Database Users

Certified Software Engineer (Concurrent Enrollment/ High-school project)

Hello there folks. Let me begin by introducing myself and my situation. My name is Damian, I am in the twelfth-grade and I am currently enrolled in my high-school's concurrent enrollment program with one of the local universities in which I have to write a paper concerning the field of software engineering.
I started this post with the intention of finding and asking certified software engineers a few questions concerning their professions.
I came to this particular forum because of the many brilliant folk here, and my assumption that certainly a portion of the active members are certified software engineers.
-Many thanks in advanced for your replies and imput,
-Damian

damiandarkwater said:
Hello there folks. Let me begin by introducing myself and my situation. My name is Damian, I am in the twelfth-grade and I am currently enrolled in my high-school's concurrent enrollment program with one of the local universities in which I have to write a paper concerning the field of software engineering.
I started this post with the intention of finding and asking certified software engineers a few questions concerning their professions.
I came to this particular forum because of the many brilliant folk here, and my assumption that certainly a portion of the active members are certified software engineers.
-Many thanks in advanced for your replies and imput,
-Damian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can answer questions in this field as I am a Software Engineer. I would be happy to give a young person such as yourself advice.
I actually didn't go into college right after high school, I wish I had but I incountered allot of hardship around your age. When I was 22 I went back to school and payed my own way through college, slept in my car in the college parking lot and lived off of peanut butter and jelly sandwhichs.
Honestly its your first job in software thats the hardest to get, but if your persistent you'll get it after that if your perform its pretty much smooth sailing. A good example is how everybody lately has had a hard time finding jobs (bad economy), and even I was laid off from a job where the company was doing great and then went south and I went on the market looking around and recruiters were calling non-stop and I had 2 jobs (one short term getting paid insane amounts of money for 200 hours of work, and then a long term contract after that), I took a vacation to vegas, paid of credit card debt and then started my long term contract.
So ask away!
Edit:
Oh I currently work for a large telecom company where I work ont here provisioning software. My main expertise is Java (j2se, j2ee blah blah) I also write reports (crystal, jfree and actuate), I also have alot of side skills like jsp, ajax, jquery. I actually have wirtten code professionally in all the major langs like c, c#, j# asp.net. As a software developer you constantly need to evolve and progress. I aslo done graphics professionally and If I had it my way I write videos games if I could but alas the life of a programmer is allot less glamorous than most people no.

Many thanks, I'm sorry to hear about your tough times, but I'm glad to hear things have settled out.
I want to say its great that your able to help me and thank you for your tux theme and scripts.
I am actually looking into dealing with my computers as a profession after collage.
So I begin (thanks again):
What courses and or certifications do you need.
What is a typical day in your job like?
Do you enjoy your job?
And you can tell me anything else that you believe to be important that I may have missed.
-Thanks again
Damian

damiandarkwater said:
Many thanks, I'm sorry to hear about your tough times, but I'm glad to hear things have settled out.
I want to say its great that your able to help me and thank you for your tux theme and scripts.
I am actually looking into dealing with my computers as a profession after collage.
So I begin (thanks again):
What courses and or certifications do you need.
What is a typical day in your job like?
Do you enjoy your job?
And you can tell me anything else that you believe to be important that I may have missed.
-Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My tough times where years ago. I've been in the field for almost 10 years.
The first thing you want todo is get a bachelors degree in computer science. Take as many courses as you can in which you will get exposed to writing software, understanding logic and being able to solve problems using logic. But the most important thing is have a specailty something that you know above all other things, be it a certain language or software... good expample is SAP, I have a friend who is a project manager for a very very large electronics manufacturer. they are paying a contractor to do SAP programming and they pay him 500$ dollars an hour... yes 500$ and hour now its not a permanent job but he's making more in a month than most people make in a couple of years. Thats his specailty and its a hard one to break into.
So once you get your degree you can concentrate on what your specailty will be this is where certs come in. Certs are great but don't pay for them, get a job in the field and get them to pay, this is because most of them expire and you usually have to renew them every couple of years. But the look good on your resume especailly if a company pays as this gives the impression that you are a go getter and that the company beleives in you. Your specailty might relate to your degree major or it might be what your first major job is, this is just luck of the draw.
So a typicaly day, wow its hard to say. Sometimes its go go go and I'm writing code like crazy. Other days its talk talk talk and meetings. Sometimes I spend days writing tech specs or documents to give overviews and estimations on software that needs to be written. Think office space it really is allot like that. One thing alot of people don't know about being a software developer is that you not only need to understand how to write software (ie solve problems) but you also need to undersand the industry in which you write software for. This means you need to understand the business process. So think if you were writing software for a burger company, you need to understand how orders are processed, how iventory is processed and used blah blah. This is where probably the hardest part it almost a second job.
Do I like my job.... as someone who had mowed lawns and dug ditches for a living making money that wouldnt even feed one person, yes I actually love my job. I worked hard to get where I'm at I make pretty good money, my wife doesn't have to work, My kids have more than I had as a little kid and the work I do is satisfying.
If there one thing I could stress when it comes to this line of work. You have to love software, so much so that you willing to work long hours and then come home and write more software as a hobby (maybe i did atleast). Or when you hit college start a pet project and see it through. These are the things that will set you apart from other developer coming out of college. Especailly when you don't have much on your resume, and honestly these are the question potential employers ask (hobbies, personal projects).
How bout this... I give you an hour by hour blog for the next week on what I'm doing at work.
I'm currently working on a rewrite... code fix for code that the company I work for now decided to outsource. This code ended up being terrible and was somethign I was thrown into when I arrived here about 8 months ago. I just started this project about 3 weeks ago and before that I spent about 4weeks evaluating and writing custom testing suites to produce metrics scores for this software compared to the previous version of this software (ie compare say version 5 to version 6). I was the one who found all the bugs and areas of concern and gave estimates on hours of work to fix these things.
So I might be off tomorrow, if I am I will report so. If not then I will start the hour by hour blog if you like.

