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iPad Apps (excluding photography)

If you asked 100 people you would probably get 100 different lists of favourite Apps, as we will all have our own preferences and as there are so many we can choose from. However producing a list may give you an idea of some that are worth considering.

Mercury :-  This is an internet browser, and although you have Safari provided with the iPad, this one has many more facilities, such as the ability to save pages off the web and much more. There are a lot of browsers and I have several but this is the one that I use routinely.

Pages:-  A word processing program. This is the Apple produced version available as an optional App from the App Store. It is good for a mobile device and you can read MS Word documents emailed in and many others You can also output any documents you create in Pages to a MS Word document or PDF.

Numbers:- A spreadsheet application, allowing financial modelling but you can also add text, photos etc and use it for layouts or presentations. You can also read MS Excel models and create MS Excel files and PDF's. Again this is an Apple optional App.

iBooks:- book reader, able to read e-books, in the ePub format, and PDF files. Plus it maintains a library to make sorting and using them easy.

iThoughtsHD:- pattern noting application, probably my favourite app of all on the iPad, allows you to structure ideas, thoughts, articles, or just get organised, very easy to learn and use. I often use this for making notes as well.

InShort:- Perhaps of less wide appeal this is a  planning, project planning, flowcharting and Pert program, with many applications. Not as easy as most to pick up but once you get the hang of it, it has many applications.

Google Earth:- Google Maps comes installed, and allows road, aerial and street views, however Google Earth allows exceptional aerial views of anywhere on the planet. You need an internet connection for both Google Maps and Google Earth to work.

My Journal:- An application that files pages by date and time allowing you to add entries and they get put into order, so ideal for keeping a diary, log or journal of any type. Appearance of being a book. It is not an appointments diary, but the iPad comes with a calendar application with ability to add appointments, etc.

UK Map:- This is a mapping application that comes with UK road maps installed and at no extra charge you can install and delete as you require sections of the country as Ordnance Survey detailed maps and detailed street maps. Once installed, you don't need an internet connection to use them, so useful when you are out and about. Many other nice features, like 3D effect maps from Ordnance Survey maps, so you can see the hills. The version of Ordnance Survey maps it uses doesn't have some detail found on printed maps, but is based on the free mapping data available. You can find points with grid references, postcodes, addresses, and more.

Sygic UK and IRL:- A SatNav program with built in mapping. Providing you have a 3G iPad that has the GPS unit built in, no need to connect it to a mobile phone, you can use your iPad as a large satnav.

Navmii UK:- A second SatNav program I have installed. The main difference for me is the way it shows all street names on roads, with all the power of the iPad why not have more than one SatNav installed, giving choices.

Traffic or Michelin Traffic:- This shows the flow of traffic on motorways and many major rods, if it shows read ahead then think of an alternate or investigate what the hold up is. You can also get some traffic flow information by flipping up the corner of the installed Google Maps program and switching on the traffic overlay. Needs an internet connection.

Traffic Lite:- Allows access to Motorway cameras in England and Wales. Currently Scottish cameras are on the map but blocked. Also shows very many of the major roadwork's and hold-ups. Needs an internet connection.

TrafficEye:- This is an iPhone app that will run on the iPad. It shows motorway camera images, and includes the traffic Scotland cameras as well as England and Wales. Needs an internet connection.

TideApp:- Shows the tide at very many places throughout the world including quite a wide choice in the UK. Needs an internet connection.

LightTrac:- Shows the rising, setting and sun and moon position at any point, by default it shows 'today' but can be set for any date or time. Of obvious value to photographers but also useful for house hunting, looking at holiday places and more as you can see exactly where the sun will be at any time. Works well in the UK and appears to also cover the whole of Europe and Africa. It does not need an internet connection for the angles but it does need one to show the map.

Theodolite:- Ability to see the compass angle, and angle from vertical in both directions, plus more also able to see with camera showing where you are pointing. You can photograph images with overlays.

Conman Lite:- Another compass and angles application that can this time have a labelled up local aerial map showing. Will need an internet connection to show maps.

Compass:- Far simpler compass that looks like a handheld compass.

iGeology:- Detailed geology at any point in the UK start with it overlaid on a map and then go for further details where you want. This needs an internet connection.

MailOnline:- The Daily Mail newspaper online. Updated constantly and far larger than the printed version. You need an internet connection to update it but it can then be read offline with no internet connection. There is so much information and a vast number of photos every day so this needs to be updated using broadband rather than mobile internet. Where its updated with mobile internet it updates the articles and gets the photos as required. Its arranged in channels that you can turn on and off or update individually. This only just runs on the iPad and often the iPad has to be turned off and on again before it will run.

BBC News:- As the name says its the BBC News sorted by topic, article, photos and some videos. Far smaller than the Mailonline but has all the main headlines and many other stories. It needs an internet connection.

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Tablet Computers and the iPad