An Android phone or tablet is a great little device in many ways. These things are highly customizable, they rarely get viruses or problems, and they allow you to quickly access the internet and various apps without having to sit at a loading screen or squint in the sunlight.
That said though, Android devices aren’t quite up there with PCs yet when it comes to productivity – they just aren’t built for the same kind of multitasking and nor do they have such a wide variety of office software.
However while your Android might not be able to replace your desktop computer, it actually probably can be much more productive than you realize. Here we will look at some ways you can get more out of your device and increase its ability to multitask, word process and more.
Multitasking
Multitasking is something that the Android can do, but it’s not quite the same as multitasking on a PC. Why? Well, although you can run multiple programs at once on an Android, you can’t actually use more than one at once because they all take up the whole screen. To do true multitasking you would need to be able to split the screen up into segments so that you could view programs side-by-side.
One way you can accomplish something like this is with an app called Panel Writer. This app gives you access to both a web browser and a basic text editor at once, so that you can take notes while reading the web. The browser takes up the top 70% of the screen with the bottom 30% there for you to type into or to paste information you’ve copied from the in-built browser.
Another way you can accomplish something similar is with Floating Notes which gives you a small notepad app that hovers over the top of other apps and can be resized at will. Then finally there’s Overskreen which is a browser with similar features. Dual screen browser meanwhile just allows you to view two different browser windows side by side.
For switching between apps meanwhile consider QuickDesk. With this app running you can double tap the home button to bring up a transparent desktop over whatever you’re doing and you can place whichever apps you want on here for easy access at any time.
Word Processing
It’s all very good being able to switch between apps, but with not Microsoft Office on your Android what is there to switch too? Well a great option is Kingsoft Office which is an Office app that actually leaves others like QuickOffice Pro in the dust despite being completely free. It’s really designed for tablets or phones with hardware keyboards, but if you fall into either category it will save you a lot of money on other over-priced options.
Fancy Stuff
But if you want to increase the power of your Android more than that then you’re going to need to start tinkering with the nuts and bolts of it. For instance one way you can get a lot more productivity and general power from your device is to download Ubuntu Installer and that’s right – install Ubuntu Linux. This then gives you access to all the office options like OpenOffice you’d have on a Linux PC.
Also useful is installing custom ROMS, and specifically the ‘Paranoid Android’ ROM which will give you spell check on your phone as well as allowing you to create more screen real-estate by altering the resolutions. Just be careful not to brick your phone in the process…
About the author: Charles Franklin is an expert marketing professional who renders quality services to his clients. He recommends booklet printing services provided by smartpress.com as an effective tool to promote your product.
