iPad Must-Have Apps

[Knut]

What about Flash ??

I am trying to weigh buying this and keeping my blackberry, instead of buying an Iphone and using my old Laptop.

[photon]

Apple's gone so far as to feature iPad ready sites (i.e. sites that don't use flash).

http://www.apple.com/ipad/ready-for-ipad/

So I think the chances of Flash on the iPhone/iPod are as close to zero as they can get.

But if the iPad is a big enough influence, Flash will probably become less of a necessity over time.

Plus Flash without a mouse is difficult, you have to do your app designed for that in mind which means most flash apps don't have that.

[Knut]

^True. It is just there are many websites that use Flash that I can not access on my Ipod.

I will likely get the ipad , because i like stupid time-wasting games. Also... the messaging and browsing are so simple.

[KTrain]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tech...ix-games-.html

Is a bigger app without more levels or functionality worth more money to you?

* Fieldrunners: $2.99 for iPhone, $7.99 for iPad
* Flight Control: 99 cents for iPhone, $4.99 for iPad
* Flick Fishing: 99 cents for iPhone, $2.99 for iPad
* Plants vs. Zombies: $2.99 for iPhone, $9.99 for iPad
* Need for Speed Shift: $6.99 for iPhone, $14.99 for iPad

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Hesla

Sorry for the likely dumb question.... are we going to be able to cycle through different apps with ease on the I-pad ? or will it be more like the Ipod/Iphone where it is a PIA to go from one App to another ?

I just use spotlight for everything ... I don't search for apps anymore.

[FanIn80]

Well here's the start of the one thing I was afraid was going to happen...

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/civil...364150646?mt=8

I already paid 9.99 for the iPhone version when it launched, now I have to pay another 12.99 for the iPad version. I knew some companies were going to do this... Don't get me wrong, if it was a "version 2" of the game, or had some other new features, then sure... But it's just the same game re-sized for the the bigger screen. Are you telling me I have to pay even more than I did for the original game, just to get the same version with higher resolution maps?

[Yeah_Baby]

I think I need my Applephile spell checker in this thread too. My head just exploded.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

I think I need my Applephile spell checker in this thread too. My head just exploded.

Is that spell checker only on the IpAD or can you get it on the Iphone too?

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Well here's the start of the one thing I was afraid was going to happen...

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/civil...364150646?mt=8

I already paid 9.99 for the iPhone version when it launched, now I have to pay another 12.99 for the iPad version. I knew some companies were going to do this... Don't get me wrong, if it was a "version 2" of the game, or had some other new features, then sure... But it's just the same game re-sized for the the bigger screen. Are you telling me I have to pay even more than I did for the original game, just to get the same version with higher resolution maps?

Ya, but the same could be said of buying Civ for your PC on Steam, and then complaining that you have to buy the Mac version as well from Aspyr or whoever.

Anyways, the trick is to rationalize it in your head - how many hours are you gonna spend playing Civ on the iPad? Probably 80 hours or more. That’s only $0.15 per hour to get better textures, probably more features, etc.

You just dropped $600 on an iPad - is $0.15 per hour gonna kill you?

This is how I am planning to have a no-regrets relationship with my iPad - if I get half as much utility and enjoyment out of the thing as I have with my Touch, the added costs are not really an issue, using my rationalize it away logic.

EDIT: I was thinking of one other thing - $12.99 is probably already underpriced. Civ Revolutions was a full $60-70 dollar game on the consoles, so getting it for $12.99 on the iPad is a steal.

[Stumptown]

Now that I see that FileMaker is indeed making a Bento for iPad (how could they not, I mean, really) I'm starting to think I do need this thing. For years I've wanted something small that would sit in the kitchen that I could read my recipe database and shopping list off of (which are hosted on a desktop downstairs). OK, that's a lot to spend on a glorified post-it note on the fridge, but these things are important to me in a really petty, bourgeois way.

And if I can play Civ on it, too? Well, sign me up. But I can wait until they work out the inevitable kinks in the first hardware version.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Stumptown

Now that I see that FileMaker is indeed making a Bento for iPad (how could they not, I mean, really) I'm starting to think I do need this thing. For years I've wanted something small that would sit in the kitchen that I could read my recipe database and shopping list off of (which are hosted on a desktop downstairs). OK, that's a lot to spend on a glorified post-it note on the fridge, but these things are important to me in a really petty, bourgeois way.

A full version of Filemaker would be simply awesome for our company. I'm pretty sure every one of our superintendants and foremen would have one then.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by photon

Rumours say v4.0 of the OS will have multitasking so would presumably have a way to switch apps as well.

Maybe that's the holdup for multitasking, like cut/paste it's not the ability, it's coming up with an interface they like.

A few people have mentioned that fact that the Iphone already does a type of multitasking where it sandboxes an application when you get a phone call, once you are done with your phone call the app comes back.

That is the rumor I have heard, is that they will be releasing sandbox type APIs for applications.

