Word came out of the HP webOS community this week that there are now over 1,000 apps written for the HP TouchPad tablet. This is significant given the short life of the TouchPad, especially given there may be fewer apps optimized for Honeycomb tablets than this. There are some very good apps for the TouchPad, and with an estimated million owners it makes sense to take a fresh look at them.
- Palm/WebOS > app catalog update on touchpad fails to install. Locate the App Catalog Update, tap the 'FREE' button to install it, then Launch it.
- The HP App Catalog features thousands of apps ripe for downloading and installation on HP's webOS tablet--the TouchPad. Take a look at this guide to find out how to search for apps using HP's version of the app store.
Word came out of the HP webOS community this week that there are now over 1,000 apps written for the HP TouchPad tablet. This is significant given the short life of the TouchPad, especially given.
I use many of the apps on this list, while others have been highly recommended to me by TouchPad owners. The apps cover the range from productivity apps to entertainment and games. To prevent starting a popularity debate, the apps are listed in totally random order. They're all good, and all available through the HP App Catalog on the TouchPad.
Image Gallery: 20 great apps for the HP TouchPad presented in streenshots along with full descriptions of the apps |
Zinio. Tablets make wonderful readers for magazine content and the Zinio service has been providing digital versions of many popular publications for years. The TouchPad version has been submitted to HP for inclusion in the App Catalog, so Zinio should be appearing at any time. Free.
FlashCards. Using flash cards is a good way to study, and this app makes it easy and fruitful. I don't use this myself, but I was overwhelmed with recommendations for FlashCards by TouchPad owners. I heard from both students and professionals who have used FlashCards to study for certification exams. It can be used to study for a variety of educational and professional tests, along with learning a second language. It works in conjunction with quizlet.com which has lots of study aids available for use with FlashCards. $4.99.
TouchFeeds. This Google Reader app is one of the most heavily used apps on my TouchPad. It syncs all of my hundreds of RSS fees with the Google mothership, and is as fast as greased lightning. It is not uncommon for me to have over a thousand articles in my inbox, and TouchFeeds makes it a breeze to sail through them in short order. $2.99.
Video Flood HD. The Touchpad is perfect for watching video, and this app is a great way to do that. It provides access to online video shows, network TV shows, podcasts and movies. The interface is simple and makes the large amount of available video shows very accessible. It is a great way to spend some unexpected free time with your tablet. $1.99.
Communities. TouchPad owners new to the webOS platform will likely want to keep up with the latest news about the OS. This app makes following the major communities discussing topics of interest, complete with reading new enthusiast postings and replying. It is based on the TapaTalk app that Android users are very familiar with. $5.99.
Mosaic. Those who prefer a visual presentation for RSS news should look no further than Mosaic. This app syncs with Google Reader and brings unread news items into a distinctive grid that lets news of interest stand out from the crowd. I find it can be overwhelming for the hundreds of RSS feeds I follow, but those with fewer to keep track of will like it just fine. Free.
Glimpse. The multitasking of the TouchPad is good, and the card metaphor used to represent running apps is innovative. There are times when it is nice to run multiple tasks in a single app, and Glimpse steps up to handle this in style. The app can have as many as 5 panes open at once, each running a different task to show the most information on a screen possible. Glimpse includes a number of widgets to run in these panes that handle common tasks, like Twitter, Google Reader, regular RSS feeds and even a web browser. Users can configure as many panes as desired from the full palette available. I was impressed with Glimpse and wrote a full review of it here. $5.00.
Free Apps For Hp Touchpad Webos To Android
Flickr Mundo HD. Those who use Flickr for handling photos online will love this app. Flickr Mundo HD makes everything done with Flickr nice and easy, and well adapted to the TouchPad screen. There is a convenient bulk editing mode for working with groups of photos, and a slide show that works well with Exhibition mode in the Touchstone dock. $2.99.
Aftermath XHD. Even a dead device needs a good zombie game and this one is perfectly adapted for play on the TouchPad. The graphics and audio are gorgeous and set the atmosphere for this game that sends more zombies at you than you can shake a stick at. You'd better be shaking more than a stick if you want to last long. $5.99 special promotion.
