So far, this whole iPad thing has been working out. Also, she’s kind of a beaut. The red on white is a strikingly handsome combination. And the wireless keyboard, which I’m breaking in as I type, is pretty sharp too.
Front and back Zagg protective shields were excellently installed by Best Buy, for a nominal fee of course, but absolutely it well worth the cost to have them installed by, well, anyone other than Ted or I. Your iPad will be thoroughly protected from anything short of a nuclear disaster, but installing them is a giant time-sucking, mind-blowing, frustration-inducing, pain in the ass, the likes of which Ted never wants to repeat and I never want to attempt. I’m nearly 100% convinced that the reason the Zagg protective shields have so many negative reviews is because putting them on is like the brain surgery of the technology world, even if you have stable hands and the patience of a saint. Between the hazards of dust, fuzz, fingerprints, stickiness, bubbling, and lining the thing up correctly with the cutouts for buttons and cameras, etc. $15 suddenly seems like the bargain of a lifetime. Money well spent, we think. Plus I feel much more comfortable with my iPad knowing that it can’t get dirty or damaged as easily. The iPad is a delicate beast and I’m a paranoid person…so together with the screen and back protectors, we make a good combination.
I’m also loving the wireless keyboard. Not only is it attractive (Duh. Isn’t good looks the most important quality here anyhow?) but it makes typing so much quicker and more accurate. For my tastes the iPad’s little pop-up on screen keyboard is great for quick little things – like jotting down notes or updating a status, but the keyboard is nearly necessary (again, this is just personal preference) for anything more lengthy than a few lines of text.
Ted also got me an iTunes gift card for my birthday, with which I can purchase movies, music, iBooks or apps. Because I’m extraordinarily cheap nearly every single one of my apps is free. But if you’re a little more fancy or you do work on your iPad that requires some more pricy apps like Ted does (he has lighting software and stuff on his), then going crazy on apps can get expensive fast. However, if you’re like me, you search out the free stuff and splurge on the few goodies you can’t resist. Here’s a few of my favorite apps:
– Blogshelf ($4.99) – This is the only app I have paid for so far. I love my blogs and this app organizes them all in one easy, convenient location iBooks style so I can easily see a bookshelf full of the blogs I read regularly. I don’t even have to have a wifi connection to do it…it updates when it connects to the internet, and then I can read it when I’m away from wifi. All I have to do is click on the “book” and the blog comes up. Easy as pie.
– Pandora (Free) – Free music. If you’re unfamiliar with Pandora (I boarded the Pandora train late in life too, so no shame) it’s essentially a radio. You type in the name of an album, artist, song, or genre of music you like and a radio station of similar tunes plays for you. You can thumbs up the song if you like it and want to hear more of it, or thumbs down it to skip ahead to the next song. I love it for exploring songs from musicals I haven’t heard yet without having to purchase the CD until I know I love it. The musical nerd in me is feeling highly fulfilled.
– All Recipes (Free) – I use this website all the time for recipes when I’m looking to try a new dish. So, obviously, I love the app. I can take the iPad into the kitchen with me, search for a recipe and it appears on the screen with a well-layed-out list of ingredients, pictures, and step by step instructions.
– Easy Note (Free) – This is the app I use to make notes, to do lists, grocery lists, and to generally organize my life. Super handy.
– Angry Birds Rio (Free) – Let me explain: Angry Birds and the monkeys and birds from the animated movie Rio. How can you not love this game? .
– Intellicast HD (Free) – The best app out there for everything and anything weather related! It’s awesome. I can see radar in motion, hourly, daily, weekly forecasts, weather alerts, precipitation and probably a hundred other things. It’s fast and accurate.
– Fast Food (Free) – This app does so much more than locate restaurants. Based on your location it lists the closest restaurants, gas stations, coffee shops, free wifi hotspots, ATM’s, and hospitals. It kind of rocks. It also gives you great info on the restaurants, like menus, hours, and nutritional information.
I have a slew of other apps I’ve downloaded and am enjoying, including Flixster for movies, TV Guide, and Clock Pro. For more specific things the GasBuddy (gas prices), Zillow (real estate if you’re looking for a new place to rent or buy), TripAdvisor, UrbanSpoon, USAA (banking), and Yelp are pretty exciting.
What are your favorite apps? Please share! :-)
