Must have iPad Apps (non-gaming apps)

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dmaul1114

Banned
I figure with a seperate forum area we can have at least one thread focused on non-gaming apps. Someone who games more on the iPhone/iPad should start threads for must have games though!

I've had my iPad 2 for a little over a month now (got it on 3/15) and here are the apps I've been using a lot.

News Apps

New York Times--Still my favorite even after going paid. The Top News and Most e-mailed are still free and update with new stories rotating in throughout the day.

Washington Post--not big on the layout, but the full paper is still free for now. Says it will go paid sometime in the future.

USA Today--nice layout, full paper is free.

Politico--decent layout. Free.

CNN--has a couple layout options, lots of videos.

NPR--love being able to build your own playlists with segments of shows like All Things Considered

AP--different layout style than the others, bu not all that useful since most of the good stories get covered in the above sources

Zite and Flipboard--these are the two best news aggregators I've found.

Movies/TV Apps

Netflix--a must if you're a subscriber

Crackle--has a decent amount of free streaming TV episodes and movies (older stuff)

ABC Player--solid app for streaming ABC shows

Youtube--self explanatory

Movies by Flixter--good app for Rotten Tomatoes scores and looking up show times

PBS--has some of their shows streaming

Discovery--haven't used it much. Not sure how many full shows, but lots of clips available from the little I've seen

Hulu Plus--sure it's great for members, I haven't tried it as I don't watch much TV these days.

DirecTV--neat app if you have your TV through them and a compatible set top box. You can control the box with the app. Access your DVR playlist and choose what to start up, browse the guide etc. Mainly useful to me as the menu and guide is very slow on my DirecTV DVR most of the time, so it's often quicker to use this app.

E-Books and PDFs

Kindle--the best of the e-book apps IMO simply because of the selection of the Kindle store. Full disclosure--I'm biased here since I've owned a Kindle for quite a while and still do most of my reading on it.

Goodreader--the best PDF reader out there. And they've added a lot of good annotation features to it so you can easily nighlight, add notes and draw on PDFs so there's not reason to spend $5 more for iAnnotate anymore really.

iBooks--nice interface, but the iBook store is limited and often more expensive than the Kindle store.

Stanza--very useful as there are several free book sources built into the app as well as some smaller pay stores.

Nook--haven't used this one really, but the interface seems decent.

Kobo--interface on this one seemed a bit slow for turning pages etc.

Miscellaneous

Epicurous--a neat, free cookbook

Kayak--quick way to look up flight prices

Open Table--great for making dining reservations

TWC Max (weather channel)--solid weather app

Engadget--ok app, but not any better than the website really.

ESPN Scorescenter--not really much more than an app version of their mobile website enhanced a bit. Still handy for looking up scores etc.

Marvel Comics/Comixology--great comics apps, but I don't like the pricing.

Pandora--self explanatory

Backgrounds--lots of free wallpaper for the iPad.
 
Air video for streaming movies and tv shows from your pc.

If you have a slingbox, the sling player app turns your iPad into a tv for 30 bucks. A ton of people seem to have a lot of problems with it though, but I haven't. So a very very cautious recommend.

Zinio is a good magazine reader. The pricing of the magazines is pretty steep though.

Nook kids is very good for children's books. It comes with a couple free books to try out. Anyone with kids should check it out.

Siriusxm is good for people who have a subscription.

I keep seeing ads for the hbo app that's coming put in early may. It will give hbo subscribers access to all episodes of hbo tv series if I understand it correctly.
 
I read The Daily, and at $.99 a week, it isn't a bad subscription price.

Atomix is a great videogame magazine that features the Area 5 guys, and is $.99 an issue.

NFL '11 is a great app to keep up with the NFL news and the upcoming draft

CrunchyRoll is a great app for those looking to legally stream Anime and Korean Dramas.
 
Oh, yeah I forgot about browsers.

I really like the Atomic Web Browser. It's 99 cents, has a private mode and tabbed browsing.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Oh, yeah I forgot about browsers.

