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Topic: Tablets

Must-have apps for the Nexus 7

Summary: The new tablet from Google is capturing my devotion the longer I use it. These apps turn the Nexus 7 into an even greater tablet.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

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Apex Launcher

Apex Launcher (free and paid version)

Some owners are unhappy at the inability to display the home screen in landscape orientation. Apex Launcher is a replacement launcher that allows screen rotation and so much more.

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Topics: Tablets, Google, Mobility

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20 comments
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  • Just got mine and ...

    Am haivng fun with it.
    Will be comparing it to my Transformer and iPad 2.
    More to come.....
    rhonin
    Reply 4 Votes

    • A couple of good ones for you Rhonin

      Dead Trigger
      Shadowgun THD
      Max Payne
      Kingsoft Office
      Sketchbook pro
      Photoshop Touch
      Symantec protection
      Google Voice

      Those are way better than the apps listed in this article.
      slickjim
      Reply 3 Votes

      • Dead Trigger

        Hi Weekid,
        I installed Dead Trigger on my new Nexus 7 and it won't run. It's the only app, so far, that doesn't. Shadowgun works. Does Dead Trigger work on your Nexus or were you assuming it would? Has anyone else installed Dead Trigger on a Nexus 7? What happened?
        Raw Burt
        Reply Vote

    • So Far - Not Bad At All

      Installed my basic apps:
      QuickOffice Pro
      DropBox
      GoogleVoice
      Flipboard
      Kindle
      Google+
      AmazonMP3
      Google Drive
      and a few others....

      So far very nice. First let me say I approached this as a consumption device primarily.
      So far it has been great! Love the size for general daily use. Easily held in one hand.

      Quickly found myself using it for email, basic note taking, ebook reading, browsing the internet, etc ....
      It so far has run almost every Android app I use (Bejeweled is a no go). At the end of this, Day One, I found myself using it a lot more than either my Transformer or iPad2. Now to see if this is a "new" device syndrome response or a real change.

      The only issue I have run into so far is a quirk in Chrome. Sometimes when selecting a field for data entry, the device will zoom in and wisk the field off screen instead of bringing up the keyboard.

      Liking it! Will likely buy another (wife wants one).
      rhonin
      Reply 3 Votes

  • I thought you were going to list apps to make the Nexus 7 a workhorse

    But that would be foolish, right? :P
    Michael Alan Goff
    Reply 4 Votes

  • It'd absurd the homescreen doesn't rotate. Why on earth not?

    It'd absurd the homescreen doesn't rotate. Why on earth not? It always has before. Landscape for me is a more natural orientation for tablets.
    bradavon
    Reply 6 Votes

    • Drop Preconceptions - Maybe.....

      I felt the same at first. Then I tried doing the one hand hold, thumb on one side fingers on the other. Now I find that using that way is easier for the size.

      There are a few times I would like landscape though.
      rhonin
      Reply 1 Vote

    • Landscape works fine

      Drag down the notification window and tap on the auto-rotate control. It's turned off by default.
      Zyxygy
      Reply Vote

  • Steve Ballmer must be having nightmares

    He went there on stage, showed the surface, a touch device that nobody can touch; one month later Google announce the Nexus, and they are already selling it like little hot cakes. Android and Apple are competing for roughly 90% of the tablet market, the leftovers being contested by RIM & MS.
    theo_durcan
    Reply 1 Vote

    • Yawn .......

      and when the Surface launches it will be the current "hotcake".

      Next!
      rhonin
      Reply Vote

      • it will be.... that's the difference

        wait for WP7. wait for mango. wait for Nokia. wait for WP8.
        we are talking reality, not wet dreams.

        Next!
        theo_durcan
        Reply Vote

        • Don't think this is a "wet dream"

          The only thing I see that will potentially hurt the Surface is cost.
          Nope.... this one looks pretty damm real.
          rhonin
          Reply Vote

        • new kids..

          Why are you so worried about Steve Ballmer? He knows how to sell his stuff ...
          owllnet
          Reply Vote

  • Thanks!

    Thanks for the post, James. I'm one of those that wanted landscape on the home screen, so this was very useful.

    I know you've gotten away from "inking" on tablets, but I'm still a tablet pc-er. I found the 7notes app which gives the equivalent of the tablet pc tip in any application. Works great on the Nexus 7 and OneNote or Evernote.
    Dave_RI
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Nice Selection!

    Great selection of apps! I have also found http://must-have-apps.org to be a great resource as well in finding the best free and paid apps for iphone / ipad
    Lia Piera
    Reply Vote

  • no flash!

    I am very disappointed that Android 4.1 does not play flash content. Almost convinced me to return my Nexus 7.
    brooktondale
    Reply 1 Vote

    • Flash

      You can sideload flash apk and use modzilla beta and you should be okay. I know, it sux that flash is not supported on any mobile after ICS. It's not just the Nexus 7, it's JellyBean 4.1 and beyond. I really wanted to be able to use Chrome, but unfortunately.... You know, at least whoever is in charge of everything Android, could have made HTML5 supported browser that supports HTML5, right? RIGHT. :-\
      Sherri Dalton
      Reply Vote

  • More apps

    You can find more apps in this Nexus 7 Starter Guide - Must-Have Apps:
    http://android.zranks.com/nexus-7-must-have-apps
    Azzoth
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Many Nice Apps worth a keep

    Well, the Nexus 7 combines the best of both Google and ASUS design, with the most advanced software from Google paired with cutting edge ASUS hardware. Really enjoy it!
    Thanks for this nice collecting! I also found this list of "Must Have Android Apps for Google Nexus 7" in Enolsoft blog is really the best I came across on this deserving topic.
    Lemoon
    Reply Vote

  • Got the Nexus Yesterday..

    Didn't buy it expecting to be a Surface Pro, not even close. But looking at the selection of current Windows 8 Pro tablets, I realized it's going to be 2 or 3 years before it's going to even get into the $399 or less range if ever. The Nexus 7, when compared to Kindle HD, Playbook, etc, is a great deal and Jelly Bean is a nice step in the right direction finally. Wouldn't call myself an Android fan but my wife's LG phone with ICS really caught my attention last month. Google has been busy the last couple years making Android actually usable. So based off my experience with her phone I knew I was getting a fairly safe purchase with the Nexus 7 and the quad core Tegra built in, and have been pleased with the selection of apps and games in the Play store so far. Still a Windows Phone user, still got my 2 year old Focus with Mango installed, never had a issue, fun to surf the internet with, never freezes up, etc, but I've decided, just like with game consoles, sometimes it's better to be open minded and try a little bit of everything. Xbox Surface 7" will be something to consider when it launches next year, but for now Nexus 7 is a great deal for the price.
    charlesdjones1
    Reply Vote
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