On 25/10/14 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?


On Xubuntu 14.04 under XFCE4 I just plugged it in just now and the file
manager, thunar the filemanager offered it as a mountable mtp device.

I clicked it and am now browsing its filesystem

No special preparations -

On 25/10/2014 21:11, Bob Eager wrote:
On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 15:57:53 +0100, Bod wrote:

On 25/10/2014 14:45, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:
but PhoneCopy don't appear to have an app for it.

Corse they do, that's how I moved my contacts.
http://www.phonecopy.com/en/phones/v...referrer=Nokia

Thanks for that - eventually got my contact list transferred - although
sadly means it is now on a cloud somewhere.

Would have been so much easier if Samsung had simply provided sensible
PC software. I'm told the earlier version of Kies - which won't work
with this phone - was better.

Kies is bloatware and slow. I just connect the phone via USB and my
data/ photos are visible straight away. I outed Kies a few years ago.

Kies was enough to decide me against another Samsung phone!

Just don't use the Kies program, it's really not necessary.

On 25/10/2014 21:35, Tim Watts wrote:
On 25/10/14 21:11, Bob Eager wrote:

Kies was enough to decide me against another Samsung phone!


If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.
Unbranded (ie not carrier branded) mean timely over the air Android
updates from Samsung (unlike Three who never release any updates to my
personal knowledge).

And Google means contact syncing solves that problem. I do not "back up"
to google though - don't trust them that far... But many of my more
fiddly apps have local backups and every 2 years I have a bot of a
manual file transfer process to the new device.

Very pleased with my Note 3 - decent battery life (by modern standards,
be hushed, ancient Nokia owners!) and lots of computing power

I'm still using the Note 1 and still find it really good.

On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

in 1344012 20141025 164159 Tim Watts wrote:
On 25/10/14 15:57, Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 14:45, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:
but PhoneCopy don't appear to have an app for it.

Corse they do, that's how I moved my contacts.
http://www.phonecopy.com/en/phones/v...referrer=Nokia

Thanks for that - eventually got my contact list transferred - although
sadly means it is now on a cloud somewhere.

Would have been so much easier if Samsung had simply provided sensible PC
software. I'm told the earlier version of Kies - which won't work with
this phone - was better.

Kies is bloatware and slow. I just connect the phone via USB and my
data/ photos are visible straight away. I outed Kies a few years ago.

And use Odin if you need to manually flash the phone.

I could never get the sack of **** called Kies to *ever* work (Windows
7, VMWare under linux).

Odin worked - and later I used Heimdall (the unix version flashing tool).

Guess which one was the easiest to use?

I tried all of those on my SGS+, solution was to buy a Nexus.

in 1344058 20141025 211147 Bob Eager wrote:
On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 15:57:53 +0100, Bod wrote:

On 25/10/2014 14:45, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:
but PhoneCopy don't appear to have an app for it.

Corse they do, that's how I moved my contacts.
http://www.phonecopy.com/en/phones/v...referrer=Nokia

Thanks for that - eventually got my contact list transferred - although
sadly means it is now on a cloud somewhere.

Would have been so much easier if Samsung had simply provided sensible
PC software. I'm told the earlier version of Kies - which won't work
with this phone - was better.

Kies is bloatware and slow. I just connect the phone via USB and my
data/ photos are visible straight away. I outed Kies a few years ago.

Kies was enough to decide me against another Samsung phone!

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

+1

in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

On 25/10/2014 23:43, Chris French wrote:
Surely there were some iOS updates? iPhones and iPads seem to get
updates for a couple of versions of iOS at least. (my wifes 3GS went up
to iOS6, my daughters 4S runs iOS8 - though I imagine that will be the
last for that. But yes, the original iPad is pretty far behind now (iOS5
I think)

In the beginning - from memory there were a couple of minor updates and
one big one. Then nothing at all.

I simply don't believe that IOS 5 was so perfect that updates would not
have been appropriate on security grounds. (I'd live with the
functionality and gizmos of the old version without much complaint.)

