This post has been sitting in my “Local Drafts” folder for some time, and after reading Shawn’s excellent “An iPad Buyer’s Guide and Other FAQs” this morning, I decided it was time to finish it.

You will notice the above screenshot is of my iPad in the landscape orientation. I almost never use it in portrait. One reason is that I hate how the app icons on the Springboard re-arrange when the iPad is rotated. The Dock always has the same number of apps in it, regardless of orientation, so why can’t the rows above it?

I like to leave a blank row between my main apps and the Dock, to give my finger plenty of space to swipe from screen to screen without accidentally opening an app. I did this on my iPhone and currently do it on my Droid. It just works for me.

While my lock screen wallpaper is a picture of my kids, I prefer a simple background behind my icons. This photo is by John Carey and can be found at his website, fiftyfootshawdows.net. I’ve used it behind my icons from the beginning.

I view the front page of any iOS device as a look into how that device is used. I suspect when iOS 4.2 rolls out, I will try to dump everything into Folders, as many have done, destroying this “Hall of Fame” effect. Time will tell, I suppose.

So, let’s dive in.

Top Row

iPod: I don’t listen to much music on my iPad, but I do have a “critical” collection of about 12 albums I like to keep on it. It seems wrong not to have this on the first page of apps.

Maps: Maps is great on the iPad, but much like iPod, it doesn’t see a lot of action, but is handy enough to keep it on the front page.

Calcbot: It blows my mind Apple shipped this thing without a calculator. But I’m kind of glad they didn’t, because it made me far more likely to download this beautiful app by Tapbots. Easy to use, and easy to look at, it’s a winner all the way around.

GoodReader: I know, the icon and the app behind it are terrifyingly ugly. But since I use my iPad at home and at work, it’s nice to be able to dump things on it over Wi-Fi and move on with my day. I find it very irritating I can’t sync my iPad with more than one Aperture library. I’m currently looking for something to replace GoodReader, however, simply due to the UI deficiencies.

Dropbox: Oh, glorious Dropbox. If you don’t use this app, you’re missing out on a great way to keep files in sync between various computers and mobile devices. (Sign up via this link to gain some extra space for yourself and for me) I use it all the time, but because I bought the iPad without 3G connection, this isn’t as helpful as it could be.

Second Row

LogMeIn: I have LogMeIn Free installed on all of my machines — and on some machines I keep running for family members. It’s far easier (and more reliable, in my experience) than Back to my Mac. It also works on Windows boxes, which is handy since my day job keeps me shackled to a Vista box. I know, I know.

Google Voice: My one and only webclip. Every time I tap it, I just get angry Apple denied Google access to the App Store for Voice-related products last year. Back to the point: I use Google Voice to catch my voicemails and transcribe them to email. It’s wonderful. [Update]

ESV Bible: This app is a relative newcomer to the App Store, and is simple and elegant. I probably will update to the “Plus” version before long.

iBooks & Kindle for iPad: I had never touched an ebook before the iPad. While I much prefer the iBook interface, Amazon’s Kindle store has many, many more titles to choose from. It’s great to read on a device I almost always have with me. It makes reading easier and more convenient than ever.

Bottom Row

WeatherBug: While their application for Windows is crap, I love this app on my iPad. I’m a weather nerd, and getting a big, responsive radar under my fingertips is just magical. The interface is simple, leaving lots of room for that radar to do it’s thing.

Remember the Milk: Oh, how I wish these guys would release an iPad-native app. I found Things to be too much GTD for what I need, and RTM has an Android app, which is very handy. It’s part of my daily workflow more than any other app on here.

Twitterrific: The Iconfactory’s Twitter client is the best I’ve found on the iPad. Twitter for iPad is a train wreck. Twitterrific is simple and powerful, and supports multiple accounts and the built-in “Send to Instapaper” graphic makes me smile every time I use it

NetNewsWire: While I much prefer Google Reader in the browser on the desktop, NetNewsWire on the iPad is a vital part of my day. With it’s folder-dominated UI, it’s easy to see what folders have unread items, so I can prioritize my feed reading on the go. With built-in Twitter and Instapaper support, it’s got everything I need and nothing I don’t.

