HP App CatalogLike all modern mobile devices there's an app store on the TouchPad. The HP App Catalog has all of the basic features of any other app store. Reviews, ratings, categories, search, etc.
Are all there. There are a couple of things here that are worth mentioning.
The first is how easy HP makes it to switch between positive and negative reviews, as well as the graphics used to show overall ratings on an app.The second is just how many TouchPad apps there are in the catalog. Obviously iOS is still in the lead in terms of app quantity but I'm not a big fan of playing the numbers game when it comes to app stores.
I personally believe that what matters are whether the dozen or so apps that you regularly use are on the platform you care about. For me the TouchPad's catalog is complete enough given my tablet usage model (mostly email, web browsing, Facebook, videos, music and photos).
One absence that I know will impact a lot of users is Netflix, unfortunately I haven't seen any estimate for if/when a Netflix app will appear on the TouchPad.Next year HP is expected to begin shipping webOS on its PCs as well. As one of the largest PC vendors in the world, this could seriously increase the install base for webOS and make it even more attractive for developers. I wouldn't count HP out of the app game at this point, not by a long shot.webOS Smartphone Apps on the TouchPadYou can run non-TouchPad specific webOS apps on the tablet as well, they just appear in a smaller 320 x 480 window.
The biggest issue with non-tablet webOS apps is that they all run in portrait mode, even if you rotate your TouchPad:This seems like an oversight on HP's part but it's an annoying one nonetheless. There's also no way to scale up the size of these apps, they remain confined to a 320 x 480 space on the screen.Placeholder AppsThere's a YouTube icon in the apps list, tapping it will bring up what looks like a YouTube card. After a couple of seconds however it'll just load a web browser that takes you to youtube.com:I suspect there's a YouTube app coming, but it's just not ready yet. Note that RIM did a lot of this type of thing on the PlayBook as well (e.g. With its Gmail and Facebook icons).It does get worse on the TouchPad unfortunately. In the HP app catalog there are a number of apps that you can download that are just placeholders for apps to come.
For example, you can download the Kindle app but launching it will give you this:A screen telling you that the Kindle app is coming. Admittedly HP doesn't try to hide this from you, in the description on the App Catalog HP tells you that this is just a placeholder.
On the bright side when the Kindle app is available you don't have to search for it to download it, you'll just have to update the app you already downloaded. 67 Comments.
Sunday, July 17, 2011 - I am not kidding, because I don't think these tablets today are useful at all. I've used the Asus Transformer with the KBD dock since it was out and I find the experience from counter-productive to just plain atrocious. Today's ultra portable laptops and netbooks got it all covered.Honeycomb is really a poor Tablet OS because without my keyboard dock, I felt the touchscreen UI is really lacking in this form factor. So many apps just aren't well designed for the landscape mode.
Even native apps like Zinio or book reader apps perform so awfully slow on Honeycomb like they aren't optimized.I've used the HP Touchpad just the other day and found it to be snappy and a pleasurable experience. But I'm not sold, it felt like it was missing something. Apps!That's why I said people don't really want a tablet, they want the iPad because there are thousands of apps for everything that you need.The OS really is not the most important feature of these OSes, it's the apps. The OS with the best and most abundant quality apps is the one people want. Monday, July 18, 2011 - I'm not sure that's true.The number of useful apps is really limited, which is one of the reasons many people never complained about the initial 200 app limitation - you just delete one of the silly apps that you never really used.
Those that are useful are very popular and programmers have ported them across multiple OSes.I think people are more likely to get the OS that also meshes with existing devices, mainly because they're app-locked. If you spent $300 on apps for your phone, you probably don't want to switch OSes and spend another $300 for your tablet. Plus, your existing apps will sync between devices (notes, email, budget apps). Having everything Apple (notebook, phone, tablet, TV, Air) makes things easier for some people.People might not care about the OS so much as efficiency and performance (battery life and run speed).
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - Actually, it is true. Let's forget the total number of apps available and instead focus on the number of USEFUL apps. IOS and the App Store still has that in spades. For the casual consumer, the App Store is filled with quality casual games and misc. Entertainment apps. For the productivity-minded user, iOS and the App Store is STILL the go to place for productivity apps.
Just take a look at professional apps that are available to business users (most if not all DM vendors have their own apps that will hook you into your enterprise DM, there's also CRM apps that hooks into the big CRM enterprise apps, same goes for RM, Gotomeeting and Webex first appeared on iOS outside of their desktop counterparts, etc. Heck, there's been actual court trials where the counsel brought in the iPad to show all their exhibits because out of all the different means of presenting exhibits, the iPad was the best fit for the purpose).The reality is that the BULK of the iPad customers purchased it because of what was promised in the commercial and news articles. Namely something that is easy to use and serves basic computing needs well (browsing the internet, watching videos, listening to music, and of course, apps). They've also heard about how the iPad has been utilized in many different professional capacities (education, medical, etc.).
THAT'S what is moving the iPad off the shelves as soon as it arrives on aforementioned shelves.For all intent and purpose, the majority of iPad owners bought it not because they wanted a tablet. The reality is that they may not even know that there's a class of computers called tablets. All they know is that Apple makes this product called the iPad and that the iPad does pretty much everything they think a computer can do and it's like carrying around a magazine. Luckily the iPad fits into the minds of most consumers as to what a computer is and should do.
