Android Operating System 101

History of Android
Originally the Android operating system was created by a small mobile company in Palo Alto, CA in order to create various apps that will allow users to take full advantage of all their device has to offer. It was built as an open system, which means that any kind of application can use the requisites device's core features, like calling, texting, taking pictures, computing and therefore giving the user a better mobile phone or tablet computer experience.

Google purchased Android, Inc. in July of 2005. Then in 2008 the Open Handset Alliance was formed that includes, Motorola, Google, Sprint, HTC and T-Mobile among others with the end goal of creating completely free and open standards for various mobile devices. As a result the Android platform became open source and has seen several improvements since.

With Android there are no barriers since its open source and anyone can build innovative applications that will enhance mobile devices and Android can be further extended to integrate brand new technologies as they are developed. The Android platform continues to grow as increasing numbers of revolutionary mobile apps are created to enable the best user experience both on smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices.

Advantages of Android Phones Versus Other Phone Operating Systems (ie: Blackberry, iPhone Apple iOS or Windows Phones)

Advanced and Superior Customization - Android smartphones have seen an increase in user popularity since they are so customizable. With Android you can set up your phone just the way you like it, various homepages for example, and you can advantage of web services and improved data features.

Unique And Open Source Apps - Since independent developers enjoy unlimited access to Android they can develop unique, and useful applications for a variety of uses. And, because Android is so open, it's got a big advantage over Apple for example, and the Apple App Store where the Apple App Store controls everything that goes into it, stifling developer creativity, where as with Android developers are free to create all types of apps and so now there are over 100,000 apps available to Android users and the number is growing everyday. There are literally thousands of apps at the Amazon Android App Store, where you can get a free app once a day that you would normally pay for, with more being developed and uploaded each and everyday. You can buy apps from a PC or directly from your Android device, be it tablet computer or smartphone. You can use the Test Drive feature to try out apps before purchasing but only via computer. Some apps are free and other range from $1-$10. The number of apps that can be open and ran at the same time on Android phones will vary depending on the manufacture and also the service provider in some cases, mainly because the operating system sometimes prevents idle applications from running. Apps cannot run on memory cards, only personal content and media are stored on the microSD memory card.

Multi Tasking - Android offers lots of multi tasking features and usability.

Enhanced Usability of Smartphone Features - Android users will enjoy a much greater choice of mobile applications to enhance e-mail, texting, web browsing, music, camera, and call capabilities.

Many More Options With Android - The Apple iOS is a good example of an operating system that is tied to one single phone as illustrated in Android Vs iPhone iOS, the iPhone, leaving consumers with little choice of models or brands. Android, on the other hand, is featured with smartphones of a wide range of manufacturers, like the new HTC Android phones AT&T and many Verizon Smartphones.
From LG to HTC to Motorola, you have a lot more freedom to choose and compare smartphones that meets your exact specifications and budget when choosing the Android Os options. This does mean you have to be more careful though. Some manufacturers have tweaked Android for the better, whereas some may not work as flawlessly and may still be based on older Android releases.

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Mobile Service Provider Options - The range of choices in mobile service providers is another advantage of the Android OS. In fact, there are far more carrier options available for Android than iPhone, Blackberry or Windows phones.

Tons of Google Services - With a Gmail account you can access the many services that come from Google with Android smartphones. Google maps, Google TV and more.

Synchronization of Email Accounts - You can synchronize the Android phones with corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts. Some smartphones and regular mobile phones that are Android powered allow you to integrate corporate and personal e-mail accounts into one inbox.

Unlimited Email Accounts With Many Android Phones

Easily Transfer Contacts - Export contacts from Outlook, Outlook Express, MAC Address Book, Windows Mail and Entourage to any Android phone with a comma-separated value (CSV) file, or vCard file and then quickly import them using a Gmail account.

Android Updates - Get over the phone alerts when updates are ready to be downloaded.

Google TV - Google TV is a software platform that is based on the Android OS that brings together television with the Internet. And because Google TV uses the Google Chrome web browser together with Adobe Flash, Android users can surf the web and watch online video content. Google TV allows users to access the Internet their television, with additional support for services such as YouTube, Twitter, Netflix, and Hulu.

Android Enabled Products