i bought the ipad when it first came out, and i use it all the time to get real work done. its portability and long battery life often makes it a better choice than my laptop. here are some apps that i like.
omnioutliner
omnioutliner costs more than the average app ($20!), but it’s worth every penny to me. i used the desktop program to outline every script i’ve ever written, and the ipad version has just as much functionality. nothing helps me structure text better than this program.
2do
i’ve tried a ton of to do lists for my iphone and ipad, and 2do is by far the best one. it’s a universal app, which means you buy it once and it works for both the iphone and ipad, it has a ton of features, and it syncs with the free online service toodledo.
goodreader
i use goodreader for reading all my pdf files, including pdf’s of scripts. you can sync files with dropbox, create bookmarks, and even make annotations, though i’m sure iannotate is better for that (haven’t used that one yet).
simplenote
simplenote is free, and is great for keeping notes synced up . i use it to write down story ideas, snippets of dialogue, or anything else i need to remember and everything automatically syncs up between my iphone, ipad, and their website. there’s no text styling though.
sketchbook pro
the ipad is the perfect size for a digital sketchbook. there are a lot of drawing apps available, but sketchbook pro is the best. the interface is excellent and the feature set is impressive. drawing with your fingers works fine, but i bought a stylus for more control.
scripts pro
final draft is supposed to come out with an ipad app one day, but until then, i need something to fill the void. there are a few screenwriting apps out there, but scripts pro seemed like the most capable one. i probably wouldn’t want to use it to write a script from scratch, but it’s ok for revising scripts that i import from final draft. i usually use my bluetooth keyboard when i use thing, as i type too slowly using the onscreen keyboard.
Thanks so much for this VERY timely blog post. You are my fave blogger. 🙂
thanks jamie! enjoy your new ipad!
Very helpful blog post! I found the Scripts Pro app the most useful screenwriting tool awesome for editing scripts on the go.
i had this weird bug where the fdx i imported wouldn’t save, so i copied all of the text and pasted it into a new scripts pro document, and that seemed to fix it.
My g/f just got an ipad, so this is perfect timing!
I’ve been doing rudimentary outlining in FD and MSWord, but I’ve been thinking about getting an outlining-specific program. Thanks for the tip on omnioutliner, I may check it out.
Never tried 2do – Have you tried Wunderlist? I’ve been using it a bit and seems to work okay; curious if you had any issues with it.
I started using iannotate and it’s great for reading / reviewing scripts (it’s actually nice to read my own scripts in PDF format that way I’m not tempted to constantly rewrite stuff like I do in FD…sometimes just reading the damn thing helps to see the overall picture…)
Thanks!
Evan
i haven’t tried wunderlist but it looks pretty good, and it’s free!
Hi and thanks for the info. I am just a beginner and after an app which I can write my own notes on the scientific papers I am reading. Or underline a passage. I would envisage using a stylus. I assume this could then be saved on the paper. Any suggestions – thanks Murray
hey murray. some people like iannotate, but i prefer goodreader for reading and marking up pdf files.
Thanks Kiyong I will investigate