The iPad’s digital coattails are long and there are no shortage of people riding them. The most persistent appear to be rotating around its axis as if trying to acquire a suntan by means of the occasional ray. Their status being elevated by merely being in proximity to one.
Is it all hype? Or does Apple have another big winner on its hands? Judging by my friends’ responses, version one is a fantastic first try, but wait for version 2 (here’s another perspective by David Winer).
But if you already have one or are getting one, then start with these apps for business.
The Judging Criteria
Below are all iPad apps that were made for the iPad (not simply an iPhone port). They were also highly rated by the community and/or suggested by Steve Bjorg and others when a request was made via Twitter.
#1 Autodesk SketchBook Pro
Autodesk SketchBook® Pro for iPad is a professional-grade paint and drawing application. Using the same paint engine as its desktop counterpart, SketchBook Pro delivers a complete set of sketching & painting tools through a streamlined and intuitive user interface designed exclusively for the iPad experience.
Who is this for? The occasional designer or professional illustrator
#2 Square – Accept payments. Everywhere.
Quickly and securely accept payments for your business, service, charity, or even your couch. Generate email and SMS receipts for cash and card payments, maintain frequently sold items, calculate sales tax, and effortlessly manage and visualize all the money you take with an intuitive web-based interface.
Who is this for? Mobile businesses or those retail establishments that want to check their customer’s out in the shopping aisle.
#3 Evernote
Evernote turns the iPad into an extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as it instantly synchronizes from your iPhone to your Mac or Windows desktop.
Who is this for? The multi-tasker, project manager, or lifestreamer.
#4 Numbers
Numbers is a very innovative spreadsheet app designed for mobile computing. It’s the application you know and love for the Mac, completely reworked from the ground up for iPad. Tap the bright Multi-Touch display to create compelling, great-looking spreadsheets in minutes. 250 easy-to-use functions, an intelligent keyboard, flexible tables, and eye-catching charts, are at your fingertips. Caution: no Excel exporting yet
Who is this for? The numerati on the go
#5 Keynote
Keynote is a powerful presentation app designed for a mobile device. It’s the application you know and love on the Mac, but completely reworked from the ground up for iPad. It makes creating a world-class presentation, complete with animated charts and transitions, as simple as touching and tapping. Caution: Read the comments before downloading
Who is this for? Presenters, speakers and sales people
#6 OmniGraphSketcher
Use OmniGraphSketcher for iPad to make elegant and precise graphs in seconds, whether you have specific data to report or a concept to
exp
lain.
Who is this for? Most employees need a graphing tool
#7 iBooks
iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books, designed exclusively for iPad. iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics – day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark your favorite passages.
Who is this for? All employees
#8 Webex for iPad
Attend WebEx meetings on your iPad, wherever you are. Use this application to get the full meeting experience with simultaneous data and audio. Don’t just listen in to a meeting. Join in.
Who is this for? Webinar attendees and those hosting webinars
#9 Outlook Web Access 2003 for iPad
Not rated yet
Connect to any implementation of Outlook Web Access 2003 with this custom-built application. If both of the following are true, this is the application for you:
✔ You connect to Outlook Web Access 2003 using a web browser to view and send e-mails
✔ IMAP, POP3, and SMTP are disabled in Microsoft Exchange
The Microsoft Exchange functionality built in to the iPhone or iPod
Who is this for? Anyone with Microsoft Outlook 2003
#10 Citrix Receiver for iPad
The new Citrix Receiver for iPad app makes it easy for iPad owners to take their virtual office with them on the go. One simple touch gives iPad owners secure access to all of their corporate Windows applications and desktops, making it easy to work from anywhere, while still enjoying the great user experience they bought an iPad for in the first place. Caution: Citrix XenApp or XenDesktop infrastructure required for production use.
Who is it for? Telecommuters, traveling salespeople and virtual employees
Did I miss any useful Enterprise or Business apps developed for the iPad? If so please share in the comments below.
(Cross-posted @ Seek Omega )
Hey Mark,
You might want to check out the Box app for iPad. Basically, it makes it easy to access, share and collaborate on business content directly from the iPad. There’s a two-pane interface so you can seamlessly navigate your file structure, view colleagues’ activities on the real-time updates tab, view and share files with colleagues and clients, or give feedback via comments.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/box-net/id290853822?mt=8
Obviously we’re biased, but check it out and let us know what you think 🙂
Cheers,
Ashley Mayer
Communications Manager, Box.net
Probably just a small error but you forgot pages when you have the rest of the iWork suite.
Just want to say Sketchbook Pro is great. I do digital painting for illustrative work including my comic books, and I use the desktop version of Sketchbook to do all of my initial work before importing into Photoshop. Now, having the iPad version has been great for me to sketch stuff while I’m out of the house, as opposed to trying to keep the sketch in my head until I get home (or doodling on paper).
I started to read your article and got to #9 “Outlook Web Access 2003 for iPad” and then come to the realisation that you are writing not from a basis of understanding or experience of these applications, otherwise you would have realised that the Outlook Web Access App does not work as advertised and is a piece of crap that has been advertised to collect people money under a false pretence. There is no support to users and the application is flawed in a number of ways and should be taken off the Apps store. The author of the App should be ashamed and should be prosecuted under the services act for deception. I am personally going to challenged Apple and get my money back.
Pst mail is the best business app, it allows you to copy all your outlook emails to your iPad, access attachments and reply or forward all email.
The outlook/Exchange client coming with the iOs is simple and great to use. Why use another app when it’s alrady catered for?
For those using Microsoft Project files, you can now also open and view those on-the-fly on your apple devices. Released last week…
http://kadonk.com/mobile-products
I’m a heavy Blackberry Microsoft Outlook Syn user for business. Is there a program for ipad that will still allow me to use blackberry and provide me the same syn use for my e-mails, calendar and contacts?
Joe,
You can actually just use the native iTunes sync, if that is what you “Syn” in both spots represented. You go right into iTunes, click on your iPad, then click sync.
Also what we do, because alot of our salesmen are BB users, is use Google Sync. This way we get 2-way OTA (Over-The-Air) syncs for everything.
Hope this helps.
I have recently released an app for OWA into the app store called Outlook Web Email (theres a free version to give it a try as well!). It allows for a cleaner and easier to use interface than safari OWA in my opinion, but any feedback is appreciated! I personally tried to use the OWA app mentioned in this posting (#9) and it did not work for me, so I made this app for my own use, and hope other people can also find it useful. If you cannot connect to OWA from the native mail app, give mine a try (right now it only supports outlook 2007 and 2010, 2003 coming in the future though!). An ipad version is in the works and should be out in the next couple of weeks, along with some calendar support. If you have any questions, or can’t get the app to work for you, email me at [email protected].