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Topic: iPad

Must-have apps for the iPad (Spring 2012 edition)

Summary: The new iPad with the Retina Display is great, but only if you have the right apps. These apps are as good as they get.

James Kendrick

By |

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The iPad is good for reading ebooks, and the Retina Display on the new iPad turns onscreen text into crisp pages that are great to read. Apple has iBooks for those locked into that ecosystem, but the Kindle ebook selection on Amazon is as big as anybody's.

The Kindle app makes it easy to keep track of even large libraries, and finding just the right book to read. Apple doesn't allow the Kindle app to access the Kindle bookstore directly, but it's easy to buy books using the iPad browser and have it pushed to the Kindle app. The next time you open the iPad Kindle app your purchases are sitting there waiting for you.

Free

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Topics: iPad, Apps, Mobility

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6 comments
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  • A great selection, James.

    May I suggest one more educational app that showcases the iPad's potential for truly innovative learning. The name of this app is "Nova Elements".

    It is a fun, interactive way for a student to learn basic chemistry and the Periodic Table of Elements. David Pogue narrates the various sections of this free app from the PBS show "Nova".

    There is one section where a student can graphically build an element from protons, neutrons and electrons. Of course, choosing the correct numbers of each sub atomic particle is required. (For those that forgot their high school chemistry, there is a cheat button that will build your chosen element correctly).

    Needless to say, I highly recommend this app.
    kenosha77a
    Reply Vote

    • Question: Would the app be just as effective if on other devices?

      Just wondering why it "showcases the iPad's potential for truly innovative learning". Does it use some exclusive property of the iPad? Or is it just because it is only available on the iPad?

      I am just trying to differentiate whether the kudos are correctly placed. If the app does not use anything specific about the iPad, then the "potential for truly innovative learning" is really attributable totally to the application rather than the hardware.

      I just seems that the hardware is getting too much credit for other people's work.
      Patanjali
      Reply Vote

  • Twitter

    I like Tweetcaster....
    DJRenegadeUSA
    Reply Vote

  • Great Selection, Don't forget iTunes U

    One of My favorites is iTunes U. This app is a whole world unto itself with experts from thousands of institutions giving brief personal lectures to hour long symposiums and panel discussions. Oxford and Cambridge Universities from the UK, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Cinematheque Francais, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, NASA . The variety is mind boggling and grows every day. Kahn Academy, TEDTalks are included as well. Makes Wikipedia as great as it may be, look like Cliff Notes. Almost every conceivable facet of knowledge is covered in a personal often idiosyncratic way. As the speakers are brilliant and often eccentric, what they have to say is rarely dull. This app deserves it own review. So far everything in iTunes U is free !
    Apelles
    Reply Vote

  • my apps

    My apps makes ipad into something like netbook. I use Pocket Cloud to access my PC running ThinServer XP
    bojanwojan
    Reply Vote
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