One of the most anticipated apps for Android was an office suite. DataViz released Documents To Go, which is without any doubt one of the best apps for the platform. The current version includes Word to go and Excel to go, which do the job of Word and Excel from Microsoft Office. When selected, both applications have the option to open the last viewed documents, as well as create new ones. Documents can be opened from every folder of the phone or the memory card, using the build-in file manager.
This app blew my mind when I first saw it. In less than 5 MB, DataViz manages to pack a completely functional office suite. First I will talk more about Word to go. It can open and save .doc files (for now), as well as the Word 2007 format documents! It has very rich feature set, including many options for formatting the font, paragraph, bullets and numbering; option for inserting a table, page break, comments and so on. Just 6 fonts are included for now, I hope for more to come soon. The app works flawless and very fast, I have not had any single problem, working with it. G1's physical keyboard makes text inputting and editing easy, once I install Cupcake, I will test the virtual keyboard, too.
Sheet to go is the spreadsheet app in the suite. Similar to Word to go, it is packed with features, making it a very decent substitute for Excel, when light work is required. Some of the more interesting options are: inserting Functions (over 100 of them), rows, columns, sheets, autosum, hiding and showing rows and columns, sort by rows and so on. Formatting the cells includes changing the color of them, the font settings (just Arial is possible as a font here) and more. Inputting formulas or using the built-in ones is very easy and intuitive. Selecting text and multiple cells is also possible, using the trackball and holding Shift.
Worth installing? YES! YES! YES! One of my personal favorites and a candidate for the "Best Android application" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? Many things. Don't get me wrong, even now it is amazing, but still I wish it had all the functionality of Open Office ;) . First, a PowerPoint alternative with decent functionality to complement the rest of the suite. Second, more fonts and a spellcheck for all applications. Graph building for Sheet to go. Database app may be too much to ask for, but I will not mind having it. And most important, I hate the $20 price tag on it.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
Showing posts with label recommended. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recommended. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Android Apps Review: Labyrinth Lite
Labyrinth Lite is the second game I review that needs only the accelerometer for control. It represents an wooden labyrinth with many holes. The goal of the game is to move the metal ball throughout the levels, without falling into the holes. The Lite version offers 10 levels with increasing difficulty. The time for passing each level is also recorded, so players can compare their best results. The game requires steady hands and lots of patience, just a second of inattention can mean starting the level again. There is also a paid version with more levels and other extra options.
The graphics are excellent, very polished and realistic. The response of the accelerometer can be set up to the player's preferences and is in general very responsive. The sound consists of the noise that the ball makes when hitting the side of the labyrinth - again it is very realistic.
Worth installing? Yes. A very entertaining app , which I consider to be yet another candidate for the "Best Android game" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? The gameplay and graphics are already excellent. More available levels in the Lite version would be nice.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
The graphics are excellent, very polished and realistic. The response of the accelerometer can be set up to the player's preferences and is in general very responsive. The sound consists of the noise that the ball makes when hitting the side of the labyrinth - again it is very realistic.
Worth installing? Yes. A very entertaining app , which I consider to be yet another candidate for the "Best Android game" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? The gameplay and graphics are already excellent. More available levels in the Lite version would be nice.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Android Apps Review: Doom
After several months waiting, finally we have Doom available for Android. The port is excellent, recreating the Doom experience at its best.
After installing the app from the Market, the user is asked to download one or more of the game files, which are conveniently saved to the memory card. From there, once the chosen file is selected, the game begins. There are a few options, including Full Screen and Sound. The Full Screen option is really valuable, since the big and bright screen of the G1 is excellent for the purpose. I used to have Doom on my old Sony Ericsson W810, which was still good, but here everything looks and feels the way it is supposed to be.
Once started, the game is exactly the Doom we all remember. For those, who haven't played the original PC game, Doom is a 3D shooter with several weapons, many big levels and tons of fun. All the options are available in this port - Save, Load, Map, Run ... The graphics and the sound are very good, even though sometimes the sound is not synchronized perfectly with the events on the screen. The gameplay uses the keyboard to move and use the function keys, while the trackball aims and shoots, when pressed. The learning curve with this game is very small, all the controls feel natural. My only concern is that the trackball may be damaged after long hours of playing. An alternative way to shoot is by tapping the screen, which is still not convenient, holding the phone with both hands. There are frequent updates to the game, which bring new features or fix bugs.
One major issue to be noticed is that this game requires physical keyboard, so G2, Samsung i7500 and some other devices will not be able to offer the full experience of it.
Update: The latest version released adds on-screen controls moving and use/open. Now the owners of keyboard-less Android devices can also enjoy this game.
Worth installing? Absolutely. I personally recommend this game to anyone who has G1. Another candidate for the "Best Android game" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? I wished the saved games were kept when updating the game. Another way to shoot, probably by pressing the Back key or another keyboard key. Better synchronization of the sound the gameplay. Other games, using the same emulator - Wolfenstein, Heretic and so.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
After installing the app from the Market, the user is asked to download one or more of the game files, which are conveniently saved to the memory card. From there, once the chosen file is selected, the game begins. There are a few options, including Full Screen and Sound. The Full Screen option is really valuable, since the big and bright screen of the G1 is excellent for the purpose. I used to have Doom on my old Sony Ericsson W810, which was still good, but here everything looks and feels the way it is supposed to be.
