I'm new to Android(Atrix)...must have apps??

Loop2kil

Platinum Member
Mar 28, 2004
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Just picked up the new Atrix and this is my first Android phone as well as my first real smartphone. What are some must have apps?
 

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
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106
RockPlayer (plays just about any type of video file, no more converting!)

Astro (file browser, though any decent file browsing app will do)
 

ChronoReverse

Platinum Member
Mar 4, 2004
2,562
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It will back up all your applications and their data assuming you've rooted your phone. It'll also be able to backup most of the system settings.
 

smartpatrol

Senior member
Mar 8, 2006
870
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Cardio Trainer - best app for automatically keeping track of running, biking, etc. Very simple and easy to use.

Robo Defense - insanely addictive tower defense game. IMO the best one on Android (although it may just be that I'm getting burnt out on them)

Google Goggles - not exactly super useful, but it's a great toy to show off your phone. You take pictures, it identifies them. It's good at books/CD/DVD covers, barcodes, logos, text (which it can then translate) etc. You can even take a picture of a sudoku game it will solve it for you!

Dolphin web browser - WAY better than the stock browser. It adds tabbed browsing, easier access to your bookmarks, and built-in Flash blocking (works just like Flash block for Firefox - an icon appears where flash content would be, and you have to tap it to unblock that item).
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
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It will back up all your applications and their data assuming you've rooted your phone. It'll also be able to backup most of the system settings.

Yup. The best backup though is a Nandroid backup. You will need to wait for a root + vulnerable recovery I believe. But once you get this, it is a full image. It's like an image of your hard drive.

Titanium backup backs up your app installations. So it's like you install Windows on your own, but you load Titanium Backup and it loads all your apps back WITh their data. Some things like launchers don't load perfectly and don't retain their widget configurations, but you can spend like 2 min and put them back... it's more of a PITA if you use overlapping widgets in Launcher Pro or have some complicated setup.

Titanium backup also includes nice features like batch backup, scheduled backups, and can help uninstall some of those terrible apps you can't get rid of (maybe bloatware?). You need root access though, so wait for teh modders on the Atrix to go all out.
 

ChronoReverse

Platinum Member
Mar 4, 2004
2,562
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Some things like launchers don't load perfectly and don't retain their widget configurations, but you can spend like 2 min and put them back... it's more of a PITA if you use overlapping widgets in Launcher Pro or have some complicated setup.

Actually, Titanium Backup actually captures this. What you need to do is restore the launcher, THEN restore the system app "Application Widgets" and reboot.
 

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
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One useful app that's not actually on the phone is the Mobile Barcoder extension for Firefox.
 

deputc26

Senior member
Nov 7, 2008
548
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Congrats on picking up a sweet phone!

RealCalc
Google Sky Map
Chrometophone
Gesture Search (<-- def get that)
A flashlight app of some sort
LauncherPro
 

Judgement

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
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I just picked up this phone also...

I couldn't convince myself to wait for galaxy s2 release and then who knows how long before custom roms etc for that

This is my first android device (iPhone user). I downloaded Angry birds, just because I didn't really know what else to do with it heh.

I've since downloaded LauncherPro and it has allowed me to set up more screens for shortcuts and widgets, and to modify how they transition when scrolling through them but I guess I don't see the huge appeal yet

Do most of you guys use the browser that comes on these phones or download and install a separate one? I've heard people mention Dolphin
 

Loop2kil

Platinum Member
Mar 28, 2004
2,605
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Good info guys thanks for the input, I guess I really need to wait for it to get 'rooted' first before having any real fun.

And yeah, sorry for the repost, I know I could have even googled it but I don't start a lot of threads myself. I partly started it to 'brag' a bit about getting the phone as well but also to find out about the apps.

Zlingo is awesome for speech-to-text...never had that feature before
Google Goggles is fun
And the fact that I can now watch Youtube vids on my phone (My first smartphone too)
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Actually, Titanium Backup actually captures this. What you need to do is restore the launcher, THEN restore the system app "Application Widgets" and reboot.

Odd because I KNOW I've gotten Titanium Backup to restore LP properly. But I believe this was using a Nandroid first and then restoring the apps thru Titanium.

Ever since using CynogenMod's update.zip I've never gotten it to work. It specifically says in LP and Titanium backup that this restore doesn't work (as of late December when I checked). When I asked on XDA Developers I got scolded because they said the few times I observed it was either a fluke or I was smoking crack.

Shrug. Maybe I need to play more with it :D
 

Wingznut

Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
16,968
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This. I don't like to be the repost nazi, but this has been posted several time. Probably should be a stickey or something.
I don't mind this repost at all... If you look at a several week (or month) old thread, it's not going to be the same as a new one. Obviously some apps stand the test of time, but there are always some that weren't so good back then and have been improved, and others who have since been replaced with better ones.