My Essential iPad Apps

This is a list of the iPad Apps I use on a regular basis. If I moved to this app from another I'll mention it and offer my opinion as to the pros & cons of each.

DropBox (free)
This is a free storage bin for files on you PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Web. You don't need a USB drive any more, you can get to Dropbox anywhere you have access to the internet. Up to 2gb is free and that is enough for most uses. 

iA writer. ($0.99)
Writer is a small fast text editor, great for taking notes and it save the files to Dropbox! I have used PlainText and Evernote, but the integration with Dropbox make iA Writer a better option for me. That said I know several people who believe Evernote is superior.

FlipBoard (free)
Best way to read news, Facebook, and Twitter bar none. There are better clients for the social apps, but for a pure reader, Flipbook is tops. 

Kindle (free)
The best source for ebooks on the web. The read is not as pretty as ibooks, but the volume of available books is by far the best in the industry.

neu.Annotate PDF (free)
A great PDF reader that allows you to markup draw on and otherwise treat a PDF file like a piece of paper and it is integrated with Dropbox. 

Calculator HD for iPad ($0.99)
There are many iPad Calculators, and any of them are workable. This one costs $0.99, but it has a virtual paper tape that you can email or print as well as basic and Scientific modes.

Sundry Notes (free)
A note taking app, that allows multiple people (on other iPads) to work together on the same note! It also allows you to draw on the page as well as type. Great collaborative tool. There are some small ads on the page, which for the $2.99 pro version you can remove, but they are not really in the way on the free app.

iStudiez Pro ($2.99)
A school planner on steroids! Designed to work on a school schedule (grading period, semester etc.) There is a free version that gives you an idea of what it does, but it limits the number of classes (3) and semesters (1) so it is not very functional.

QuickOffice Connect Mobile Suite for iPad ($14.99)
If you integrate with MS Office, this is a must. It works in the native file format and supports DropBox. You can create or edit Word or Excel files and save them to DropBox, the open on your Mac or PC directly in their native app.

Keynote and sort of Pages and, Numbers ($9.99 each)
If you need to do work on the iPad, these apps are functional and expensive in iPad terms. If you use iA Writer, to capture text, you can format it later on your desktop and you don't need Pages. Numbers is a great app, but if you have QuickOffice, you have the ability create and edit word and excel files. So, the only one that has no peer on the IOS environment is Keynote. If you want to create and run presentations from your iPad, then Keynote is worth every penny of $9.99.

Wolfram Alpha ($1.99)
An expert system that will get you answers you can not find in Google and Wikipedia.

Wikipanion
The best access to Wikipedia, a great interface to tons of info on Wikipedia. 

SportsTap (free)
The best way to keep up on live scores in almost any sport you follow.

SkyGrid (free)
A news reader that lists news items based on what people are reading. It crowdsources the priority of your news. You can customize by picking who you want to follow and see what they are reading.

USA Today (free)
The same front page headline news in an electronic form.

Bloomberg (free)
Business news and stock prices updated continuously throughout the day.

EMD PTE (free)
Free interactive Periodical Table of Elements from EMD Chemicals Inc.

Mathemagics ($1.99)
Wow, my math teacher never explained it this way...

AirSketch ($7.99)
This app allows you to draw on your iPad while others watch on a browser. So you can use it to broadcast your notes to students directly to their iPads, laptops etc. You can type, draw or even show photos.

MyCongress (free)
See who your representatives are and what they are voting on, saying or blogging. with contact info for each. 

AcroBible NIV ($9.99)
NIV Bible, done well. Keep notes, highlights and quickly find verses. Includes several other translations to compare as well as concordances.

 Daily Bible Study (free)
updated online

Olive Tree Bible The Message (KJ free)
This king james bible is free, other translations are available for a fee.

WebMD (free)
Great medical resource available in app.

Flixter (free)
Movies in your area, previews online and rotten tomatoes ratings.

Dictionary.com (free)
electronic dictionary that is easy to use.

The Weather Channel (free)
Weather anywhere by zip code or city, or local by location services in the iPad.

RedBox (free)
locate the closest red box that has the movie you want and reserve it so it will be there when you get there.

TED (free)
View videos of TED talks. TED invites experts in every area to  talk for 20 minutes or less about their passion. Hear experts in technology, education and every other imaginable area talk about the best ideas, and the brightest hopes.

IMDb (free)
Internet Movie Database, tells you when it was made, and who was in it, and who wrote the screenplay etc.