Okay…so I am on my second iPad and use it more and more each day. It really is a great piece of technology! It allows you to keep up with news, work, social media, and play some games all in a small package that is easy to travel with and serves as a great platform. Much easier than breaking out the laptop! So…here are my top 10 iPad apps…feel free to share yours in the comment section!
- SpringPad - This great note-taking, list-making, resource-keeping app serves so many purposes it is amazing! Create different notebooks for different areas of your life and keep those aspects separate. Separate to-do lists and even separate flagged websites or resources. I was an Evernote user before I was introduced to SpringPad. Evernote is still a GREAT app but the to-do list feature in SpringPad set it apart. If you are not a list maker then check out Evernote as well…both great apps!
- Dropbox – I still am not sure how we functioned before Dropbox. This cloud based storage application allows you to store any files you want on the go and access them via your computer, iPad, iPhone or other portable computing device. It operates quickly and allows you to view most file types from directly within the Dropbox application. Upgrade to a pro account and you can have some serious storage space for all the things you need!
- Flipboard – An amazing way to see your social media streams! Set it up to display your twitter or facebook feed in a digital magazine style layout. It even brings in the links posted by your friends and followers to the app so that you don’t have to click to read the information. You can also set Flipboard up to display various news sources, magazines so that you can have a ton of information all at your finger tips in one app! And it is a BEAUTIFUL interface…well done Flipboard!
- Chronicle – For all you journal keepers out there…this app is the best one I have found for the iPad. It is set up to default to a password protected option and the simplicity of the app is the best thing! You don’t need a ton of options for a journal app and this doesn’t bog things down with too many options. It is a great tool for keeping a journal. If you want more than that, look elsewhere.
- Adobe Ideas – There are a lot of sketching options out there…this one is my personal favorite. Not anything that blow you away on the options side of things but it is reactive, simple to use and gives you a great way to sketch out ideas on the fly. There are better options out there if you want to create a finished product on you iPad, but if you are looking for something to jot down your ideas to take home and finish on a better application this is a wonderful tool.
- Good Reader - My personal favorite PDF and other document reader on the iPad. Functions so that you can view many different formats. It will open zipped folders and let you view their contents and even works with iCloud! Great all around piece of software.
- Pulse - This news reader is very functional and brings in many different news streams into one application. You can even set it up to pull in your twitter and Facebook streams if you like. It has several magazine options in its default menu and if you are a tech geek like me you will love the options!
- Wikipanion - The Wikipedia tool for both iPad and iPhone is awesome! I use this to end arguments all the time. Hear something that peaks your interest? Learn more on Wikipanion no matter where you are. I actually use this app more than I go to Wikipedia.
- The Weather Channel - Being in Oklahoma, we are obsessed with the weather! We want to know what is going on and what could go on at all times. We pretty much plan our lives around the weather and this app helps you know what to expect…even in Oklahoma when you can have all four seasons in the course of a couple days! A great map feature that has proven to be the most responsive one out there along with alerts and even a social option that lets you read what people are tweeting about in regard to the weather make this a full service app giving you all the weather info you need!
- Zinio – I know Apple just added the Newsstand app to iOS5 but my favorite magazine option is Zinio. You can subscribe to magazine directly inside the app or purchase individual issues. The interface is nice and it is a pleasant experience reading the publications. They even have free articles from a number of publications to give you content without having to pay for anything. This is a nice touch if you have a small amount of time to pass and don’t want to commit to an entire issue.
