14 DAY TRIAL // If you’ve been good this year, Santa probably got you an awesome new iPad. Although some will say a Windows tablet is the way to go, we all know Santa doesn’t mess around.
So for those of you who are going with the best tablet in existence, I’ve compiled a handy list of some of the best apps to get you up and running.
Say you’re getting ready for a trip with the family – i.e. back home from visiting grandma and grandpa for Christmas, or someplace nice to celebrate the New Year. What you need is some travelers’ apps to get you started with that iPad. Grab these handy tools:
• TripIt – A travel itinerary manager featuring a clean interface. • iTranslate – To break the language barriers on any place on the globe. • Vert 2 – For any type of conversion that comes to mind (currency, compound, clothing size, rock climbing grades, etc). • Screens VNC – A utility that lets you access your desktop computer from afar. • Yahoo Weather – No point in spending a dime on complicated weather apps; Yahoo! has what is arguably the best-looking (and most reliable) forecast tool on the iPad.
Planning to take photos and do some socializing while you’re at it? The following apps are essential for those of you who like to bring out the best of every moment.
• Camera+ – Hands down the best photo editing app money can buy on iOS; grab it and you’ll begin to wonder how you lived without it. • Twitter – If you’re looking for a standard experience with your favorite microblogging service, there’s no point in spending money on a complicated Twitter client. Just get the official one from Twitter Inc. • Facebook – Who can live without it?
For your multimedia needs, (music, photos, videos, cloud storage), these following picks should make your iPad even more worthwhile.
• VLC for iOS – Needs no introduction whatsoever. Completely free to download and use, plays every video format known to man. Just drag your movies into your iPad via iTunes File Transfer and you’re good to go. • Dropbox – Keeps all your files in sync across multiple devices. It’s one of the first apps released on iOS, and it’s perfectly tailored for the platform. • Evernote – For taking notes with images and handwriting recognition with sync capabilities. Knocks the socks off Apple’s Notes app.
When you’re feeling an urge to learn stuff, download Solar Walk - 3D Solar System model, a GOLD winner in the Educational Tools for Parents and Children category.
There will be a time when time needs to be killed. For that, you’ll want to consider these must-have games:
• Plants vs. Zombies 2 – PopCap’s immensely successful puzzler where you strategically place an army of plants in Crazy Dave’s lawn to protect him from brain-eating zombies. Pick it up and you won’t be able to put it down for hours. That's a promise. • Subway Surfers – For those of you who are tired of traditional endless runners, such as Temple Run, try this other game for a change. Granted, with so many downloads to date, chances are you’ve come across it already. • Infinity Blade III – The jaw-dropping hack-and-slash game that Apple always shows off when a new iPhone is released. You’ll be amazed at how good this title looks on a Retina iPad. • Real Racing 3 – Some console-grade online multiplayer racing. • Minecraft - Pocket Edition – Everybody’s crazy about it, not because Mojang had some good marketing, but because Minecraft is arguably one of the best games ever made, regardless of the platform type.
When you come back from your trip and have no more tasks to accomplish, what better way to pass the time if not with a captivating magazine?
Distributed as apps, National Geographic Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and The New Yorker Magazine are just some of the Newsstand highlights that really shine on the iPad.
Oh, and let's not forget the remaining ONE MILLION titles available for both iPad and iPhone (as well as iPod touch players). Anyone still thinking how to get started with a Windows tablet? Didn’t think so.