I really like the Atomic Web Browser. It's 99 cents, has a private mode and tabbed browsing.[/QUOTE]

Not to mention the ability to disguise itself as a PC web browser (so you get the non-mobile versions of websites), a pop-up blocker, a download manager, and more.

Atomic Web Browser is really an essential if you're serious about websurfing on your iPad.
 
Must haves:

Flipboard - Should be stock installed on every iPad.

History's Civil War app - at first glance, you think only for history nerds, but, potentially one of the most powerful apps out there as far as information ingestion.

Second all recs on Atomic as a browser replacement.

Intellicast HD - free weather app that's very good on the iPad.

I use the official twitter app all the time. I think it'd serve a regular user well.

Also bought ia Writer to keep a daily journal and sync it with dropbox.

I use UPAD to mark up PDFs. It has hand note functionality and it does it pretty well, I just scribble way too much at work to use the note taking effectively. As it is, to mark up PDFs is extremely useful.

Also, the Netflix app is a must.

Looking at office apps, but, most people seem to think they all offer a C- solution. So haven't yet invested into any of the top ones (quick office, docs to go, office2, iWork ones)
 
[quote name='G-Nitro']Atomix is a great videogame magazine that features the Area 5 guys, and is $.99 an issue.
[/QUOTE]
Just bought an iPad, mainly due to Matt (of Area5 & Rebel FM) talking about the Atomix app. Kinda pissed I couldn't try it on my iPhone, though it probably would have been a mess.

So tracked down a 32gb 1st gen model from Verizon. There are a few other things I'll get for it but the price drop on the 1st gen models and the reveal of Atomix were enough to sway me. Otherwise, I would have waited 'til iPad 3 was released.

Figure to put the savings from buying this over iPad 2 towards next year's model
 
Intellicast HD is definitely worth a download, but I really hate the wonky way it treats the tabs for different locations. Instead of just selecting like a tab in a browser, it swaps the one you tap with the one on the far left, or some such craziness. Who designs this kind of thing? Still, it is a great weather app. I just hope somebody wakes up with regard to the tab behavior.

If you need a code editor or just viewer, I highly recommend Textastic. It has syntax highlighting for pretty much every language. If you do web development it has a built-in preview pane. It supports FTP/SFTP and Dropbox and you edit files offline with links maintained to the originals for uploading your edits (or reloading from the server if you need to). It has a built-in WebDAV server as well for loading files into it (though I find it odd that it won't connect to WebDAV servers to download files for editing). It has search and replace. It shows the cursor position (line/column) and has line, word and character counts. Shows line numbers. There's common code-related keys on the main keyboard, including TAB. Auto-correction and Auto-capitilzation are optional (defaulting to off), available in case you are writing regular text. It supports TextExpander (though I don't have that). Can be set to read-only. Font, tab width, and wrap column are settable. Etc. It's easily worth the $10 price tag. I'd like to see more stuff added to it like grep search and replace, but as-is it's pretty great.

Also want to mention Dropbox. That's a great service. I was using MobileMe, but Dropbox is so much better. Uber convenient way to get files synced between devices, and on and off iOS devices. I'm now checking to see if apps support it, and ones that do definitely get my attention.
 
[quote name='rbarba4']Just bought an iPad, mainly due to Matt (of Area5 & Rebel FM) talking about the Atomix app. Kinda pissed I couldn't try it on my iPhone, though it probably would have been a mess.

So tracked down a 32gb 1st gen model from Verizon. There are a few other things I'll get for it but the price drop on the 1st gen models and the reveal of Atomix were enough to sway me. Otherwise, I would have waited 'til iPad 3 was released.

Figure to put the savings from buying this over iPad 2 towards next year's model[/QUOTE]

Atomix was the first thing I checked out after moving my apps to my iPad. I really enjoy the layout and how everything works. Really sleek looking. Can't wait for issue 2.
 