Once started, the game is exactly the Doom we all remember. For those, who haven't played the original PC game, Doom is a 3D shooter with several weapons, many big levels and tons of fun. All the options are available in this port - Save, Load, Map, Run ... The graphics and the sound are very good, even though sometimes the sound is not synchronized perfectly with the events on the screen. The gameplay uses the keyboard to move and use the function keys, while the trackball aims and shoots, when pressed. The learning curve with this game is very small, all the controls feel natural. My only concern is that the trackball may be damaged after long hours of playing. An alternative way to shoot is by tapping the screen, which is still not convenient, holding the phone with both hands. There are frequent updates to the game, which bring new features or fix bugs.
One major issue to be noticed is that this game requires physical keyboard, so G2, Samsung i7500 and some other devices will not be able to offer the full experience of it.
Update: The latest version released adds on-screen controls moving and use/open. Now the owners of keyboard-less Android devices can also enjoy this game.
Worth installing? Absolutely. I personally recommend this game to anyone who has G1. Another candidate for the "Best Android game" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? I wished the saved games were kept when updating the game. Another way to shoot, probably by pressing the Back key or another keyboard key. Better synchronization of the sound the gameplay. Other games, using the same emulator - Wolfenstein, Heretic and so.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
Android Apps Review: To Do List
To Do List is another list creating app for Android. What makes it unique is its very simple and straight-forward interface. The main window shows the title of the task, clicking on it shows its description. Every task can be prioritized as having a High, Medium or Low priority, which is pretty much the only option possible. There is no way to organize the tasks in lists or change their order within the same priority ones. However, it does its job very well by sticking to its main concept - to help you stay organized.
Worth installing? One of my favorite apps by far for Android. Many other similar apps fail by trying to be too complex or fancy, while To Do List relies on simplicity to succeed. Definitely worth installing.
What do I want to see in future versions? Alphabetical listing of the tasks.
Rating: 8/10
RECOMMENDED APP
Worth installing? One of my favorite apps by far for Android. Many other similar apps fail by trying to be too complex or fancy, while To Do List relies on simplicity to succeed. Definitely worth installing.
What do I want to see in future versions? Alphabetical listing of the tasks.
Rating: 8/10
RECOMMENDED APP
Android Apps Review: Abduction Lite
By my opinion, one of the best games for the Android platform, Abduction Lite is a fun and addictive adventure. The story is simple - aliens have kidnapped the farm animals and escaped in Space. You have to jump up, trying to reach them, using the strips of land they dropped, trying to collect bonuses and some of the other animals on your way. This game uses the accelerometer to control the direction of the jumps of the "hero" - being a sheep, kangaroo, penguin or some of the other available animals. You have to reach the top to beat the level, trying not to fall from the platforms. By tilting the phone left and right, you can control the length and direction of each jump. There are several game modes, including career mode, where you have to beat the level to unlock the next one, or just trying to reach the top, or beating some of the challenges, like reach the top in a specific time.
The graphics are stunning, one of the best available for an Android game, the controls are very accurate, having a sensitivity setting. In the Lite version, just a limited number of characters, levels and challenges are available, since there is a paid version, too, called Abduction World Attack. Still, the game is one of my favorite and I had lots of fun, playing it with my sister, trying to beat each other scores. New updates for the game are released on a regular basis. Installed, the game is about 2 MB.
Worth installing? Absolutely, a candidate for the "Best Android game" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? Sometimes the game freezes for a fraction of a second, which could be fatal. So I would like some stability improvement. Otherwise very well made game.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
The graphics are stunning, one of the best available for an Android game, the controls are very accurate, having a sensitivity setting. In the Lite version, just a limited number of characters, levels and challenges are available, since there is a paid version, too, called Abduction World Attack. Still, the game is one of my favorite and I had lots of fun, playing it with my sister, trying to beat each other scores. New updates for the game are released on a regular basis. Installed, the game is about 2 MB.
Worth installing? Absolutely, a candidate for the "Best Android game" award.
What do I want to see in future versions? Sometimes the game freezes for a fraction of a second, which could be fatal. So I would like some stability improvement. Otherwise very well made game.
Rating: 10/10
RECOMMENDED APP
Android Apps Review: Dilbert Droid
For my first Android App review I chose one very small and useful application. It is a reader for the Dilbert strips, my favorite comics. With its simple interface and decent functionality, hours of fun are guaranteed.
The app itself is tiny, less than 100 KB installed, and can be easily found on the Market. It allows the comics to be browsed by day, giving access to all the Dilbert strips since 1989 until now. It saves the already seen strips on a separate folder on the memory card, so they can be seen when offline. The quality of the images is good, the speed of downloading is usually good, too. This app is updated on a regular basis, with some bugs or speed issues removed.
Worth installing? Definitely, even if you are not a big Dilbert fan.
What do I want to see in future versions? Zoom option, faster loading, comment board for every strip.
Rating: 7/10
RECOMMENDED APP
The app itself is tiny, less than 100 KB installed, and can be easily found on the Market. It allows the comics to be browsed by day, giving access to all the Dilbert strips since 1989 until now. It saves the already seen strips on a separate folder on the memory card, so they can be seen when offline. The quality of the images is good, the speed of downloading is usually good, too. This app is updated on a regular basis, with some bugs or speed issues removed.
Worth installing? Definitely, even if you are not a big Dilbert fan.
What do I want to see in future versions? Zoom option, faster loading, comment board for every strip.
Rating: 7/10
RECOMMENDED APP
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