The Apple iPad is one of the most popular and influential consumer electronics devices in history. The slate's found a home with people who want to Web-surf, movie-watch, email, and perform numerous other activities without being tied to a desktop or laptop. Never underestimate the power of "getting things done" from the comfort of the bed or easy chair.
Many rival tablets offer super-crisp displays and attractive designs, but none have so far matched the Apple iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini's potent combination of consumer mindshare and rich app marketplace. The role that the Apple App Store has played in its success should not be overlooked, either. According to Apple, over 475,000 dedicated iPad apps have been released worldwide. That's a lot of apps to enhance and expand the iPad family's functionality, whether you've got an old iPad 2 or you're holding out for one of the fancy iPad mini Retinas that are coming on November 1.
That's also a lot of apps to sort through. You're probably wondering how one goes about finding quality iPad app. Simple! Check out PCMag.com's picks as the staff has tested hundreds of iPad apps and weeded out the ones that aren't worth your time. You could scour the App Store for user reviews, but, seriously, who wants to do that? It's an epic time sink, and quality, little-known apps may have only a handful of reviews.
What You'll Find in This List
PCMag.com's 100 best iPad apps list focuses on native iPad apps that deliver unique and compelling tablet-based experiences, not iPhone or iPod touch apps running in 2X mode. We've broken our selections into seven categories to make finding the best iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini apps even easier: Social Networking, Business, Communication, Entertainment, Creativity, News/Reference/ Information, and Reading.
PCMag.com's 100 best iPad apps list focuses on native iPad apps that deliver unique and compelling tablet-based experiences, not iPhone or iPod touch apps running in 2X mode. We've broken our selections into seven categories to make finding the best iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini apps even easier: Social Networking, Business, Communication, Entertainment, Creativity, News/Reference/ Information, and Reading.
The 100 Best iPad Apps
Install all the apps that appeal to you (assuming your iPad has the available storage!), and you'll be well on the way to an excellent tablet computer experience. We've included links to in-depth reviews when available. Rest assured knowing that even those apps that haven't been fully reviewed are included because they impressed use after some serious hands-on time.
What You Won't Find In This List
You won't find pre-installed apps or games in this iPad app collection. The former weren't included because default apps are easy to find—they live on your home screen. The latter weren't included because we've given the best iPad games their own dedicated, curated section that highlights the best iOS games.
You won't find pre-installed apps or games in this iPad app collection. The former weren't included because default apps are easy to find—they live on your home screen. The latter weren't included because we've given the best iPad games their own dedicated, curated section that highlights the best iOS games.
You can either navigate our list via the 100 Best iPad Apps slideshow or the table of contents at the top right. If a particular application catches your eye, click through to the full review to learn more.
Leave a comment below if you dig our selections or we've overlooked a potentially worthy candidate.
Social Networking Apps
Facebook to Yelp
Facebook to Yelp
Facebook for iPad
Free
Facebook took its sweet time bringing a dedicated iPad app to market, but in the year since its release, the app has blossomed into a full-featured service. It needs just a few more refinements to meet all iPad users' needs.
Hootsuite
Free
HootSuite allow users to create numerous social network streams and view them in a clean, friendly interface, dispatching messages to multiple networks simultaneously.
Tweetbot
$2.99
Featuring an excellent design and loads of customization options, Tweetbot is an iPad app that Twitter users should sample—but only if they use Twitter exclusively. If you want to integrate Twitter and Facebook, MyPad is the way to go, but if Twitter is your exclusive social network, Tweetbot is a superior selection.
TweetDeck for iPad
Free
It may not support social networks such as Facebook or location-based services such as Foursquare, but TweetDeck for iPad is a respectable Twitter reader with an intuitive interface and accurate geo-tagging.
Twitter for iPad
Free
Crafting new tweets may prove irritating due to an overcrowded screen, but the Editors' Choice award-winning Twitter for iPad is the best mobile Twitter client around, hands-down.
Yelp
Free
Yelp's iOS app brings the Web site's reviews and recommendations to the iPad, but diehard Yelpers will miss a handful of features that didn't get ported to Apple's tablet.
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