iPad Apps

[stephengilbert]

I thought it might be worth a new thread limited to iPad apps. I periodically browse around the 'net looking for good ones, but find that the advice is hit or miss. I'd rather hear from people whose sense (for better or worse ) I think I can judge.

One that I think is pretty good is GoodReader. It allows you to transfer documents to your iPad using iTunes. I've only imported a few things to check it out, and it worked well. Now I've got the C1 user's manual, a Ross MacDonald novel, and a few miscellaneous Word docs. Easy to use, and only $.99.

 

[Terry]

my list:

Best photo editing i've found is: Photgene
Most fun game with friends around the country: Words with Friends (Scrabble derivative)
Great interface for financial data: Bloomberg
If you like prime time TV ABC did a good job on their app

subscriptions:
Netflix

 

[shadzee]

- GoodReader
- DropBox
- Instapaper
- AirVideo
- 1Password
- PenUltimate
- Kindle
- Adobe Ideas

 

[stephengilbert]

I was going to ask if anyone used Instapaper, and saw that Sam recommends it.

Any comments?

 

[shadzee]

Instapaper is fantastic. I have the pro version on both my iPod Touch and iPad. Indeed, it was the first App I purchased for my iPad.

I use it, and it's part of my every day work flow! It allows you to bookmark any site to read "later", AND off-line.

 

[DougDolde]

I have insta-paper. It's a notepad I can write on with a pen or pencil and toss it in the trash when its all over.

 

[Terry]

I have insta-paper. It's a notepad I can write on with a pen or pencil and toss it in the trash when its all over.

Nice sarcasm but Instapaper is a news App where you can save web content to read it later. They also have a very interesting Editors Chiice section of articles from all over that you can read. It is a good App.

 

[stephengilbert]

Thanks Terry.

 

[Diane B]

I agree. I have it for the Touch and will add it for the Ipad. For those that like to listen to or watch podcasts you can bypass Itunes by using RSS Reader. You can dl and listen or watch offline if you are wifi only or listen live. A similar one is Stitcher but you can't dl for offline listening (and it's audio only). .

 

[stephengilbert]

Just tried Barnes & Noble's eBook Reader app, and found it to be noticeably slower and clearly clunkier than the iBook and Kindle apps. It offers the ability to lend a book to a friend, which is nice, but other than that, I think it blows. (Tech talk for "comes in third in a three horse race.")

 

[jonoslack]

Having used the Kindle book reader app for over a month (no iBooks in the UK until Friday). I reckon ibooks simply blows it away - the ability to add all the Gutenberg books, and any old epub books one might already have, together with the simple connection to itunes (I'm not syncing, just manually managing).

Our most used apps:
Air Sharing - wonderful - great application.
Omnigraffle - takes 5 minutes to learn, but really good for knocking about ideas, and also at meetings.

But the killer app has been . . . . . well, not an app at all!

The Keyboard dock . . .
I wasn't expecting to use it, but it's just great, it charges the ipad, but the real deal is that it takes up very little room on the desk next to your 'real' computer, and it's great for banging off quick emails (or quick posts like this one). Definitely a winner

 

[Diane B]

Jono how do you DL the epub books without syncing? Yours is JB so is that the answer?

 

[jonoslack]

Jono how do you DL the epub books without syncing? Yours is JB so is that the answer?

HI Diane
The new one isn't jailbroken (yet anyway). You just add them to your itunes library (just like a song or anything) then you can simply copy them to the ipad in itunes. Simple as that.

 

[stephengilbert]

Diane,

You can go to Files, Add to Library, and choose them, or just drag the eBook file to your iTunes Library. A nice program for converting various formats to ePub is Calibre: http://calibre-ebook.com/. Free, but worth a donation.

Steve

 

[Diane B]

So you are syncing in Itunes or what I call syncing LOL. I manually manage everything too.

Thanks Stephen. I'd read about Calibre. Have to try it

 

[jonoslack]

So you are syncing in Itunes or what I call syncing LOL. I manually manage everything too.

Thanks Stephen. I'd read about Calibre. Have to try it

Stephen put it so much better than I did . . . I think I need to go on a communication course

Calibre is really good for changing things from one format to another.

 

[Diane B]

Ah, it's just that Brit/US English thing LOL.

 

[Diane B]

For anyone that likes tabbed browsing ala Firefox, try the new browser app, A1 Perfect. I replaced Safari in the dock with this one. So far so good.

 

[Diane B]

And a new one for Jono. Frypaper-Stephen Fry's blog and nicely done.

 

[Terry]

Pulse -
Added to the App store yesterday. Highlighted by Steve in the Keynote. Highlighted by the NYT in an article. Taken down from app store after NYT complained about copyright problem. Back in the App store with NYT content. A lot for one day.

Seriously, I'm not generally an RRS fan but this is really nicely done.