We selected 25 apps that have turned the iPad into a useful tool for entertainment, reading, working and playing. Many of the most popular iPad apps today are games, and the Apple Arcade mobile game service now has more than 130 games you can download and play on the iPad and other Apple devices. The iPad also held a lot of potential for mobile games and - unlike the expectations for magazines - that promise was fulfilled. Read more: iPad 10.2-inch (2019) review: The case for the least expensive iPad That never came to fruition, but Apple is still betting on the format with Apple News Plus, a service for accessing top magazines and newspapers in one place for one monthly subscription fee. It briefly looked like the iPad would be the next frontier for magazines, with its large, high-resolution screen and interactive capabilities. Looking back on that first announcement (and how much we made fun of the name iPad), you can see the evolution of our expectations for the iPad and its apps.

My CNET colleague Dan Ackerman dove into this topic in his commentary, Apple iPad at 10: Can we call it a computer yet? Read more: iPad Pro 2020 review: Working at home with a trackpad, AR and moreĪpple separated iPadOS into its own platform last year, bringing the tablets closer to operating like a laptop - though for most people, the tablet isn't ready to become a primary work device just yet. We use it for web surfing, reading, drawing, binge watching and sometimes even working. Jobs said the iPad would define 'an entirely new category of devices that will connect people with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.' He wasn't wrong: 10 years later, the iPad's portability, user-friendly interface and variety of apps have made it a favorite device in many homes, classrooms and offices. The move firmly pushed tablets into the mainstream gadget conversation while leading many to ask, 'What the heck is this giant iPod touch?' (Oh 2010, you sweet summer child.) In a review of the first-gen iPad that year, CNET's Donald Bell described the device as 'an elegant, affordable supergadget.' One of the main draws was how easy it was to access and navigate the apps on the 9.7-inch screen. It's now been more than 10 years since former Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad.

Must have apps ipad 4