Such a blog would be amazing (and id read up hourly for updates trust me, this sounds fascinating!)but I wouldn't want to detract from your life anymore then I already have, you work hard and I imagine that you would want to have time to yourself for your hobbies and your family.
Thank you very much. I could ask a million more questions, but again, I don't want to take away to much time. Thanks a billion

No really i want to answer them I wish I had been in you're shoes when I was your age. I didn't have some one telling that I could do it... computer were different back then hell I didn't own my own computer till I was in my twenties.
Ill do the blog for you... one if the perks of being on a computer. Like I said just at work tho. When I get home I can't promise when I be able to post.
So ask question one at a time since I tend to be long winded... it makers it easier... honestly when I retire I plan on teaching at a tech college... but thats about 20 years away. But I love to answer question about these things.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Great
Well what was learning your first programming language like
Do you think knowing a markup language helps or would help in the learning process?
What do you think the software engineering world will be like in a few years?
Is there any particular aspect of the computer world you like most?
Do you still keep in contact with any of your professors or colleges?

Hey Asimmons, thanks for helping damian out. I'm in the same boat he is, and I'm finding this really useful! Thanks a lot!

Glad I can help I was in you guys shoes once. And know that feeling of uncertainty... ill answer more tomorrow for you guys and start the blog.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I know I've said it tons, but I mean it, thank you ASimmons. And I'm glad this post can help others

damiandarkwater said:
Great
Well what was learning your first programming language like
Do you think knowing a markup language helps or would help in the learning process?
What do you think the software engineering world will be like in a few years?
Is there any particular aspect of the computer world you like most?
Do you still keep in contact with any of your professors or colleges?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mark up languages are very important, but I wouldn't focus a career on them. Languages like html, dhtml or xml are skills you will pickup along the way, understanding how these langs are parsed and used by other languages are very important and is a valuable skill to have. Especially in Java and with the emergence of real time web applications that uses technologies like ajax, jquery and now html5 it is more important to understand the usage and capabilities of these languages rather than focus on just knowing how to write a webpage.
The future of software will be more and more web based and mobile application. as we have seen in the corporate world for the last 5 or so years application that were once only possible on the desktop have moved entirely to web based app. This makes deployments and updates easier to maintain, version control easier, and with technologies like html5, ajax used in conjunctions with SOA and SAAS these apps perform just as well or better than the app you use to see run on your desktop. Take MS Office 365 and their cloud software for this, this is essentially an SAAS (software as a service) you lease the software it doesn't run locally anymore and the software and its worries and maintenance are pushed to the software vendors, we start to see this more and more. Google has been at the for front of this, and expect to see computers in the near future that are just dummy terminals that run only the basics and all your important software is pushed to a corporate cloud. I'm not saying desktop pcs will disappear but downloadable software will begin to especially in the corporate world.
I pretty much like anything that has to do with technology. I love the history of computers since I grew up and pretty much watch the birth of the home pc and remmeber when the 486dx came out and it was considered the best computer you could get. I remember using the trs-80 in typing class and the atari 2600 (still have one) kelico vision and then the nintendo (still have that to).
And yes I do stay in contact with the department head from my old college. I still use her as a reference from time to time since I worked in college for a little as a tutor (best job to get.. I recommend this if you can). College is about learning in large part but secondly its about contacts and networking. Make sure your networking in college, know your peers and previous alumni. Introduce your self and make sure to attend functions, since the will be potential co-workers or bosses.
So its mondays... I going to maybe do every couple of hours every hours might be to much. But I'm about to dive in to a ton of spaghetti code and try and make some since of it. This is especially ORM (look this up) code for an oracle database, and I'm trying to fix what is broken without having to actually rewrite the whole thing (if it was up to me I would). Be back in a couple of hours.

So its just after 2 and I've had to switch task to help another developer. This is pretty common and as a developer you have to be able to multi task.
So I'm working in creating a way for dynamic where clause can be built or just passed to and object DAO class.
The implementation I'm trying to fix is currently building them in a very static and non reusable way. When you design code it has be thought out and designed in such a way so that things like maintenance on said code is taken into account, and that repeatable processes are written in such a way that the can be reusable. This seems to have non of that.
If your looking at a package or program and see common re-occuring methods then this would be considered bad (imo) and should be re-evaluated and or rewritten so that this process can be written in one spot and referenced be other, this way if bugs or changes need to occur in this process you only have to change it there, this is the most common principle in OOP design but you be amazed at how much it is abused.
While you might be saving time up front your creating time on the back end for thing like code maintenance, upgrades or bug fixes.

It's about 5 for me and I just got home from school. I was at a friends house trying to understand a virus her computer contracted. (smart engine, annoying little thing, but its all better now.)
I'm looking into ORM as I type this. Interesting o:
I ask about the markup languages because ill be taking an html5 course next term. Makes sense that id learn about them along the way.
Sounds like you can handle quite a bit all at once, does that develop with time?

Html 5 is not like the previous htmls. So yeah this will be the next big internet language think web apps and pages that are totally dynamic. Good choice.
The multi tasking can be learned... good habits and time management... mostly learning the most basic of issues there's probably 5 or so and how the efficiently solve the problems and with what tools. Tools are very important every thing from ant or scripts to automate task to custom libraries.
Here's one, it's sort of a snarky developer joke.
You can have software.. done fast, done cheap and done right. You can only choose two though.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Hey Sorry
Sorry I been super busy. There small a small re-org in my department and I changed cubicals (this office space) and now I sit next to the "I've done it all programmer". The I've done it all programming can do everything, and its was always easier.
So hows the paper going?

Done!
It was a pleasure to write after talking with you, thank-you.
I get my grade sometime next week.

