5 Great iPad Apps you don't want to miss

This app sounds like a web browser for that desktop platform, but in reality it is a powerful file manager for the iPad. In addition to handling all the file handling tasks you expect for local files, it can also access most of the major cloud storage services.

I use it to work with my iPad files, and also access my Google Docs and Dropbox files. It is a great way to move files around and has a great file preview feature.

iExplorer HD -- $4.99

I work with hundreds of RSS feeds, using Google Reader on the desktop. For a long time I used the good Reeder app on the iPad to work with those feeds, until I recently found Mr. Reader.

Mr. Reader also syncs with Google Reader, and handles all functions with an interface that is outstanding. It is very fast, even with thousands of news items on display. It has quickly become one of my favorite iPad apps.

Mr. Reader -- $3.99

Chrome is one of the top web browsers on the planet, and until recently was restricted to the desktop and Android devices. It is now available for iOS, and brings the familiar Chrome interface to the iPad.

While not quite as full-featured as the Android version, the iPad version has the important stuff covered. The ability to sync bookmarks between the desktop and Chrome for iPad is great, and the ability to quickly access any web page open on any other device is fantastic.

Chrome -- Free

Cloud storage is all the rage, and Google Drive is used my millions. This new app for the iPad gives access to that storage for use on the tablet.

Google Drive for the iPad doesn't have a lot of frills, but does provide quick access to information stored in the cloud.

Google Drive -- Free

Touchtv is a cool app that pulls video from user specified sources, and presents them in a nice format for easy access. The major news outlets are accessible, as well as comedy and sports.

You can add your Facebook account to get a feed of videos that your friends have shared. It is a great way to spend free time on the iPad, as the video player is very good.

Touchtv -- Free

Return to ZDNet Mobile News with James Kendrick