Thursday, November 12, 2009

10 Android apps I use on Archos 5 IT


UPDATED: Google Maps now working!

Click here to see more


I have been using Archos 5 IT quite a lot, but the missing access to Android Market has made installing apps a bit too hard..

Main apps has been the internet browser and Twidroid but I needed some others too. Here are the 10 top apps I have been using with download links:

1. YouTube player

Archos has it's own player onboard, but it is far from stable and about a week ago stopped working with youtube videos. YouTube changed something inside their api and Archos have been slow to fix it. ( same happened to other related 3rd party apps but they fixed the issues in hours )

This player can't do HD videos like Archos own player but it's stable and fast to open. After installing it you get popup asking which player to use for videos. ( you can keep it asking or make it default )

You can't download it from Archos own apps store but I found it from here.



2. TubeDroid YouTube downloader

As the name says, it downloads youtube videos. Works fine and even keeps the videos under it's own list. You can choose which player to use with it.

Available here for $1.99 payment with PayPal or Credit Card.



3. AnySoftKeyboard

On screen keyboard for multiple languages. I like it more than Archos default.

Download from AndAppStore



4. Settings switches

CurveFish has selection of switches for easy access to setting like brightness, GPS, bluetooth, wifi and autorotate. I use the brightness swich.

Download from CurveFish

5. BatteryLife Widget

Big battery meter widget. It shows the battery life more accurate than the tiny default one.

Download from CurveFish



6. AndExplorer

Basic file explorer, but lets you open media like videos on any player where Archos own always opens on it's own player/viewer.

Download from AndAppStore



7. Meridian Player Evolve

Video and audio player for Android. Let's you play music or podcast on the background while surfing etc. ( default one turns off on background )

Download from AndAppStore




8. Skype Lite for Android

Skype app without voip..( uuuh! ) good for chatting.

Version 1.0.0.5 here

Mirrors



9. Nimbuzz

IM client supporting many networks. New version let's you send pictures too.

Get from Nimbuzz



10. Big PlanetTW

As Acrhos 5 IT doesn't have access to Android Market nor Google Mapps app ( and even if you get any G app, they won't install ) you may want to use this basic Google maps app with support for GPS, search and offline use. You can download maps and use it for very basic map browsing with GPS without internet connection.

Download from here

UPDATE: Google Maps now working! Get it from here



There must be tons of other good applications and vidgets for it but as you need to hunt them it's frustrating. I hope Archos updates to newer Android with all Google goodies and Market soon...

Any good apps you are using? ( with download links please ;) )









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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://plwweasel.blogspot.com/
last.fm - had to search
pandora - had to search
NewsRob - AndApp Store (online/offline Google Reader)
WiFiBuddy - AndAppStore
Babbler Lite - AndAppStore (Facebook)
Beautiful Widgets - had to search
TouchDown - AndAppStore (ms exchange activesync)

Anonymous said...

the most important app to have is TasKiller. Android on the Archos does not seem to have good app memory management and I was having issues with to many apps running and slowing down. Now with TasKiller, you can put a widget on the screen that you just tap the app icon to kill. Awesome!

Anonymous said...

Well, seven of those ten apps would interest me.

You need to do another post about how you're finding the Archos to be in daily use and life.

Do you have any confidence in them sticking with it? There's been no firmware update this week, which I find spooky given the new YouTube issue.

Anonymous said...

@ plwweasel
Good Prog, but if Archos made a better Job you dont need it. And thats the point for me. Such a nice device and then that. For no a no go for me. Hope to see better Firmware in future, cause i whant one :-)

Charbax said...

I like these:

DoggCatcher - downloads audio and video podcasts automatically, also automatically deletes old episodes to make space if you want

IM+ - I use this one for my IMing, Google Talk etc.

Transdroid - fantastic app to remotely control my Transmission BitTorrent client which is always running on my Fonera 2.0n see http://techvideoblog.com/reviews/video-review-of-fonera-20n-the-best-value-wifi-router-nas-and-home-server/

Loops - kind of fun music sequencer, though seems to be kind of basic, I am looking for something a bit more advanced.

Close Everything 2 - that's the one I use for closing apps in one click to make sure they are not blocking full standby or using too many resources in the background (though I'm looking forward to hopefully better process and standby management with Android 1.6 and 2.0 updates)

SIPdroid - I wish it worked a bit better though, maybe I need to test it with a bluetooth headset

Better Keyboard 3.4 - not sure if this one or AnyKeyboard that you use is the best keyboard

Autostarts - maybe manages which apps I want to auto start and always run in the background, I need to test it more

FeedR - automatically downloads RSS feeds to read them while offline. Can sync with Google Reader OPML as well.

There are some of the tested ones posted at http://wiki.archosfans.com/index.php?title=List_of_Applications_tested_to_work

Though I am looking forward to more and much better apps.

Unknown said...

For navigation you might want to try AndNav2: http://www.andnav.org/
Browser: Steel http://www.kolbysoft.com/
or Dolphin Browser: http://www.androidfreeware.net/download-dolphin-browser.html
Email: K9 - http://code.google.com/p/k9mail/

gmich said...

Thanks for the app suggestions, jkk. Just picked up the Archos 5 a few days ago and am really liking it so far. They need to get the YouTube bug fixed, but your suggested alternative is working OK in the meantime.

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