Many Tablet Computers being sold right now do not have access to the Google Android Market, leaving many people high and dry when it comes to getting different applications on their device. At Good e-Reader we often write about a whole slew of tablets that come out and come pre-loaded with only the bare essentials and many people lament at missed opportunities. Only a few different tablets that have been released this year have access to the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but they come at a higher price.
If you have a Archos, Pocketbook, Augen Gentouch or Pandigital tablets most often you are stuck with the stock applications that are bundled with your device, not knowing their are alternatives to the Google Android Market to get your apps.
Now many of these Google Market alternatives do not have the wide selection of the applications that the full market has, but some even have far superior category and enhanced search features to find quality apps.
We have put together a short list of the best Google Android Market Alternative and offered advice on application ‘must haves’ if you have particular tablets or e-readers.
Slide me is one of the well structured and best put together alternative to the Google Android Market. They have a free APK that you can download to your tablet, or phone that will allow you to browse and straight up install applications.
SlideMe, which launched in April 2008, doesn’t take a cut of the revenue from app sales. When apps are sold through its store, SlideMe subtracts a payment-processing fee required by the credit card company and lets developers keep the rest.
Instead, from gauging developer sales to make money SlideMe makes money by licensing its entire app store to gadget manufacturers. That also means SlideMe’s app store will come pre-loaded on a phone similar to Google’s Android Market. Recently they signed a deal with Vodafone Egypt to pre-load its app store on the HTC Magic, and have signed other deals in the Middle East.
Developers don’t have to make any changes to their apps intended for the Google Android Market before they list it on SlideMe, which makes it a strong viable contender to the Google Android Market.
With Slide me, you can browse applications by category, see screenshots, preview applications, donate to developers, recommend apps to others and has a solid popular and genre application categories.
The First thing you want to do is download their market APK and then browse around for applications. Most tablets do not have compatiblity to get Youtube videos right in the web browser, so the first thing you want to do is download the Dolphin HD Web Browser so you can pinch and zoom while you browse if your tablet supports it. If you have a Pandigital Novel 7 inch or 9 inch e-reader by default you can’t watch Youtube videos via the web browser. So next you want to download YouTube search so you can easily watch videos and search for them directly in your browser.
Boasts around 1700 applications right now, has a intuitive application you can download does not have many e-reading applications but you can easily get your hands on Tweetdeck, eBuddy and other popular Android Applications.
They also report on news and have a bustling forum.
andappstore has been around since 2009 and has a growing library of application numbering in the thousands. Their application has most common games and applications including Angry Birds. Its searching feature too is a bit robust, but it does not have many e-reading applications, except for Aldiko.
This Alternative to the Android market pays developers 100% of royalties so it is a viable way for people to make money, they have a number of games and excel in their application department. They have Documents to Go and many other essential applications.
Appslib is Archos answer to the Google Marketplace for Android applications, they only support Archos Tablets, so everyone else you are out of luck. You can download the application direct to your PC here.
This is actually a great marketplace with the intention of all of the applications are viable for tablets, since that is the companies speciality. It has over 2000 free applications and paid ones as well.
They have all of the essential games and applications, such as Facebook, Twitter, eBuddy and Angrybirds! It sure is not no Google Android Market with over 200,000 applications, but most of these applications run fine on the Archos.
Applications
If you have a tablet with the intention of using it as an e-reader, here are a few must have applications you want to download to your computer and then to your tablet. Remember some tablets need you to copy the files to your SD Card, if your tablet allows you to copy it directly to the tablet itself, all the better. Once you copy an application in APK format to your SD card or tablet, you want to use the application ES File Explorer or whatever File Manager application came with your Tablet Computer that allows you to browse and execute content. Click on the title of the app to download the APK to your PC.
eBook Readers
Multimedia
Communication Apps
System Utilities
And there you have it folks! If your new tablet computer did not come with the Google Android Market do not despair! Their are plenty of app market alternatives out there, and we hope you found our direct list of applications ease your journey into the land of e-reading! Also if we missed a popular e-Reading application or a really good Google Android Market Alternative, give us your thoughts.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.