Box. New TouchPad owners may not be aware that HP made an arrangement with the box.net folks to provide all TouchPad buyers a free 50GB cloud storage account for life. This free account is still being offered at this time and the Box app, required to sign up for the free account, makes working with all of that free cloud storage a breeze. A 50GB account at box.net is normally $20/ month so your cheap TouchPad just got paid for many times over. Free.
LCARS-Clock. Star Trek fans will appreciate this app that provides a themed Exhibition mode screen. The clock and alarms are easily accessible and function as expected. The app comes with a number of alarms that sound very Star Trek appropriate. While LCARS is meant to run in Exhibition mode while in the Touchstone charging stand, it can be run as any other app for the Star Trek atmosphere. Free.
PodCatcher Deluxe. The TouchPad makes a good podcast device given its good multi-tasking, and this app is a great way to handle them. Podcast feeds are easily added for automatic streaming or downloading. The internal player is simple but works well, and remembers the current location for leaving and coming back when time permits. $2.00.
Rev3. Tablets are good for watching video on the go and Rev3 is a good interface for the Revision3 online network. This network hosts lots of popular video podcasts such as Diggnation and Tekzilla. The Rev3 has an internal player for simple viewing of your favorite Revision3 show. Free.
Spaz HD. This twitter app handles multiple columns for easily following your friends, mentions and direct messages. It recently gained the ability to work with lists and the columns can be dragged and dropped in the desired order. This is one of the few twitter apps I have used on any platform that works just as well in portrait and landscape orientations. Spaz HD is a great twitter app and is open source and produced by volunteers. Free.
TWITHD. TWiT is the best online video network bar none, and this app makes keeping up with the great shows a breeze. It is similar to the Rev3 app mentioned above, and like that one turns watching TWiT video into a thing of beauty. Free.
Glyder 2 HD. This game consists of beautiful scenes that are explored by the main character who has wings and glides through them all. The glider is controlled by tilting the TouchPad and directing your character around obstacles, collecting powerups, and using clearly indicated thermals to keep aloft. The game is almost Zen-like with its calming scenes, soothing music and a pace that is easy. Playing Glyder 2 is a great way to unwind after a busy day in the real world. $2.99.
toodleTasks HD. Keeping up with a busy task list is a perfect task for the TouchPad, and this app brings it all to life. The toodleTasks app syncs with the popular Toodledo online task management, and provides a bevy of filters and views to allow even the busiest TouchPad owner to keep on top of things. This is one of the most heavily used apps on my TouchPad. $4.99.
Sparkle HD. Zuma fans will recognize the gameplay of Sparkle and feel right at home. The graphics are outstanding and the gameplay is addictive as it is simple to start but gets downright hard to win at the advanced levels. Sparkle HD looks good and is tons of fun on the TouchPad. $4.99.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit for TouchPad. Sometimes relaxing games are not the call of the day, and only pulse-pounding action will do. This game has that at every level and is a great addition to the Need for Speed racing game series. The controls have been adapted for the TouchPad and make it easy to control the vast collection of cars you can drive in the game, including police cars. The graphics are stunning, performance is great, and gameplay is first-rate. $9.99.
Bonus app:Splashtop Remote. The TouchPad is a good format for remote controlling into a Mac or Windows desktop for access on the go. Splashtop Remote turns any Mac or Windows desktop into a fully touch-optimized system that can be accessed anywhere in the world. See my full review of SplashTop Remote Desktop for details about the program. $4.99.
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Collaboration Enterprise Software Windows Windows 10 Cloud ReviewsThe HP TouchPad may have been discontinued, but the thousands of people who picked up tablets since HP dramatically slashed prices still have plenty of apps to choose from. HP has hundreds of dedicated TouchPad apps in its store, and the tablet can also run about 70 percent of the more than 8,000 apps designed for HP's WebOS phones. The phone apps run in a little phone-sized box on the tablet's 9.7-inch screen, though.
HP will reportedly kick off one last fire sale for the TouchPad, with the 16GB model selling for $99 and the 32GB version for $149. These TouchPads are said to be refurbished, rather than brand-new models.