I am sure there has been an official answer for this, but for the home screen - why isnt there a way to create a folder to say games, and then you can flick all the game apps into that folder. Even with my mom who only has 3 pages of apps trying to navigate that thing was crazy.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

A few people have mentioned that fact that the Iphone already does a type of multitasking where it sandboxes an application when you get a phone call, once you are done with your phone call the app comes back.

That is the rumor I have heard, is that they will be releasing sandbox type APIs for applications.

I am sure there has been an official answer for this, but for the home screen - why isnt there a way to create a folder to say games, and then you can flick all the game apps into that folder. Even with my mom who only has 3 pages of apps trying to navigate that thing was crazy.

I could see certain applications using an API to do very specific things. Like, WunderRadio's audio stream will continue to play when you go back to the springboard or switch to another application that has a process running.

They will also come up with a really great way of switching between apps that have processes running because WinMo and Androids method is a horrible UX.

If push app notifications could be improved/themed so that the appear as to come from the app, that may go a long way as well. Having them look like system dialogs is stupid.

[Russic]

It kills me that I'm going to pay $10 for Plants vs. Zombies. I've finished the game and I even found it overly simple, but it's just so good I need to play it again. Flight Control I'll have no problem paying for because it would be a new experience with the added real estate.

[Buzzard]

Might as well just bump this rather than starting a new one I suppose.

Thanks Ken for finding this for me.

I don't know of too many apps yet as I'm new to the iPad game. A couple I have come across though are pretty cool.

500px is really nice for showing off the new retina display. As is Flipboard which was mentioned in another thread here somewhere. An old standby of mine on iPhone, Pulse, looks really good too.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Stumptown

Now that I see that FileMaker is indeed making a Bento for iPad (how could they not, I mean, really) I'm starting to think I do need this thing. For years I've wanted something small that would sit in the kitchen that I could read my recipe database and shopping list off of (which are hosted on a desktop downstairs). OK, that's a lot to spend on a glorified post-it note on the fridge, but these things are important to me in a really petty, bourgeois way.

And if I can play Civ on it, too? Well, sign me up. But I can wait until they work out the inevitable kinks in the first hardware version.

I too tried to use Bento for recipes, and for guitar tabs, with the MP3 track embedded in the record. For recipes, it ended up being better to just use Pages on the iPad, and the guitar tab DB didn't work either because it wouldn't include the MP3 in the database during the import from the Mac.

Bento is awful. There is no reason to recommend it. Seriously. It's not even a relational DB. Unless its improved dramatically in recent times on the iPad, you can't even customize the layout for DB's displayed on the iPad.

They are also a company that loooves to charge upgrades for each version on the desktop, when really they are fixing the stuff that didn't work in the previous version, or adding stuff that should have been in there from day 1.

Oh, and should we talk about the crippling data loss bug associated with date handling in the earlier versions? Databasing is the one app where data loss is really not acceptable.

If you are thinking Bento is the Mac equivalent of Access, it's not. Not even close.

I really wonder what shills they got to write the reviews of the app on the iTunes store.

[bossy22]

Basil for recipes. It's $4.99. You can import recipes from websites. It searches the most popular recipes websites, epicurious, allrecipes, etc. I used to have a bunch of different apps for recipes, but now I just use Basil.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by bossy22

Basil for recipes. It's $4.99. You can import recipes from websites. It searches the most popular recipes websites, epicurious, allrecipes, etc. I used to have a bunch of different apps for recipes, but now I just use Basil.

I really like that a time based direction (stir for 2 minutes) can become a timer. Currently I use a combination of AllRecipes and Siri and I'm not sure this app would do enough to win me over. When you're searching a site like all recipes can you view things like ratings and comments? I find 9/10 of the value in that site is the comments where people offer suggestions such as "I added ingredient x instead of ingredient y and it made it much better".

Definitely some good things in Basil though.

[Meelapo]

For those that are kind of miffed about the app pricing should frequent this site:

www.appshopper.com

They list all price increases and decreases, including historical costs, so you can make a better decision when you're looking to shop.

Also, Walmart always has giftcards on sale. Currently they have $25 iTunes cards on sale for $20 which works out to $0.80 per iTunes $1. It's not a great deal of savings but it's better than nothing. Don't go to Northland Walmart to get them though. They have a crap load of $10 and $50 but never $25.

[Devils'Advocate]

I was surfing around the Devils' main forum and came across this thread:
http://www.njdevs.com/forums/index.p...1&#entry565900

So my list of all time favourite games was:
1) Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1/PSP
2) Baldur's Gate II - Mac/PC
3) Starcraft - Mac/PC
4) GTA III (the whole main trilogy) - PS2
5) Sid Meirs's Pirates! - Commodore 64
6) Final Fantasy IV, V, VI & VII - PS1
7) Advance Wars II - Gameboy Advance
8) Warcraft II - Mac/PC
9) Bard's Tale (the trilogy) - Commodore 64
10) Final Fantasy IX - PS2

So I have been relatively lucky. Many at the top are either out or soon to be out. But it looks like Blizzard won't be porting their games anytime soon:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2...ytime-soon.ars