New Ipad, what apps to put on it?

Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Dec 7, 2012 at 03:49 PM

I’ve been going through the same evaluation process on my iPad Mini.

I’ve been trying out almost any app that sounds interesting. So far, these are the ones I’m finding most useful (but please read this list as preliminary):

For outlining, I have found OmniOutliner most useful so far.

For mind maps, I really like iThoughts, though I am also using Mindomo, since it has a desktop app as well as an online version, so they all can stay in sync, but also allows you to keep local copies, so you’re not out of luck if you can’t get online.

For general personal information, I use PocketInformant.

For structured data, I use Bento, which syncs to the computer version nicely.

For keeping a daily journal, I’ve found Day One works really well, especially now that it has better search and tagging.

I’m still fussing around trying to find a good note-taking app. There are essentially three factors I’m considering as I work through this evaluation:

1. Ability to share with other apps, getting info from one app to another, and from the iPad to my MacBook and/or PC.
2. Local storage of information; no requirement for cloud access, the ability to share through the cloud.
3. Ease of use, including the added keyboard functionality for cursor control and other useful keys.

To some extent or the other all apps fall short in one of these areas. Here is a partial list of some that intrigue me:

- ThinkBook: has an innovative user interface and allows you to combine todos and notes in a hierarchy. Interacts with Dropbox.
- Catch: a nice, clean interface. Create todo lists or text notes. Sync to online app. Requires monthly subscription to get full use (which I have not done).
- Circus Ponies Notebook: Perhaps the most powerful of all these apps. Lots of things to like about it. What has killed it for me is that it is dreadfully frustrating to get the cursor into the text I want to edit.
- Evernote: This is, of course, the most logical choice, but for my own perverse reasons, I seem to keep rejecting it.
- Notebooks: I continue to want to make this work, but I don’t find the organizational interface convenient, and I had trouble with it freezing up when interacting with Dropbox (though they may have fixed this with the latest release).

So the search continues. I’ll be interested in reading about your search.

Steve Z.