So, this post is at the request of good friend, @ChadJMarchong.

He’s jumping into the Android world, and he asked me for a post with app recommendations being that i’m a former G1 owner, proclaiming it the best phone OS.

I figured, though, why not do a write-up of kick-ass Android apps? I still know the ones i loved, and i’m sure with a quick search, i can find out their latest versions and new features.

So, without further ado, here goes:

Aldiko

Before the iPad and Amazon’s ereader apps were released, the best book reader out there was one with an odd name, Aldiko. It had the now ubiquitous “bookshelf” look, allowing for categorization of ebooks, drag and drop, as well as a storefront.

Using Aldiko, i discovered a great title, Pieces by Julia Dudek, which i ultimately purchased through Amazon via their Kindle App (more on that below).

As can be seen by the picture, the new Aldiko now has support for ePUB and PDF formats, as well as importing own books and documents (i’m assuming Word and other documents). For more information regarding putting pretty much any ebook/document format on your Android or other smartphone, check out my post, Freedom to Read.

It’s not the most exhaustive list, but it it is a good starting point. Enjoy!

Amazon

I’ve admitted to my Amazon purchasing habit. Even with their BS stance regarding WikiLeaks, i still couldn’t, as a consumer, stop using them to get the contraband i so loved and desired (books!).

The Amazon app for Android is top-notch. Allowing for quick browsing of the full Amazon marketplace and normal storefront, as well as One-Click purchasing. There’s also the cool feature of scanning physical items’ barcodes (say, when you’re at Target or Best Buy) and checking out their price points at Amazon. You can also manage your addresses, credit cards, and the like using the app.

Amazon’s focus isn’t limited to only the Amazon Marketplace: there’s also the Amazon Kindle app. It allows you to sync (most of) your Kindle edition books to your phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, and Kindle device. This, too, has the One-Click purchasing capability. I’ve used it to download dozens of public domain books and samples.

PayPal

I live by PayPal for my clients payments’ and invoicing, as well as purchasing products online, so being able to do so while on the go was awesome. I used the app several times to loan and borrow money from friends and family, too. It’s so simple and quick. It’s also great to check balance and history of my PayPal account. You don’t have to download the app, though; you can use the text messaging feature to receive and send monies, as well as check your balance (but not history). Check out the website for full details.

Mint

Unfortunately, Mint hadn’t yet released any mobile apps (iPhone nor Android), so i’m not able to speak on this app from first-hand experience. But from the excellent website and the comments and reviews i’ve read regarding the mobile app, i would be remiss not to recommend it.

Mint.com is a site used to track your budgets, credit cards, loans, savings and checking accounts, and probably other things, too, regarding cash flow.

I personally use it to see many times a month i go over my books and bars budgets, but i’m sure you will find other uses. Mint.com has been an impeccable tool for me to truly curtail spending habits. When i was able to see the actual compounded amount over a year’s time (or greater), it was astonishing to see where all my hard earned money goes.

This is a must app for everyone. Get it. Now!

Comment with other apps that may be useful.

Peace.