--
Rod

On 26/10/14 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.


Really - wonder what changed... Did it mess up the USB settings on the
phone?

In message , Bod
writes
On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Mine seems to, Moto G connecting to PC running windows 7

Appears in Explorer as the phone name and I can access the storage via
that.

II might have needed to download a diver, I can't remember)
--
Chris French

On 26/10/2014 08:25, Bod wrote:
On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Hmm, seems that Kit Kat 4.4.4 has many issues according to this
linkEspecially for Nexus users.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/07...earch-history/

"Android 4.4.4 KitKat update problems are, unsurprisingly, still
frustrating many Nexus users. Google’s Product Forums are littered with
complaints about Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Some of the latest issues
including poor battery life on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, random reboots
to the Nexus 4, the usual Wi-Fi issues, GPS problems, random freezing
and lock ups, problems with email sync, and more.

Nexus users aren’t alone. Moto G users are reporting issues with Wi-Fi,
Moto X owners are chiming in with battery life complaints, and owners of
Sony’s Xperia devices are now noticing some issues with their upgrade to
Android 4.4.4. Xperia Z1 users are chiming in with several Android 4.4.4
problems including battery life, camera issues, and more. The camera
problems seem to have been carried over from Android 4.4.2 KitKat"

On 26/10/2014 08:25, Bod wrote:
On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Don't believe everything you are told. Nexus 4 with latest KitKat just
plugs in and works like a USB stick on Win 7 and Win 8

On 26/10/2014 09:04, CB wrote:
On 26/10/2014 08:25, Bod wrote:
On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Don't believe everything you are told. Nexus 4 with latest KitKat just
plugs in and works like a USB stick on Win 7 and Win 8


I must admit that I was very surprised when he said that. Thanks.

On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 08:44:48 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On 26/10/14 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's
love child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it
will show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.


Really - wonder what changed... Did it mess up the USB settings on the
phone?

I'm running 4.4.4 on the Nexus 5 and the USB works fine. The MTP driver
has to be installed (Windows) but that was there anyway on Win 7.

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 23:06:49 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

On 25/10/14 22:53, Bob Eager wrote:
On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 21:35:46 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

On 25/10/14 21:11, Bob Eager wrote:

Kies was enough to decide me against another Samsung phone!


If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.
Unbranded (ie not carrier branded) mean timely over the air Android
updates from Samsung (unlike Three who never release any updates to my
personal knowledge).

Mine was unbranded. Still not very timely, even if the updates appeared
at all (they gave up after a couple).

I went for a Nexus 5 - very timely updates!


How do you find it - compared on sexiness to comparable Samsungs? I'm
interested in a nice bright display and lots of RAM and decent
processing power I could be persuaded to look wider next time...

I find it really nice. Faster than the old S2, display is good (and big;
I wanted a good one given my vision problems). Being stock Android, I
missed some odd things I had on the S2 but soon found apps to do the job.

I *am* having wi-fi problems with 4.4.4 - both on that and the Nexus 7.
Some apps/sites don't work well...very strange. When I have time I'm
going to roll back to 4.4.2 to see if that fixes it.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 26/10/2014 09:31, Bob Eager wrote:
I'm running 4.4.4 on the Nexus 5 and the USB works fine. The MTP driver
has to be installed (Windows) but that was there anyway on Win 7.

Am thinking of a new phone sometime (not in the next few weeks - but
sometime later), if the Nexus 6 had been available, would you have gone
for it over the 5?

--
Rod

On 26/10/2014 09:34, Bob Eager wrote:
I*am* having wi-fi problems with 4.4.4 - both on that and the Nexus 7.
Some apps/sites don't work well...very strange. When I have time I'm
going to roll back to 4.4.2 to see if that fixes it.

Interesting - what problems?

