5 Essential Apple iPad Apps

The Apple iPad from day one has got a huge range of applications which are dedicated to the iPad interface. The large touchscreen was an instant hit for apps ranging from newspapers, to iPad games, to medical diagnosis. Now Apple's baby has been around for a while, developers have had time to really get into the advantages that the large screen and multi-touch interface the iPad allows. So here are five great apps that not only show off the best features of the iPad, but are essential for work, rest and play!

Angry Birds HD - iPad Game

The original Angry Birds game, was released on the iPhone and was a gripping game. The iPad version is not only a superb port, but an incredible version which makes you think the game was designed with the large screen in mind. The controls are intuitive and sharp. Its one of those simple games that you love, but are so frustrating in a good way! The perfect quick game for a portable device which you are crazy not to buy!

With hundreds of thousands of titles ready to download, the Amazon Kindle is a great e-reader, however if you don't have a Kindle, then you can still enjoy the benefits of books on the go. With the Amazon Kindle App you can access the Kindle library on your iPad. Simply sign up, download, and when you want to get a new book, you click on the app, search for a title and then download onto your iPad with a single click. The iPad screen is large and bright which is great for reading on. For those that think the Kindle is too small this is an ideal alternative and a great bonus for the iPad to have the official Amazon store to use.

The recently released The Novel Network is a program you download for your PC or Mac, which then allows you to access their huge library of iPad books. They have a wide selection of genres and thousands of books. Membership also includes other reading material such as graphics novels and newspapers like The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and The LA Times. Membership is a one time fee of $49, and once you join you can read the novels on iPad, Kindle, iPhone or your computer (Mac or PC). Free satellite TV on your computer is also included. It's an impressive wide selection of material for your iPad in one place.
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There are plenty of Twitter applications available for iPad, however Twitterific is one of my favourites. It uses the entire screen and its crisp text and graphics look sharp. The app is very easy to navigate around, and its very simple to post tweets quickly and easily. Best of all its free! Its easily one of the best non-official social networking apps around.

If you want to use your iPad as a portable office, then Apple Pages is an essential purchase. At this time you cannot get Microsoft Word on the iPad, but it is not missed with this product. Apple Pages is a word processor designed for the iPad and it shows. Its quick and easy to type word documents, features a spell checker, and is incredibly intuitive. The best demonstration of this is the adding of photos from your iPad library. It is very smooth to operate and works well with your Macbook or home PC. And at £5.99 its a great price for an essential iPad app.

EA released Mirrors Edge originally on the Xbox 360 and PS3. It was an OK game with a good idea, free running. However what let that game down makes this iPad version. The controls. Simple swipes of the finger help your character run, jump, duck and grab onto areas all around the levels. The game has moved from its first person roots to a platformer and its all the better for it. The graphics are superb, and this game demonstrates what the iPad is capable of in terms of graphics and as a game platform with superb controls. An essential purchase.