Thank you Simmons I am in 9th grade and am in a it trade school and I have thinking of going more for software thank you for all this I will finish reading these when I get home
sent from one ba hero

Cool Xoom Story at my Dr's Office Today

I went to see my Spine Surgeon today ( I have a really bad back and need a 2nd Spinal Fusion, Facet Joints this time, I take Percocet 10/325 and HydroMorphone 4mg for Pain). Any ways when I was done and leaving I over heard my Dr. talking to another Dr. about the Motorola Xoom and how he would like one to replace his laptop and the the iPad 2 was out of the question (as he has a Droid X and liked Android). As it happened I had my Xoom with me (I take it everywhere with me and showed it to him and he was VERY impressed and said this is what he was/is looking for. He asked about Google Voice (as that's important for him and I said it will be coming). I explained how Honeycomb was a new OS and needed sometime to grow and he understood and said he did not like iOS. I showed him Evernote and used it with my Stylus Pen and he said he would get one later today
If Dr.s start seeing an advantage of the Xoom/Honeycomb over iPad/iOS, Honeycomb will make a big splash. I also showed his nurse Toy Story 3 and Avatar (Blu-Ray) and she was sold as well.
The Dr. he was talking to asked me if I had Rooted yet ( he obviously knows what's going on and I said No as I had not seen any ROM's worth Rooting for yet) and that the only reason for me to root so far is to Overclock to 1.5ghz. I told him that the SDK or AOSP for Honeycomb had not been released yet but when it does I will definitely Root and start Flashing ROM's/Kernel's. I showed them my Rooted HTC EVO and how I was using it as a Wireless Hotspot (in the Hospital) and they were really impressed.
Suffice it to say but if Dr's are starting to hear about the Xoom/Honeycomb it has major potential (especially in that area). I told him about the HTC Flyer and that it may be worth looking at as well as it may be more to his liking. I told him it was only 7" but he liked the 10" form factor and wanted to replace his laptop and use it while talking with patients

if he has the income, he could probably get them all XD

As great as the Xoom is and the I pad, hospitals will take a while to get behind it due to security. Drs can store Protected Health Information on the device and run the risk or a data breech if lost ormaliciuos software allows access.
At my org there has been talk about the Playbook due to it being on a blackberry platform, but the pressure is out there for them to allow droid and apple tablets which they are trying to delay implimenting.
By the way...I carry my Xoom with me at my hospital and get lots of questions from the docs, butuse it primarily for school so its not on our network

A 2nd fusion - wow. That sucks. I hope this one gets you all set.
We need more folks in the professional sphere to start touting the benefits of android. That will come with time though - apple effectively has a head start on the whole tablet thing, just as it did with popularizing the smart phone, but it won't last. I see android tablets taking this market over as well - once two or three iterations of hardware and software occur.

You DID show him Google Body, didn't you??
XOOM'd from the XDA app.

GarnetandBlack said:
A 2nd fusion - wow. That sucks. I hope this one gets you all set.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too bro, me too. Right now I am on Percocet 10/325 and HydroMorphone 4mg (4x a day) and that stuff is VERY, VERY, Strong. The HydroMorphone is 4x more powerful than Morphine. They are going to Fuse my Facet Joints as they have become loose and Arthritic

As a PA for an orthopaedic surgeon I use my xoom a lot. Rdp to our office emr is a snap. The battery life is way better than our office tablet laptops. In fact....just before surgery he asked if I could pull up the office charts on a patient we were getting ready to do surgery on.....I trurned on the EVO hot spot and (I have the wifi only model) I had the chart up in a minute. I don't like ios. He is a Mac guy but I'm slowly winning him over. Its gonna take time but I can tell you after booting the iPhone / ios ill never go back for our needs. I can send scripts to pharmacies, check patient charts ( hospital system and office emr) with the click of three buttons.
Android kills.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

Well I am primary in commerical real estate investing but I also own som retail businesses and I have replaced my laptop with my xoom. So far so good. My biggest complaints are that the office programs are not robust enough, especially on the spreadsheet side (I have quickoffice hd and docs to go full). Also, I think google needs a builtin file manager for the tablet os (one more reason not to have one os for all android devices). Google needs to treat the tablet like a netbook and not like a big phone (like apple does with the ipad).
The portablility is awesome and the beats carrying my laptop around or reading docs and spreadsheets on my epic and blackberry. Basically when need I need to create a spreadsheet or scan something I hope on one of the desktops at the office. Otherwise its zoom. Plus with google cloud print I can even print from the xoom!
Overall its getting there. Make the tablet a laptop replacement not some cool extra toy like the ipad and google will completely capture the business market.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

Should have told him you can use Google Voice but you just need to install the apk.

diablonyc2 said:
As great as the Xoom is and the I pad, hospitals will take a while to get behind it due to security. Drs can store Protected Health Information on the device and run the risk or a data breech if lost ormaliciuos software allows access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fortunately Honeycomb supports encrypted the storage drive so that should not be that big of a problem for Android

Cool Story bro!

Now we just need more tablet compatible apps.

If Google wants to sell its OS to doctors, they really need to come out with some special medicine oriented apps/s. I'm not talking about apps from users or small companies, I am talking about official Google apps like Body.

bet he just wants it for Google Body - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.body&feature=search_result

diablonyc2 said:
As great as the Xoom is and the I pad, hospitals will take a while to get behind it due to security. Drs can store Protected Health Information on the device and run the risk or a data breech if lost ormaliciuos software allows access.
At my org there has been talk about the Playbook due to it being on a blackberry platform, but the pressure is out there for them to allow droid and apple tablets which they are trying to delay implimenting.
By the way...I carry my Xoom with me at my hospital and get lots of questions from the docs, butuse it primarily for school so its not on our network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More than likely, they will be using some manner of client/server situation, where the patient data is centralized, and the client just being a dumb terminal. Only have to worry about access control, since no critical data would be stored locally.

FrayAdjacent said:
More than likely, they will be using some manner of client/server situation, where the patient data is centralized, and the client just being a dumb terminal. Only have to worry about access control, since no critical data would be stored locally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my thoughts too
you'd not want any data stored on the device - only apps/whatever to get at the data remotely.
problem is you'd then need wifi to corporate network and that may be a big security no-no in some places, unless a vpn solution is incorporated...

It will be interesting to see "what's next" in this field...as governemnt regulations on protecting data become more and more intesne. Client/Server seems to be the best scenario currently through a secured connection.
If someone could build a better mousetrap the market is wide open! It will be interesting to see how the Playbook fairs....could it revive the brand?
As for the Xoom --- love the size of it...cannot wait until I get a good portfolio for it to make carrying around inconspicious! I plan on phasing this in to take the place of my notepad.

