24 June 2011 Friday

Essential Android Apps 2011

L pointed me to this article http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/5-android-apps-that-should-be-on-every-smartphone/3023

I installed LauncherPro early on and liked it, but found it was just a layer over my existing UI, and wasn’t dramatically better enough to accept the potential decreases in performance and weird flashes caused by having layered UIs. I uninstalled.
I didn’t like Beautiful Widgets. too much going on.
Amazon MP3 I have. I question considering that an essential ap, though.
I tried Dolphin Browser HD, but ended up much happier with Miren Browser.
Multicon Widget I had and loved before the new phone reboot, but I did not bother reinstalling and setting up again on the new phone because the setup and making modifications are a pain in the @$$. It does allow you to lay out your screens more as you want (fit more items in more rows and columns than default allows (default on my phone is four rows of four columns (across five screens that you can flick through); I miss the multicon layout but not the setting up, and I prefer the flexibility of easily moving things around as is possible without relying on it. Also, I tend to use three screens; I leave the end screens empty (I use when I want to add things on the fly).

I have Tasker but I think it may be causing crashes/instability so I uninstalled again.

essential:
Quick Settings
Google Maps
one of the several good DC Metro apps

Had posted my Essential/Favorite Android Apps lists in January..