The iPad is this years high-tech toy of choice. No longer the domain of discriminating geeks and creepy technophiles, the iPad is now the undisputed king of a whole new computing trend that has spawned in the wake of its release only a year ago.
The iPad has a few design weaknesses, and developers are working hard to close these gaps. If you know where to look there are simple cloud computing solutions to most of these issues, as well as some apps that are just plain cool. Check out this list of 10 free apps for your iPad 2.
Google for iPad
Access your personal Gmail account as well as all your Google Application accounts. You also get access to most of Googles apps in one spot, including Reader, Calendar, Documents, Talk, Voice and Books. You also get access to a voice enabled Google search. This is incredibly handy for looking things up quickly or while on the go.
Dropbox
iPad owners have complained that the lack of a USB port makes it impossible to add removable storage to the iPad. This makes it unable to support flash drives, external hard drives, and similar commonly used storage mediums. If a file is too big to email it becomes problematic transferring information from your iPad to your computer or phone. Dropbox solves this problem. It acts as a folder that syncs with all machines its installed to. This includes your laptop, desktop, iPhone, iPad and more. Running out the door and want to access that spreadsheet you just finished? Drag your file into Dropbox on your desktop and access it on your iPad later.
Evernote
This is another great app for transferring data without a flash drive. Evernote lets you create photo, audio or text notes that you can sync with your PC without the hassle of having to retrieve it from your email. Ive used it to remember my bike lock pass key, note the code to my laundry room door and take photos of maps in malls, campuses, and office buildings to make it easier to find my way around..
Amazon Kindle
Wait, dont I have to pay for books? True, but the beauty of Kindle is that you can download the first 10-20 pages of any Kindle book. This saves you money wasted on books you find you dont like after a purchase. It also saves you a trip to the book store and wading through brick and mortar kiosks and disorganized book shelves searching for your book of choice.
Mobile RSS HD FREE
By far the best free RSS reader for your iPad. Syncs quickly with Google Reader and has access to all of Google Readers sharing functionality. Not to mention its just plain beautiful and easy to navigate.
Calculator Free HD
For some reason Apple did not include a free calculator with the iPad. Thats okay because Calculator Free HD works great and the advertising is minimal and not distracting.
Friendly
The best way to experience Facebook on your iPad. Essentially facebook.com enhanced with touch screen support. Sure, the standard web browser version of Facebook on the iPad is good but Friendly is better.
Hootsuite
Need to manage multiple twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare accounts? Hootsuite has a slick and simple touch interface that lets you schedule messages and manage multiple social media accounts in one spot.
Dragon Dictation
The missing USB port is also makes it impossible to connect a regular keyboard to your iPad. Not a fan of using touch screen keyboards? Neither am I. The touch screen is actually one of the biggest complaints that consumers have about the iPad. This issue is addressed by Dragon Dictation. You can use Dragon to send texts and emails. Their voice recognition software records your voice and allows you to send dictated messages via email or text.
Dropbox
iPad owners have complained that the lack of a USB port makes it impossible to add removable storage to the iPad. This makes it unable to support flash drives, external hard drives, and similar commonly used storage mediums. If a file is too big to email it becomes problematic transferring information from your iPad to your computer or phone. Dropbox solves this problem. It acts as a folder that syncs with all machines its installed to. This includes your laptop, desktop, iPhone, iPad and more. Running out the door and want to access that spreadsheet you just finished? Drag your file into Dropbox on your desktop and access it on your iPad later.
The Weather Channel Max
Apple also chose not to include a native weather application with the iPad. The Weather Channel Max fills that role well and taps into The Weather Channels extensive content and tools.
The iPad 2 is now on the market, but if you havent grabbed one you may need to wait a little while. Analysts are predicting iPad 2 shortages due to the tragedy of Japans recent earthquake. Combine that tragedy with Apple experiencing more demand than they initially expected and consumers could be waiting weeks to snag a new iPad 2.
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