It remains to be seen if any more apps will be created for WebOS. But after much discussion, HP recently announced that it will not sell its webOS unit but instead contribute the platform to the open-source community. The company said it will 'continue to be active in the development and support of webOS,' but handing it over to the open-source community will help improve applications and Web services for next-generation devices.'
This decision may mean a steady flow of new apps will appear for the TouchPad and other devices, but we wouldn't count on it for the near future. Of the TouchPad's existing apps, many are games and productivity apps, but you'll find some entries in all of the usual-suspect categories. Some big names are represented, but not others: Kindle, Facebook, and Angry Birds are all on board. Slacker Radio, Autodesk Sketchpad, Fruit Ninja, and other popular iPad apps haven't made it over. On the other hand, the iPad doesn't have a dedicated Facebook app yet, while the TouchPad does.
Discovering TouchPad apps is much simpler than it is on Android devices, although it's not quite as foolproof as on the iPad. Peering through the HP App Catalog, just look for the little gray words 'for TouchPad' below titles; those apps show up at the top of each category list on the TouchPad. That's superior to Google's frustrating, undifferentiated jumble, but it would be nice to be able to hide the not-for-TouchPad apps entirely.
The TouchPad's app catalog comes with one major unique feature: Pivot, an 'app discovery magazine' with articles by professional journalists seeking out interesting apps that may not appear on top or new lists. The current issue of Pivot may be its last, but it was a very neat idea.
The relatively thin app catalog gives some developers room to stand out. Typewriter, for instance, is a good-looking and ingenious text-entry app that uses the simple formatting language, Markdown. Spaz, a popular Twitter app on the Palm Pre, takes on Tweetdeck's columnar approach on the TouchPad.
Many apps in HP's catalog—especially the games—are paid, and prices are similar to what you'll pay for similar iPad apps. Every TouchPad must be associated with a Palm Profile, and setting up your profile includes adding a credit card. After that, it's just two clicks to buy apps—quick and seamless. Developers get paid via PayPal, which works to deliver money in about 100 countries.
Here are our picks for the best TouchPad apps so far.
1HP App Catalog
The HP App Catalog, like other mobile app stores, lets you look at the most recent or most popular apps, as well as search by category.2TouchPad App List
To find TouchPad apps in the App Catalog, look for the little gray words 'For TouchPad' next to the name of each app. The last two apps in the list here don't have 'em; those are Palm Pre apps that can run on the TouchPad, but in a smaller window. You can’t scale them up to full size, like you can do with the iPad’s 2x button.3Angry Birds HD (Free)
In 2011, Angry Birds is the sign that your mobile platform has made it. Angry Birds HD for the TouchPad is smooth, free, and plays in full screen. If you become a real addict, though, you'll have to shell out $1.99 for Angry Birds Rio HD.4Facebook (Free)
The TouchPad is only the second tablet with a dedicated Facebook app. And HP's app implementation is impressive, with several unique features, including this Flipboard-like full screen view of your news feed. A two-pane interface lets you flip easily between your news feed, messages, events, places, friends and photos, and the places where your friends checked in show up on a map.5Glyder 2 HD ($2.99)
The TouchPad’s Qualcomm Adreno 220 GPU has some real oomph, so I went looking for games that showed off its 3D chops. Glyder 2 HD is a beautiful, nonviolent 3D flying game where you swoop around an animated landscape trying to pick up crystals.6Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit ($9.99)
Need for Speed is the premiere series of mobile driving games, and Hot Pursuit adds something a lot of the other versions have missed: an entertaining plot. You can play as a cop or a 'racer,' pursuing illegal drivers or trying to evade the police. Action is smooth and good-looking on the TouchPad, and you steer with the accelerometer.7Amazon Kindle (Free)
What's a tablet without a Kindle app? There isn't much to the TouchPad's version yet, but it syncs with your existing Kindle library and lets you search for text, mark pages, and check your notes. There's also a link to the Web-based Kindle store, but when I checked it before launch, it wasn't working.8Localscope ($2.99)
