Software : Updated: Top 170 best iPad apps |
| Updated: Top 170 best iPad apps Posted: 17 May 2011 05:00 AM PDT  Whether you have an iPad or iPad 2 that means deciding which apps you should purchase and download right away. We tested the launch apps when the first iPad became available in the US and we ranked them below based on how they test out, if they make use of the larger screen, and any added perks. When the iPad became available in the UK, we trawled the UK App Store to pick our favourite free iPad apps, paid-for iPad apps, free iPad games and paid-for iPad games. You'll find links to all those round-ups at the end of this article. 1. Kindle for iPad Why list a free e-book reader as the top pick when Apple's own iBook is included? Ask anyone who owns a Kindle - with this free app, you can download every book and magazine you have ever purchased for free and read them on the iPad. The Kindle reader doesn't have the annoying grayscale book spine of the iBook reader, and books through Amazon are cheaper. There's also a much wider selection. And, one of the best ways to use the iPad is for reading books, mags, and newspapers.
2. Blackboard Mobile Learn The second free app that tops our list, Blackboard Mobile Learn is a classroom learning tool where teachers can make assignments, interact with students, write blogs, and post grades. It requires a backend infrastructure. Currently available only for higher-ed schools, Blackboard will add K-12 support by June.
3. Scrabble Scrabble is another app that is just an ideal fit for the iPad. The classic word-cross board game is well-designed with wooden tiles that look realistic. With the accurate touchscreen control, it is easy to slide tiles around on screen.
4. Groovemaker Groovemaker is like having a DJ on your iPad. There's an easy to way to record and mix loops, add drum parts, and adjust sound levels to make a song. Samples clips sound great, especially on earbuds. The app is ideal for live music at parties as well.
5. Things We know all about Things - the well-regarded task manager for iPhone and Mac. On the iPad, once again the app just has a new life because it's like carrying around a clipboard with all your to-do items in one easy-to-access bucket.
6. Fieldrunners Fieldrunners - the classic tower defense game for iPhone where you drop cannons to shoot advancing armies - has always needed some extra screen real estate. On iPad, the game looks crisp and colorful, but most importantly there is more room to plan out your strategy and divide up your units in a logical array.
7. Netflix Netflix is on so many devices it is becoming a legitimate standard for streaming movies over the internet. (It's on the Roku player, Samsung BD-C6500 Blu-Ray player, and many others.) Now, it is on the iPad, and it works: you can even set up a movie queue and search for films and shows, unlike other embedded devices that force you to add instant movies to your queue on your PC only.
8. Pianist Pro MooCowMusic got an early jump with its iPhone port of this useful piano tool. On the iPad, the keys are large enough to actually play a real song. There's plenty of sampled piano sounds - even a church organ - and a quick way to record.
9. WeatherBug Elite WeatherBug Elite is a perfect example of why the iPad is changing computing: it shows a well-detailed map of your exact location, forecasts, video, and even camera feeds from your area. There are even contour maps for wind speed and temp.
10. FlightTrack Pro This iPhone port works exceptionally well on the iPad, mostly because you can see a large map that shows your flight departure and arrival. Pop-ups after you enter the flight info remind you about when the flight is ready to take off.
11. Pages Apple knew full well that Microsoft would not move an inch to support the iPad, so Pages is the best (and only!) word processing app. Combined with the iPad Dock with an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, it is possible to do real work on the iPad, even if Pages lacks some key features - such as HTML mark-up support.
12. Tweetdeck Another brilliant port to iPad, Tweetdeck shows you the feeds of your Twitter friends, your own mentions, and your direct messages. It works well because there is enough screen space to actually read all of this content.
13. Keynote Keynote is worth the price of admission if only because you can set up an attractive slideshow - using Apple's templates and stock artwork - and run it on the iPad's crisp screen - which is viewable from side angles during a meeting.
14. Mirror's Edge The PC and console versions of Mirror's Edge never really caught on due to minimalistic gameplay mechanics. On the iPad, the story is still confusing (is she running from enemies, trying to collect info about them?) but the action is better. You flick and jump to avoid obstacles in a side-scrolling window, and there's a few interesting additions - such as tilting the screen to run faster.
15. ABC Player The ABC Player on the iPad is a must download - it provides the best way to watch TV shows from the US network for free. Most importantly, it works quite well over a Wi-Fi connection without some of the latency problems on the desktop.
16. Labyrinth Lite HD More than just a simple wood-block puzzle where you move a marble from one end of the box to another, Labyrinth Lite HD has expanded to provide a tougher challenge with switches, rotating dials, and other obstacles. The iPad version is just right: it really feels like you are playing the classic puzzle game.
17. Yahoo! Entertainment We were surprised to discover this colorful, well-designed app - which shows you TV listings for your area as well as video snippets and news.
18. SketchBook Pro We're big fans of SketchBook on the iPhone, and this high-def version just makes it even easier to sketch out an artistic image. The tools are amazingly advanced, mirroring what you might see in Photoshop or in a real artist's shop.
19. OmniGraffle OmniGraffle has never quite fit a device like it fits the iPad. This diagramming tool - which you can use to create flowcharts, sketch out ideas, and even plan an office floorplan - is just pick-up-and-go easy on the smooth touchscreen.
20. AIM AOL still exists? Yes - in theory. On the iPad, this instant messaging client looks great and, coupled with the responsive soft keyboard, is actually one of the best ways to communicate with friends, short of a video chat in a future iPad version.
Best iPad apps for UK buyers Top 50 best free iPad apps Many great free iPhone apps cost 59p or more in their iPad incarnations, and the quality level of what's still free is often ropey. But among the dross lie rare gems - iPad apps that are so good you can't believe they're still free. Of those we unearthed, here are our favourites.
Read Top 50 best free iPad apps Top 40 best paid-for iPad apps We worked our way through the App Store and furiously tested a huge (digital) pile of apps, before coming up with our 40 best paid-for iPad apps.
Read Top 40 best paid-for iPad apps Top 40 best free iPad games The App Store offers plenty of iPad gaming goodness for the (unintentional or otherwise) skinflint. Our pick of the 30 best free iPad games are below.
Read Top 30 best free iPad games 30 best iPad games worth paying for With the iPad, the larger screen and extra clout from Apple's A4 chip creates a gaming experience markedly superior compared to that on the iPhone, and already there are plenty of fantastic titles for the system. Here are our ten current top 30 paid-for iPad games.
Read 30 best iPad games worth paying for
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