Given the international launch of the iPad, I thought I would reflect on some of the apps that suggest the power and impact of this device.

I have had an iPad for a few weeks.  My initial impressions were that it was an interesting device but I was unconvinced as to its purpose.

Now that I have it for some time, and have customised the experience through apps, I’ve realised that there is no one purpose to the iPad.

In some ways, it is a blank slate, which can be tailored to fit an individual’s needs.  Need an ebook reader, download the iBooks app, the Amazon Kindle Reader or ebooks by Kobo.

For news, the BBC News app is elegantly simple, while the Guardian Eyewitness app showcases the best news photos of the day beautiful on the iPad screen.

An essential app for reading PDFs is GoodReader, a bargain at 99 cents. Another recommended app is Evernote as it allows you to synchronise text notes between the iPad and your computer.

There are also some interesting music apps that take advantage of the iPad’s touch interface.  Looptastic HD ($14.99) offers an intuitive way to create music remixes, while PatternMusic reimagines music composition by layering sound patterns. And best of all, it is free at the moment.

For the more professional musician, there is the Korg iElectribe app ($9.99), which recreates the historic analog synthesizer.

And for a moment of zen and relaxation, there is the Pocket Pond HD app.

All these apps point to the potential of the iPad as a platform and the ability to rethink our interaction with computers based on a touch interface.  And this is just the start.

(All links are to the iTunes store)

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