I must admit, I do have turned in to one since I discovered the “Market”; the Android Market that is. It is the thrill of the hunt, the ultimate rush once you’ve found what you want and the priceless smile that is captured when you finally get want you want! Yes, you won’t definitely leave this market empty handed.

For those not familiar, the Android Market is similar to Apple’s app store. It contains hundreds and thousands of applications available for you so you are sure to find what you really want and just like any market, this market is organized in to different categories like Entertainment, Multimedia, News and Weather, Lifestyle, Finance and my kids’ personal favorite, Games, etc. There are actually a lot of apps to choose from and there is really no other way for you to know if it’s good or not unless you download it. So, I just fired away. There is really no need to break the bank because most of these apps are free!

On my cellphone’s homescreen, of course, I have the retro clock widget that includes the date and the time and weather widget that automatically updates and gives a 3-day forecast. Besides these two “must-have” applications, the other applications that truly worked well for me includes Astrid, a charming reminder/to-do list application. When you open Astrid, the application may look so simple with just the add task and plus button on the screen but as you go further Astrid has in-depth task management features like editing, tagging and prioritizing. You can just use Astrid simple as it is or you can opt for its detailed features. Either way, Astrid makes sure you get things done.

An in-depth Astrid task features that I use so very often is its ability to set goals. You can set an absolute and specific deadline that can either be set on the actual date and/or the particular time of the day. Often times viewing other task applications can be too daunting as there is too much task listed. With Astrid, you can hide tasks that are not yet due or those that should be accomplished a week or months from the present date. These tasks will only appear at a certain date (usually set before the absolute or specific deadline). In doing so, your task list won’t be too overwhelming to look at. Also, for those who are very particular with time management, you can ask Astrid to set a timer when the task is being done. You can therefore keep track on how long you have already spent with that particular task. Being always forgetful and oftentimes dwelling on tasks too much, I usually forget the time. Astrid surprisingly keeps me on track and effectively manages my time. Overall, Astrid effectively works well for me in getting things done and keeping me organized.

Another application that I truly appreciate is the Chomp SMS. I particularly like this app because it lets me view my messages right away on my homescreen. It appears in a cute bubble form similar to those found on comic strips. Definitely a breather from the old monotonous SMS form. Best of all I don’t get confused with the messages sent by me because they are coded in green.

A must have for Facebook users is Facebook for Android. Though it may seem to lack the frills, this application offers a very simple and easy way to read, post, and update your status. You can likewise post pictures, check your friend’s profile and make comments without a sweat. All these just from you handy dandy android phone.

If you are not satisfied with Android’s default browser, then Opera Mini 5 may just be right for you. Opera Mini 5 loads extremely faster than android’s default web browser. This is made possible through Opera’s servers that compress texts and images sent to your phone. So what are actually loaded to your phone are pages that are relatively smaller than those that you would normally download. The result therefore is a surprisingly faster page load. Also, I particularly like its easy access and selection of bookmarks. Creating new tabs is likewise a breeze.

A powerful security application is the Wavesecure. Should your handset be stolen and eventually a new SIM will be inserted, wavesecure will lock the handset and will track your lost phone. It can remotely back up/restore data or wipe out your personal information or other data in events when you cannot really get your phone back. Wavesecure is one app I downloaded but hope would never have to use.

There are actually more apps that I find really useful and discussing them one by one may be endless so better check out apps such as iSkoot for Skype users, and Twitdroid for those on Twitter. If pictures are your thing then Picsay is a good choice.

So, if you are looking for a bargain, check out the Market. Happy shopping!