End of year holidays are coming and that means one thing. Lots of new iPads. There are even some that have got them early. So now that you have a new ipad, what apps should you put on it? Well, normally I would give a top 10, however, not everyone will use the ipad the same way, so I’m adding another 10 for some users.
So unlike most lists, I’m going to start with my top app.

 

 

1) OK, So already I’m breaking a rule. My number one app is not an app, but a class of app. Cloud sync applications. The most common is dropbox. This app will allow you to drop file, images, movies, music, etc.. into a bunch of folders in the cloud. You can then access these files from your ipad. Better, you can place files up there as well, mostly images. This is great given the fact that the ipad does not allow you to connect external memory to the device. The only downside is that you have to be connected to the web to get these files. There are plenty of other apps you can choose from as well. SkyDrive from Microsoft has an offering where if you install the app and sign up, you get 25gigs of free space. Nice.
2) TeamViewer. This application lets to you remotely access another computer through your iPad. There are plenty of app that do this but I’m going to recommend TeamViewer because of how easy it is to use. And remember, we are gearing this list to new users, so yes there are more powerful VNC and RDC app out there, but teamview will get you up and going on either a mac or PC very quick. The only downside is there is no support for sound at the moment, but this will get you started until you setup a more powerful solution.
3) Alarm Clock Pro. Another general category app. Find a simple alarm clock app. Believe it or not, you iPad does NOT come with an alarm clock by default! Although you are most likely thinking, I do not plan on using my iPad to wake up, you never know, and it more then just waking up, you may find you need to use it as a timer or a reminder. These apps are normally very small and free, so just search the app store for alarm clock, download one that looks good and move on.
4) Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, etc.. Although not everyone is one of the major social media services, odds are pretty high that if you wanted an iPad, you are most likely are. FaceBook and Twitter, the two big boys in socmed, is pretty likely going to be on your install list. Both Free.
5) Pandora.  There are other music apps out there, but I think this is the best, so I’m going to recommend you download this right off.
6) Skype.  I was on the fence on this, and I may still move it when I do my post edit, but not everyone has facetime so skype is still your best bet for VoIP ( phone call over the internet) with support for Video chat. The power of the iPad really comes in play when your sitting on the couch and video chatting with someone on the other side of the world.
7) Flipboard and CNN. I like Flipboard for my top 10 not because its the best app for consuming news and social media, but because it was the first to really explore how dynamic and fun reading can be on the iPad.  I’ve place CNN here because you can see some of the flipboard ideas executed to what is ‘for now’ considered ipad media design.  I also like it because it give you access to new, video and hourly radio updates.  You can also get live video if you have a content provider with an agreement with CNN.  I used to watch CNN live till I dropped comcast, now… its gone.  BTW, check out ORB if you like all your news, video, music and pictures in one place. I do have issues with this app, but some people swear by it.  Also, check out BBC IPLAYER free.
8) Instapaper – $4.99.  Not everyone who gets an ipad will have 3G support. I do not on mine, however I also have my iphone jailbroken so I can connect my ipad anytime.  For everyone else, Instapaper is a great app for saving webpages that you want to read later when you do not have access to wifi.  This is a must have.
9) Quickoffice Pro  – $14.99  I was not really sure this should be in the top 10 or part of the targeted 20.  I think there is enough users out there that will at some point in time have to work with a MS document at some point that you may want to load this now.  I may change my mind.
10) Netflix.  I do not have this on my ipad because I do not watch many movies or TV, but I know I’m not the typical case.  If you have a Netflix account, download this app.

Now, lets have a look at apps 11-20.  These are great ‘load first’ apps but not for everyone.

11) Angry Birds.  I normally never list games in any of my lists because there are so many different types of games out there that what is fun to one person is boring to another. I’m going is use Angry Birds as my choice for no other reason then its a good game and SUPER popular.  If nothing else, you should load this up and play it just to see what all the excitement is about.
12) Bamboo Paper.  This app allows you do draw on your ipad, not as a painter, but for quick notes. Since its just a book of notes, you can use it for pretty much anything.  Also have a look at Penultimate. Same type of app.
13) ArtRage. Unlike a simple drawing on paper all, ArtRage really lets you enjoy creating artwork on the ipad. The wonderful experience of having direct interactions with your medium (as far as digital goes) really makes having the iPad a great experience.
14) GarageBand – $4.99.  This is not for everyone, but if you have any interest in creating music, this is a great place to start.  Also, I would have look at the iRig offerings which is where I started.  ikmultimedia has lots of great hardware for connecting up your devices to the iPad.
15) Google Search.  At first, I was going to put this in the top ten, but as I talked to non power users, there does not seem to be quite as much dependance as I have on Google products, so thus, here you are. I do strongly recommend you download this if you use anything more then just gmail.
16) Kindle and vBookz.  Although Apple offer a book app out of the book, I like Kindle more because of easy of use and more offerings.  Not sure how much longer that advantage will be the case.  For now, if you bought the iPad with the thought of doing some reading on it, get this app.  vBookz gets a mention here because it combines a very nice reader with voice to text.  I have used this more then once when driving or commuting.  I like it for the iPad that you can have it running in the background are your derping around the house.
17) Stitcher and TuneInRadio. I LOVE Stitcher, but I’m somewhat of a news junkie, so perhaps I’m over penalize it, but I did not want let me bia’s have too much influence on what I think should be a good list of the beginner ipad user.
18) Google Earth and Star Walk.  If you like maps you will like these two apps.  Google Earth is a great way to explore the globe and be able to zoom down to street level, if you want to leave the earth and look at the stars, then Star Walk.  Point your ipad at the sky and see labels of planets and stars far far away.
19) PhotoShop Express and iMovie.  If you take any pics or movies with your iPad, you are going to want to do a bit of editing.  PhotoShop express will not impress any typical PhotoShop user, but for the new user, this is a good start.  There are PLENTY of other photoediting apps out there, so look around if PS does not do it for you. Same thing with iMovie. Not the most powerful video editor out there, but better then the default tools that come with you iPad. If you take even 1 movie, its worth it.
20) ESPN Sports Center.  Again this is an app I use quite a bit, but I also figured the % of new iPad users who want quick access to sports information may not be as high as I would think, so its ends up at number 20.  There are LOTS of sports apps out there, an for basketball, I would recommend CBS’s app.

SO there you go. I had to leave off a lot of apps that I like, but I wanted to try to keep this focused to the new user and cover as many different types of apps I could. If you have any that you think should be included, I’ll consider it ONLY if you also recommend what needs to be removed. A lot harder isnt it?Happy Holidaz!!