Recently a few people have asked me questions about iPads and Apps so I thought it might be useful to write something specifically for circus artists.

For the record I should state that (sadly) I’m not on the Apple payroll and that other (lesser) tablets are available… Yes ok this is basically an unpaid advert for Apple but hopefully someone will find it useful!

Why do I need an iPad?

You don’t. But do you need more than 1 pair of shoes? The iPad offers enough computing power and screen space to read, watch movies, create simple documents (like invoices) and answer e-mails. And yet it’s small, light and strong enough to alway have in your bag. Just watch some iPad adverts, I can’t sell as well as Apple can!

Will it replace a laptop?

It could. Last year I went on tour for 7 weeks and managed perfectly well without my laptop, thanks to my iPad. With the release of iPhoto and iMovie Apps along with iWork means you can probably do all your office work from an iPad. Having said that, if you’re into serious photoshopping or powerhouse video editing then you might want to hang onto your trusty laptop or desktop (remember them!?).

What Apps do I need?

• Numbers – Get your spreadsheets done. Cashflow, practice grids and intelligent yet pointless looking graphs.
• Pages – Like Word but better. Great for your invoices
• iMovie – Edit simple videos. Add transitions and titles.
• iPhoto – Crops and adjust your promo photos
• Paper – The best (and free!) note book app. Beautiful and useful!
• WordPress – Update your site/blog on the fly
• Twitter – keep up to date with the Twittersphere.
• Facebook – How else will your friends find out about how great your gig is going
• Reminders – Don’t forget anything ever again (OK not true but it is useful)
• Reeder – Catch up with all your favourite websites from one place
• Zite – discover new content that your interested in
• TED – Download some of the best talks in history in the comfort of your own home and save them for when there is no WiFi!
• Dropbox – You know all about Dropbox already, this App just makes it nice on your iPad.

Which iPad model should I get?

Don’t get the iPad 1 as some of the more hardware intensive apps won’t run on it (iMovie). At the moment Apple are still selling the iPad2 and iPad3, ebay is also worth a look but is obviously more of a gamble. Don’t get the 16GB version, you will fill it up. 32GB would probably be enough but depends on how long you go away for and how many movies you want to take with you. The 3/4G models mean you can connect to the net almost anywhere but you will have to get a contract and pay if you use it abroad! A better option might be to add tethering to your current mobile contract (if you have a smart phone).

What extras do I need?

Case is a good idea, stylus optional.

Will an iPad make me better at one arm handstands?

Probably not, but then there are Apps that can teach you almost anything