Arizpe's iPad

Hallo!

Henry invited me to this sekrit blog so that I can share what things I've found and used.

Since I was at a conference last week, I decided to take my iPad down with me to see if I could survive on it alone. I didn't do too bad. There were a few kinks which I will ennumerate later.

My set up as follows:

16 gig 3G/Wifi iPad

incipio case -black comes with a clear shield for the screen. (plastic film)

Dagi Pen -A capacitive stylus with many great recommendations. Also works well if you have a shield on the screen. I prefer it to the pogo stick.

I will be getting a portfolio case that is both a bag and case for the ipad. Gotta be in style...:P

Software

3.2.1 - I can't tell the difference between 3.2 and 3.2.1. yay?

Penultimate- $2.99 I spent a bit of time reading reviews and this does seem to have the best note taking ability. I used it predominantly at the conference. The cool thing is that you can export your "notebooks" as single page pdfs, or multi-page pdfs. You can write with your finger or with the stylus (which takes time to get used to.) Well, getting used to writing with your fingers is another matter entirely.

Dropbox- Free I used this as a main source for pdf files of IB materials. Tho, I probably have multiple copies of the same files in DropBox, Stanza, and GoodReader. Each of those programs have their pros and cons. Dropbox allows me to access to my "cloud" whatever files I put in my cloud from my desktop will be accessible on the iPad automatically.

Stanza - Free I used this on the iPhone to access some files and to download free books. This program will give you access to ebooks both free and for a price. PDFs and ebooks can be added from your library via iTunes.

GoodReader- .99 Worth it. And helpful in that you can download files from your cloud drives. (dropbox, .mac account, local servers.) And I noticed that you can actually send files to local printers. (I didn't test it at the conference because it's rude to use printers without permission but they did show up.)

SpaceTime -$9.99 Steep price but for what it offers, I think it was worth it. The desktop version of the program is free for mac and pc. It is a math app that allows you to solve, graph, and script mathematics. The full strength of the program hasn't been tested but the demo was impressive. You can play with the demo its called GraphBook.

QuickGraph - Free It does a good job of making graphs. It was used at the conference for a group problem. Accuracy issues aside, it will give the user a good idea of visualizing graphical math.

FirstClass - Free I didn't think it was a great app on the iPhone, and with the magnification ability on the iPad. (not a naturalized app for iPad) it's improved it somewhat. At least I don't have to wear glasses to read the damn screen. But it'll do in a pinch for reading email. And somewhat better than the web interface.

I'm still looking for other apps for writing, notetaking, and spreadsheets. As I am not entirely convinced of the iWork iPad Apps. Circus Ponies is known for its Notebook program which is quite nice for organization and notation for a desktop-they are working on their own iPad version. When that comes out is anyone's guess. I am still keeping my eyes open for apps that garner good reviews.

As for the use of the iPad at the conference...

Getting used to the stylus in Penultimate was a task that can only be overcome by practice. Typing on the pad without a stand or physical keyboard was interesting. I have become reasonably adept at typing on the screen keyboard but I am not looking at what I am writing, I am looking at my hands. To make sure that I am inputing correctly. The auto-correct function can be annoying and hinder some at times. Another annoyance was the flipping between applications. Flipping between a webpage and notes. Or notes and pdf. I can't wait for the mult-tasking function to come to the iPad.

I'm excited to use it in class but I may need to invest in a matte version of the screen shield for when I use it under the document camera. Hmm. I haven't tried using this with eSIS yet. :)