Thoughts on [email protected]?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-android-at-home-framework/
I understand this is a bit off topic (not directly Evo related), but I thought I'd still throw this out there because it may help me. I am working on a competitive analysis report in home automation and wanted to see if anyone had thoughts on this technology. With the announcement of [email protected], this went straight to the top of the list.
Do you think developers are excited to get their hands on this technology? Google mentions the creation of an alarm app that slowly turns the lights on to wake you up, etc. Although the company I just started working for is a few years ahead of Google in this aspect, the robustness and amount of resources available to Google has us wanting to keep a close eye on them.
I personally think that they do have potential here with these ideas, but it would require a lot of effort which they may or may not be willing to do.

I am by no means an expert in this field but what I do think Google's role in this field will be a large one. Having a big name in that arena can help propel smart home technologies in a way that is beneficial to all companies that are in sector.
I think at the end what they will bring is unity just how they did in the smart phone arena.

I'd be all for it. The more things I can eliminate and replace with my phone (which is a must-have anyway), the better.

My question is is Sony going to team up with Google Sony wanted to do this with the ps3 before it came out but I don't think it worked out so well or they cut that idea out of the plan lol
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I am in full support of it...I love the idea and concept.
This epic reply brought to you by none other than my roxx'd out Evo.

I'd like to see this come to fruition, but I'm also intersted in what microsoft is doing with home automation. They have some pretty cool ideas that they are working with.

I could definitely see something like this being a benefit. A novel, but not entirely surprising, idea for more control / automation. +Tasker support and this could pwn.
Enviado desde mi PC36100 utilizando XDA Premium de la aplicación

teh roxxorz said:
I am in full support of it...I love the idea and concept.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with you. I have been thinking of some great use cases that may be possible with this technology.

I like this technology idea, however I don't think it should be limited to just Android but should include iOS/Windows, etc.. and be an open spec. I think there are a few things that are stunting this technology growth which I will go over here in this long sleepy thread, which was the only one I could find on XDA in search. This highlights my first point very well.
1. Interest:
There is simply not enough interest for this technology that could be so amazingly cool. First people have to be interested in smartphones and then they also have to be interested in home automation. I have been ever since I've head of Gates's "smart house" and even before then when many of these ideas were covered in sci-fi flicks of the past.
2. Price and Practicality:
Let's face it, anyone who wants home automation right now will pay through the nose for it. This will also lock out many, I mean why pay money to turn on a light remotely when you can just walk over there and do it yourself. What practical purpose does it serve? The disabled is an obvious market that would benefit from such technology but generally most things I see for the disabled cost an arm and a leg because I think they expect people to gouge their insurance companies for the cash.
3. Implementation:
Most people are idiots and can't even figure out how to wire in a light socket, let alone a smart one where you can adjust it remotely from thousands of miles away. They would have to hire a contractor to install/upgrade things/run any wire (more secure than wireless,) etc... which also costs that money thing.
4. Fragmentation:
There are already quite a few competing technologies for home automation. x10 is probably one of the more obvious ones. That's why I say it shouldn't be [email protected], it should be [email protected] or something like that and work across as many mobile devices/computers as possible.
Why am I writing this now? Yesterday my space heater shorted out on me, so at the moment I'm using my dad's spare to keep warm. I'd like to shut it on and off when I'm not at home, specifically to turn it on 30 minutes to an hour before I get home so it's not absolutely frigid when I do. I can't find any home automated space heaters online, anywhere. These should be a thing.
Why here? I love XDA, more specifically I love the people who are developers. If an open standard were to be developed where anyone could modify hardware to work with it I'd expect you guys to come up with the most amazing stuff, especially on the phone/controller end. Also I'm hoping that when this gets big enough that the mods will give mobile home automation a separate subforum as well.

Sony had wanted to do this a long time ago I don't really seeing this going anywhere as dude above said most people can't figure half their crap out nor want to drop money in their house if everything works
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

I know cost is a bit high but I work with a supplier in this field. Name is Crestron with an app in market https://market.android.com/details?id=com.crestron.mobile.android.free that already does controllers and systems that work within a home. I work in audio visual in regards to these systems that can be controlled with a phone or touch panel. Pretty cool stuffs.
Sent from my EVO

Can you explain the difference between free and pro (for $100!) Just wondering.
There is also autom8 but the server is for windows and I use linux :/
It would be nice if there was a complete list of apps/information on this somewhere.

I haven't specifically looked at the paid vs free Creston apps, but in order for you to use the app you need to first own a Creston system. And per the point made earlier, cost is definitely a limiting factor. $100 for the app is nothing compared to the system. A good whole home Creston automation system (excluding their low end prodigy line) would probably run you over $100k. There are cheaper options out there, but cost is still a big issue which is exaggerated by the fragmentation of the industry.
I have not heard much more about Androids home automation system since the initial announcements. Since then apple has also made plans to enter the arena. Many companies have tried in the past...like ibm...but most fail. Goggle has already suspended it's energy division which is closely related to automation. It will be interesting to watch this market grow as I'm sure it will...

Yeah I remember at Google IO all the lights and stuff they showed off and said a company(forget who exactly) would have some out in the later year but this obviously never happened.
Regardless to do automation you have to change out a ton of things in the home and it gets costly like others have said. Prolly the cheapest is getting stuff like zwave devices switches and controling stuff that route.
I looked into crestron here but it was deff costly. Wouldn't be the 10k you said since my home isn't huge but it was not cheap in the very least still.
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Yes, super expensive. But some times you can piece together the systems to get a result you'd love. Guy I work with got the main control unit for 200 bucks. Sounds expensive but its typically a ton more than that lol. Having the Ethernet version of the controller allows him to use his home network and his EVO to send out these commands like turn on tv and at same time turn on surround sound. Or when dvd player is turned on also turn on tv and dim the lights. Just little things like that.
Sent from my EVO

I think they would be do to the fact that we always want one remote for everything rather then the 4 I have now. I think they will come out with alot of things that will be pretty cool.

tf in ministry

Anyone using your TF in ministry? Particularly in preaching or teaching! If so what programs are you finding useful?

if you consider showing off how android is better and more useful than iOS to Apple fans as preaching or ministry (honestly its not far off!!), then yes I do!

