kiltforhire

I love Apple v Android debates they make me smile. It’s funny watching people become obsessed so much with the device they bought that they have to defend it everywhere and to everyone.

Baffles me.

Some people say I’m Apple obsessed when actually I really just enjoy using their devices. I don’t ever have any issues with them and when I do they are usually easily fixed. My parents are about to buy their first computer (hello mum and dad – one day you may actually read this blog!) and I told them to buy an MacBook as it will serve their needs and we can chat to each other with the cams and I can see their lovely smiling faces (I’m on the other side of the world to them so I miss them a lot).

My dad said ‘Scott, why should I buy one of those appley one when I could buy a Dell or HF or HP or something. They are much cheaper’.

Now my dad is an engineer. He spent his life under train and car engines. I said ‘Bert (I call him Bert cause his mates call him Da. I like to give him a sense of identity), would you buy a Ford with an engine made by Kia or would you buy a VW with an engine built by VW’,

He said VW. So I told him that Apple is like a VW and then I said that he was less likely to be hit by viruses etc and I also said that if he has technical issues with a PC then I won’t be able to help him. So he’s buying one next week…five years after I told him to!

But what I want to say in this blog is that I like my iPad. It’s not magical (well not unless you take it back 100 years and show it to people but c’mon who has the time to invent a time machine just to be called a magician?) but it is a great device, filled with some superb apps and I’m going to list the ones I use and why I use them.

Oh I should also add that I use it at work, on the train, at the beach, at home in most rooms and it’s best when you’re lying in bed just chilling out watching videos or down on the sofa relaxing and of course, in the bath.

For business I have found the iPad nearly replaces my laptop now.

I use (UPDATED):

Pages: Mac’s version of Microsoft Word. I design all client documents in Pages so having it on the iPad is a must. It’s a great desktop publishing program and let’s me change document while on the move.

Keynote: This is Mac’s version of Powerpoint and I use it for all presentation. I’d be lost without it. It’s just so simple to use and allows you so much ability to change and manipulate your presentation.

Things: Helps me keep track of the things I have to do. Simple as that,

Audionote: This record meetings and as I type notes it puts down the time in the recording that I took notes which is great if I come up with a creative idea tied to something a client has said.

Dropbox: Lets me access my Dropbox account anywhere I am. Fantastic if I need to fish out some files or grab some data that I need.

Money: It’s a mini budget calculator thing. I put in what I have spent money on, what my income is, what my outgoings are and it lets me keep on track of everything.

SpeedTest: Let’s me know how fast the connection to the Internet I have at any given time.

AirDisplay: This is great. It connects to my MacBook Pro and becomes another screen for it.

AirVideo: OMG!! This is the best thing ever. Wherever I am in the house it connects to my MacMini and lets me watch any TV Shows or Movies that I have on my hard-drives connected to my computer. I tend to use this a lot in the bath so I can soak and relax and catch up on some shows.

Wired: The iPad version of Wired magazine. I download it every month and read it at my leisure.

ComicZeal: I have a massive database of comics which I store on my iPad to read whenever I feel the need to dive into some Superman or Green Lantern fun.

Kindle and iBooks: I use both of them to read books. I also still buy books like Keith Richard’s auto-biography Life which is freakin’ awesome!

ArtRage: I cannot draw. I cannot paint. But I like to play about on this painting app cause it makes me feel artistic n shit.

DesignClassics. DAMNED EXPENSIVE APP!! It’s basically a coffee table book with 1,000 classic designs and their history. Brilliant. Whenever I get a few minutes I look at some new item in it.

Flipboard: Facebook, blogs, twitter – all in one flip book. It’s fun but takes ages to load

Home 3D: I’m still building my dream home on this. One day I’m going to ask an architect to build it for me from my design plans. It’s up to five-bedrooms now.

BBC News, ABC, Guardian Eyewitness: Must have apps really!

BBC iPlayer: Acces to a number of great TV shows from the UK including some old skool Doctor Who

Artree: Is a lovely little app that lets you choose the leaves, background of the app, colour of the tree, branch types etc and then it slowly grows a tree on screen. It’s zen man. Pure zen.

Speedball 2: CAUSE IT’S SPEEDBALL!!! Bitmap Brother FTW.

Pinball HD: The best pinball game out so far I think.

Let’s Golf 2: Damned addictive golf game.

Plants V Zombies. I had a life once. Then this game took it over.

Civilisation Revolutions: Digital Crack.

Fruit Ninja: One and two player hack and slash fun. Take that you pesky melon! Have at ye ya strawberry scum!

Minigore HD: Still can’t get past the first level but you run around and blow things away. Switch brain off and kill kill kill.

Battleheart: Wonderful little game where you battle skeletons with a team of four like a Wizard and a Warrior. It’s a bit like Gauntlet for the modern day.

The Daily: Interesting newspaper online. Content is great and I’m really into it at the moment.

SMH: Way better than The Daily I’m discovering. They really nailed the app well and I find myself using it daily…ironically enough.

Magic Window: Relaxing little app that let’s you chill out with a nice scene in the background. Like looking out a wee small window. Love the one with the sun setting…drop on some relaxing music and it’s a nice way to go to sleep.

iThoughtsHD: It’s a mind-mapping program that works a charm. Buy it. Download it. Use it. Superb app.

Dragon Dictation: Free and let’s you speak and it records what you say. Who could ask for me. Free!!

Debt Free: Useful app to help you balance your books and work out ways to pay off debt.

Some more games you should think about:
Another World: Remake of an amazingly brilliant Amiga game

TacSol: Turn-based Zombie killing game. Fun and addictive

Trenches: Addictive little world war one war game

Cowboy Guns: Like mini-gore but western and more to do.

Jetpack Joyride: Digital crack. Amazing. Obsessed with it. Get it and lose your life. Try and beat 4,427m 😉

Zombie Gunner: Fly an AC30 and bomb, shoot and blast the crap out of zombies heading to your HQ. Save humans and unleash hell on their zombie scum.

Oh, and I’ll be buying an iPad 2 when it comes out so I can chat to my family no matter where I am in the house. I like that idea 🙂

UPDATE: Bought the iPad 2 and use Facetime to talk to me family in Scotland about five times a week. It’s amazing