So, you’ve got yourself a sparkly new iPad, and are looking forward to kicking back and seeing what it has to offer. Where to start though? So many apps, so little time. What kind of apps you lean towards depends, to an extent, what you plan to use the tablet for. Maybe you want it purely for watching videos and reading on. Maybe it’s meant to be solely for productivity. Maybe it’s meant as a handy all-rounder for your house. Something that you can just peruse whilst you watch tv. I’ve put together a mixture of apps to get you started that cover these bases. Read on…
Gmail
Whilst the iPad comes with a mail app pre-installed, if you’re already a Gmail user (and a lot of people out there are), then you might want an interface closer to the one you might already know. Offering all the good stuff you might need, the app supports more than one Gmail account, has full search capabilities and easily allows you attach photos and other file types to emails. Heck, there’s even an undo send button to prevent embarrassing mistakes! You can read more about the Gmail app here.
YouTube
Never used YouTube? Maybe you’ve been living in a cave? Either way, this is a must have for anyone who, well, likes videos. No matter if you want funny cat videos, recipe videos, current affairs updates …the list is pretty much endless. If you can think of it, it’ll probably be on YouTube, and ripe for discovery. The iPad app offers a nice, slick interface with easy one-tap-to-save, for your favourite videos as well as easy access to any channels you may subscribe to. You can read more about the YouTube app here.
Microsoft Office
If maximum productivity is your aim for your new iPad and you’re a Microsoft fan, you’re in luck. Word, Excel and Powerpoint all have iPad optimised apps, giving you the ability to view, edit, and create documents on your iPad. You’ll need to set yourself up with a free Microsoft account to make use of this functionality, but it’s a simple process. For the full office experience (including 1Tb of OneDrive cloud storage), you can also sign up for an Office 365 subscription, but this isn’t free. You can read more about the Word app here, the Excel app here and the PowerPoint app here.
Trade Me
Looking to buy and sell from the comfort of your own couch? Well, with the Trade Me app for the iPad, you can do just that. The app handles the full experience you’ll be used to on a desktop computer or laptop, with a lovely, streamlined interface. You can easily see your Watchlist, set up sales listings, view current auction and of course search far and wide for that auction you’re looking for. You can read more about the Trade Me app here.
Kindle Reader (Amazon Kindle)
Turn your iPad into a Kindle reader with this handy app, and before you know it you’ll be fully drawn in to your latest novel or biography. Not just books though, you’ll also have access to magazines, newspapers, and even textbooks with high-resolution colour images. All your eBooks that you’ve previously purchased on Amazon automatically appear in your app’s library. The app’s interface and customisation options for reading are very good too, with the ability to change font size and style, as well as the ability to change the page brightness and colour. You can read more about the Kindle Reader app here.
