Astro File Manager (for Android)

In an attempt to become better acquainted with my Droid 2's file system, I've been testing file-management apps. One such is Astro File Manager, available in an ad-supported free version and a $3.99 ad-free premium version. Its compatibility, according to the page description in the market, ?varies with device.? Astro File Manager is efficient enough for file browsing, although the interface does not use screen real estate as well as competing file management app X-plore. Advanced features, such as browsing network shares and cloud backup add value to this app; unfortunately, those features did not work well in my testing.

Getting Started
Astro File Manager opens to lengthy list of menu choices: 'File Manager,' 'Free ASTRO Backup Account,' 'Getting Started and Support,' 'Like ASTRO, Rate Us,' ?Task Killer,' and 'Application Backup'.

Opening up File Manager, I only saw the contents on my SD card. I had to click the 'Up' button (one of the buttons on an on-screen toolbar) to get to the top-most level of the Droid's file system. You can, however, change which directory is displayed on opening within 'Preferences.'

It took a minute or two to before I could click on a folder and all of the contents were listed?it seems as though it takes a few seconds for the view to load. The file management is pretty basic and works well enough. You can easily create new directories, and view and share files (with the phone's native sharing abilities). I prefer the double-pane view in X-plore, which makes it easier to see source and destination locations for doing a Copy, for example. However, the lack of a double-pane makes Astro's interface more spacious and streamlined, and I can imagine those who would prefer Astro's less cluttered look. You also change the look of Astro?well, mostly the colors of the folders?by applying one of the several downloadable themes.

Network Shares
You can access shared folders via a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. These connections can be for SFTP or SMB (for Windows or SAMBA shares). Adding an SMB connection required installing Astro's SMB Module from the app market. I ran into some problems with setup. First, you have to specify the share name and directory. With X-plore, I could just enter the Windows hostname or IP and for a listing of that machine's shared. Also, Astro does not allow network scanning. However even after entering credentials I was unable to browse a share on a Windows server.

Backup
Backup option is a feature Astro has over X-plore. The one-touch app backup to an SD card works terrificly. There's even an option to back up to Astro's cloud service, which works great in theory, but not in execution?at least, not on my Droid 2.

You have to sign up for a free Astro backup account. I created my account on the Astro website and then downloaded the required module. Problem was, after installing the module and logging into the service I was prompted to download the module again. I couldn't actually get into the backup service. Perhaps this is a problem particular to my device, or the service was down. Nonetheless, it's a reminder about how finicky apps can be that are written to work on a wide array of vendor hardware across the fragmented Android OS.

Task Killer and Customizing
Astro includes an elegant task killer that allows you to shut down apps, services, and processes. It also shows what percentage of the CPU that app, service or process is using?great information for learning about performance.

Does the Job, Could Be Better
Astro is an OK app. It allows you to browse files efficiently and without a lot of screen clutter. Advanced users may prefer X-Plore's extra features such as its network scanning capability. While X-plore received four stars for its superior file management, Astro File Manager still gets a decent three.

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