I get lots of questions from people on how to use their Android device. So I’m going to cover basic subjects for your Android, and explain how you can use these features better. This isn’t (most of the time) going to be app reviews, but helpful hints that you can go and search and find what you need. The best way you can learn is to play with your Android!

Android Market

PRO: This is the official place to get apps and games for your device. Because of this, almost every application you can ever think of is available here.

CON: The newest version is very slow, with lots of bugs. It really needs better overseeing by Google to get rid of bad applications. The fifteen minute review period is also way too short in my opinion.

OVERALL: This is the first place I look for an application, and if it’s made for Android, it’s usually here. However, the newest version is slow and buggy. I had to wipe my EVO 3D recently and the newest version hasn’t downloaded yet. Truly, I like the older Market better. As with any app store, it’s important to read the description of the app before you download it.

Amazon App Store

PRO: The daily free apps are definitely a plus, as well as the ability to use Amazon Gift Cards to purchase apps and games.

CON: Updates to paid apps take weeks.

OVERALL: I have a love/hate relationship with the Amazon App Store.
There seems to be no way to purchase the free app of the day if you want to support the developer. Right now, Business Calendar is on sale for $1.99 and I would like to buy it since I use this app daily. Unfortunately, after contacting Amazon, there’s no way to do this. I like to support developers and I’m going to have to purchase Business Calendar from the Android Market to do that.
Another issue is the slow updating of apps. Amazon states that they are testing the apps for safety. Unfortunately, this testing is taking far too long. This is true for paid and free apps. These two issues really need to be addressed.

GetJar

PRO: Lots of high quality free apps.

CON: No updates.

OVERALL: GetJar offers lots of high quality apps for free, such as Cut the Rope and Paper Camera. But since the upgrade to Cut the Rope, it’s not available for free anymore. I’m thinking that is the catch to this. However, it’s a good place to download free apps that you might be interested in purchasing, but don’t want to spend the money on. I did this with Paper Camera, got it for free here, used it for a few days and went ahead and bought it. Think of GetJar as a place to take apps for a test drive before you buy them.

So, what are your thoughts on these three app stores? And what would you like me to cover in this series in the future? Let us know in the comments!