The iPad continues to revolutionize the way people see and use computers, and a lot of people and developers are finding new ways they can use this amazing device. From surfing the web and watching videos to managing tasks and editing documents to even using it as a cash register and DJ pad – the iPad can do it all.
There are a lot of wonderful entertainment apps for the iPad, and the 3D games are simply amazing, both in graphics that rival those of current consoles and controls that can sometimes be better than console game controllers. The iPad is also clearly aimed at people who don’t know how to use a computer or find it difficult, including old people and young children.
Reading that, you might think that the iPad is a consumer device and is not fit for business use, and you couldn’t be more wrong. Apple has created a truly universal computing device that can do almost everything for anyone.
Business people and entrepreneurs can also take advantage of it and use it to improve their work. Here are some of the best apps that will help you manage your work and time more effectively and help you grow your business.
Evernote
This is one of the best apps for note taking. It is also available for Windows and Mac and with an online account at Evernote you can keep all of your files and data in sync across all of your devices. The app allows you to take written, audio and even video notes, store bookmarks and pages that caught your interest. It’s practically a must have if you have a lot of things to remember and are bad at doing it yourself.
Evernote-iPad Apps
Taska
Taska is a very good task and project planner that uses the Getting Things Done system and allows you to take different notes that are related to a certain task. The interface also looks very nice and resembles real papers on a wooden table, while of course being much easier to use. Taska is one of the best task and project management apps available for the iPad.
Taska-iPad Apps
Kayak Flights
If you fly a lot, you most definitely use a flight and hotel search web site like Kayak. Now you can have the same functionality in a nice interface right on your iPad. The free Kayak Flights app was specifically designed for the iPad and allows you to search for available flights and the best hotels at your destinations. The application also saves all your searches automatically (you can do it manually for the searches that you want).
Kayak Flights-iPad Apps
Things
This is another great task and project management app that has some more advanced features compared to Taska, but also costs four times as much ($20 as opposed to $5). The interface is really nice and classy looking, and resembles a real paper notebook. The features are pretty standard for a GTD program: you can create, edit and delete tasks and projects, sort them using a wide variety of filters (including custom ones), create daily To-Do lists and archive the old completed tasks.
Things-iPad Apps
OmniGraffle
Omniraffle literally turns your iPad into a small whiteboard. You can draw anything you want, write down notes and attach links, create mind maps and graphs and do other things that a real whiteboard will never do. The interface is very nice and the application features a full complement of drawing tools, from a pencil for freeform drawings to lines, squares, color palettes and anything else you might need. It’s pretty expensive, at $50, but if you’re a designer, engineer or developer, you might find that you can’t live without it once you try it out.
OmniGraffle-iPad Apps
Memeo Connect Reader
A lot of business professionals and startup entrepreneurs have Google accounts. Google offers a lot of very good web apps (like Gmail, Calendar, Wave, Docs, and others) that people literally use for all their needs and can’t live without. Memeo lets you sync all of the files on your iPad with your Google account and vice versa. You can view any documents, including videos and PDF files (Memeo uses the browser and Google’s web apps to display them), but sadly you can’t edit them directly from the application. You can do it via Safari though, and the developer promises to integrate that feature in a future release. Also, the app is completely free, which is just great considering how useful it is.
Memeo Connect Reader-iPad Apps
Instapaper Pro
This is a very neat application that lets you save any web pages for later viewing offline. It also can modify the formatting for better readability if you also install it on your iPhone (assuming you have one).
Instapaper Pro-iPad Apps
Desktop Connect
Desktop Connect puts the power of your desktop Mac into your iPad. It’s basically a Remote Desktop Connection utility, except it’s fast and allows you to perform any tasks on your Mac or Macbook via Wi-fi using your iPad’s screen. Now you can edit photos in Photoshop, schedule torrent downloads and video conversions or use any of your desktop programs right from the comfort of your bed or couch.
Desktop Connect-iPad Apps
The iPad is a very good device for work and business. The amount of amazing applications (many of which are free) allows anyone to effectively manage their time, tasks and projects and store any useful information on one portable device.
If you’re using Outlook or other desktop apps for task management and checking email and would like it to be more portable while not sacrificing comfort, the iPad and some of the above apps (plus other apps on the marketplace) may be the solution you are looking for.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Great tips, have tried a few but will definitely check em all out. Kayak is a great site, meebee.com is pretty good as well for saving time. Iphone app coming out this summer. http://bit.ly/meebeetime
Thanks for this comprehensive list. Will check the apps out as soon I have my iPad.
These are all really cool apps. Microsoft Office Express also offers ways to manage mobile devices, such as the iPad. Here is the article.
http://links.maas360.com/lostIpad
Thanks Drew for great link for us.