Haven't worked on it much lately, but I started writing a tablet optimized Bible app when I first got the Transformer. At the time there wasn't really anything available that took advantage of the tablet real estate. Search Bible by bedoig in the market.
I haven't looked for good tablet bible apps in a long time. I'd be interested what people are using these days as well.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Logos has an app that allows me to access my Logos collection from the tablet.
If one does not have Logos (ridiculously expensive! I bought it in seminary many many years ago.) then a good and more affordable alternative is Olive Tree:
I use Kingston office of the stock reader to view the sermon while preaching saving many trees....
Blessings
RevJonG
Can't post the links
;^(

Unfortunately there are not many ministry app available for the transformer. I use Bible from "YouVersion" because it allows you to acces multiple versions of the bible and save many of them on the transformer for offline use. It looks pretty good on the tablet as well. The bad part is there is no real way to save notes along with scripture, or to jump to pre-determined passages (bookmarked passages). Its been awhile since i've looked at ministry apps. As much as i love my transformer and how powerful it is, ive honestly been considering the ipad 3 when it drops simply because of the developer community and the apps it has available. i really dont want to though.

eep02b said:
Unfortunately there are not many ministry app available for the transformer. I use Bible from "YouVersion" because it allows you to acces multiple versions of the bible and save many of them on the transformer for offline use. It looks pretty good on the tablet as well. The bad part is there is no real way to save notes along with scripture, or to jump to pre-determined passages (bookmarked passages). Its been awhile since i've looked at ministry apps. As much as i love my transformer and how powerful it is, ive honestly been considering the ipad 3 when it drops simply because of the developer community and the apps it has available. i really dont want to though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have also been considering the iPad 3 but as you said I really don't want to. My son has an iPad2 and he is using it in ministry and currently using it while preaching or teaching. I have not gotten that comfortable with my TF but I would like to use it more effectively in ministry.

It's not sounding like much has changed since the last time I looked. I like YouVersion on my phone but found it lacking on a tablet. I've looked at Logos and Olivetree in the past as well but they weren't really what I was looking for.
The main reason I started working on one was to have a built in notes pane alongside the bible. I also added scripture identification within the notes to automatically create hyperlinks that open that section of the bible when clicked. I'm not a minister so I was more focused on the note taking scenario, but several ministers have told me they have found it useful.
Might just have to start working on it again since it doesn't seem like the options have improved much.

I'm using it for teaching and preaching currently.
I spend a lot of time at my laptop for work, the dropbox app has been great for syncing my documents between my laptop and my transformer.
I type my messages in Word or Kingston Office/Quickoffice Pro HD. Once they are finished I'll format them for my tablet (increasing font size, changing the margins, bold, highlight, change color and ensure that each page looks appropriate) and then save as a pdf.
There are some excellent pdf viewers out there, but I simply open my messages up with the Kindle app when I'm teaching/preaching. I prefer the swype or tap to navigate vice any scrolling.
I use Cloudprint to print from my tablet when necessary. I used to have a paper copy of my message as a backup just in case something... ahem... went wrong. However, now I just keep my Bible with me and I can pull off a sermon or teach from a prior study in an emergency.
I've added folders to my tablet to keep finished sermons/lessons by using ES File Explorer app (allows folders & shortcuts).
I've changed some of the icons out using ADW Launcher Ex to pretty things up a bit and further customize.
It's quite fun actually. We've got a good sized church 700 folks, so our platform is filled with iPads each service. I'm one of the few with a non iPad tablet but I'm certainly not complaining. LOL!
Hope this helps.
There may be more, but I'm still learning how to get good use out of the TF myself.

I use OliveTree
I do not preach often, but do enjoy OliveTree for my main Bible app. Great for Bible studies as it can have a synced comentary right on screen at the same time as the Bible. Very helpful when someone asks a question about a more elusive verse.

I used a mindmap in the Thinking Space app to preach a sermon when i left my hard copy at home. Went well and no-one noticed.
I only take my Tab to meetings and use calendars and Thinking Space to record notes or decisions.
Use Cardre Bible NRSV
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalkt

Also finding that i am leaving the notebook at home and taking the tablet. Just seem to be transitioning to a new mode.
I have orders of service and planning material in a dropbox that i share with a music and worship group. When near wifi it syncs to tablet. Thinking of implementing wifi in church facilities.
I am using more ad more ebooks and also working towards a paperless office. I am scanning articles and important sections of books and having them available with me. It is greatvfir reading/preparing on public transport or while waiting somewhere.
At the home office I can use tablet to read ebooks or pdf docs like a second screen as I prepare oos or sermon.
I am also a psychologist and have a folder for each client. Test and reports are at hand where-ever I am. Have used it when doctors call to check details.
I have parish directory in word format and in dropbox. I can quickly find an address when on the road and have used googlemaps to find my way. Also fiund that i can tap a phone number on my phone and instantly dial.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

There is an app called cam scanner, great at scanning in docs, pictures, whiteboard sessions, etc. and also syncs with dropbox.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

The best app that I have found is one called Mysword. It has numerous bible translations, commentaries, notes, dictionaries, and a huge community that is constantly releasing additional add-ons.

ezPDF might be helpful if you have PDFs of the books/book you need for the things you preach. You can even leave notes on the margin in ezPDF - that might be usefull. (And the post with dinosaur was really funny. )

Personally I would think the usual web/office needs would apply to preaching as much as anything similar; my pastor still uses paper. For bible+notes, I would rather think a Kindle version of your favoured translation would be the best bet. You get stuff for navigation the way a dedicated app could offer, along with the ability at marking and noting stuff that only a PDF file or dedicated bible reader might be able to offer. What would be lacking is the ability to cross reference other translations and sources easily or go straight to specific verses by number. For other books and stuff it should work fine and be less trouble than semi-illegally OCR'ing stuff, when whatever book you're interested in is available in the Kindle market.
As a Christian, I think you folks need to lighten up. Even GOD has a sense of humour, if you know HIM then you know that. If I was one of the people you should be reaching out to as a preacher instead of pushing away with behaviour like this: I'd look at this thread as a reason not to follow our saviour: he has too many people like you following him.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk.

