ipad 2 [iPad] Just bought an iPad 2... Now what?

[whitebread]

I just bought an iPad 2. I bought it for web surfing and to read books, watch movies, and otherwise consume content :p.

A couple questions:

-- What's the best eReader app?

-- For movies, how can I watch them? Do I have to buy them from the iTunes store?

-- What (non-game!) apps do you recommend?

[Bambii]

Personally I use iBooks for my reading and that does the job fine.

For movies I use AV Player HD, so far has played everything I have thrown at it and does nicely, you don't HAVE to buy them via iTunes

What kind of apps do you want? for productivity something like cloudon or office2 for drawing i quite like bamboo notebook

lots of good apps out there and a lot of them free

[Vice]

I have a yearly subscription to Wired Magazine on my iPad. It's very good. I also use the Twitter app and Paper. I also use a lot of video apps for example I use TED, BBC iPlayer, 40D Catchup. I use Air Video to access videos from my home server on my iPad. The server side Air Video software converts any video on your server to h.264 MP4 on the fly so you can instantly stream any format to your iPad unimpeded. I like using the Apple Remote app (free) which lets you control iTunes on another computer.

I know you didn't want a suggestion for a game but I have to recommend Osmos - It's an amazing game.

[SteveMackinnon]

I use the Kindle App as I find the books to be cheaper in most cases, latest update also improved the UI a lot!

For films I convert all other formats to M4V using Handbrake on my Mac... though AV Player HD is good.

I use the Microsoft OneNote app alot

Vevo HD

Skype

Netflix

TED

Flipboard for news

Hope this helps!

[Manish]

-- What's the best eReader app?

I second the Kindle app from Amazon, mainly because it's available on a lot more platforms. Also, the price tends to be slightly cheaper. If you don't mind your books being tied down to iOS, then go with iBooks. You can purchase content directly from iBooks unlike the Kindle app (due to Apple demanding a cut of purchases made via in-app stores). To get books for Kindle, you can just use Amazon's website, which is easily accessible with Safari.

-- For movies, how can I watch them? Do I have to buy them from the iTunes store?

You have multiple options. There are a number of apps that allow you to stream existing content from your other devices/server e.g. Air Video and StreamToMe. If you want to store videos on your iPad, you can use apps that support File Sharing via iTunes on your PC/Mac, e.g. AV Player HD. There are also apps that rely on a paid subscription, such as Hulu Plus and Netflix, including ones from TV channels/networks that you pay to watch. As well as syncing or streaming what you already have on iTunes on your PC/Mac, you can of course buy or rent movies from the iTunes app on your iPad.

-- What (non-game!) apps do you recommend?

Don't really know what you're going to be using the iPad for, but consider looking into Evernote, Flipboard and the iWorks apps (Pages, Keynote, Numbers).

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

I just bought an iPad 2. I bought it for web surfing and to read books, watch movies, and otherwise consume content :p.

A couple questions:

-- What's the best eReader app?

-- For movies, how can I watch them? Do I have to buy them from the iTunes store?

-- What (non-game!) apps do you recommend?

I have not JailBroke my iPad and kinda don't recommend it, not worth the hassle IMO

For eReadrs I prefer Kindle.

Movies can be done multiple ways, either converting your DvD/BLuRay collection and importing through iTunes, or installing GoodReader and "FTP"ing direct to iPad and playing through that. GoodReader will play audio and video ( I occasionally download and play Neowins podcast through that ) or buying and renting through iTunes ( currently Importing BluRay Remasters of GodFather Collection, and doing all my StarTreks later

As far as apps, I use the following on almost daily basis

GoodReader - stores and opens files not normally opened on the iPad ( allows direct downloads to the iPad from Safari )

DropBox - sync files and allows direct download from Safari

FlipBoard - RSS/Twitter/Facebook feeder ( makes the feeds like an interactive newspaper )

PCalc Lite - Calculator app

Evernote - Notebook Sync

Planetary - Space/Galactic Visual Music Display ( uses iPad music and Playlist )

Pandora - Free Streaming Music

Skype/Facebook/Twitter/Trillian - Chat / Social Programs ( I don't use Skype daily if at all, but it's Avaliable

edit - oh and Weatherbug, I prefer it's layout over other WeatherApps ( exception with WeatherHD, that Weather App is just OMFG Beautiful )

[twaern]

For eReadrs I prefer Kindle. thier are several sites to even get listings of Kindle Books for free and is totally legal.

As far as apps, I use the following on almost daily basis

GoodReader - stores and opens files not normally opened on the iPad ( allows direct downloads to the iPad from Safari )

DropBox - sync files and allows direct download from Safari

FlipBoard - RSS/Twitter/Facebook feeder ( makes the feeds like an interactive newspaper )

Evernote - Notebook Sync

Skype/Facebook/Twitter/Trillian - Chat / Social Programs ( I don't use Skype daily if at all, but it's Avaliable

[bj55555]

Kill it with fire.

[whitebread]

Kill it with fire.

LOL :p

Thank you, everyone! I will definitely check out your suggested apps :yes:

[butilikethecookie]

you take it back and get an ipad 3.