## Background
I owned an iPod Touch for a long time before taking the plunge into iPad. One of my iPad requirements was that it had to integrate with existing Mac / Android / iPod Touch workflows as much as possible. My productivity with the non-iPad devices was so tuned; that I _thought_ my iPad would be mostly just used for drawing and sketching. My how times change! I now do a substantial amount of productivity and enterprise architecture work on the iPad. When used creatively, there is almost no end to the productivity gains an iPad can bring into your life.
This article is the culmination of my apps discoveries and usage in daily, “real” work. Hope you find it useful, and please don’t forget to add your thoughts and app suggestions to the comments area of the post.
## Prerequisites
The apps list stands on its own, but you might want to check out my digital apps productivity and Android 2.2 Apps articles for background. Many apps featured in this article are tuned for use with my productivity systems.
## How I Chose
1. App needs to be iPad ready, and work in landscape mode. iPhone-only apps are NOT covered here. (But stay tuned, I’ll be doing a iPhone app version of this post after my new 4s arrives.)
2. App must have practical, daily, business or business-related use.
3. App needs to substantially improve or enhance my workflow, not detract from it. If I spent more time trying to learn, then actually using the app, it didn’t make it to the list.
4. App must save measurable amounts of time.
5. App must be reliable, with few or no crashes under normal usage conditions.
## And Now, on to the Apps
* Mailboxes
Like many Mac users with multiple Gmail accounts, I first went looking for “Mailplane on iPad.” Alas, it didn’t exist. The next best thing? “Mailboxes.” “Mailboxes” allows you to easily manage multiple Gmail accounts from a single interface. The real power of this tool is that you can use “roll up” Gmail accounts, that front-end non-Gmail accounts. Using a Gmail-aware tool such as “Mailboxes” allows all of the “send from” addresses to be maintained when replying to different senders, from multiple accounts.
For instance, I have one Gmail account that “receives from” and “sends as” 5 other non-Gmail accounts. I can still “send as” from those accounts in “Mailboxes”, just as I would using Gmail’s native web app.
That said, if you are sending and receiving from “gmail.com” domains only, then the stock “Mail.app” will do very nicely.
* Wunderlist
I wrote about Wunderlist in the My Recommended Android 2.2 Apps and How to be More Productive with Digital Devices articles. Same thing for iPad. The iPad version feels very “iPadish” and nicely supports my required landscape mode. I’m really looking forward to using the iPhone version on my new 4s.
* Calendars – Google Calendar Client
Finally! A Google-aware iPad calendar with seamless integration, drag and drop, etc. I tried several from the app store including CalenGoo, but ultimately found and stuck with Calendars. I’ve since turned the native iCal completely off and just use this. I’m hoping that they one day make a native Mac version as well. (Hint…hint…)
* Writeroom
Nice iPad implementation of the desktop app. This app integrates well with Dropbox, has Markup support and distraction-free editing. Here is what it looks like:
Enough said. I spend way too much time there already – darn you Apple! 
* Penultimate
Note-taker, annotator, scribbler. Penultimate uses a notebook metaphor for creating, storing, and filing collections of notes. If you do a lot of drawing and note-taking by hand, Penultimate is an excellent tool. The interface is sharp, elegant, and visually pleasing to work with.
* Note Taker HD
Note Taker HD is also a writing / scribbling, note-taking application. This is starting to overtake Penultimate in my daily work. It’s not as “pretty” as Penultimate but is very fast with many powerful features. One of the things I like most, is how fine the text writes, when created with a stylus. I’m finding that my text accuracy is better with it is with Penultimate; I recommend you test drive both and stick with what works best for you.
* Hootsuite
I primarily use this for the scheduling feature. If you don’t need to schedule tweets, then I recommend using Tweetcaster or the native Twitter app.
* Diigolet
Technically not an app, Digolet is a bookmarklet that travels with me between browsers and devices. Since the full Diigo bookmarking application is still iPhone only, I use the Safari bookmarklet to track and index my bookmarks. Service requires a free account over at Diigo.com.
* LastPass Premium for iPad
I use this in conjunction with the LastPass Tab Browser below. I consider LastPass one of those “must-have” applications for all platforms, much like Wunderlist or Google Calendar. LastPass **securely** syncs all of your passwords between desktops and devices, regardless of platform of browser.
* LastPass Tab Browser
The companion to LastPass Premium. This is a full tabbed web browser that integrates with your LastPass account. Once signed in, you can visit any sites in your vault, or visit new ones.
_NOTE: Requires an account from LastPass.com_
There are a number of “save and read later” tools out there, such as Instapaper, or Evernote for clipping. For me, the “Reading List” feature of Safari works well. If I’m saving the link for posterity, I’ll add it to my Diigo.com account. Otherwise, the “Reading List” works great.
* Evernote
Check out Recommended Android 2.2 Apps Article for details. Evernote is mostly ubiquitous and I have it installed on all devices and desktops.
