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The 18 Best iPad Apps For SMBs

Start The Discussion | Jake Widman | April 27, 2010 08:01 AM

With new apps coming every day, the potential business utility of Apple iPad lies ahead. Selecting the right iPad apps is key to transforming Steve Jobs' latest toy into a valuable mobile business tool. To guide you in finding apps that will boost your productivity, we've identified the 18 best iPads apps for small and midsize businesses.

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Take It With You

One of the tricky things about the iPad, and one of the ways it differs from regular computers, is that it offers the user no direct access to its file system -- there's no Mac OS X Finder or Windows Explorer. Files on the iPad are usually associated with specific applications, and as a rule you need to either email them to the device or download them via iTunes.

Unless you have Files To Go ($2.99), that is. Files To Go lets you access your iPad via a Web browser from any computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux) connected to the same WiFi network as the device, and upload one or more files to it. You can create folders on the iPad and organize the files accordingly. You can also download files from the iPad with your browser the same way, turning the iPad into a portable storage device.

So then what? Well, Files To Go is also capable of reading multiple kinds of files -- you can use the app to view Word or Excel documents; text, RTF, or PDF files; JPG, PNG, or GIF images; and MOV movies. It's not a solution for working with the files -- there are other apps for that. But it's the best alternative when you need to bring a lot of documents on a trip, to a presentation -- or just home for the weekend.

If you already have iTunes, go directly to Files To Go.

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