The benefit of an Android device is that you have so many apps and tools at your fingertips thanks to the open source Android API. This means that if you feel you need a specific tool or application, there is a good chance that someone else has also had the same feeling and, more importantly, that someone has probably already designed an app to address that need.
Of course, because the platform is available to anyone who can program—and even to people who want to learn to program—if a new app shows up in the marketplace, you can be pretty certain that another one just like it will probably show up soon after. Choice and competition is good for consumers because it keeps retail cost low but, on the other hand, this can also flood the market with comparable products that can confuse consumers.
In the Android marketplace, for example, you will find dozens of launcher applications that offer various kinds of home screen and app organization customizations. Obviously, none of these are created equal. However, one of the newer entries in this field may be the most efficient.
The ASAP Launcher is designed strictly with speed in mind. The dock—which hides at the bottom of the screen—can be expanded to show your most recently-used apps and the favorites you have bookmarked or pinned. In addition, anytime you use an app that is not in the dock you can swipe left to open the app drawer.
As the name suggests, ASAP Launcher lets you take out and put away apps quickly. Swiping in from the right edge lets you toggle things like brightness, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and WiFi. Swiping from left to right (not on the edges) reveals your default cards like contacts, to-do list, etc. Of course, you can always rearrange and disable the cards as you see fit.
ASAP Launcher even comes with several personalization settings (if you unlock the pro mode, which only costs $1.42). This lets you choose from various additional themes and customize your colors. The customizations are somewhat limited—as the app is designed for efficiency, right?–but there are more than enough options to meet all your needs. The ASAP Launcher can even show you unread SMS counts, phone calls, and unread emails.