We of course know better and know that a full computer is MUCH more capable than any iPad but then again, we're not just some Joe Shmoe, we're at the minimum, power users. We're not the core iPad customers but luckily, the iPad has been sufficient even for folks like us.So, ultimately how does something like webOS, Windows Phone 7, and android fit into the equation? Well, they basically don't because they really haven't been able to promise the 'does almost everything your computer can do' as well as Apple has.
The reason for this is due to 3rd party app support. Face it, the core audience is not going to give a hoot if something like whatever the iOS game of the week is will eventually hit android.
They just want whatever device will play whatever app that is buzzing around with hype now. For the enterprise, the enterprise is not going to go for a device which currently isn't supported currently by their DM vendor (you can tell that I work in IT and deal a lot with content management systems). They need the support now, not later.
Developers and vendors alike develop for iOS first and android they often will or will not develop for but there is a big delay before it hits platforms other than iOS. Now you might argue that android outsells iOS but think about this. The devices that are flying off the shelves for android are phones. If you go into a mobile phone shop or a big box retailer, the bulk of the phones they sell are android devices. Even for a person who just wants a simple phone to make calls and text on, there's a VERY high possibility that they will walk out with a android device. Do they necessarily care or even know about android? No, they just wanted a phone and it was probably on sale or free so they walked out of the store with it.
It can be pretty safe to say that a HUGE chunk of android users didn't intentionally go out to buy a android device, they just needed a phone and that was the one that was probably pushed on them at the store. Let's face it, if dad or mom who just needs a phone to replace their broken dumb phone and they walk into Verizon and the sales rep goes 'Oh, you want something economical? Here's a great phone, it's $50 with contract AND it's JUST LIKE AN IPHONE!'
Guess what, they are probably going to leave the store with that phone because #1 it's cheap and practically free #2 they don't really know what android or iOS is but when someone says that 'it's just like an iphone' it sounds like a good thing.To summarize, the majority of users DO NOT CARE. As long as the thing does what they expected it to do.
If you managed to snag a HP TouchPad for $99, youll want to get the most out of your bargain tablet. The HP App Catalog is one of the smallest out there, but its where youll want to go for the few good apps, and best of all-free apps-to keep you entertained until hackers port.Slideshow:As a side note to the list below, you may notice that no links are provided to the apps I suggest here. That's because HP does not offer any direct links to specific apps.
That means if you're not reading this on a WebOS phone or tablet, that give you direct access to HP's app catalog, you'll need to visit.Let's look at 10 interesting WebOS apps that won't cost you a penny.Facebook: Social NetworkingThe WebOS Facebook app is an elegant way to keep in touch with your friends. The free app supports Facebook messaging, news feed, a list of upcoming events, and features HP webOS notifications. You can also upload photos taken with the built-in camera directly to Facebook.Spaz HD: Twitter Client Be sure to learn the — and beware the. Get the latest on digital transformation. Spaz is a full-featured three-column, multiple-accounts Twitter client for TouchPads which performs just as well as its paid competitors. The free app currently lacks support for lists and Exhibition mode.WordPress: BloggingThe TouchPad can make a bargain mobile blogging machine with the free Wordpress app featuring an elegant sliding panels interface. You can write and edit posts, moderate comments and theres support for multiple blogs too.Epicurious: RecipesFoodies have a refuge in the free Epicurious app, which lets you find recipes based on category or specific ingredients.
Word came out of the HP webOS community this week that there are now tablet. Crack excel password macro free. This is significant given the short life of the TouchPad, especially given there may be than this.
There are some very good apps for the TouchPad, and with an estimated million owners it makes sense to take a fresh look at them.I use many of the apps on this list, while others have been highly recommended to me by TouchPad owners. The apps cover the range from productivity apps to entertainment and games.
To prevent starting a popularity debate, the apps are listed in totally random order. They're all good, and all available through the HP App Catalog on the TouchPad.Image Gallery: presented in streenshots along with full descriptions of the appsGraphite. This Twitter app is not available yet but should hit the App Catalog any day. It is an update of the popular Carbon Twitter app for the Pre, updated for the big TouchPad screen. Information leaked so far show this may be one of the best Twitter apps available for any platform once released.
I would keep an eye out for Graphite. Price unknown.Zinio. Tablets make wonderful readers for magazine content and the Zinio service has been providing digital versions of many popular publications for years. The TouchPad version has been submitted to HP for inclusion in the App Catalog, so Zinio should be appearing at any time. Using flash cards is a good way to study, and this app makes it easy and fruitful. I don't use this myself, but I was overwhelmed with recommendations for FlashCards by TouchPad owners. I heard from both students and professionals who have used FlashCards to study for certification exams.
It can be used to study for a variety of educational and professional tests, along with learning a second language. It works in conjunction with quizlet.com which has lots of study aids available for use with FlashCards. This Google Reader app is one of the most heavily used apps on my TouchPad. It syncs all of my hundreds of RSS fees with the Google mothership, and is as fast as greased lightning. It is not uncommon for me to have over a thousand articles in my inbox, and TouchFeeds makes it a breeze to sail through them in short order.
