Ok so Laura tweeted me:
right – ipad is doing a mammoth sync. What’s the best app for using office docs on it? any other apps you recommend?
First and foremost, the last time I checked opening and editing files from MS Office was not ideal on the iPad. I have not tried recently and I have not tried out the various Office apps for the iPad so try at your own risk.
If you just wish to read the files, I very highly recommend GoodReader. It opens all kinds of different files, allows annotations and lets you access files on Dropbox and other similar services. It is incredibly cheap for what it does!
Apple’s word processing, slide show and spreadsheet software (Pages, Keynote and Numbers, respectively) are very nice and easy to use but don’t expect brilliant compatibility with Microsoft Office files. Changing from one to another is not something I’d rely on.
It has been open to debate a lot since the iPad was released but I believe the device is much better suited to consumption rather than creation. You can create things with it especially if you’re willing to use workaraounds (eg emailing your documents to yourself on a PC and converting the files where possible). Very much is possible depending on how much effort you want to put into it and how much more convenient it would be to actually just use a normal computer. This is something that I think you can only judge by yourself.
Other apps that are essential or I highly recommend:
For You
Twitterrific for Twitter.
Friendly for Facebook (though I believe Facebook are releasing an official iPad app soon)
Informant HD is a very nice diary/organiser app and syncs with Google Calenders.
Instapaper – See a link that looks interesting? Don’t have the time to read an article? Many apps support a “Send to instapaper” feature. Open up Instapaper and it will download the articles for you, often strip out all the crap and present it like a clean crisp newspaper article for you to read offline.
Kindle – Sure I have a Kindle, you have a Kindle but as your Kindle books sync across devices it’s nice to have this when you don’t want to carry all your devices with you at once.
BBC News – The BBC website’s videos are almost always Flash based and so cannot be viewed on the iPad. Their news app will have the videos in a format that you can read.
Sky News – I hate to say it but their news app is much better. For following the riot news a fews weeks back I found this to be so much better.
AppAdvice – Great app that lists news about new apps, discounted apps and has guides for new users.
Zinio – Many magazines are starting to release iPad versions that you can sometimes buy cheaper than the print copies.
iPlayer/4oD Catch Up/ITV Player/ – Self explanitory.
VEVO HD – Music Videos
Guardian Eyewitness – One new photo a day, stunning ones mostly.
IMDB – Great app of the website. Want to know what that actor from that thing was in? This is what you need.
TV Guide – Self explanitory.
Windowshop – Amazon’s app. Great way to browse and buy goods from Amazon.
Games
Words with Friends HD
Infinity Blade (Just to show off to people how good the graphics can be on iPad, try Epic Citadel for a free version that lets you just walk around a castle)
Plants vs Zombies HD
Cut the Rope
World of Goo
Osmos HD
Fruit Ninja HD
Kids Apps
Interactive Alphabet (by Piikea)
I Hear Ewe and I See Ewe (latter is animal, shape, object and colour matching game)
Magic Piano
Peppa’s Party