Favorite iPad Apps (for Business)

Now that I've had the iPad for a couple months, I thought I'd share my short list of favorite apps. These are all business or productivity apps, which is the main focus of use for me. I know there are plenty of killer games, toys and what not out there, but the iPad has been primarily a business purchase for me, and so I'm focusing on apps that benefit getting things done.

Informant HD ($14.99)
This is a great organizer app. I looked at OmniFocus, but thought it too complicated and expensive. I probably use this app more than any other. Hooks into Google Calendar, and is very easy to use and has nice features. I'm finally done with hard-copy organizers forever!

Good Reader ($1.99)
I really prefer this app to Apple's iBooks app. I've only downloaded one eBook so far, and found this app to be a much better way to read books on the iPad. No fancy page curl animations, but it displays the book I purchased as it would look if I actually had a hard copy. It's also great for organizing files to read later, PDFs, etc.

Twitter (FREE)
I have to admit I haven't been tweeting alot. But this app is great for catching up on all the tweeters I'm following. Very sophisticated user interface with sliding columns. And it's free!

Air Display ($9.99)
Does just what it says, and works as an extension of my desktop monitor/laptop. No, it's not great for video or game. But it works so well that I have been bringing it home to use as an external monitor for my laptop.

Safari (INSTALLED)
I know this isn't an app you need to buy, download or install. But Safari on the iPad has got to be one of the best browsing experiences I've had. On the plus side it's VERY FAST, and the negative is of course, the lack of Flash support. Otherwise, blows other browsers out of the water.


There are a few others, but these make my short list. I'll keep this updated as I come across more useful apps for business and productivity. Somebody has got to make a presentation app that's better than Keynote, and I for one can't wait.

Using the iPad as a Portfolio

I'm constantly on the lookout for new uses for the iPad. Recently, I've been using it as a possible replacement for my printed portfolio during job interviews. Since I've had relative success with it a couple times, I'm going to shoot for using it today at an interview with Cigna, and am daring myself to leave my laptop in the office.

My methodology is to prepare a variety of screen shots of websites I've worked on, organizing them into different folders in iPhoto, and then syncing that with the iPad. The result is a very efficient and extremely fast way to browse a large quantity websites. The downside, of course, is that they're just screen shots, and not actual websites and so none of the interaction comes across. I have not found this to be a real problem during interviews though. Time is usually of essence, and the purpose of the interview is to quickly get acquainted with both me and my work to see how good the fit is. In this context, being able to rapidly flip through a portfolio serves the purpose very well. Of course, there is also the "wow" factor, as I don't think many interviewees are doing this yet. Definitely makes for a memorable impression. If you have one, and are thinking of trying this out, I say give it a shot.

P.S. Make sure you clean the screen beforehand, so it's nice and shiny and free of finger grease. I also have a stylus, and people seem to like using it as well.