The app itself is self-explanatory, but I use it specifically for:
* Podcasts and video learning
* Audio books
I estimate that I get an additional 8+ hours of schooling per month from iTunes classes, podcasts, books, and audiobooks.
* Trailhead
At Links Business Group LLC, we use Basecamphq.com extensively. When I got into the iPad, I quickly discovered that trying to use SaaS apps through a browser was not for me. A major search led me to Trailhead, which I’ve been very happy with. I wish it had a Basecamp file browser, but it does everything else I need it to do.
_NOTE: Trailhead requires an active Basecamphq.com account._
* GoodReader
This was one of my first iPad apps and I still use it almost every day. GoodReader is one of those “kitchen sink” taps that does a lot of different things. The main thing I use it for is file upload and download. It supports a ton of file transfer types, including FTP and Dropbox.
* Office2 HD
This is my primary “office document” editor. I can create, view, and edit .DOC, .DOCX, and .XLS documents. Unfortunately, MS Excel editing support is limited to XLS, but XLSX is available for read-only viewing. In my experience, complex formatting still renders well in this app.
* Dropbox
Most real editing/document/note apps for iPad support native Dropbox integration. But I also keep a copy of the native “Dropbox” app handy for browsing the file list and even for viewing files.
* iBooks
The iPad, iPod Touch and incoming iPhone 4s brings a whole new world of reading. I was never fully happy with the Kindle; iBooks is just what I’ve been looking for. One of my first purchases was a “vook”, or video book format made possible by the iBooks platform. The “vook” concept fascinates me and I won’t be a bit surprised if a newly authored “vook” shows up on _BIG Results Consulting_ some day…
One secret I learned during my iBooks exploration — audio books purchased via iTunes are often less expensive than their Audible.com equivalents. (Even though many of not all actually sold by Audible.com on the back end.)
* Jetpack Joyride
Ok, I had to throw in one “non-essential” app. For mindless distraction, Jetpack Joyride is a fun little app. Ever since my childhood days watching variations of “Commando Cody” (and yes – it was in syndication – I’m not THAT old! ), I’ve always fantasized about cruising around on a jet pack. Since I can’t do that in real life, “Jetpack Joyride” works nicely.
Check out: http://thenostalgialeague.com/fsfh/sciencefiction-ghrocket.html for more on “Rocket Men” and “Commando Cody”
## Selected Secondary Apps (Not used every day)
The following are not daily-use apps, but are still crucial to my workflow.
* Sign My iPad
An easy way to annotate and “sign” documents. Ever had to suddenly fax / sign / email a bunch of documents around? Contracts, invoices and stuff like that? This app is perfect for those situations. You can add (overlay) and send signed documents right from your iPad. I estimate this app saves at least one hour of faxing per month.
* Photon Flash Web Browser
You want Flash? This has Flash! Tossing aside the ongoing Flash vs. no-Flash debate out there, there’s no arguing that the Photon Web Browser does Flash well. Very well. I mostly use Photon for managing different analytics packages and various Flash-only video podcasts. Aside from being just a heck of a good browser, it has some really useful “geeky” features, such as Flash bandwidth adjustments, gaming keyboard, and alternate port assignment.
* TextExpander
Not to be confused with the full Mac OS app by the same name, TextExpander for iPad stores reusable snippets of text and code for later recall. **What it does not have is inline text expansion.** For instance, if you have a regular TextExpander abbreviation like “brg” that expands to “Best regards,
The iPad version of this app generates confusion with some Mac users, because they expect iOS to behave like Mac OS. But when used for what it is, TextExpander can be a real time saver.
* LogMeIn Ignition
A nicely executed iPad version of the Logmein.com remote computer management service. LogmeIn for iPad supports remote control (free account) and file transfer (if your Logmein.com accounts supports it.) Great for remotely fixing technical glitches, remote updates, software demos, or grabbing that last-minute file you forgot for the client presentation…
Highly customizable web/blog/news reader. But that’s not all….integrated Twitter, Facebook and more turns your social and online life into an integrated newspaper. This is one of those apps that probably does 10x what I think it does, but for me, it’s a beautified version of “iGoogle” for iPad.
Do you design iPhone or iPad apps? Other mobile apps or sites? Want to? Blueprint is the iPad app for you. I checked out a lot of drawing, wireframe and iOS design apps before settling on Blueprint. It has a full bevy of widgets, layouts, and accessories to choose from. Plus, unlike the famous (but effective) pen and paper design method of sketching interfaces, this will let you “play” your mockups. I used this in the later stages of designing the IAM Success Tips app, and am using it almost daily for several different projects.
## Summary
This article just scratches the surface of what is possible with the iPad. I’m constantly tuning my workflow so this article will be updated over time. Note that there are many alternatives available for most apps discussed here. And that is where you come in. What iPad apps are indispensable in your mobile life? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Oh one more thing…here is what my iPad home screen _currently_ looks like:
