Zotero on Galaxy Tab and other android systems

Gogol1967

Hi,

I've been thinking of getting myself a galaxy Tab instead of my old netbook, to write my dissertation on.
I'm unsure if galaxy tab will support Zotero though, which is crucial for my work.

I know that the galaxy tab comes with ThinkFree Office installed which can view and edit word files.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab

However, I didn't find a zotero plugin for ThinkFree office.
I know there is one for open office, but I don't know if you can install open office on the android OS, and if the Zotero plugin will work in that environment.

Any of you has any knowledge about that?

Thanks a lot,

Gogol

adamsmith

while there is an Android app for Zotero:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gimranov.zandy.app&hl=en
it doesn't have word processor integration and that's not something that's going to happen soon, either. That's not just a question of the word processor - regular zotero doesn't run on android, either.
If you need Zotero word processor integration, an android tablet won't do.

ajlyon

I'm the developer of Zandy, the Android app for Zotero, and unfortunately I don't anticipate supporting word processor integration in the near future. I do hope to add formatted citations (copy & paste) in the future, which might be a start. I'm afraid that the Android word processors don't have the necessary scripting capabilities to make any serious integration possible.

adamsmith

I guess better RTF scan would then be the other alternative, no? Users would still have to do the actual formatting on a "real" computer with regular Zotero, but they could write with every RTF-capable word processor. Yet another reason to prioritize that. I think improving the actual syntax to include more options would be pretty easy - the main obstacle currently is the lack of an easily accessible identifier, correct?

Jon Rubin

"In addition to these major announcements, the developers behind LibreOffice have also revealed plans to deliver mobile ports of the office suite. Android and iOS versions of LibreOffice are under development and are expected to arrive late in 2012 or early in 2013. The initial porting effort will focus on the tablet form factor, but phone versions could be developed later."

http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2011/10/libreoffice-gaining-momentum-heading-to-android-ios-and-the-web.ars

so, not soon, but in the future, pretty definitely and if Firefox for Android works too, then Zotero should be good to go, no?

adamsmith

no, not necessarily - even if the software exists, it also has to work with Zotero and have the required components to do so - afaik Zotero doesn't work on FF for Android, for example. I wouldn't be optimistic about this happening anytime soon.

Heckscher

Another approach is to use a program that lets you link from your tablet to a "real" computer (Windows or Mac). I use Jump Desktop now, and have also tried Splashtop and Teamviewer (all available very cheap in the Android Market or at their web sites). With those your tablet essentially becomes a window into your computer, which is running back at home or at the office or wherever. So you can use Zotero in the normal way, except that instead of a mouse you have to poke with your finger. If you're going to do any extensive writing you'll want a bluetooth keyboard.