My Nexus 7 has 4.4.4 and I am not aware of any wi-fi issues. It connects
and works as expected. I think. :-)

--
Rod

On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 09:35:45 +0000, polygonum wrote:

On 26/10/2014 09:31, Bob Eager wrote:
I'm running 4.4.4 on the Nexus 5 and the USB works fine. The MTP driver
has to be installed (Windows) but that was there anyway on Win 7.

Am thinking of a new phone sometime (not in the next few weeks - but
sometime later), if the Nexus 6 had been available, would you have gone
for it over the 5?

Probably. Bigger the better for me.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 09:59:47 +0000, polygonum wrote:

On 26/10/2014 09:34, Bob Eager wrote:
I*am* having wi-fi problems with 4.4.4 - both on that and the Nexus 7.
Some apps/sites don't work well...very strange. When I have time I'm
going to roll back to 4.4.2 to see if that fixes it.

Interesting - what problems?

My Nexus 7 has 4.4.4 and I am not aware of any wi-fi issues. It connects
and works as expected. I think. :-)

Mine does, except for Facebook Messenger, MyFitnessPal (sync only) and a
few others.

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 06:20:03 +0000, Bod wrote:

Kies was enough to decide me against another Samsung phone!

I lilke the phones/tablets but Kies well I've already given my views
on that... I only use it for Syncing the calendar and contacts
between phone, tablet, Outlook and ancient HP iPAQ which it just
about manages to do reliably.

Just don't use the Kies program, it's really not necessary.

I'm in the process of moving across to ownCloud but the syncing
aspect is "non trivial" WTF can't devices just have a "sync" app
under which you can enter as many server details as you want, set one
as default and away you go using RFC whatever?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 21:35:46 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

In which file does an Android device store such things as the
calander and Contacts information for the stock apps that can be got
at without rooting the device?

A simple file copy doesn't do a proper sync either

And Google means contact syncing solves that problem. I do not "back up"
to google though - don't trust them that far...

I don't want any of my data anywhere near google...

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message , Bod
writes
On 26/10/2014 08:25, Bod wrote:
On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Hmm, seems that Kit Kat 4.4.4 has many issues according to this
linkEspecially for Nexus users.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/07...-internet-sear
ch-history/

"Android 4.4.4 KitKat update problems are, unsurprisingly, still
frustrating many Nexus users. Googles Product Forums are littered
with complaints about Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Some of the latest issues
including poor battery life on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, random reboots
to the Nexus 4, the usual Wi-Fi issues, GPS problems, random freezing
and lock ups, problems with email sync, and more.

snip more problems

I'm sure there are for some people, though whether any worse than
previous versions is another point.

E.g Googling android 4.4.2 problems seems to provide plenty of links.
--
Chris French

On 26/10/2014 11:35, Chris French wrote:
In message , Bod
writes
On 26/10/2014 08:25, Bod wrote:
On 26/10/2014 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's
love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it
will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Hmm, seems that Kit Kat 4.4.4 has many issues according to this
linkEspecially for Nexus users.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/07...-internet-sear
ch-history/

"Android 4.4.4 KitKat update problems are, unsurprisingly, still
frustrating many Nexus users. Googles Product Forums are littered
with complaints about Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Some of the latest issues
including poor battery life on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, random reboots
to the Nexus 4, the usual Wi-Fi issues, GPS problems, random freezing
and lock ups, problems with email sync, and more.

snip more problems

I'm sure there are for some people, though whether any worse than
previous versions is another point.

E.g Googling android 4.4.2 problems seems to provide plenty of links.


I'm running 4.4.2 on my tablet and have not had any bugs or problems.

In message , Bod
writes
On 26/10/2014 11:35, Chris French wrote:
In message , Bod
writes

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Hmm, seems that Kit Kat 4.4.4 has many issues according to this
linkEspecially for Nexus users.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/07...-internet-sear
ch-history/

"Android 4.4.4 KitKat update problems are, unsurprisingly, still
frustrating many Nexus users. Googles Product Forums are littered
with complaints about Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Some of the latest issues
including poor battery life on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, random reboots
to the Nexus 4, the usual Wi-Fi issues, GPS problems, random freezing
and lock ups, problems with email sync, and more.

snip more problems

I'm sure there are for some people, though whether any worse than
previous versions is another point.