The Touchpad is perfect for watching video, and this app is a great way to do that. It provides access to online video shows, network TV shows, podcasts and movies. The interface is simple and makes the large amount of available video shows very accessible. It is a great way to spend some unexpected free time with your tablet.
TouchPad owners new to the webOS platform will likely want to keep up with the latest news about the OS. This app makes following the major communities discussing topics of interest, complete with reading new enthusiast postings and replying. It is based on the TapaTalk app that Android users are very familiar with. Those who prefer a visual presentation for RSS news should look no further than Mosaic. This app syncs with Google Reader and brings unread news items into a distinctive grid that lets news of interest stand out from the crowd. I find it can be overwhelming for the hundreds of RSS feeds I follow, but those with fewer to keep track of will like it just fine.
The multitasking of the TouchPad is good, and the card metaphor used to represent running apps is innovative. There are times when it is nice to run multiple tasks in a single app, and Glimpse steps up to handle this in style. The app can have as many as 5 panes open at once, each running a different task to show the most information on a screen possible. Glimpse includes a number of widgets to run in these panes that handle common tasks, like Twitter, Google Reader, regular RSS feeds and even a web browser. Users can configure as many panes as desired from the full palette available. I was impressed with Glimpse and wrote a $5.00.Those who use Flickr for handling photos online will love this app.
Flickr Mundo HD makes everything done with Flickr nice and easy, and well adapted to the TouchPad screen. There is a convenient bulk editing mode for working with groups of photos, and a slide show that works well with Exhibition mode in the Touchstone dock.
Even a dead device needs a good zombie game and this one is perfectly adapted for play on the TouchPad. The graphics and audio are gorgeous and set the atmosphere for this game that sends more zombies at you than you can shake a stick at. You'd better be shaking more than a stick if you want to last long.
$5.99 special promotion. New TouchPad owners may not be aware that HP made an arrangement with the box.net folks to provide all TouchPad buyers a free 50GB cloud storage account for life. This free account is still being offered at this time and the Box app, required to sign up for the free account, makes working with all of that free cloud storage a breeze. A 50GB account at box.net is normally $20/ month so your cheap TouchPad just got paid for many times over.
Star Trek fans will appreciate this app that provides a themed Exhibition mode screen. The clock and alarms are easily accessible and function as expected.
The app comes with a number of alarms that sound very Star Trek appropriate. While LCARS is meant to run in Exhibition mode while in the Touchstone charging stand, it can be run as any other app for the Star Trek atmosphere. Free.The TouchPad makes a good podcast device given its good multi-tasking, and this app is a great way to handle them.
Podcast feeds are easily added for automatic streaming or downloading. The internal player is simple but works well, and remembers the current location for leaving and coming back when time permits. Tablets are good for watching video on the go and Rev3 is a good interface for the Revision3 online network.
This network hosts lots of popular video podcasts such as Diggnation and Tekzilla. The Rev3 has an internal player for simple viewing of your favorite Revision3 show. This twitter app handles multiple columns for easily following your friends, mentions and direct messages. It recently gained the ability to work with lists and the columns can be dragged and dropped in the desired order. This is one of the few twitter apps I have used on any platform that works just as well in portrait and landscape orientations.
Spaz HD is a great twitter app and is open source and produced by volunteers. TWiT is the best online video network bar none, and this app makes keeping up with the great shows a breeze.
It is similar to the Rev3 app mentioned above, and like that one turns watching TWiT video into a thing of beauty. Free.This game consists of beautiful scenes that are explored by the main character who has wings and glides through them all. The glider is controlled by tilting the TouchPad and directing your character around obstacles, collecting powerups, and using clearly indicated thermals to keep aloft.
The game is almost Zen-like with its calming scenes, soothing music and a pace that is easy. Playing Glyder 2 is a great way to unwind after a busy day in the real world. Keeping up with a busy task list is a perfect task for the TouchPad, and this app brings it all to life. The toodleTasks app syncs with the popular Toodledo online task management, and provides a bevy of filters and views to allow even the busiest TouchPad owner to keep on top of things.
This is one of the most heavily used apps on my TouchPad. Zuma fans will recognize the gameplay of Sparkle and feel right at home. The graphics are outstanding and the gameplay is addictive as it is simple to start but gets downright hard to win at the advanced levels. Sparkle HD looks good and is tons of fun on the TouchPad. $4.99.Sometimes relaxing games are not the call of the day, and only pulse-pounding action will do. This game has that at every level and is a great addition to the Need for Speed racing game series. The controls have been adapted for the TouchPad and make it easy to control the vast collection of cars you can drive in the game, including police cars.
Hp App Store
The graphics are stunning, performance is great, and gameplay is first-rate. $9.99.Bonus app: Splashtop Remote. The TouchPad is a good format for remote controlling into a Mac or Windows desktop for access on the go. Splashtop Remote turns any Mac or Windows desktop into a fully touch-optimized system that can be accessed anywhere in the world. See my for details about the program.
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