Top 50 iPad Apps for Work and Play

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Is the iPad a tool or a toy? Some people think the iPad — equipped with the best apps — is a notebook replacement capable of doing real work. Some people think the iPad — again, with a few select apps — is a big screen game machine, with the horsepower to drive some premium fun.

We’re undecided, so we’re presenting this list of iPad apps that offers the best of both worlds.

Go straight to iPad Apps: Play

iPad Apps: Work

Air Sharing HD

1) Air Sharing HD ($9.99): You can’t get work done if you don’t have your files. Air Sharing HD lets you wirelessly mount your iPad and load all your documents.

2) Air Sketch ($4.99): Sometimes you need a picture to communicate your ideas. This digital sketchpad lets you record and share your concepts.

3) Audio Note ($4.99): This app not only records and syncs all your audio sessions, but also creates an index so you can review old files quickly.

4) Clients ($2.99): Managing clients is a challenge, but not when you’ve got this app. Use it to keep track of client information and related to-dos.

5) Credit Card Terminal ($14.99): A must for the small businessperson: this app lets you accept credit card payments on your iPad.

6) Direct Report ($4.99): If you have to supervise and evaluate employees, get this app. It lets you take quick notes on performance, which you can use in your annual evaluations.

7) Documents to Go Premium ($14.99): It’s simply the best office suite available for the iPad. Work on documents and spreadsheets as you would on your desktop computer.

Dragon Dictation

8) Dragon Dictation (Free): Some people will never warm up to typing on a virtual keyboard. Luckily, this excellent voice recognition app is free.

9) Easy Chart HD ($.99): Create great-looking bar, line, pie, and sidebar charts, then upload them to Facebook or Twitter.

10) FileMaker Go ($39.99): Expensive, but this powerful database app is worth it. Access your existing files and modify then while you’re away from the office.

11) iTeleprompter 2.0 ($4.99): If you’re shooting video, getting a teleprompter used to be an expensive proposition. Now you can have a customizable, fully-featured one right on your iPad.

12) Jump Desktop ($19.99): Windows users are crazy about this app, which lets them control their desktop computers from their iPad.

13) Margin Analysis Pro ($.99): Don’t wonder about pricing. Margin Analysis Pro computers profit, margin, and price for a desired margin.

14) Mariner Calc ($5.99): This is the financial calculator your iPad has been missing. Use it to edit Excel files using math, finance, trig, and statistics functions.

15) Meeting Mate ($2.99): Keep track of your meetings and run them from one app. It lets you keep notes for each meeting and e-mail your notes.

16) Office2 HD ($7.99): This office mini-suite lets you edit Word and Excel files, and integrates with Google Docs and MobileMe iDisk.

17) PrintCentral ($9.99): Until the iPad supports printing (and we hope that’s coming soon), there’s PrintCentral. It’s a must if you’re doing real work.

PrintCentral

18) SG Project ($9.99): Create projects and track all the necessary tasks. You can assign an owner for each task and track how close each one is to being done.

19) QuickOffice Connect Mobile Suite ($14.99): Use this attractively designed app to edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.

20) ReaddieDocs ($4.99): With this fully featured document reader, you can view any document or e-mail attachment that comes your way.

21) Remote Desktop ($5.99): Access your Windows XP Professional, Vista, or 7 computer and work as if you were sitting at your desktop.

22) Serial Mail ($2.99): Create a distribution list and make your own e-mail templates. It’s the e-mail client Apple should have included.

23) Task Pro ($1.99): It’s your to-do list on steroids. Make tasks and sub-tasks, then view them in a list or calendar interface.

24) Time Master + Billing ($9.99): Do you charge by the hour? Get this app, which keeps track of your times and creates professional invoices.

25) Web Monitor ($.99): Uptime is important to your business, so use this app to keep track of your servers’ reliability.

iPad Apps: Play

Amazen

26) Amazen (Free): In this colorful game, you play as a NASA scientist discovering new aliens, then defending yourself from them.

27) Angry Birds HD ($4.99): This cartoony physics game is a runaway hit. Use special birds to take down the evil egg-stealing green pigs.

28) Banzai Rabbit HD ($2.99): This 3D platform game challenges you to save the world from an evil genius flea.

29) Blood & Honor ($1.99): This board games lets you try to conquer the entire world, playing against the computer or your friends.

30) Canabalt ($2.99): Jump far and fast in this quirky game that’s already found a huge audience on the iPod Touch and iPhone.

31) CastleCraft (Free): This attractive game lets you build up your cities and citizens, then expand your empire through warfare or negotiations.

32) Chess Free HD (Free): The iPad might be full of surprisingly odd games, but there will always be room for the classics.

33) Civilization Revolution ($12.99): You can really go in-depth with this world-building game, which lets you create any type of civilization and lead your people to victory and prosperity.

34) Doons HD Deluxe (Free): This colorful casual game doesn’t take long to learn. Just clear the screen of Doons by firing matching Doons at them.

35) Family Feud ($4.99): If you never got to play on the TV version, this is the next best thing. Good answer, good answer!

36) Flight Control HD ($4.99): Picking up where the popular iPhone game left off, this game challenges you to land your plans and avoid collisions.

37) Fruit Ninja HD ($4.99): Take out your aggression on the produce section in this juicy splatter fest. Use your finger to slash fruit like a warrior.

38) Glow Hockey 2 HD ($1.99): This neon air hockey game is perfect for family fun. The controls are surprisingly responsive, which is great for fast play.

39) Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99): Use balance to guide your ball past the holes, and watch out for crazy obstacles.

40) Modern Conflict HD ($2.99): This combat strategy game lets you tap to select units, then send them off to battle.

41) Need for Speed Shift ($12.99): You can’t go fast on the highway, but with this detailed racing game you can cruise in the world’s fastest cars.

Pac-Match Party

42) Pac-Match Party ($1.99): When you need a little old-fashioned arcade fun, try this one. It’s a classic “match three” game, but with a Pac-Man twist.

43) Plants vs. Zombies HD ($9.99): In this PopCap hit, zombies are attacking your home and you need to use killer plants to slow then down.

44) Sudoku Uno ($1.99): Play an unlimited number of Sudoku challenges with this game, which includes three levels of difficulty.

45) Shrek Forever After: The Game ($4.99): Fight your way through Shrek’s last big-screen adventure with great combat action.

46) Sheep Blockade ($1.99): One of the cuter logic puzzles around, Sheep Blockage has you protecting your flock from wolves and sickness-spreading swamps.

47) Scrabble for iPad ($9.99): The old games are back and now there are no pieces to lose. Use the Party Play mode to compete with four friends.

48) Tafl ($3.99): Tafl was a board game played by Celts and Vikings, and it involves plenty of strategic thinking as you attempt to capture the opponent’s king.

49) Tap Tap Radiation (Free): This iPad version of the iPhone game includes music by Mos Def, Lady Gaga, and Pink.

50) Words with Friends ($2.99): In this Scrabble-like game, you can play against remote opponents and even chat with them.