Blogging On The iPad: Great Apps Bloggers Can Use
As a Blogger for Digital Eye, I’ve always been enticed by the iPad; 3G data connectivity, iOS and a large touch screen? Sounds like mobile productivity heaven. I put the iPad through the test of adapting to my workflow for writing and it comes out on top.
Tweetdeck
Tweetdeck is one of the best Twitter clients for the iPad. It brings the full experience of the desktop App and syncs with the accompanying iPhone App. Tweetdeck still maintains the clean interface many have come to love when using the App; it transitions extremely well on to the iPad and accommodates either portrait or landscape modes with ease.
Tweetdeck gives you a plethora of options when it comes to Tweeting. The interface allows you to Geotag your Tweet (taking advantage of either the GPS or Wi-Fi connection in the iPad), insert links and pictures and give you easy access to Twitter users you’ve replied to recently. One of Tweetdecks highlights is its support for multiple Twitter accounts. Scrolling through columns and browsing through replies is one of the main reasons I really like Tweetdeck for the iPad. It allows me to stay in touch with everyone I’ve interacted with across the Twitter-sphere. It’s clean and elegant interface really compliment the iPad.
Instapaper
Instapaper is a great utility for Bloggers. We all come across the need to save content for future reading and Instapaper fills that need. It’s a simple App that works in conduction with the web site to save content and import it to read at a later date. Content is automatically downloaded as soon as you bookmark something using either the desktop App or bookmarklet in your browser.
Instapaper’s UI puts the focus on your material by bringing it up front and center; you can alternate between light and dark backgrounds for reading and adjust tex size or the font No matter what you bookmark, only the content you want to see will be shown.
I like Instapaper for its function. The ability to save content and revisit it when I’m ready to write about it helps my Blogging workflow greatly. I’ll often come across new items that I don’t need to act on right now but will need to later on. Instapaper for the iPad compliments any Blogger or writer’s content gathering workflow
Evernote
I like using Evernote as my project HQ; ideas I need for projects I’m not working on, potential designs and whatnot often go here. Evernote for the iPad will likely be the epicenter for all your creative potential like it is for me.
It’s incredibly easy to sort and search your notes by criteria or tags. Notes, clippings and what not can be easily sorted. If you tag your content using the GPS, it can be plotted on a map in case you have something location specific or want to know where most of your creativity activity takes place.
Audio and pictures can be easily inserted in to any note which truly makes Evernote your creation HQ.
Evernote will help any Blogger during the content creation process. Ideas can be quickly jotted down and expanded upon then synced to your commuter or iPhone. I’ve used it for massive projects spanning dozens of Blog posts related to one topic or helping draft chapters for a small book. Evernote works and it’s available on the iPad.
WordPress
The final App, and one I’m most excited to talk about is WordPress for the iPad. I cut my Blogging teeth on the iPhone and have loved using WP’s iPhone App. When an iPad version was released, I was ecstatic to start writing and for good reason; the App is one of the best Blogging tools for the iPad. If you’re using those other content management systems, this iOS App may sway you.
Our blog at Digital Eye runs on WordPress and I’ve written this entire post using the App. It’s multi-pane interface creates a straight forward experience; you select which Blog you want to write for, in my case the Digital Eye Blog and I can create a new post. When creating or editing a new post, I can insert a photo or load a quick preview of my work. One of the biggest advantages of using a native App versus accessing the web interface is the ability to cache your content. The iPad has the tendency to flush its cache of pages in Safari; this could destroy all of your work in WordPress if you don’t save.
If WordPress if your CMS of choice, this App should be one of the first installed on your iPad.
If you’re worried about your fingers becoming sore from the device’s on screen keyboard, you’ll be happy to know that it doesn’t put too much strain on your fingers. You’ll become well adjust to the iPad’s predictive text features and it’s different keyboard orientations. I referee the landscape orientation but I’ well acquainted with its portrait orientation mode. If you’re a Blogger trying to work an iPad in to your workflow, let us know how you’re doing it and what Apps you’re using.
