iPad in the Park
I am an avid iPad user. Not necessarily an Apple Fanboy, although the user experience across the iPhone, iPad and iMac is hard to beat. At the same time I would be happy to use any device that offers the same efficiency, ease of use and availability of applications.
Unlike some, I have no issue typing on the iPad and regularly use it to write; briefs, proposals, blog posts and take meeting notes.
The applications below are fantastic for improved workflow and allow me to Consume, Curate, Tweet and Blog content from almost any location.
Zite
This is my daily newspaper. Zite is connected to my Google Reader and Twitter accounts, presenting feeds in an easy to consume format. It also learns from my likes and dislikes, pulling in related information from the web. Items of interest can be sent to Twitter directly from the application, whilst longer articles can be sent to Instapaper to be read later. This is one of the places my ideas for blog posts are generated.
Instapaper
If Zite is my newspaper then Instapaper is my weekly magazine. Here you will find my longer form articles that I have either selected from Zite or whilst working online throughout the day to be read when I have more time.
HootSuite
This is my Social Media Messaging client of choice. From within this application I can manage the various Twitter and Facebook accounts, both work and personal, that I maintain. It is also fantastic for scheduling Tweets for later publication or assigning incoming messages to others within my team for them to reply to.
WordPress for iOS
This application has just undergone a recent update bringing it back onto my list of regular apps. If you have a WordPress blog this purpose built application is an essential tool for performing updates on the go.
Evernote
Probably the most used application of all. Some find it hard to type on the iPad but I have taken to it quite naturally. And now I am over the self-consciousness of using my iPad in a meeting, I use it exclusively to take notes. Meaning they are available to me immediately across all of my devices. More importantly it is the place where I store ideas for my blog posts. Where I then expand on those ideas and create the posts themselves.
The iPad combined with these applications, for me, is the ultimate tool for working in the online environment.
Do you have an iPad workflow?