iPad mini: essential apps

The 7.9-inch Apple iPad mini is here. And it’s great - it’s more compact, lighter, more portable. At $329 for the basic model it is not too expensive. But what apps does it run and which are the ones you should not miss when you first hit the App Store?

Basically, the iPad mini runs the same apps that the more traditional 9.7-inch iPad runs and they look the same, only a bit smaller.

We have picked what we find essential apps, showing off all the possibilities of Apple’s new tablet. But we have skipped through some that we find evident.

Apple has itself released some of the best apps for iPad and they work perfectly well on the mini. That is why you should definitely check out the iLife suite of applications including iMovie, iPhoto and GarageBand. And if you want to use the 7.9 incher for productivity, the iWork suite with Keynote, Pages and Numbers should be your thing. For all the rest, check out the list below.

iPad mini: essential apps

1. Skype - Free

Skype needs no introduction - it is the most popular VoIP client for a reason, and with both a front and rear cameras, you can enjoy video calling at its fullest with this app.

2. Kindle - Free

Let’s face it - the 7.9-inch iPad mini is not better than the standard iPad in terms of specs, rather it’s all about the form factor. The smaller tablet is more comfortable for reading and the Kindle app gives you access to Amazon’s huge catalog of books.

3. Instapaper - $3.99

As reading comes in many forms, reading on the web is probably the thing we all do the most recently. Instapaper allows you to save those in-depth articles for later and strips them off all annoying ornaments, bringing them in a clean text-only envelope.

4. Pocket - Free

Pocket, earlier known as Read It Later, is a tool to save things for offline reading. They sync across all your devices, not letting you miss the important reads.

5. Flipboard - Free

Flipboard is probably close to visual perfection when it comes to fun and modern pictoral representation of news. With a magazine-like design you just flip the screen as it turns in a page-like fashion.

6. Jasmine - Free

Apple decided to remove the default Google YouTube application in iOS 6, forcing its users to look for an alternative. And here it is - Jasmine, a brilliant YouTube client which works perfectly well on the iPad mini.

7. Netflix - Free

Watching Netflix movies in bed with your tablet at hand is close to the perfect cozy experience and the iPad mini makes it possible. The Netflix app is free, simple and a direct gateway to movies.

8. Hulu Plus - Free

If you want to watch more than just movies on the iPad mini, you have Hulu Plus. The brings you the latest TV shows for you to enjoy.

9. Pandora - Free

In the world of Internet radio, Pandora is one of the biggest names. The personalized Internet radio lets you just type in the name of your favorite artist and listen on as the service builds a playlist around that.

10. The Weather Channel - Free

Capricious weather is something we’ve all gotten to know lately. Having the most up-to-date and detailed information can mean a lot, and with The Weather Channel for iPad mini you get virtually all the information meteorologists have.

11. Tweetbot - $2.99

There already is a decent Twitter client for iOS, but Tweetbot comes with even deeper functionality. Starting from the interface and going through its smart gestures and multiple timelines, this is one of the best ways to stay informed on Twitter.

12. Google Drive - Free

There are many apps to keep your notes online, craft documents, spreadsheets and so on, but little come even close to Google Drive. Google’s online collaboration productivity suite bests all similar online offerings and is close to being a worthy competitor to the iWork suite. It works only when you are online though.

13. Dropbox - Free

With iOS’ closed system approach, Dropbox brings the straightforward and simple folders and icons, and everything you are used to. It’s all synced to the cloud and up for grabs from any of your iDevices.

14. Google Search

Siri might have been first, but Google Voice Search was best to the game. The fastest and most accurate voice search from Google is available on the iPad mini.

15. Comics - Free

Last but not least come comics. The app that has Marvel, DC and The Walking Dead is free, and you have 500 free comics built in, but for the rest you’d still need to pay.