There has been a lot of Android news lately, especially with the release of the Nexus 7 from Google. With their low cost Android tablets are very popular, but are they just a novelty item or something that you can use to get real work done? After having my ASUS Transformer tablet for quite some time I believe you can be quite productive on an Android device. So I have put together a quick guide that highlights some great apps and products that you can use to be productive using your Android device.
Get a Keyboard
The moment I decided to get a keyboard for my Android tablet was the moment that it really became a device I used for more than just reading books and watching movies. The keyboard I am currently using is the Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android, which comes with an included stand. Using a keyboard makes writing e-mails and other word processing tasks so much easier and more comfortable.
Google Drive (download)
Over the past year or so I have been using Google Docs to do all of my word processing. It is not often at all that I open up Microsoft Word. Google Drive is all of your Google documents in one place for easy access to them. You can view and edit them very easily and once they are saved you can access them from any system with an internet connection. For those who are still looking to be able to view and edit Microsoft Office documents you may want to try OfficeSuite Pro 6.
WordPress (download)
If you run a website or blog there is a good chance that it is running on WordPress, if you didn’t know ThinkComputers runs on WordPress. The WordPress Android app is a great and easy way to update your website. I have used it many times to update ThinkComputers and my own personal blog. You can also use it to moderate comments.
Photo Editor (download)
When it comes to editing photos I’ve found that for the most part all I really need to do is resize photos and maybe sharpen them. A simple app called Photo Editor allows you to easily resize photos and make the quick edits that you need. If you are looking to re-size without loosing much quality be sure to check out depositphotos. It also has some cool effects and other features in it that you may like.
AndFTP (download)
When I have photos for the reviews and articles on ThinkComputers I need to get them on to the site via FTP. One of the easiest to use FTP apps for Android that I found is AndFTP. You simply put in your FTP server info and hit connect and you are good to go. With AndFTP you are able to download and upload files quite easily.
Dropbox (download)
Dropbox is another very easy way to get files off of your Android device and on to your main PC or other devices. Dropbox is cloud storage that you can sync with all of your devices so it is available anywhere you have an internet connection. I have dropbox on all of my devices (tablet, iPhone, laptop and desktop) that way I have access to my important files wherever I go.
Gmail (download)
I really would suggest using Gmail for all of your e-mail accounts. All of the ThinkComputers accounts run through gmail as well as my other personal accounts. Having your account on gmail makes it so you can access it anywhere there is an internet connection. I really like the Gmail app for Android as it looks almost like how Gmail looks on a desktop. And of course I have easy access to my e-mails on the go.
If you are looking to become more productive on your Android tablet or phone check out some of these apps. Do you think we missed a great productivity app? Let us know in the comments!
Other great productivity tools:
Box – online storage, gives lots of space away to Android users (or at least did initially)
CamScanner – best scanner app for receipts and such
Cloud Print – print to computer with Chrome open and logged in, or use the cloudprint daemon for Linux.
ConnectBot – /the/ SSH program for Android. Work remotely…from anything.
Epistle – best note taking app I’ve found outside of Evernote. uses markdown format for text, syncs with Dropbox. I’ve written many of my TC articles in it!
Fing – best network testing tool I’ve found. Runs a network scan on startup.
Hacker’s Keyboard – Best keyboard for using Android like a regular computer, almost required for using ConnectBot
Jota Text Editor – Best general text editor
The problem with using gmail as your only email address; is that many forums won’t allow users to register, as their User Banning Options often include @gmail.com. Why?
Because 90% of all SPAM (including forum spammers) that hits many forums, the spammers themselves are using gmail accounts.
Brechan, we run our e-mail through gmail, not actually using a @gmail.com address as the main address so when we register for forums and other things we can still use our @thinkcomputers.org address
How about getting your smartphone rooted? Will solve a lot of other things.