I was surprised to find out how little I knew abut the iPad app market when I got my first iPad a couple of weeks ago. I spend a lot of time writing about Mac apps and searching for cool new iPhone apps, but once I got my iPad I just didn’t know exactly what I should do with it first; a feeling that is shared by many people who I’ve talked with.
The number of apps out there can be overwhelming; and if we are being honest, not every app that is out there on the App Store is going to be cool or worth your money, especially if it’s expensive. And so we come to the crux, how would you go about gathering new cool apps when you get a new device? How do you find those little app gems that “make” a device for some people? Let’s see how I did it.
Instapaper has gotten more than its share of love over here on iPad.AppStorm. Consistently rated among the most useful apps and best-of lists, Instapaper is an app and service that has made reading anything you find on the web a joy again.
With version 4.0, Instapaper has gone through some serious changes. The iPad version has changed the most of all, sporting a brand-new interface that utilizes all of the iPad’s large display.
With the sheer range of Twitter clients out there on the App Store, choosing a Twitter client for your brand shiny-new iPad can be a long-winded process. Your choice of Twitter client really depends, though, on what kind of Twitter user you are, and whether you use Twitter to simply keep up to date with the world or to keep the world up to date with your happenings.
No matter what kind of Twitter user you are, there’s an iPad Twitter client out there for you! Here’s a detailed look at the pros and cons of the 7 best Twitter clients in the App Store at the moment.
As we all know, the office has left the cubicle and migrated into our digital devices, including our iPhone and iPads. College students, business people, and even casual users often have the need to edit Microsoft Office docs from the convenience and touch screen beauty of their iPad.
Office² HD for iPad provides a host of features and syncing options to keep you in the work cycle. It handles Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents with utmost grace. While I, personally, wouldn’t use this app as the primary way to create docs it’s still a very useful app to have – it’s better to look at it as a companion piece of software for your desktop Office programs. So lets check out why I find Office² HD a useful companion to your computer.
Newsstand is, basically, a way of organizing and making it easier to find magazine apps. Don’t think of it as a stand-alone app that will arrange all your stuff like iBooks does. In fact, Apple doesn’t even advertise it as an app, they call it a “folder”.
What’s most interesting about this folder is its integration with the “Newsstand” section of the App Store. Along with the introduction of this new folder in iOS 5, Apple also opened up a new section on the App Store that is dedicated just to magazines and newspapers, and in which you can get any free magazine app (as long as it’s available) in just a matter of seconds. But how does it work, and how important is it? Let’s see!
We’re having a quick poll today, so take a mere few seconds of your time and enlighten me! Do you think that the integration of Twitter into iOS 5 was a good idea?
Is it beautifully forward-thinking of Apple, or slightly short sighted? Are they tying themselves to the success, and failure, of another company unnecessarily?
Do you use Twitter integration on a regular basis, does it actually enhance the use of your iPad? I, personally, have a feeling that it’ll be incredible for Twitter in the long run, adding huge reams of regular users to its service – although I don’t see the benefits for Apple as being that great…
It’d be awesome if you’d also leave your thoughts below, tell me why you think it is, or isn’t, a good idea?
Earlier this week Web.AppStorm featured a massive roundup of awesome web apps for your iPad, interested? Then read on…
As incredible as it seems, it’s been over a year and a half since the original iPad was released, forever changing what the world thought of tablet computers. The old Tablet PCs were clunky, expensive machines that could run any Windows program, albeit slower and more awkwardly than a full computer. The iPad at first glance looks just like a scaled-up iPhone, but the wide range of apps and number of varied uses it’s found in homes, schools, and businesses has made tablets a permeant part of our computing ecosystem.
One area where the iPad and other tablets have lagged behind is with web apps. While Safari on the iPad is a modern, quite capable browser, many web apps are difficult to use with fingers, and can run very slow on slower processors. Over the past year, though, more and more web apps have been designed or updated to take advantage of the iPad’s features, including multitouch, gestures, and more. Let’s look at some of the best web apps today for the iPad, and if we miss your favorite, be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Hey folks! I’m Jordan McNamara, the Community Manager for Envato and I wanted to share some exciting news with you about the Envato Marketplaces.
The 12th of September was an exciting day for me as a member of our thriving Marketplace community. I along with everyone here at Envato HQ watched eagerly as the global Marketplace member count steadily grew higher and higher and higher… We were close, very close to the 1,000,000 member milestone. With every page refresh the count grew higher and I began to reflect on just how staggering having 1,000,000 members really is and on just what a fantastic community everyone has helped to build here.
I have long been a fan of Jamie Oliver. There’s something inimitable about his cookery style that gives him fantastically widespread appeal. The unassuming and honest qualities evident in his public persona come across effortlessly in his food; watching him reminds me of Gusteau, the famous chef Remi so admires in Pixer’s Ratatouille.
I can hear them saying in unison:
Anyone can cook!
Jamie’s current iPhone app, called Jamie’s Recipes, has just been heavily updated and now works beautifully on the iPad as well. The question is; does it deserve a place in your life?
Winners Announced
Thanks to everyone who took part in the giveaway this week, and special thanks to the kind people at Guided Ways! I’m excited to let you know that the winners have now been chosen. Congratulations are in order to:
Martín
Chris Vleisides
Barb S
Well done to the lucky winners, and we’ll be in touch soon. Sorry to those who missed out, be sure to check back for more great competitions!
Old Competition Post
A few weeks ago we reviewed 2Do again following a major update, I’m pleased to announce now that we have 3 promo codes available for a competition. Adam Williams described how:
2Do is a beautiful and well designed task management app which contains a vast array of options and unique features.
It’s the perfect productivity app for anyone who wants extensive options and features on a classic task management app!
