New tool for my hobby

[harshness]

You should be able to d/l the software to your PC and then transfer it to your phone and then install it.

Apparently not.

 

[harshness]

And anyone that knows anything about electronic devices, root access is a MUST-HAVE if you want to operate the device to it's full potential.

It is probably a fool's errand to try to wring all the "potential" out of a handheld device. There are much more tinkerable devices out there.

Reminds me of someone who was trying to write a TCP/IP stack for the Commodore 64.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Apparently not.

I've done it. You should be able to use a web browser to d/l the app also (I've done that also).

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

It is probably a fool's errand to try to wring all the "potential" out of a handheld device. There are much more tinkerable devices out there.

Reminds me of someone who was trying to write a TCP/IP stack for the Commodore 64.

Well, I'm not a fool. If you're not interested in doing the fancy stuff that's your choice, "just saying" that the phone could do more and work better if rooted and you know what you're doing.

 

[fred555]

I think I found my first "locked door" on this phone. It appears you can't download and install apps in the wild. They have to come thru the Google Store. Fortunately every app I wanted was in the store too. I tried several times to install the satguys reader from the site, but it wouldn't happen though I got no error indications. So I looked it up in the store and it installed as it should.

You do not have to go through the store to install apps on an Android. There is a setting to install apps from unknown sources. After that is done you can install any apk file in the wild.
You can simply email them to your phone if you want also.

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-install-apps-outside-of-google-play/

 

[harshness]

I've done it. You should be able to use a web browser to d/l the app also (I've done that also).

Since the poster tried that repeatedly and it didn't work but installing through the app store went fine, apparently it doesn't always work.

 

[Magic Static]

Installed the Sling Player app. Awesome. I can run my FTA/OTA rig on my phone

 

[Magic Static]

Well what is this!? Doing a search for "satellite" in the Google Play Store, I found an app for acquiring BISS keys. I don't have anything to put a BISS key into and I didn't spend anytime looking at the app, but thinking back it got me wondering, WTF??

 

[Stargazer]

I paid $20 for dishpointer app and got an iPhone and wanted to transfer the app to it but along with many others on this site could not reach them so I used a free dish pointing app that seems to work just as good.