For manga fans, I must recommend the Viz Media app. It is now for both iPad and iPhone. The selection is pretty good so far, but it is the prices that make this a must have. At $5 a graphic novel, you are saving $3-$8 from buying the volumes in physical form. They have also had some sales, which had some volume 1s at only $3.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']
Also want to mention Dropbox. That's a great service. I was using MobileMe, but Dropbox is so much better. Uber convenient way to get files synced between devices, and on and off iOS devices. I'm now checking to see if apps support it, and ones that do definitely get my attention.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, Dropbox is great. I use it to sync my documents between my home and office computers ,and use it to get files onto my iPad. Main use on that front is getting PDFs into Goodreader.
 
I downloaded Touch-Fill-Go, the best PDF editor IMO. It let's you highlight, notate and sign PDFs. It's on sale for $3 right now. :)
 
I'm not sure about signing PDFs or filling out PDF forms, but Goodreader is fantastic for reading PDFs, and for highlight and adding notes etc.

I use it a good bit to read and mark up scholarly journal articles for classes I'm teaching or things I'm reading related to my own research work etc.
 
Here's another great one I've been using lately:

Overdrive--for library e-books.

This is a great app if your library does e-book lending through Overdrive (most big city/suburban county ones do these days).

Very easy to place holds on ebooks and download them right into the app when available to check out. You generally have 14 days to read it (limit can very by library) before it's automatically deleted from your device.

App has all the needed e-reader features--brightness control, bookmarks, orientation lock, adjustible font size, white/sepia/black background options etc.
 
Thanks for the heads up on Overdrive. I see that our library system does this. Unfortunately the selection sucks. Here's a weird one: they have The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but not The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. What? Oh well. I'm sure there's some other good stuff on there.

EDIT: actually it's worse. That's audio book. The only epub they have in the series is "And Another Thing...", which is book 6. Whacky. Admittedly I've never read that one, but I wanted to start from the beginning. Oh well. I guess they want to force me to buy the book.
 
Yeah, from what I've seen it's not very useful for series as it tends to just have a few random books from a series. Of course all that will vary by your local library.

Mine mainly seems useful for bestsellers--especially those from a year or two back as current ones are on pretty long wait lists.

But still, I'm on my 3rd book from it in 3 weeks or so of getting the app and a library card, so it's saving me some money vs. buying the books on Kindle.

As a plus, when I decided to get a library card to use the e-book service, I realized there was a branch of the library about a 10 minute walk from my condo that I didn't know was there, so I've read a couple books I checked out from there as well.
 
I'm considering buying the iBooks version of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy collection. I'd get the Kindle version, but I like the iBooks interface better and not enough of a reader to ever consider buying a Kindle. I actually haven't read any books in... well I'm not going to say. :)
 
Well, the only other advantage to going with the Kindle version is you can get Kindle apps on a variety of platforms--iOS, Mac, Windows, Android, Blackberry etc. and can read a book you buy on those and synch to your furthest page read in every device so you can pick up where you left off on another gadget etc.

But you seem like a pretty hardcore Apple guy, so that may be moot for you. :D

I read a ton so I've had a Kindle for over 2 years so I've gotten locked into the Amazon format. I do like the iBooks app though, I just don't buy anything from them as I prefer it on Kindle and I don't plan on staying on the iPad long term (i.e. past this generation).
 
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[quote name='dmaul1114']Well, the only other advantage to going with the Kindle version is you can get Kindle apps on a variety of platforms--iOS, Mac, Windows, Android, Blackberry etc. and can read a book you buy on those and synch to your furthest page read in every device so you can pick up where you left off on another gadget etc.

