Once in a while an app comes along and intrigues you. Android Windows Manager is one of those apps.  It’s a simple app that allows you to manipulate files in multiple windows like you would if you were using a computer. It’s definitely interesting, but is it practical? Let’s find out.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

Android Windows Manager is a file manager app that allows you to manage your files in a “desktop-like” area with multiple “windows”.

Pros

• Allows you to manage multiple folders/locations at a time using windows (like windows you have on your Windows computer)
• Has all the regular features of file management, such as open, delete, move, rename, etc.
• Very fast
• Applications menu
• Supports multi-touch

Cons

• Extremely buggy and unstable
• Horrendous user interface

Discussion

Android Windows Manager is an awesome concept. I’d love to be able to load in something like Gnome or KDE into my phone and run my Android device like a pure computer. That being said, this implementation, if anything needs a ton of work. It’s a really cool app, and it’s given me a really great file managing experience, but part of me wonders if we even really need it.

This Window Manager is so centered around the way desktops usually work. We’re on a new field here. Most of the applications and things we do with our mobile computers are gesture based. Something so closely based on a mouse is clumsy at best in a world where touch is king of the castle. It also doesn’t help that Android Windows Manager is completely hideous and very buggy. I understand that it’s in beta, but still.

Despite the fact that Android Windows Manager is beta quality, it is very functional. I really enjoyed using it, but I still feel that it’s a bit counter intuitive. As neat as it is, I still think that things like this just don’t work in the long run. If you want a desktop experience doesn’t it make sense to use a desktop computer? Maybe I’m missing something, but as far as efficiency it’s not that much better than apps like Ghost Commander or X-plore.

This isn’t an app that I plan on using again anytime soon. It’s a cool concept, but it’s just not good enough. There’s not enough features and it’s way too buggy. To be honest, after you get past the cool ‘window manager’ aspect of it, it’s kind of a bit dull. When I look for a file manager, I look for a vast amount of features. This window manager gimmick isn’t anything that can replace not having SMB and SFTP/FTP support.

Conclusion and download link

This is the kind of app that can be extremely interesting but not very practical. In all actuality, I have a hard time recommending it to anyone that wants it as a file manager. Sure, at the end of the day, it does do what it says. It manages files, but most people want much more than moving files and folders around locally. This app just doesn’t cut it. Check out Ghost Commander or X-plore instead.

Price:  Free

Version reviewed: 1.02 Beta

Requires: 2.2 and up

Download size: 635 KB

Android Windows Manager on Play Store