There are thousands of apps designed specifically for the iPad, but some are more necessary than others. Now that we’ve started ranging the new iPad, we thought that we should share a list of ten iPad apps that you should look at before any others.
To quickly gain a wealth of reading material that spans every possible topic, Instapaper is one of the most efficient apps available. You can install the bookmarklet which lets you save web pages and they will then be available within Instapaper to read offline when you want to. The presentation, fonts and general ease of use make this a classic iPad title in every way.
Notefile is the simplest of note-taking apps. No folders, no organisation- just a simple list of notes you have created. You can view the notes on the iPad and in the web interface on a Windows PC or in the Dashboard on a Mac. Just about perfect.
Not all notes need to be typed and with the addition of a stylus, you can create some natural looking notes in Penultimate very easily. Images can be inserted and the entire presentation makes organising lots of notes as easy as can be. It could replace a paper notebook for you, it is that good.
Twitter clients get no better than Tweetbot. With an interface that looks completely different to the standard Twitter offering and more features than the official desktop version, it still takes little time to get used to. If you are a serious Twitter user, you need Tweetbot.
The Elements is breathtaking when you first use it and educational after that. The way the app lets you interact with the objects is so completely natural and immersive that it is difficult to put down. The only downside is the size- 1.71GB is a lot of space to take up.
You will need to be a fan of the sport to really benefit from F1™ 2012 Timing App CP, but it is an example of what can be done by a developer who takes the time to make an app truly useful and immersive. You almost feel like you are in the TV studio when this app is running.
Tablets are not all about consumption, particularly not an iPad, and with Brushes you can take some time to create masterpieces whenever you like. A stylus will help and there are even accessories available that mimic paint brushes, but having artistic talent will help the most.
Sometimes you just need to kick back and have a blast in a virtual world of planes, missles and fun. If you think you don’t, try this game and see what all the fuss is about. It rivals some of the console titles from only a few years ago.
Imagine using a music app that knows how hard you are tapping the screen and adjusts the sounds of the piano key accordingly. Imagine being able to create tunes with a variety of realistic instruments and to then plug in your own instruments to finish the job. You can do this and lots more with Garagaband.
Once you start using Flipboard to read your favourite websites and social networks, you will never turn back. In the history of mobile computing, no app has come close to the presentation of Flipboard for delivering content in such a natural way.
About Shaun McGill