Nick Rowling is the co-founder of Newcastle-based building surveying consultancy Harrow LLP and a confirmed iPad evangelist. These are the five Apps he currently rates the highest.
Bamboo Paper
Bamboo Paper is a digital notebook paper that supports use of a stylus. I love this app for creating notes on site and in meetings – it’s incredibly accurate using both finger and or a stylus, and the ability to sketch, note and email direct from the App is very useful.
Cost – Free
SyncPad
This is essentially a remote whiteboard and enables me to annotate a drawing/note on my iPad and have another user see a live update on their iPad. We use this when a member or staff is out on site and needs to relay important information back to the office for comment and review. It’s also great for discussing revisions and modifications to artwork/designs with 3rd party creative companies that we use.
Cost – £6.99 for the full App, free for the ‘Reader’ version
AutoCAD WS
This is a computer aided design package that allows me to view and make minor amends to CAD drawings on my iPad. Essential for opening CAD files from emails accessed on my iPad. I essentially take our full package of electronic design drawings on site or to meetings without the need to hold numerous hard copies/paper versions.
Cost – Free
Flipboard is a social media magazine which enables me to view Twitter and Facebook feeds on a multi-platform magazine format. It’s easy to read, has a great layout and is very visually attractive.
Cost – Free
SkyFire Web Browser
The size of the iPad screen is obviously a big step-up from the iPhone, especially when it comes to watching videos without ruining your eyes! The SkyFire Web Browser enables you to watch Flash videos on your iPad, which don’t otherwise work on iDevices, and as well as having an excellent user interface, it also compresses the video whilst you’re watching it, meaning your data consumption costs are kept in check.
Cost – £2.99