Because I’m generally not using the iPad when I’m in a rush, or standing in line somewhere, having super-quick access to apps is not as important as it is with the iPhone.

I use my iPad primarily while eating breakfast, laying in bed, or sitting on the couch to get away from my desk. Generally I’m going through email, planning my day, or reading some news.

THE DOCK

My dock houses the apps I use most often; Safari, Mail, Daylite Touch, CNN’s website, Twitter, and iPod (I’m still using iOS 4 on my iPad).

Safari and Mail are used the way Apple portrays them in their marketing.

The iPod lets me listen to music while I shower (I just prop it up on the counter before I jump in).

Daylite Touch let’s me plan my day. The home screen in Daylite lets me see what’s going on today, tomorrow, and for the next 7 days. All appointments, tasks, project due dates, etc. are available on one page. I can also view my co-workers calendars, schedule meetings with other employees, and sort through tasks that need to be completed. I’m also in charge of marketing the app, so it just makes sense to have it on my dock.

Although CNN has an iPad app, I prefer to navigate the news on their website.

DEFAULT APPS

I’ve kept quite a few default Apps on iPad’s home screen.

Calendar, Notes, Settings, and Maps aren’t used all that often, but I like keeping them here.

I use Remote sometimes when I’m walking around the house cleaning things up, and have my music pumping in the background. The iPad’s large screen makes it easy to choose what I want to listen to next.

Photos is hands down the best way to share photos with friends and family. After returning from Israel, Italy, and Las Vegas last summer, I had a lot of photos to share with my family. I hooked up my PS3 to a 100” projector and started the slideshow. Unfortunately, people’s attention started to dwindle after awhile, and the screen itself is not nearly as vivd as iPad’s. Later on, I showed the same photos to my grandparents with iPad while sitting on a couch, their hand and mine both cradling my iPad, and it was much more intimate. A much better experience.

I use the App Store to download new apps and update existing ones, although it’s so painfully slow that I rarely launch it.

THIRD-PARTY APPS

I don’t use many third-party apps on a regular basis with iPad – I’m usually just checking email or reading on the web. I created some folders to house my games, entertainment, and reading apps. I also created a folder for my favourite websites.

I use PlainText pretty often. It’s used to take notes during meetings, and to brainstorm for upcoming projects. When I have to write a lengthy article, it allows me to get away from my Mac (and all the distractions it comes with).

I use Dropbox more on iPad than on iPhone as the large display makes it great for sharing work with people.

SketchBook Pro always amazed me when I saw the artwork that others created with it, so I thought I’d buy it when it was on sale. Unfortunately I haven’t had much luck with it yet, and find the UI to be quite confusing. I keep it on my home screen so that I’m likely to play with it some more.

As mentioned in my iPhone writeup, I go to movies quite often so having the Movies app on my home screen makes a lot of sense.

WeatherEye lets me look at the weather on iPad’s large display, although I normally am already aware of it as I’ve checked on my iPhone. The iPad IS however the best way to look at weather with WeatherEye.