As reports of the first wave of iPad apps approved by Apple surface all week, we showcase ten applications that you will want to download immediately to your new device.
1. Instapaper Pro
The developer of this groundbreaking "Read Later" application is so bullish about getting approved for the iPad launch that he wrote in his blog that "an iPad without native Instapaper Pro is not a device I want to own. And I'm buying it on day one."
For good reason. The (currently) $4.99 application, which will be universal across iTunes-enabled portable devices, was seemingly made for the iPad and its 9.7-inch screen. The app integrates feeds from your favorite sources (including traditional and web-based media as well as Twitter feeds), and makes it easy for you to read them when on your own time. Imagine, a magazine-sized device that will have instant and enjoyable access to all that great content. After Saturday, you won't have to.
2. Brushes
The same application that was used to paint the cover of the June 1, 2009 edition of the New Yorker apparently has made the cut and is one of the first apps approved for the iPad. Which is currently available for $4.99 on the iPhone (and will reportedly be marketed for $9.99 on the iPad), already is an enterprise-level illustration program. Brushes developer Steve Sprang is held in such high regard by Apple that he was on stage during Steve Jobs' January 27th unveiling of the iPad.
3. Yahoo!
The company that made the commercial Internet what it is today also reportedly will have an inaugural presence on the iPad. Screenshots reveal an early presence for Yahoo! Entertainment and Yahoo! Finance on the iPad. This comes after the company last week released two new iPhone apps (Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search and Yahoo! Search) that also deserve places on your handheld device.
4. Twitterrific
One of a number of Twitter clients expected to make an early appearance on the iPad, this free application should shine on a wider screen. While some people only tweet on their mobile devices, others are more comfortable in front of a laptop or desktop client. Might the iPad and its stream of new and reconfigured Twitter applications accommodate each style of microblogging? Stay tuned.
5. Wall Street Journal
While the iPhone app for this iconic business daily was available for free until last September, the iPad version apparently will have a $17.99 monthly price-tag right out of the gate. Premium content like this is worth paying for no matter how it reaches you. The iPhone app in many ways is superior to reading the web and print-based versions of the paper. Expect an even greater experience on the iPad.
6. HyperSketch
This simple sketching application that costs 99 cents to download for the iPhone and iPod touch will enjoy entirely new dimensions once the iPad is released. Just draw images on your screen and then save to your library.
7. Zinio's Magazine & Book Reader
While this free application already brings you 200 magazine titles to your iPhone, the Zinio digital newsstand will deliver ten times as many on the iPad. One of the applications that is helping the magazine industry turn the page on free digital content, Zinio will carry your favorites and perhaps introduce you to other niche titles off-the-beaten-path.
8. Gilt
In many ways the most fashionable application to be all dressed up and ready to go for the iPad, the free Gilt application showcases sale alerts for Oscar de la Renta and other luxury brands. The bigger the screen the bigger the sale? We'll see.
9. Bento for iPad
The iPad of course will not be all about fun and games. In fact, many are forecasting that the device will become an essential business tool. Productivity apps like Bento (currently available for $4.99), is a good tool to keep your contacts, calendars and notes well organized.
10. Kindle
While the iPad may emerge as a Kindle Killer and force Amazon to rethink its relationship with Apple, for now, the marriage is a match made in heaven for consumers. On the iPhone, the free application seamlessly integrates what you are reading across multiple devices. Finish a page at home on your Kindle and pick it up for later reading on your iPad.
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