Ipad - Applications of Note

This is the second post on the iPad.  The first thing you should know is that applications on the iPad are a bit more expensive - although there are plenty of free ones.

Among the applications on the iPad are new versions of Keynote (Apple's excellent presentation software), Pages and Numbers (writing and spreadsheet).   Those are $9.99 each and well worth the investment.  It is unclear to me how much of this device will be for content creation.  I think with these three it will be a lot more than most writers think it will be.  In addition to the three Apple applications there is a new version of Evernote - which is like an electronic diary.

The implementations of the Calendar, Mail and Contacts are as well done as they are on the iPhone with some enhancements brought about by the larger screen.  For example, the mail program splits the screen in such a way that you can quickly see you list of mail and individual messages at the same time.   The calendar ap is a lot less crowded than it is on the phone.

iPhoto has some new features that allow you to see all your photos in high resolution.  The screen is excellent.   I have chosen to limit the number of photos that I travel with and not to group them into sets - they are all in one set.  Had I grouped them - they would show up as stacks.

The Wall Street Journal has updated their application for the iPad and it is excellent.  There are two features that I especially like.  The first is the opening page - this looks like the front page of the print edition.   At the same time the ap allows readers to see recent issues.  The ap also allows you to save articles and sections.   I have not looked at the other newspaper implementations but if they are as robust this could well be a device to use with your Cheerios in the morning.  Currently, the pricing on this ap is a bit upscale - about $4 per week or $18 per month.   To be able to get the WSJ anywhere might be worth the price but for it to be entirely worthwhile pricing may have to be adjusted.

The iPad also lets you use iPhone applications.  They show up on the screen at about the same size as they are on your phone.  You can also double their size - although that makes them a bit grainy.