Some points to consider for potential Galaxy Player 5.0 users

[Hook]

I send a PM to Netbkr. One interesting data point would be to know if the 4 inch screen model escapes these problems. Then the big question will be why?

[raspabalsa]

My biggest concern is the office apps. Adama, I take it you no longer have the Galaxy Player 5 to run a test on?

Yes, it's a very big concern for me too, and one that I started addressing just today. DocumentsToGo, QuickOffice, Smartoffice, OfficeSuite Pro 5, Kingsoft Office, they're all marked as incompatible. However, the free DTG is so far running well on my Player. I'll try to sideload OfficeSuite (it's free) and see what happens.

[jigwashere]

Hopefully the upgrade to ICS will resolve many of these issues.

[Hook]

Hopefully the upgrade to ICS will resolve many of these issues.

Or it could make matters worse. I'm betting that the Player will not get upgraded quickly. Their better selling phones will get the extra attention first. t could be a wait.

[raspabalsa]

There seems to be relief in sight, Hook. I searched the Market again, and found that DocumentsToGo Full Version Key is compatible with the Player 5.0. I think this supports my guess that apps are merely tagged as compatible/incompatible by the developer. I'll search around a bit more, and if there is a QuickOffice "Full version key" I'll have to decide between it and DTG. Any opinions regarding either program?

[Hook]

Phew. I have both. Both are good. I lean towards favoring DTG, but it has this one odd quirk that you can't easily change input method in a document. They also chose Google Docs for cloud backup, which I don't like. However, I like the UI better.

QuickOffice has some other quirk which annoyed me, but now I don;t remember what it was. I bought it when it was the only program that could do cut and paste, but now DTG does that. QO picked DropBox for cloud backup which is much better.

However, if I were only going to have one, I'd probably do DTG.

[Adama D. Brown]

But here's a thought: I'm guessing that when the developer publishes (or submits, I don't know what's the process) his app on the Market, he flags it as compatible/incompatible for each device. I'm guessing the Market doesn't run a real compatible check, instead relying on the developer. So maybe on some cases (like ADW Launcher and -EX) could it be just a matter of the developer flagging the app as compatible to the Player? This could explain why several apps marked as incompatible with the Player are running fine on mine.

I suspect that it's something similar to this but more automated, for instance that it's based on what platform hooks or functions the app requires. Individually flagging each device would take forever, since there are so many, even if you could test on all of them. But for instance, if a certain device is flagged as not being able to use phone functions, and an app requires phone functions, then the Market can automatically list that app as being incompatible with that device.

In this case, some of these apps may be listed as requiring things the Galaxy Player doesn't have, even if it can still run them. I'm not sure WHAT, since the apps are still listed as compatible with non-cellular tablet devices, though.

As far as office apps go, the Galaxy Player 5.0 comes with the full version of ThinkFree Office loaded as standard equipment (touched on in my review) and the Market also lists it being compatible with Documents To Go, but not compatible with QuickOffice Pro.

I do still have access to a Galaxy Player 5.0--it's not in my hands right now, but if there's any specific questions as to certain apps, I can check them out the next time I get the chance.

Yes, it's a very big concern for me too, and one that I started addressing just today. DocumentsToGo, QuickOffice, Smartoffice, OfficeSuite Pro 5, Kingsoft Office, they're all marked as incompatible. However, the free DTG is so far running well on my Player. I'll try to sideload OfficeSuite (it's free) and see what happens.

Okay, THAT might be a Market localization issue. For me, using the US Market, DTG is flagged as compatible with the GP5.0, both in the main app file and the full version key.

[raspabalsa]

Phew. I have both. Both are good. I lean towards favoring DTG, but it has this one odd quirk that you can't easily change input method in a document. They also chose Google Docs for cloud backup, which I don't like. However, I like the UI better.
.....
However, if I were only going to have one, I'd probably do DTG.

No need to decide on this one... three flavors of QuickOffice (Trial, Pro, and ProHD) and none is compatible with the Player 5.0. So, DTG it will be. I'm glad to hear that it's a good program. So far I've been very disappointed with the Android counterparts of several programs that I've used on PalmOS. I'll sleep on this one, however. Tomorrow I'll buy and install DTG, and I'm guessing transition will for once be painless.

I don't plan to use cloud backup at all. I'll keep using SyncBack for DTG.

[Adama D. Brown]

There seems to be relief in sight, Hook. I searched the Market again, and found that DocumentsToGo Full Version Key is compatible with the Player 5.0. I think this supports my guess that apps are merely tagged as compatible/incompatible by the developer. I'll search around a bit more, and if there is a QuickOffice "Full version key" I'll have to decide between it and DTG. Any opinions regarding either program?

You might want to check out my review of DTG for Android. It has a lot of comparisons to QuickOffice and ThinkFree Office, both of which I also reviewed.

DataViz Documents To Go Review: The King of Mobile Office Apps vs. Its Rivals

Speaking of ThinkFree:

ThinkFree Mobile Office for Android OS Review: An Office Suite for Phones

For some reason I can't find a link to my review of QuickOffice, but I have the text if anyone wants to read it.

[Hook]

I use DropBox a lot, and you can use it with DTG, it just isn't optimized to use it from within the program.

I can't do anything for 2 weeks. I'll keep watching things here. As long as I can do Companion Link and DJO for PIMS (andall indications are I can and they have it set up so you can download directly from the developer if you need to) and DTG, I'm not anticipating any show stoppers and assume things will get better. I picked up ADW EX for 10 cents at that sale a couople of months ago as well.

Adama, two other checks if you would. Beautiful Widgets and Power AMP (music player). I'm not to worried about anything else.

I know. I know. Just as apple folks hear from us when a walled garden problem occurs, we'll no doubt hear about fractionation issues here. Rightly so, I'm afraid.