Apps I need in the iPad 2

The iPad 2 is coming to Malaysia soon, in fact landing in Singapore this month. Singaporeans and Malaysians are all anxious as to the exact date it is actually coming. Somehow Apple likes to be so mysterious. As of just now, the Apple Store in Singapore is still showing the Notify Me button and not the Buy Now button. So, in order to get myself crazy with the wait, I’ll just blog about apps in iPad 2 that I’ll really find useful and life changing.

1) Garageband
The first app I’m going to purchase is non other than the Garageband. As a musician, this app will definitely help me in playing and making music. The best thing about it is the Touch instruments, unlike Garageband on Macbook Pro where it does not exist. It’d be so easy to play the touch instruments and record music just like that. I can’t wait to use the keys, guitar and big sized drums that can actually be recorded and make tracks. I think Josiah can’t wait as well. It’s gonna cost USD4.99 but that’s pretty cool, as I get more than 1 instrument already.

2) Sketchbook Pro
My sis who’s an artist influenced me into getting this powerful sketching app. Just watch the vid, you’ll know what I mean. I enjoy sketching on paper, but it’s just not that portable. I don’t bring my sketchbook and box of pencils everywhere I go. And it can be a messy job. My hands will get all black after doing a sketch, not to mention I can’t do it in the dark, or zoom in like I could if using the iPad 2. Plus, the coolest thing is, using Sketchbook Pro, my art is immediately digital, and there are layers, meaning I can have referential layers on top of the actual art. This will put me back USD7.99.

3) Skyfire Browser
The iPhone and iPads are famed for being unable to play Flash embedded video on websites. The stage is set for Skyfire, a pretty good browser that also play Flash. Granted, it doesn’t play Flash like it would on your laptop browsers, but what happen is, you open the website with a flash video, and there’s a popup at the menu bar that shows that there is video content. Click on the pop up and your video starts loading and getting optimised for our device. So it’s a full screen view, unlike the crummy flash video watching on an Android browser. I’ve been using it on my iPhone and it works great for episodes of dramas that I can’t get on youtube. Otherwise, the Youtube app’s quality is a little better. This cost USD2.99

4) CineXplayer
This is a video player that runs AVI formatted with Xvid videos, which is pretty popular nowadays. This is a great replacement for the long gone VLC player so I don’t have to convert every vid I have to Mp4. However, I’ll quickly let go of this option if VLC Player would make a come back as it’s also known to be a bit buggy and doesn’t exactly play ALL formats that I have.

5) Kid Genius Flash cards

Obviously, with an iPad, showing Flashcards to Josiah will be so much more enjoyable as none of us have to squint at a small screen. I love the Kid Genius flashcard app as it’s got an unending number of cards and words. I got it free on my iPhone but now it cost USD0.99. Obviously, half of my future iPad will be filled with toddler apps, I can just imagine.

6) Dr. Seuss ebooks
I’m a fan of Dr. Seuss books, and Josiah has got a growing library of it. Reading to him is fun, and he really loves it as well. However, in those times when I’m too tired to read, maybe these interactive animated e-book app can help (guilty laughter). Each book is priced at USD3.99, that’s actually cheaper than the books I bought in MPH.

7) Movingpicturebooks (MPB)
MPB had one app in iPhone and never made a new one, they seemed to have moved on to iPads. Now they have an iPad app that I can purchase their titles. Josiah absolutely loves these books, they are totally animated and really funny.

There are 100s of apps I’d want and need, these are maybe just 1% of them! So as you can see, I can’t wait for the iPad 2 to arrive soon enough. When when when????