Additions To My iPad Productivity Folder

The little cropped screen shot from my iPad should tell you what the subject matter of this post is.
Before I start I know that the posts I write about the iPad and the apps I use on it are sometimes placed in an education context. The main reason for that is this is the area that I work in. However a lot of the points I make are generic and apply to iPads and the apps in any sector.
Ok back to Read It Later and SimpleMind+.
I use Evernote as a notebook when browsing for saving using info for lessons. And I'm really happy with the iPhone/iPad apps and also with the Mac app.
However some of the apps on the iPhone and iPad, particularly those that are glorified RSS readers allow you to save articles of interest for reading later. Sadly they don't let you save to Evernote but give you options to save the articles to read later in services like Instapaper or Read It Later (being the two most popular services of this type).
Now I don't have a problem with these services (I did try instapaper a couple of years ago on the iPhone). Last night on one of my visits to the app store I saw that Read It Later Pro for the iPad was on sale at 59p (iirc). What swung it for me apart from the 80% price reduction was the integration with Evernote. So any article I have saved in Read It Later I can pass on for keeping in Evernote if I find it that useful.
It is also very simple to add bookmarklets for Read It Later to mobile safari so that when surfing on the iPad you can send stuff to for reading later. I also have a bookmarklet for Evernote, so I have a choice that can be made on time. If I'm in a hurry send to Read It Later, if I have time and think the article will be useful I can save to Evernote. I like systems like this.

Simplemind+ is a mind map app for the iPhone and iPad, and I love creating mind maps on the iPhone. I've been using the free iPhone version for a couple of years and like it a lot. So the natural thing for me to do was look at the iPad version when I got the iPad. However the reviews haven't been very good recently, mainly because the developer has removed the ability to save your mind maps to the camera roll from the free version on the iPhone. At first I too was angry at this. But when I looked at the description on the latest update I saw that the app was now a universal app, the price at £1.79 wasn't bad really. And the final thing that got me parting with my money was the thought "well I like this app a lot, it's useful, and really I should upgrade to the paid app and support the developer." So that is how I made my peace with the developer and paid for the app I like.
And I have to say I really do like using Simplemind+ on the iPad. Having the extra real estate does make a big difference. Mind you I did find it usable on the iPhone. For me the touch interface of the iPhone/iPad is a natural for this type of app.

Having apps like Read It Later and Evernote has really made a big difference in the way I work (more Evernote at the moment as I have only just got Read It Later). These services are so much more powerful than just collecting bookmarks for later reference. Especially if you are just using the browsers bookmarks, and for me they are far better than such services as delicious.
I never used mind maps before the iPhone. Pen and paper ones never really worked for me. But I have found them a revelation on the iPhone, and very useful.
These are two great apps to add to your iPad productivity suite, and dare I say it also for the iPhone.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad