All About App Stores [Part 1]

The Motorola Xoom is a powerful device with some great built in features, but its functionality quickly becomes limited without the ability to install additional software applications. These apps excel at helping users accomplish tasks or get entertainment value from their mobile devices. There are multiple options out there for app discovery and downloading, read on to find out about them!

Finding and Downloading Apps

Android Market 
Android Market is the official Android app store, owned by Google. It comes preloaded on many Android devices, including the Xoom.  It is wildly popular – the download count from Android Market hit 10 billion in December 2011 – and it has more free apps than any other major app store, on any platform. There are a plethora of tablet-optimized apps (you can find tablet optimized apps by searching the Market for “tablet optimized” without quotes) and many of the apps designed for phones work well on the tablet form factor.

Android Market

One of the great features of Android Market is that the apps you purchase are usable across all of your Android devices that are capable of running it. This is handy for users of multiple devices, or even just for getting apps back after an equipment upgrade.

A huge selection, good purchase terms, and tons of free apps make Android Market the top provider of Android apps.

Availability: Preloaded on the Xoom

AppBrain
AppBrain is a more user-friendly interface for the Android Market. It doesn’t host its own apps, rather, it provides additional search criteria that allows for greater precision in finding and installing Market-hosted Android apps.

AppBrain

Once an app is selected in AppBrain, it will open the corresponding Android Market page for download.

A modern tablet-style interface with highly customizable search options makes AppBrain the best Market app alternative by far.

Availability: Android Market

Download AppBrain from Android Market

Amazon Appstore
The Amazon Appstore is a top competitor to the Android Market. It is only available as a third party download from Amazon (this requires special installation permission on your Xoom), and is not available via Android Market. Just for clarity's sake, the Amazon Appstore isn't better than Android Market. It gets bested by Android Market in app selection and is blown away by Android Market when comparing the number of free apps available. Also, apps purchased in the Amazon Appstore sync to a user's Amazon account, not her Google account. This forces users to use a adopt a second environment for updates and re-downloads. But, even with these issues, this app store does offer something that makes it well worth installing:

One Paid App, for Free, Every day!

That’s right! Each day, Amazon selects one app from its library of thousands of paid apps and provides it for download at no cost. You can't find that deal at Android Market!

Availability: Amazon Appstore Download Page

Download the Amazon Appstore from Amazon.com

Installing Amazon Appstore

As mentioned above, the Amazon Appstore is a non-Market application, so the installation process is a little different than the process for a Market app.

Quick Steps

1. Enable third party app installation (Settings -> Applications -> Check Unknown Sources)

2. Download and install the Amazon Appstore .apk here.

Detailed Steps

1. Go to the Amazon Appstore download page, and tap the Download Now button

2. Once the .apk downloads, tap the download complete notification that pops up in the lower right of the screen (see below)

3. If the Install Blocked dialog pops up, tap the settings button, and check the Unknown Sources box

4. Hit back to exit settings, and open Downloads (App Drawer -> Downloads). Tap on Amazon_Appstore-release.apk  to install the application.

Part 2 will take a quick look at some other alternative app stores. Stay tuned!

Bluetooth Devices

What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that operates in the unregulated 2.4GHz range. It is typically used to create a WPAN that allows electronic devices in close proximity to one another to communicate. The most well known type of Bluetooth device is undoubtedly the headset. It's small, portable, convenient, and is great for confusing the hell out of other customers in the checkout line at the grocery store!

Bose Bluetooth Headset

Because the Xoom (and most other tablets) are Bluetooth capable, users are able to interact with their tablets via a plethora of wireless peripherals. Whether it's a keyboard, mouse, game controller, speaker set, or headphones, a Bluetooth device is a handy way to get added value from a mobile computing device.

Setting up Bluetooth Devices
Bluetooth peripherals are securely connected to one another via a process called bonding. The bond is achieved through a process called pairing. Bonding allows Bluetooth devices to recognize each other, and once a bond is made, the devices will connect to each other automatically.

On the Xoom, pairing a Bluetooth device to create a bond is simple:

1. Follow the instructions that came with your Bluetooth device to put it into Pairing Mode
2. Open the App Drawer
3. Select Settings -> Wireless & Networks -> Bluetooth
4. Select Bluetooth Settings
5. Tap the Bluetooth checkbox
6. Select Find Nearby Devices
7. Choose the device that you want to pair. The name of the device may take a short while to come up on the device list. It may initially be named the MAC address of the device (something like 00:1A:D7:94:A6:27)
8. You may be prompted for a password or key, which is typically 0000 or 1234 (there may be a different key provided with your device).

For the more visual learners, here's a video that details how to pair a particular Bluetooth device, the Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0+, to the Xoom

So, for those interested in Bluetooth peripheral devices for the Xoom,
the following have all have been tested for compatibility:

Motorola Wireless Keyboard
Price: Around $40.00
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5
Features:

• Designed for compatibility with the Xoom 
• QWERTY letter layout
• Good key size and spacing
• Android-specific hotkeys
  
  

Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0+

Price: Around $50.00

Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5

Features:

• QWERTY letter layout
• Comes with carrying case that doubles as a tablet stand
• Media control hotkeys

Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Price: Around $50.00

Amazon rating: 3.5 out of 5

Features:

• On-ear music controls
• Can be used as a wireless music headset and a phone headset
• 6 hours of music play time on a single charge

Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000

Price: Around $30.00

Amazon rating: 3.5 out of 5

Features:

• It's a mouse -- and it works with the Xoom. 'Nuff said.

Nintendo Wii Remote Controller

Price: Between $25.00 and $40.00 (depending on model and seller)

Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Features:

• Able to connect to Android devices via the Wiimote Controller app
• Great non-standard input device

(Note: The full list of Motorola approved Xoom peripherals, both Bluetooth and wired, can be found here)

Welcome to Getting More From Your Xoom!

Getting More from your Xoom (GMX) is dedicated to helping you get the most out of your Motorola Xoom. Of course, much of this information will apply to all Android 3.0 or 4.0 tablets, so feel free to share these tips, tricks, and recommendations with other Android tablet users.

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