Joey563 said:
The best app that I have found is one called Mysword. It has numerous bible translations, commentaries, notes, dictionaries, and a huge community that is constantly releasing additional add-ons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agree with my sword and yes i use my TF preaching and Teaching even using it in my Sunday school class to watch a video series....
e-sword modules can be converted to be used with my sword i have the
NIV--NKJV---AMP BIble
well i was using it until it died yesterday back to my good ole Leather Nelson Study bible until it returns to me...

@OP and the rest of you guys....please don't feed the troll. Instead report him like is supposed to be done
@tehtroll...don't comeback here mate. If you don't have anything nice to say...keep your opinions to yourself.
Cheers,
M_T_M

Tony Maroney said:
I'm using it for teaching and preaching currently.
I type my messages in Word or Kingston Office/Quickoffice Pro HD. Once they are finished I'll format them for my tablet (increasing font size, changing the margins, bold, highlight, change color and ensure that each page looks appropriate) and then save as a pdf.
This was helpful. I have converted to a pdf but I have not found the right font size or margins, etc. I'll keep trying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

revjwb32 said:
agree with my sword and yes i use my TF preaching and Teaching even using it in my Sunday school class to watch a video series....
e-sword modules can be converted to be used with my sword i have the
NIV--NKJV---AMP BIble
well i was using it until it died yesterday back to my good ole Leather Nelson Study bible until it returns to me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love e-sword on my laptop. I wish they had an android version. I'll look into converting them. Thanks for the tip. I hope you get you TF back soon.

budven said:
I love e-sword on my laptop. I wish they had an android version. I'll look into converting them. Thanks for the tip. I hope you get you TF back soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mysword is the android version of esword.

Nexus 7 College Student

I'm a college student that owns a Galaxy S III, and will have a 16 GB Nexus 7 when it arrives tomorrow. In addition to playing games, I'd like to be productive on the tablet.
What apps, or functionality, do you think college students could benefit from greatly?

What you studying?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

ereaders such as ebookdroid

And office suit like QuickOffice
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Google Drive will be a big part of the productivity. I wouldn't be any productivity suites since Google just bought one of the most popular ones. They will probably incorporate it for free.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

I bought the Nexus 7 specifically to use it in college classes. I got the Logitech Android Keyboard along with it and so far I'm really pleased with how well it's made, despite the Nexus 7's finicky bluetooth.
I tried out a few different note-taking apps and honestly, the one I like the most so far is ASUS SuperNote. It seems to work out great with both typed and handwritten notes (especially when used with a stylus! )

Can.I.Haz.Jelly.Bean? said:
I'm a college student that owns a Galaxy S III, and will have a 16 GB Nexus 7 when it arrives tomorrow. In addition to playing games, I'd like to be productive on the tablet.
What apps, or functionality, do you think college students could benefit from greatly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just graduated and these tips helped me greatly. So here goes...
For note-taking, stick to a laptop. Yea, you can download various apps, buy bluetooth/wireless keyboards for your nexus 7 but why?? stick with what you got. Use onenote with your laptop to take notes & record simultaneously (search youtube for more detailed tips on onenote).
- Get familiar with google calender. (Keep a designated "personal" calender where you might wanna keep important dates, doctor appointments etc. Then another calender "school" where you will input midterms, exams, assignment dates with reminders. Google calender is awesome. .... ** I suggest "business calender" app for aggregating all your calenders eg "bills", "personal" "college" etc.
- Dropbox - Don't carry flash drive's with you to campus. Put all your assignments for school in appropriate folders (1st year > science > bio ...) on the cloud. I use dropbox. You can easily use cubby, box , skydrive, google drive/docs. Other than your usual word papers, powerpoint notes from professors..**.I suggest you keep a folder for college with your academic calender + resume + GPA calculator etc. This way you can make additions to your resume as your go along your academic career. Plus you have access to stuff like your resume at all times in case you need to email it to a professor, internship, etc.
- Evernote - Evernote is powerful. It's up to you how you use the software which consequently can confuse beginners since they feel lost. I personally use it to store important documents, passwords logins(encrypted offcourse), make checklists (what stuff to bring to your dorms), shopping lists. I have a notebook for my "college" > where my college docs are located according to course. Then for "dental school "> where all my loan information, housing leases's etc. **Check out CAMSCANNER app (buy the pro version) to take scans of important documents and send them to dropbox/evernote/email etc. ... Get in the habit of keeping everything organized right from the start!
- You wanna get stuff done? you need a to-do list app. Take your pick at any of the top ones... Remember the Milk, Astrid etc. I personally prefer Astrid. It sync across my phone, nexus 7, & computers.
- Mint - to keep your finances in order (bank accnts, credit cards, etc. ).
- Another vote for Quick Office /Pro - to open docs like word, ppt, excel etc . It also can access & sync across the major cloud services like dropbox, drive etc.
- Splashtop Remote - I think its 5 bucks but worth it if you need functionality to stream your computer to your tablet. I use it to open flash sites (noobroom) & access my hard-drive remotely.
(optional) Tasker - Google it. Buy it if automation interests you.
Hope this was helpful and not a random rant.

ateebtk said:
For note-taking, stick to a laptop. Yea, you can download various apps, buy bluetooth/wireless keyboards for your nexus 7 but why?? stick with what you got.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I bike to campus and my laptop weighs 9 pounds, while a Nexus 7 is pretty much insubstantial. Got the tablet because it would be cheaper than buying a new laptop, and it's really comfortable to type on. Sync Google Drive using wifi on campus, and my notes are ready for me on my computer the second I get to my apartment. Easy.
As for productivity, WolframAlpha is an amazing app for math classes, just waiting for them to update it for Jelly Bean.
Sent from my SGH-I997

