Complete beginner - please help answer some questions

Conker2015

Member
Apr 1, 2015
4
1
I've just bought an Android tablet (a JXD S7800b, with built in physical game controls, and it's fantastic!), and since I know almost nothing about Android, I have some questions which I hope can be answered here.



1. Do I need to install a virus killer, firewall, etc, or are they all built into Android?

2. Do I need to update Android or is it automatic? And if it's optional, should I update it, or are there disadvantages to some of the updates? According to it's ABOUT page, the tablet has v4.2.2, but now that v5 is out, should I upgrade? Or is it like Windows, where later versions run slower (on the same hardware) than earlier versions and so I should not upgrade? And if I do upgrade then (again, like Windows) will I find that some programs will not work, at least not until patches/fixes are released for the programs?

3. How can I improve the speed of DOSBox Turbo? I'm trying to get Blood running at a playable speed, but so far it's frame-rate is very low. Come to think of it, is there an archive of DOSBox Turbo configuration files that I can download? I don't mean download the games, of course (I'm not talking piracy), just working configuration files for DOSBox Turbo, so I don't have to reinvent the wheel everytime I want to add a new game to DOSBox Turbo? Is there a good forum for DOSBox Turbo?

4. What about Scandisk type programs? I take it that since the tablet's storage is solid state (both internal, and Micro SD card) that it's much less vulnerable to data corruption than the magnetic hard drives of a PC? But even if so, surely solid state storage can become corrupt, so does Android have a Scandisk equivalent built in, or do I need to download one?

5. I've heard about 'rooting' (I think it's called) Android devices, what is it, what does it give you, and is it something I should consider doing?

6. On my (Windows) PC and laptop, I use CCleaner to clear up unneeded temporary files to save space, do I need to do something similar with Android from time to time (especially since the tablet has much less storage space than a PC) or is Android better at removing old files than Windows is?

7. Are there any good online guides for Android? Any good forums for the OS and it's programs? And is there anything important I should know, do, or avoid about Android?

8. What good programs/utilities/games/etc would you recommend for Android, please?

9. On the PC, you can use utilities such as Acronis Home Image or Norton Ghost to make a copy of the whole hard drive (including the complete operating system) as an image file, which you can then restore if the hard drive gets corrupted. Are there similar programs for tablets (to create an image of the whole operating system drive), and if so, which is the best?

Thanks for any answers.
 

leeshor

Senior Member
Dec 27, 2011
6,330
1,037
Welcome to the forum

Lots of questions, for sure. Let me try a few.
#1 You should have some protection, AVG is lightweight and free

#2 If and when an update is available it will say so in the about screen where you check for updates. Not all Android devices will get 5.0

#3 I don't think you will be able to do much to improve it, the processor is what it is. Sorry about that.

#4 It Sounds as if you may misunderstand something. Both hard drives and micoSD or eMMC internal storage are still magnetic just like the drive in your PC but they are NOT mechanical. The storage in your tablet is also subject to corruption though not likely due to a difference in the OS. There is no scandisk equivalent

#5 I don't think you should consider rooting until or unless you can come up with a good reason.

#6. CCleaner is available for Android as well.

#7 This is it.

#8 Personal preference but we do have a games and apps forum on the site.

#9. There is a way to get most of the data/media, several in fact, backed up, but the closest you could get to an image would be for you to root. I wouldn't hold my breath for the likelihood that rooting would even be possible but you should get more experience with Android and with the pros and cons of rooting first.
 

PitCarver

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 9, 2014
563
72
Welcome - ATF (2).jpg
#7 This is it.
 
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