Instapaper: Seriously, if you don’t use this app, you are insane. It’s great. I send things to Instapaper throughout my day for reading when I get home. I even send things to it, just to turn and pick up my iPad and head to the couch. It’s no-nonsense UI feels right at home on the iPad, and with some clever controls, makes reading a joy.

The Dock

Like most people, I use my Dock for the apps I use the most. For me, most of them are stock apps, oddly enough.

Safari: While iOS data consumption is mostly app-driven, browsing the web on the device is brilliant.

Mail: Even with my four IMAP accounts, Mail.app rarely misses a beat. While pretty weak compared to a “real” desktop client, it’s great for checking and archiving messages. What more can I say?

Simplenote: Longtime readers will know I adore this app. Text notes have never been simpler or more easy on the eyes. Coupled with Notational Velocity on the Mac — which can sync text files with Dropbox — it’s a killer solution to many of my problems. Notes, blog drafts, bits of odd code and more live in here. Like Instapaper, I just don’t understand people who don’t use this. It’s been a life-saver for me.

Calendar: Most of my workweek is filled with meetings. If it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t happen. Since my data lives in the Google cloud, I’ve setup my iPad with my Google Calendar info via CalDAV and haven’t looked back. (I know Google Sync supports the iPad, but I’ve had some issues with it, whereas CalDAV is simple and robust.)

Photos: If it’s pictures of my kids or blueprints at work, I’m always showing off images on my iPad. I just wish I could sync it with more than one Aperture library at a time. (Hence, GoodReader being on the front screen as well.)

Settings: I’m in and out of this enough to like it being in the Dock. Why can’t Apple get auto-brightness right?

So that’s that. While the iPad — for me at least — is no computer replacement, it is becoming integral to my workflow, especially days when I’m bouncing from meeting to meeting. These apps are why.

Riccardo Mori at System Folder:

You’re surely aware of the serious earthquake that struck New Zealand a few days ago. I was concerned for the safety of an active member of the NewtonTalk mailing list, Tony Kan, who lives in Christchurch, so I sent him an email to ask if all was well with him and his family. He replied that they were all fine, and pointed to this post on his blog, in which you can read an intense report of what happened there.

Here’s a snippet from the blog post he references:

Guess what was an indispensable tool in the aftermath? My Apple Newton. During the odd quiet moment I could relax by journalling what had happened and then email the updates to friends and family when power and communications were restored.

Brilliant.

I’m afraid we’ve lost this in the modern era of iOS and iLife.

In this week’s Macworld piece:

And that, kids, is the moral of this week’s Apple event: very little matters besides the iPod touch.

Jim Dalrymple at The Loop:

Ping, Apple’s social networking service, allows artists to create a page on iTunes that their fans can follow. Artists are allowed to post more information than regular users, like pictures, videos and information about shows and tour dates.

However, the record label has to setup the page for you. That means that if you’re an independent artist on iTunes, you’re out of luck, because you don’t have a record label.

That’s a serious shortcoming.

Adam Dachis:

While the speed advantages ranged from marginal to significant, iOS 4.1 clearly outperformed iOS 4.0. It’s still significantly slower performance than you’ll get from a 3GS or iPhone 4, and we’re still not sure it’s a big enough improvement that 3G owners will want to ditch iOS 3. The most obvious difference was UI responsiveness. The UI didn’t get stuck nearly as much on an interface element or when trying to enter text. If you are set on using iOS 4, the upgrade is worthwhile for that alone.

Good news for lots of unhappy customers.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services, via Apple PR:

One-third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping. As many more people download iTunes 10 in the coming weeks, we expect the Ping community to continue growing

Damn.

James Galbraith at Macworld:

Based on performance alone, it seems like the Mac Pro addresses a smaller market each time a new iMac appears. But there remains a need for a highly configurable and fast performing Mac. The new Mac Pros may be little more than speed bumps from the systems they replace, but they do offer better performance at the same price, while offering even more options for customization. Whether your type of work requires a certain kind of display, add in card, or tons of internal storage, the Mac Pro offers power users the flexibility to create a system custom fit to fill their needs.