Yeah, I bought mine for use at college, and the essentials are a good keyboard you like, a note-taking app you will actually use, and stickmount so you can edit from flash drives on the go. Oh, and a really sturdy stand, if you don't have a stand case. Beyond that, to each their own. I spent five bucks on a screenwriting app, but that's a pretty niche buy. Go look for your textbooks on every e-reader site you can (all but one of mine is Kindle). -Ara
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

rowanparker said:
What you studying?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Communication. More specifically, I'm majoring in Organizational Communication
Lennyuk said:
And office suit like QuickOffice
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks very nice! I don't think this will come in handy too often, but it looks like on that rare occasion it will come in handy! It's very unfortunate that the Nexus 7 has no sort of HDMI output. That's my only gripe about the phone as far as I can tell before getting it. However, my Samsung Galaxy S III will be compatible with an MHL adapter, so that may come in handy for making presentations!
kangxi said:
Google Drive will be a big part of the productivity. I wouldn't be any productivity suites since Google just bought one of the most popular ones. They will probably incorporate it for free.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Docs is great. However, formatting can sometimes be a bit funky. I'll save a doc from Google Docs, and it will look different in Word. Formatting is VERY important to me to save documents in specific formats such as APA and MLA. If in the wrong format, it could lead to plagiarism, which would lead to academic dishonesty on my record/failing grades/waste of thousands of dollars. I need to make sure everything is perfect, and Google Docs doesn't have that at the moment. At least, I could never get everything to look the same as Microsoft Word.
farmerbb said:
I bought the Nexus 7 specifically to use it in college classes. I got the Logitech Android Keyboard along with it and so far I'm really pleased with how well it's made, despite the Nexus 7's finicky bluetooth.
I tried out a few different note-taking apps and honestly, the one I like the most so far is ASUS SuperNote. It seems to work out great with both typed and handwritten notes (especially when used with a stylus! )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to learn how to install .apk files manually. However, that app looks very cool! Between having to work with a tablet and a bluetooth keyboard, wouldn't it just be easier to use a laptop though?
ateebtk said:
I just graduated and these tips helped me greatly. So here goes...
For note-taking, stick to a laptop. Yea, you can download various apps, buy bluetooth/wireless keyboards for your nexus 7 but why?? stick with what you got. Use onenote with your laptop to take notes & record simultaneously (search youtube for more detailed tips on onenote).
- Get familiar with google calender. (Keep a designated "personal" calender where you might wanna keep important dates, doctor appointments etc. Then another calender "school" where you will input midterms, exams, assignment dates with reminders. Google calender is awesome. .... ** I suggest "business calender" app for aggregating all your calenders eg "bills", "personal" "college" etc.
- Dropbox - Don't carry flash drive's with you to campus. Put all your assignments for school in appropriate folders (1st year > science > bio ...) on the cloud. I use dropbox. You can easily use cubby, box , skydrive, google drive/docs. Other than your usual word papers, powerpoint notes from professors..**.I suggest you keep a folder for college with your academic calender + resume + GPA calculator etc. This way you can make additions to your resume as your go along your academic career. Plus you have access to stuff like your resume at all times in case you need to email it to a professor, internship, etc.
- Evernote - Evernote is powerful. It's up to you how you use the software which consequently can confuse beginners since they feel lost. I personally use it to store important documents, passwords logins(encrypted offcourse), make checklists (what stuff to bring to your dorms), shopping lists. I have a notebook for my "college" > where my college docs are located according to course. Then for "dental school "> where all my loan information, housing leases's etc. **Check out CAMSCANNER app (buy the pro version) to take scans of important documents and send them to dropbox/evernote/email etc. ... Get in the habit of keeping everything organized right from the start!
- You wanna get stuff done? you need a to-do list app. Take your pick at any of the top ones... Remember the Milk, Astrid etc. I personally prefer Astrid. It sync across my phone, nexus 7, & computers.
- Mint - to keep your finances in order (bank accnts, credit cards, etc. ).
- Another vote for Quick Office /Pro - to open docs like word, ppt, excel etc . It also can access & sync across the major cloud services like dropbox, drive etc.
- Splashtop Remote - I think its 5 bucks but worth it if you need functionality to stream your computer to your tablet. I use it to open flash sites (noobroom) & access my hard-drive remotely.
(optional) Tasker - Google it. Buy it if automation interests you.
Hope this was helpful and not a random rant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GREAT post! Thanks for the suggestions! I will utilize a lot of these apps. I already use Google Calendar. I have my personal calendar, and calendars for different organizations on campus that I'm involved in. It's nice to have everything work automatically between my phone, computer, and (as of tomorrow) tablet. Considering Google Calendar is compatible with almost every device out there, everyone should be using it.
Dropbox is great. I just wish that AT&T did their deal with Samsung to get AT&T users the free 50 GB of online storage. I have a feeling I'll be using Dropbox for some things and Google Drive for some things to make sure I have plenty of cloud storage.
I've never bothered to look into Evernote. I've heard only great things about it though. I guess it will be worth looking into.
Astrid looks good. I used to just use the notes app on my iPhone to get things done. As I got things done, I'd delete them. I'll look into this app though. Might as well give it a try.
Tasker... I can't even tell what this app is!
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.
My goal herei s NOT to replace my laptop. I feel many people are eager to replace their laptops with tablets, and it ends up making their lives more complicated with all the services and accessories they need. I'm looking to make my tablet COMPLIMENT my life right now. The Nexus 7 is not at all a laptop replacement. Right now my life involves me making a daily commute to an internship, taking lots of classes, and working with different organizations around campus. This tablet I hope will enhance everything that I do, boost my productivity, and.... be good for playing some games! A goal I have this year is to go 100% paperless. I don't think I'll be able to do it, but it would be darn awesome if I could do that between using note taking apps, cloud storage, and other services. I want everything digital. If it gets too complicated though, then my Nexus 7 will just become a fun entertainment device for when I want a break.

This is normal.

If you can download the apk's on your laptop, use AirDroid to throw them to your nexus 7. Great thing about AirDroid is that you don't need to download and install it on a computer, its all Web Based.
Also thank you all for these great tips, its going to be my last year in highschool and I'd like to be very prepared for college/uni(for those folks in Europe).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Shamushand said:
Because I bike to campus and my laptop weighs 9 pounds, while a Nexus 7 is pretty much insubstantial. Got the tablet because it would be cheaper than buying a new laptop, and it's really comfortable to type on. Sync Google Drive using wifi on campus, and my notes are ready for me on my computer the second I get to my apartment. Easy.
As for productivity, WolframAlpha is an amazing app for math classes, just waiting for them to update it for Jelly Bean.
Sent from my SGH-I997
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I obviously don't know what your school is or your major. But what do you do when you take a real math class that actually requires you to use Matlab or Maple IN CLASS as part of a lab or any number of extensive math programs? Or requires you to use any number of specialty programs (CAD, Labview, etc...)?

