doug in albq
Oct 12, 2009, 01:07 PM
Also included in this “top 10” list is one app so good it is worth the near $10 price and the inclusion in this listing. As a bonus, this article also features ten other free apps worth an honorable mention, for a total of 20 iPhone / iPod Touch must-have apps.
The twenty apps mentioned here are not listed in any order of greatness—except that the first 10 are better than the “honorable-mention” listing. For this listing, we are not counting the apps that are included with the iPhone OS, such as Safari, Mail, Contacts, Calendar, iTunes, Notes, etc. Otherwise, the mobile browser Safari would easily be my number 1 app.
I personally use an iPod Touch, and do not have an iPhone, so this blog article has an iPod Touch-bias, such as no pure-camera or pure-phoning apps made this list because the iPod Touch does not have a camera yet, and no phone. However, all of these apps work just as well on an iPhone. This article also assumes that you have not jail-broken your iPhone or iPod Touch—all these apps are available through Apple’s App Store.
The nine best free iPhone/iPod Touch apps, plus the very best paid app…
Feel free to let me know where I “dropped the ball” and forgot some great app that should be on my list.
1. Dropbox—A *storage application and syncing service. Dropbox enables users to store and sync files online and between computers. It is simply the best and the easiest of the free cloud sync/storage solutions out there, whether on an iPhone/iPod Touch or any desktop/notebook computer.
A free Dropbox account offers 2 GB of storage. Users may upgrade to as much as 100 GB of storage by paying a monthly or yearly fee. The total amount of storage space of both the free and fee-based accounts may be increased up to 3 GB for free accounts and 6 GB for fee-based accounts by referring people to the service.
2.*eBay Mobile—Lots of features and functions for a mobile app. As a buyer and seller on ebay I use this app quite a bit. This app is almost as fully functional as the full eBay experience through a web browser.
“Using a streamlined interface that’s as elegant as it is practical, eBay members can search, buy, pay, and check their activity on the go. Now with alerts, buyers can sneak in that last-minute bid on a hard-to-find item without having to keep the app open! In addition, sellers can check on their sales and everyone can act on time-sensitive information on the spot without a computer; whether it’s leaving feedback, responding to messages, or checking out today’s Deal of the Day. eBay is open for business anytime, anywhere on the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.” Ebay
3. Flickr—Simple, clean app—to the point of lacking in features. This app is better for someone who already has a large, active flickr account and wants a quick and easy way to access it on a mobile device. If you need the other features of Flickr, one can always use Safari to access Flickr through a browser. Good app if for no other reason than because it is Flickr. I expect more functionality/features will be added to this app as it matures.
4. Google Mobile App—To many things, too little blog space. A collection of Google’s Apps all under one icon: Gmail, Calendar, Latitude, Docs, Talk, Tasks, Reader, News, Book Reader, Orkut, Translate, Google Earth, Maps, and even a YouTube App. All of these apps actually run through the iPhone’s built-in web browser, Safar. The implementation is done very well and one can barely notice they are operating any of these apps through the browser window. This collection is almost a mobile OS in and of itself.
5. Facebook—The App is great. Lots of features, but not enough to get lost, like what can happen using Facebook through a web browser. I do not currently use Facebook (taking a Facebreak), but I have wasted enjoyed numerous hours in the past Facebooking. This app deserves to be ranked high on any iPhone app listing. *(What about a Twitter App? Well, I don’t Tweet, and to pick one iPhone Twitter app over another is grounds for a brawl these days!)
6. Skype—This app is great, especially for people with “an iPhone without the phone” i.e. an iPod Touch. Sure, Skype does not exactly turn one’s iPod Touch into a fully functional phone, but you can make phone calls with it if you have a wifi signal. Driving around looking for a wifi signal is just like looking for a pay phone in the old days! But really… iPod Touch+Skype+budget “throw-away” cell phone…FTW!
7. Stanza—What is great about this app is the access to over 100,000 FREE books and periodicals, including almost all the classics. What about Amazon’s Kindle app? The app is free, the content…not so much.
8. What’s On?— Sure, I still check out the boob-tube sometimes and this app is the best for boob-tubing information. Have you ever been on the go and wondering what time your favorite show is on or what will be on TV when you get home? Have you ever wanted to check what time a movie was playing at your favorite theater? Or have you ever wondered what your favorite actor is up to? What’s On is the perfect solution – a portable entertainment guide for your iPhone/iPod Touch! Packed with more features than you would think an app like this would have.
9. Photoshop Mobile— A perfect mobile companion to Photoshop.com, an online photo sharing, editing, and hosting resource. Simply drag your finger to crop, adjust color, apply effects—you name it: Crop, rotate, change color with just a touch; Give an extra glow with Soft Focus; Get artsy with Sketch; Apply one-touch effects like Warm Vintage and Vignette. This app just came out, and is somewhat feature-thin at this time. Still a great app. It’s Photoshop, and it’s on your phone!