E.g Googling android 4.4.2 problems seems to provide plenty of links.


I'm running 4.4.2 on my tablet and have not had any bugs or problems.

Which sort of my point really, any OS seems to have some problems with
some of the hardware.

Even Aple, when they control the hardware and the OS can still hit
problems that only affect some people.

Sure sometimes you do get a release that seems to have significant
issues for lots of people, biut I've not really seen any evidence that
4.4.4 or 4.4.2 have any more issues than nornmal

--
Chris French

On 26/10/2014 13:40, Chris French wrote:
In message , Bod
writes
On 26/10/2014 11:35, Chris French wrote:
In message , Bod
writes

Oh, I'm glad you told me that, I'll stick with version 4.4.2

Hmm, seems that Kit Kat 4.4.4 has many issues according to this
linkEspecially for Nexus users.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/07...-internet-sear

ch-history/

"Android 4.4.4 KitKat update problems are, unsurprisingly, still
frustrating many Nexus users. Googles Product Forums are littered
with complaints about Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Some of the latest issues
including poor battery life on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, random reboots
to the Nexus 4, the usual Wi-Fi issues, GPS problems, random freezing
and lock ups, problems with email sync, and more.

snip more problems

I'm sure there are for some people, though whether any worse than
previous versions is another point.

E.g Googling android 4.4.2 problems seems to provide plenty of links.


I'm running 4.4.2 on my tablet and have not had any bugs or problems.

Which sort of my point really, any OS seems to have some problems with
some of the hardware.

Even Aple, when they control the hardware and the OS can still hit
problems that only affect some people.

Sure sometimes you do get a release that seems to have significant
issues for lots of people, biut I've not really seen any evidence that
4.4.4 or 4.4.2 have any more issues than nornmal

Yes, you're probably right.

in 1344128 20141026 093150 Bob Eager wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 08:44:48 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On 26/10/14 07:56, Bob Martin wrote:
in 1344108 20141026 062826 Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's
love child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it
will show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Used to be true, but not with latest versions of KitKat.


Really - wonder what changed... Did it mess up the USB settings on the
phone?

I'm running 4.4.4 on the Nexus 5 and the USB works fine. The MTP driver
has to be installed (Windows) but that was there anyway on Win 7.

Don't you have to choose between MTP and camera?
When people refer to "USB" they usually mean MSD but that is not how it works now.

In article ,
Bod wrote:
On 25/10/2014 23:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
If you get an unbranded phone and don't think Google are Satan's love
child, you really do not need Kies at all IME.

File transfer is trivial via SFTP or USB direct.

Can you take me through getting the phone to connect via USB?

(sorry to butt in) You just connect it to the USB socket and it will
show up with any of your other drives on your computer.

Ah - right. Sadly there's no obvious address book file you can get at that
way.

--
*I'm really easy to get along with once people learn to worship me

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:46:50 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

You just connect it to the USB socket and it will show up with
any of
your other drives on your computer.

Ah - right. Sadly there's no obvious address book file you can get at
that way.

Aye, right PITA, WTF do they have to hide the files containing your
data and, in the stock apps, not provide a means to export as say
CSV. The file system is a right mess as well, files and directories
seemingy scattered about the place randomly.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 27/10/14 11:23, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:46:50 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

You just connect it to the USB socket and it will show up with
any of
your other drives on your computer.

Ah - right. Sadly there's no obvious address book file you can get at
that way.

Aye, right PITA, WTF do they have to hide the files containing your
data and, in the stock apps, not provide a means to export as say
CSV. The file system is a right mess as well, files and directories
seemingy scattered about the place randomly.


That I would agree with - for something that has notionally come from
the unix stable, Google have made a right mess of the file system.

There should be a "home" directory with a clean config, app data and
user data (photos, music etc) area.