphone or tablet makes it possible for you to stay online and do your offices and business work wherever you are going. With Android, you can do almost any computing task you can imagine. There are more than 400,000 Android applications (apps) to choose from. The majority of the apps are games and leisure programs. However, today there are also apps for practically any type of office work and business tasks that you can imagine. Many office tasks, which until recently could only be performed using a powerful PC or laptop, can today easily be done using an Android tablet or smartphone. There are several excellent Android apps for word processing and spreadsheet calculations so that these and many other types of office work easily can be done on handheld Android device. This has led to a new way of working, which is often called mobile computing. There are many excellent brands of Android tablets and smartphones on the market. Samsung is today seen as the leading manufacturer of Android smartphones and tablets. In 2010, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab 7.1 tablet. The Galaxy Tab 7.1 quickly became highly popular and a benchmark for other Android tablets. Later, more powerful and larger Galaxy tabs have been marketed, including the Galaxy Tab 7.7, 8.9, and 10.1. This book focuses on the Galaxy Tab 7.1. You will benefit most from the book if you have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.1. If you own another tablet or smartphone running on Android 2.2 (Froyo) or 2.3 (Gingerbread), you will also benefit from reading the book, as the different brands of Android 2.2./2.3 tablets and smartphones work much in the same way. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.1 tablet is ideal for Android mobile office computing due to its excellent communication capabilities and size. It has highly effective and versatile built-in chipsets and tools for mobile (cellular) data communication, Wi-Fi network connections, and Bluetooth communication. In addition, its GPS antenna and tools make accurate location determination and navigation possible. It fits easily into any briefcase - and even into a large pocket, making it very easy carry around. The main challenge of mobile computing is possibly to get online in different situations - in a way that is inexpensive, secure, and effective. While both mobile (cellular) broadband and public Wi-Fi networks are rapidly being expanded and improved, it may still now and then be difficult or expensive to connect, when you are outside your carrier's coverage. If you can find a fast and inexpensive connection, it may not be secure. In this book, you get the needed technical background to make it easier for you to get online in an affordable and secure way, wherever you are. You get detailed information about mobile computing using mobile broadband (cellular) networks and Wi-Fi connections. You are introduced to the mobile connection standards 2G, 3G, and 4G. You learn how to set up your Galaxy Tab for different types of mobile communication in your home country and abroad. You get detailed instructions on how to use email apps effectively on your Android smartphone and tablet. Last, you are introduced to some of the most popular and valuable Android apps for office work and other business tasks. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.1 exists in two different models as regards mobile communication: a CDMA/EVDO model, primarily intended for the US market; and a GSM/UMTS model, primarily intended for the non-US market. The book describes both major models.