Because the TouchPad is Wi-Fi-only and lacks GPS, there aren't many location-based apps. The ones that are out there use Wi-Fi networks to find your location. Localscope gives you nearby results from various search engines for restaurants, banks, cafes and such, but it's conspicuously missing reviews.9Spaz HD Beta Preview 1 (Free)
Spaz was my favorite Twitter client on the Pre 2, and it's back on the TouchPad with a vastly expanded feature set. You can skim through multiple search columns, log in as multiple Twitter accounts, use different image hosting and URL shortcut services and, of course, Tweet. It's all the Twitter you'd want on this tablet.10TuneIn Radio (Free)
Pandora can give you music, but TuneIn gives you local news, sports, and other favorite local radio stations. This app automatically gathers all of the streams for radio stations in your city, arranging them along a virtual AM/FM spectrum; if you want to go farther afield, you can browse a global directory of streams by topic.11Typewriter Beta (Free)
An ingenious, and good-looking text processor for the TouchPad, Typewriter uses e-mail-like formatting conventions (for instance, '_italic_' and '[hotlink]' to create elegant documents. You can save your files to Dropbox, email them, or just save them on the TouchPad to transfer over later via USB. I'd like to see more features, such as spell check and find-and-replace, but this is a good start.12Epicurious (Free)
Like to cook? Epicurious is a veritable cornucopia of recipes, allowing you to plan your next big dinner party, or just a late night snack. It’s highly searchable, from main ingredients all the way to meal size, and can even help you generate shopping lists. It’s a food lover’s best friend.13Groupon (Free)
The popular group discount giant comes to the TouchPad with a great new app. Snappy and easy to use, Groupon lets you browse daily deals throughout hundreds of cities, which can add up to some serious savings.14WordPress (Free)
Blog much? Then you’re probably familiar with WordPress. This app gives you easy access to your WordPress blog, with adjustable columns to help you navigate. There’s also a host of helpful features like advanced post editing, comment management, notifications, and site statistics.15Pandora Radio (Free)
Pandora is one of the most popular automated music recommendation services out there. Like The Magnetic Fields and want to hear something similar? Just pull up the Magnetic Fields station and wait for songs from Belle & Sebastian and The Smiths to zip by.16Box.net (Free)
Have too many pictures saved on your TouchPad? Send them to the cloud! Box.net is a cloud-based storage app, which means you can upload files from any device with Box access, and retrieve them on another. Better yet, new users get 50GB of free storage space.17Interface Lift HD (Free)
The TouchPad’s already a good looking device, but Interface Lift makes finding compatible wallpaper a snap. You can sort by artist, category, or tags, though it’s also fun to browse the most recently update wallpapers. They all look gorgeous on the TouchPad’s 9.7-inch LCD.18Robotek HD (Free)
Robots have taken over the world, and you have to take it back, energy node by energy node. Robotek’s gameplay is turn-based, and centers around a slot machine. Sound weird? It is. But it’s also extremely addicting, and the futuristic cartoon graphics look excellent on the TouchPad.19Mosaic Reader (Free)
Mosaic is a great-looking Google Reader app with a unique, tablet-centric way of doing things. It presents all the items in your RSS feed in an attractive, tiled view. Stories open up in an embedded browser, from which you can email and Tweet links.20AccuWeather (Free)
The TouchPad's AccuWeather app provides you with an absolutely gorgeous look at the weather forecast. The layout is simple yet comprehensive, covering everything from daily forecasts to wind speed and direction to radar images. It'll even tell you if it's good weather to mow the lawn. And it's all presented in a lush, attractive package. Rainy days never looked so good.21Camera for TouchPad ($.99)
The Camera for TouchPad app allows you to snap still photos using your TouchPad's front-facing camera. That's it. Pretty basic, yes, but there's no other way to do it, as the TouchPad doesn't come with a still camera app.22ToodleTasks HD ($4.99)
The TouchPad is sorely lacking a native task app. ToodleTasks HD is a comprehensive task management app that makes excellent use of the TouchPad's sliding panes. You can filter and sort tasks, perform full text searches, and even create subtasks. It syncs with Toodledo, so you can access your to-do list from almost anywhere.