Apple has released an update to it’s MobileMe iDisk app to make it fully compatible with the iPad as well as the iphone and iPod Touch.
The app allows users to access documents, pictures and music that were deposited on to their iDisk on their Mac. Users can open documents using specific apps dependent on the format. This functionality is considered a crucial aspect for many ipad users, especially those who use the iWork apps. While other parties have created apps with this functionality, such as DropBox, many MobileMe subscribers have been waiting for this app to be updated.
Here are Apple’s notes to coincide with the update:
- Designed for both iPhone and iPad
- Multitasking support for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS (iOS 4 required).
- Quickly switch to another app and back to iDisk
- Play audio from your iDisk while using another app
- When app is opened, the last file or directory viewed is displayed
- Open to open iDisk documents in compatible apps such as iBooks
- When sharing a file, an email can be sent from any configured email account
- The URL for a shared file can be copied and pasted
- Various stability improvements
One problem I have encountered whilst using the app is that it is somewhat a one-way street in terms of use. You can access documents from your Mac, however, you cannot then save it back onto your iDisk after editing. This crucial feature will presumably be included with either and iWork update or when the iOS4 is released for iPad this Autumn.
Apple’s app approval team is still hard at work approving and rejecting iPad apps coming from developers eager to get in early. In the App Store is more than 3100 iPad apps and counting, according to Mobclix.
Here’s the breakdown of the current iPad apps: About 80 percent/2523 iPad apps are paid apps. 20 percent of them which are free, coming to 599 apps. Most of the apps are games, taking up 942 of the 3,100+ iPad apps. The average price of the apps is $4.99. Most of the books apps are paid.
Which iPad app is your favorite?
Though there may still be a day or two before the official iPad launch on Saturday, the about 2000 for-iPad apps are now available for browsing and download from the App Store (Link opens iTunes). From the ABC Player to Twitteriffic, you can start building on your apps collection and sync it through iTunes when you get your hands on an iPad.
As expected, the majority of the iPad apps are pricier than its iPhone counterpart and quite larger in size as well.
Which one of the iPad-only apps are you most excited to test out?
Federico Viticci of MacStories.net has posted a video walkthrough of the iPad App Store, embedded below.
As developers submit their apps for approval before the iPad launch, a few of them are releasing screenshots of their forthcoming iPad apps.
Developers are making use of iPad’s extra screen real estate to include a finger-friendly, gorgeous UI, something you mostly find on a Mac or PC. And as demonstrated at the iPad announcement and these early apps preview, replicating real life objects are going to be a huge theme on iPad apps.
Apparently, App Annie has some early screenshots of the “actual iPad feed for the app store”, showing some of the iPad Apps that will be available for download at launch.
And it appears that the “HD” moniker is not used by all iPad-only games. To distinguish apps as only for iPad, the early iPad app developers are using monikers like: for iPad, Elite, XL, HD, Deluxe, Real, etc.
The leaked screenshots also revealed how early developers are pricing their iPad Edition apps vs their iPhone/iPod Touch counterparts. In most cases, the prices of the iPad-only apps are bumped up from the iPhone pricing, which came as no surprise at all.
- Labyrinth 2 HD – $7.99 | Labyrinth 2 – $4.99
- Pianist Pro – $9.99 | Pianist – $3.99
- Enigmo Deluxe – $9.99 | Enigmo 2 – $2.99
- Sparkle HD – $2.99 | Sparkle the Game – $2.99
- Flight Control HD – $4.99 | Flight control – $0.99
- (iPad) WeatherBug Elite – $4.99 | WeatherBug Elite – $0.99
- Ammoin HD – $0.99 | Ammoin – $0.99
- TML XL – $9.99 | TML – $9.99
- Otto Matic for iPad – $9.99 | Otto Matic – $3.99
- Cro-Mag Rally for iPad – $9.99 | Cro-Mag Rally - $2.99
- Nanosaur 2 for iPad – $9.99 | Nanosaur 2 – $3.99
[App Annie]
Screen Shots After the break.
Apparently “HD” is what Apple will use to differentiate between iPhone/iPod Touch games and the ones made only for the iPad. It was noted by several blogs earlier today that a couple of popular “HD” games were leaked early on iTunes. We are not sure at this point if the HD moniker will be used for any other app categories.
HD Games Launching Includes:
- Plants vs. Zombies HD ( YES! )
- Ammoin HD
- Worms HD
- Azkend HD
- Flight Control HD
- Grind HD
- Labyrinth 2 HD
- NBA Hotshot HD
- Numba HD
- Sparkle HD
It would appear that Apple has already approved a handful of apps to launch when the iPad does.
Tags: Ammoin HD, Azkend HD, Flight Control HD, Games on the iPad, Grind HD, HD Apps, iPad Applications, iPad Apps, iPad Games, iPad HD Apps, iPad HD Games, iPad Top Games, Labyrinth 2 HD, NBA Hotshot HD, Numba HD, Plants vs. Zombies HD, Sparkle HD, Top Games iPad, Worms HD
The Instapaper Blog has posted a preview of the iPad Instapaper app that is hopefully launching with the first batch of iPad Apps. If you don’t know what Instapaper is, it’s an app that lets users save a webpage for offline viewing, with many other features on the paid version of the app.
iPhone or iPod Touch users that already purchased Instapaper Pro will have available the iPad Edition of the app synced to the iPad from iTunes when its released, just like the rest of your app collection.
The iPad Version of the app really just “looks like Instapaper Pro, but bigger, and with slight interface tweaks and redesigns where appropriate.”
After the break for 2 more screenshots of the iPad Instapaper app.
Last week, Amazon finally released the long-awaited Kindle application for Mac users. Today, Amazon launched a preview page for the iPad Kindle App.
The Kindle App for the iPad will include numerous features that you already enjoy with the iPhone, Mac or Windows Kindle app and more:
- The ability to adjust the screen brightness right from within the app to reduce eye strain.
- Shown in the image below, turning a page with your finger will replicate a ”Page turn animation” just like the iBooks app.
- “In cover-navigation view, the sky behind the silhouetted figure will change according to what time of day it is.” says TUAW.
The Kindle App and iBooks App will be competing to live on your iPad, since the iBooks app will not be preloaded on the iPad, but rather you’ll have to get it from the App Store like the Kindle app.
As the title suggested, iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 (Build: 10M2148) is available for download. We’ll report back if we find anything.
