just an asterisk

I need to get back in the saddle.  I’ve been busy, insanely busy for 3+ months.  During this crazy period, I’ve acquired an iPad.  The infuriating thing about loving to write, is having an topic but no time to tackle it.  I must have made 20 drafts that never went anywhere… Finally, last week I received a request to explain why I loved my iPad and what I do with it.  I enjoyed writing the response and I think it covers most of what I’ve been dying to say, so here it is, lazily copied directly from the email back to “D”. It’s the catalog of apps that serve me well during meetings, flights, bedtime reading and when I’m supposed to be doing something else. As I free up, I’ll write a real post or two – until then, I’ll recycle. ~ab

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Hey D,
Here is what I use my iPad for, including the specific apps, in a list with zero organization:

• Movies and Television both as files from iTunes and streaming with Netflix and Hulu+
• Music both as files from iTunes and streaming with Pandora
• Email/Calendar – I have my life on gmail and google calendar.  Also, my work email and schedule are accessible.  No app needed for this.
• Travel plans via Tripit (no iPad version – why is that?) and my google calendar
• Tasks via Todo
• Glorified finger painting via Sketchbook
• Instant messaging via IM+ Pro
• File sharing from my computer (never lose a file) via Dropbox
• Reading books via iBooks and the Amazon Kindle app
• RSS feeds (news) via MobileRSS
• News via the New York Times and Economist Apps
• Finance via the Chase, eTrade and Bloomberg apps
• Sheet Music for guitar via TabToolKit and iRealbook
• Office work via Pages, Numbers, and Keynote (equivalents to word, excel, and powerpoint)
• Photo editing via Photoshop Express and PhotoPad
• Note taking via Evernote and Note Taker HD
• Cooking via Epicurious
• Reference questions via Wikipanion, Google Earth, and IMDb
• Math/calculations via Wolfram Alpha
• Social networking via Twitter and WordPress
• Dictation via Dragon Dictation
• Remote control of my home computer via LogMeIn Ignition
• Webpage design via iMockups
• Weather via Weatherbug
• Map related stuff via Google Maps

Well that’s all I can think of…

Good luck!

~ab