Some of my favorite Android utilities:
- WiFi File Transfer Pro - Creates a password protected web page on your device, accessible from your workstation via WiFi, that lets you copy files in and out of your device. The free version is limited to moving 4MB files from your workstation to your phone, but for $1.99 that size limitation is removed. Easy to configure, lightweight, and works on any WiFi network. Nice!
- Jump Desktop (RDP & VNC) - This is so far my favorite Remote Desktop app for Android. Easy to configure and the mousing interface is the most intuitive I've found - no need to dig through the help files, this just makes sense as soon as you connect to an RDP session. It's also compatible with Windows 7 Remote Desktop, such that when you log back on to your workstation after having been remoted in from your small device screen, all of your windows resume their prior location and size (some RDP clients - like XP into a Win7 machine) don't support this. I got this on January 5th, 2011 for $.99 on special, but it's worth any price.
- TouchDown by NitroDesk - This ActiveSync client for Android is absolutely essential for accessing your Exchange mailbox on your device (regardless of form factor). The stock ActiveSync clients on most builds of Android are lacking in either functionality, speed or connectivity. TouchDown is like having a full version of Outlook on your device - it's reliable and fast, and even though it's a $19.99 purchase (trial version is free for 30 days), it's a must-have for power users.
- Swype - I've tried several replacement keyboards for the Android platform. I keep coming back to Swype (though the new keyboard in Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is pretty sweet). Swype allows you to trace through the keys on the keyboard to type instead of having to lift your finger off of each key as you move to the next. Once you get used to it, you'll be surprised how much easier and more efficient Swype makes text input on your Android device. You can sign up for the Swype beta for free at beta.swype.com.