10. Air Sharing Pro— (Not Free—$9.99) This app does so much that many folks have written lengthy blog articles about it alone. Basically, this app allows you to wirelessly copy any files from a computer to your iPhone or iPod touch. Air sharing pro currently costs $9.99, and is worth every penny—I got lucky with this app’s price and got it for $4.99. Too many features and functions to list, check out the developer’s site for more info.
http://dougitdesign.com/blog/2009/10/12/there-are-thousands-of-free-iphoneipod-touch-apps-these-are-the-9-non-game-best/
The twenty apps mentioned here are not listed in any order of greatness—except that the first 10 are better than the “honorable-mention” listing. For this listing, we are not counting the apps that are included with the iPhone OS, such as Safari, Mail, Contacts, Calendar, iTunes, Notes, etc. Otherwise, the mobile browser Safari would easily be my number 1 app.
I personally use an iPod Touch, and do not have an iPhone, so this blog article has an iPod Touch-bias, such as no pure-camera or pure-phoning apps made this list because the iPod Touch does not have a camera yet, and no phone. However, all of these apps work just as well on an iPhone. This article also assumes that you have not jail-broken your iPhone or iPod Touch—all these apps are available through Apple’s App Store.
The nine best free iPhone/iPod Touch apps, plus the very best paid app…
Feel free to let me know where I “dropped the ball” and forgot some great app that should be on my list.
1. Dropbox—A *storage application and syncing service. Dropbox enables users to store and sync files online and between computers. It is simply the best and the easiest of the free cloud sync/storage solutions out there, whether on an iPhone/iPod Touch or any desktop/notebook computer.
A free Dropbox account offers 2 GB of storage. Users may upgrade to as much as 100 GB of storage by paying a monthly or yearly fee. The total amount of storage space of both the free and fee-based accounts may be increased up to 3 GB for free accounts and 6 GB for fee-based accounts by referring people to the service.
2.*eBay Mobile—Lots of features and functions for a mobile app. As a buyer and seller on ebay I use this app quite a bit. This app is almost as fully functional as the full eBay experience through a web browser.
“Using a streamlined interface that’s as elegant as it is practical, eBay members can search, buy, pay, and check their activity on the go. Now with alerts, buyers can sneak in that last-minute bid on a hard-to-find item without having to keep the app open! In addition, sellers can check on their sales and everyone can act on time-sensitive information on the spot without a computer; whether it’s leaving feedback, responding to messages, or checking out today’s Deal of the Day. eBay is open for business anytime, anywhere on the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.” Ebay
3. Flickr—Simple, clean app—to the point of lacking in features. This app is better for someone who already has a large, active flickr account and wants a quick and easy way to access it on a mobile device. If you need the other features of Flickr, one can always use Safari to access Flickr through a browser. Good app if for no other reason than because it is Flickr. I expect more functionality/features will be added to this app as it matures.
4. Google Mobile App—To many things, too little blog space. A collection of Google’s Apps all under one icon: Gmail, Calendar, Latitude, Docs, Talk, Tasks, Reader, News, Book Reader, Orkut, Translate, Google Earth, Maps, and even a YouTube App. All of these apps actually run through the iPhone’s built-in web browser, Safar. The implementation is done very well and one can barely notice they are operating any of these apps through the browser window. This collection is almost a mobile OS in and of itself.
5. Facebook—The App is great. Lots of features, but not enough to get lost, like what can happen using Facebook through a web browser. I do not currently use Facebook (taking a Facebreak), but I have wasted enjoyed numerous hours in the past Facebooking. This app deserves to be ranked high on any iPhone app listing. *(What about a Twitter App? Well, I don’t Tweet, and to pick one iPhone Twitter app over another is grounds for a brawl these days!)
6. Skype—This app is great, especially for people with “an iPhone without the phone” i.e. an iPod Touch. Sure, Skype does not exactly turn one’s iPod Touch into a fully functional phone, but you can make phone calls with it if you have a wifi signal. Driving around looking for a wifi signal is just like looking for a pay phone in the old days! But really… iPod Touch+Skype+budget “throw-away” cell phone…FTW!
7. Stanza—What is great about this app is the access to over 100,000 FREE books and periodicals, including almost all the classics. What about Amazon’s Kindle app? The app is free, the content…not so much.
8. What’s On?— Sure, I still check out the boob-tube sometimes and this app is the best for boob-tubing information. Have you ever been on the go and wondering what time your favorite show is on or what will be on TV when you get home? Have you ever wanted to check what time a movie was playing at your favorite theater? Or have you ever wondered what your favorite actor is up to? What’s On is the perfect solution – a portable entertainment guide for your iPhone/iPod Touch! Packed with more features than you would think an app like this would have.
9. Photoshop Mobile— A perfect mobile companion to Photoshop.com, an online photo sharing, editing, and hosting resource. Simply drag your finger to crop, adjust color, apply effects—you name it: Crop, rotate, change color with just a touch; Give an extra glow with Soft Focus; Get artsy with Sketch; Apply one-touch effects like Warm Vintage and Vignette. This app just came out, and is somewhat feature-thin at this time. Still a great app. It’s Photoshop, and it’s on your phone!
10. Air Sharing Pro— (Not Free—$9.99) This app does so much that many folks have written lengthy blog articles about it alone. Basically, this app allows you to wirelessly copy any files from a computer to your iPhone or iPod touch. Air sharing pro currently costs $9.99, and is worth every penny—I got lucky with this app’s price and got it for $4.99. Too many features and functions to list, check out the developer’s site for more info.
http://dougitdesign.com/blog/2009/10/12/there-are-thousands-of-free-iphoneipod-touch-apps-these-are-the-9-non-game-best/
