In a previous article, I pointed out a few criticisms of the Google Play Store, mostly about how unpolished and inefficient it is. To give you a better idea of what I mean, here are just a few of my complaints with the Play Store:

• No app review process
• Any app can be in the store, including the bad and ugly
• Lack of catering towards Nexus 7 users and Android tablets
• No way to tell if an app is optimized for tablets
• No advanced search options

This can’t be as good as it gets.

To help make things easier on us Nexus 7 folks, we have the Tablified Market, an app that highlights only the best Android tablet apps available in the Play Store.

Today, I’ll be covering another alternative—Amazon Appstore—the third most popular app store behind Apple’s and Google’s. Why the popularity?

• Linked directly with your Amazon account
• Apps are reviewed for quality
• Made for tablets in mind (originally developed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire line of tablets)
• Interface is by far the best looking Android app store (resembles Apple’s App Store)
• There’s a Free App of the Day!
• Has a Test Drive section for trying out apps before you buy

I’d like to add emphasis to the free app each day. Who doesn’t like getting a paid app for nothing? As you can see above, the free app then was PDF to Speech Pro, which normally costs $2.99. The free app for today (5/2) is Jump Desktop (RDP & VNC), which usually goes for $9.99.

Now, let’s get this thing of beauty onto our Nexus 7 tablets now!

Download and Install the Amazon AppStore APK

Before you begin, make sure to open up Settings on your Nexus 7, and turn on Unknown Sources under Security.

Next, download and install the Amazon Appstore APK file onto your Nexus 7.

Tap on the APK to install the Amazon Appstore.

Pretty nice, right?

Now let’s jump right into the store…

Amazon Appstore Basics

Here’s the homescreen for the store. Hey look…there’s that FREE APP of the day. If that isn’t enough for you to want to install the Appstore, I don’t know what is.

You’ll immediately notice how clean the interface is. Black looks quite nice in my opinion.

For an example of an app page, let’s take a look at one of my favorites, Doodle Jump.

Everything is within a quick flick of your finger. The store has a resemblance to the Apple App Store, so if you’ve got an iPhone and a Nexus 7, or switched from an iPad to a Nexus 7, you’ll surely appreciate this (I certainly like it).

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• One of the best, if not the best Android app stores available
• All black is easy on the eyes
• Apps are made for tablets in mind
• Linked in with your Amazon account for easy billing
• Interface is great to use
• Free apps!!!!!!!

Cons:

• Far less apps available than in the Google Play Store

Give the Amazon Appstore a try and see if it replaces the Play Store on your tablet now! Even if it doesn’t, it’s good to have as a companion for those freebies.