Can.I.Haz.Jelly.Bean? said:
My goal herei s NOT to replace my laptop. I feel many people are eager to replace their laptops with tablets, and it ends up making their lives more complicated with all the services and accessories they need. I'm looking to make my tablet COMPLIMENT my life right now. The Nexus 7 is not at all a laptop replacement. Right now my life involves me making a daily commute to an internship, taking lots of classes, and working with different organizations around campus. This tablet I hope will enhance everything that I do, boost my productivity, and.... be good for playing some games! A goal I have this year is to go 100% paperless. I don't think I'll be able to do it, but it would be darn awesome if I could do that between using note taking apps, cloud storage, and other services. I want everything digital. If it gets too complicated though, then my Nexus 7 will just become a fun entertainment device for when I want a break.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're looking at this the right way. Every device is suited well for certain things and not so well for others. I've found my N7 to be awesome for kicking back and playing games, poking around online, and doing a few lightweight tasks here and there. Most serious productivity, however, is best left to laptops, just like most serious gaming is best left to consoles or PCs.
There have been a lot of great app recommendations and I can't add many; I've been out of college for three years and a lot has changed since then. All I can suggest is what I did when I first got mine: copy over everything you have on your phone that you think you'd use, and slowly start adding things you think you'd like better on the tablet. Also, keep an eye on some of the blogs (RSS is good for this), as most of them post app recommendations now and then. It'll never replace your phone or laptop, but over time you'll find things that you like doing best on the tablet and it will end up complementing both quite nicely.
On another note, I can at least help with manually installing .apk files. Just go into Settings -> Security and check the "unknown sources" box. After that, all you have to do is open the file you've downloaded and follow the prompts.

rman726 said:
I obviously don't know what your school is or your major. But what do you do when you take a real math class that actually requires you to use Matlab or Maple IN CLASS as part of a lab or any number of extensive math programs? Or requires you to use any number of specialty programs (CAD, Labview, etc...)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He could always use a VPN and RDP solution.

If your college provide specific, it will be a must install
Also you may download some sort of study management apps, like istudiez/ihomework on iOS or Yesterday on Palm. I am not sure if android have similar apps in market

Evernote
Sent from my oc'd cm10 nexus 7

mi7chy said:
He could always use a VPN and RDP solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't recommend that. I've tried remotely operating Matlab with my Transformer Prime, and coding with lag is not so hot. Even with a mouse the interface is a bit too wonky for heavy duty work.
Take notes? Certainly a tablet can handle the basics. I'd recommend Handy Notes for written (or hybrid written/typed) notes...waaaay better than SuperNote (but costs 0.99 cents). I've tried ALL of them and that's the only one that I think has an intuitive interface for handwriting and isn't laggy (I'm looking at you FreeNote). Plus it allows lots of formatting options.
If you just want to type, any of the word processors will do. I'm perfectly fine working with Google Drive's word processor. Presentations are fine as well--just stay the heck away from spreadsheets.

Three_Bob said:
If you can download the apk's on your laptop, use AirDroid to throw them to your nexus 7. Great thing about AirDroid is that you don't need to download and install it on a computer, its all Web Based.
Also thank you all for these great tips, its going to be my last year in highschool and I'd like to be very prepared for college/uni(for those folks in Europe).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, ok. I didn't know that .apk files are the apps themselves. Still learning some things. =P I'll give Asus's program a try then! I think that taking notes on a tablet will be a lot tougher than handwritten notes. I'll give it a try though! Couldn't hurt. It's part of my goal of going 100% paperless. If my notes are digital though, I'd like to be able to upload in the cloud to access them on my phone and laptop. (Not sure if Supernote lets you do that. I didn't check.)
bushpilotwannabe said:
You're looking at this the right way. Every device is suited well for certain things and not so well for others. I've found my N7 to be awesome for kicking back and playing games, poking around online, and doing a few lightweight tasks here and there. Most serious productivity, however, is best left to laptops, just like most serious gaming is best left to consoles or PCs.
There have been a lot of great app recommendations and I can't add many; I've been out of college for three years and a lot has changed since then. All I can suggest is what I did when I first got mine: copy over everything you have on your phone that you think you'd use, and slowly start adding things you think you'd like better on the tablet. Also, keep an eye on some of the blogs (RSS is good for this), as most of them post app recommendations now and then. It'll never replace your phone or laptop, but over time you'll find things that you like doing best on the tablet and it will end up complementing both quite nicely.
On another note, I can at least help with manually installing .apk files. Just go into Settings -> Security and check the "unknown sources" box. After that, all you have to do is open the file you've downloaded and follow the prompts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
x-magic said:
If your college provide specific, it will be a must install
Also you may download some sort of study management apps, like istudiez/ihomework on iOS or Yesterday on Palm. I am not sure if android have similar apps in market
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the way I make myself study is through procrastination. I'm a horrible procrastinator, so I learned to use it to my advantage. I start off every homework/study session by watching an episode of a show I like. Then I make a short goal for myself (like memorize 5 terms if it's memorizing, or get a certain amount of sources for a research paper), and then I watch another episode. Then I make another short goal. I just use my horrible procrastination to an advantage. By the end of everything, I watched a whole lot of TV, and I got a ton done. Thank you Netflix.

Buy a BT keyboard that works for you: that means it should be portable and comfortable to use. If it's too big you'll never pack it in your bag, and if you don't enjoy typing on it it'll never make it out of the bag. Don't go for one of the cramped, squishy rubber key ones you see on eBay or Amazon third party sellers, or a gimmicky keyboard case. Unless you have baby hands no 7" tablet keyboard case will be practical for tapping out more than a couple of emails. Read reviews, buy from a place that makes returns easy, and try a few out. I like the HP Touchpad keyboard, but there are many others out there too.