But you seem like a pretty hardcore Apple guy, so that may be moot for you. :D

I read a ton so I've had a Kindle for over 2 years so I've gotten locked into the Amazon format. I do like the iBooks app though, I just don't buy anything from them as I prefer it on Kindle and I don't play on staying on the iPad long term (i.e. past this generation).[/QUOTE]

LOL. Actually, I think I'd prefer reading books on a Kindle... but I don't have a Kindle and I don't read enough to justify buying one. I have absolutely zero interest in reading on a computer. Really, none whatsoever.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']LOL. Actually, I think I'd prefer reading books on a Kindle... but I don't have a Kindle and I don't read enough to justify buying one. I have absolutely zero interest in reading on a computer. Really, none whatsoever.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, me neither. But I like having the apps on pretty much every smartphone so if I ever take the smart phone plunge I know I'll have the Kindle app as an option for reading in a waiting room etc. when I don't have my Kindle with me. :D

But you being a huge Apple guy will probably always have an iPad and iPhone, so it's moot for you since iBooks covers your needs. :D

Whereas I'm soured on Apple and want to get to a different type of tablet eventually, so I don't want to buy anything else that iOS exclusive. :D


Anyway, the Kindle (or any e-ink device) is the best for reading for sure as it's so easy on the eyes and battery life is great. But you're right that it's not worth owning if you're not a big reader. Obviously, a dedicated reading device is really only for avid readers who read enough to justify owning such a gadget! :D
 
I'm not feeling the love at the moment, and I'm not sure why you're going on with that. I do like my iPhone and iPad, and our Macs and, no, I don't like Windows much. However, like I said, I think the Kindle would be great ... if I read lots of books, which I don't. Paying $150 or whatever for a Kindle in order to get a $10 book so I'll be able to read on some possible future device. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If I ever get big into books I'd certainly consider a Kindle or Nook and I'll morn the years ago loss of $10. Anyway, I was only considering buying it. Not really sure that I will. Also, I've been looking into the Google Chrome laptops because they are cheap, seem to do what my wife would need, and they aren't Windows, and am going to check them out once that's possible. Am I an Apple Hater too? Why is it always black and white?
 
[quote name='crunchewy']Is there some reason you're going on with this "Huge Apple guy" stuff?[/QUOTE]

No, I was just saying that the one advantage of going with Kindle books if you don't have an actual Kindle is being able to read them on a variety of platforms.

From your posts, you seem like an huge Apple fan that will probably always just have an Apple tablet and iPhone so that's moot for you and those like you as you don't have a need to access to your e-books on multiple platforms.

Where as all the Kindle apps are a great feature for someone like me who has a Kindle, an iPad, Windows PCs, would get a Droid if I get a smartphone, and want a non-Apple tablet in the future etc.

Sorry if it came across as anything other than that. I am pretty anti-Apple at the moment and regretful of buying the iPad 2 myself. But I certainly didn't mean any slight to you!
 
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Get back on track fellas, I need this thread so I can justify my new iPad!

Pulse RSS/newsreader rules and is free.

Can anyone recommend a good ssh client ?
 
I'm glad to see that Merriam-Webster finally saw fit to put out a free ad-supported version of their quite good dictionary app for the iPad (previously only available for free on the iPhone), and it seems to be very well done (the iPhone app is great too):

http://appshopper.com/reference/merriam-webster-dictionary-hd

You can search by letter tabs/scrolling, typing in a word or by voice, and of course jump to words within definitions and such. Also speaks the words. Very nice.
 
New must have app, EGM. Looks like it was just released 1-2 weeks ago.

Still feel Atomix is better, but this, so far has been free.

Two issues available at this time
 
I use iCabMobile for web browsing, the options it gives you is great.
For PDFs and cbr/cbz files, Cloudreaders has been the best I've used so far.
And until the official Facebook app hits the store, Friendly is great.
 
Icab has some obnoxious behavior - often times I try to type on some site and I'll get a few letters in and then it will decide I'm not typing an more and take the keyboard away! Its incredibly aggravating, so I stopped using it. Atomic Web Browser is nice except that it can't seem to import my safari bookmarks properly (icab does), so I don't use it either. Oh well. I'm looking forward to iOS 5 for a better browser.
 
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