I’ve been putting off the puchase of an iPad due to the simple fact that I thought it lacked a killer app. That’s is to say, there was no real reason for me to have another (oversized) iPhone. I say ‘was’, because a brand new iPad2 has recently been added to my stable of Apple products.
Why? Two reasons really. Firsty, the iPad2 makes for a perfect comic reader. You see, I have a large personal collection of .crb files that have been sitting on ice for years, just waiting for the perfect screen-reading environment. I want to be comfortable and do not want to read comics on a laptop or vertical screen. I quickly found the iPad2 to be an intimate, personal reading device. The colours are incredibly crisp and bright, but best of all it’s light and comfortable to use.
This brings me to my second reason. Certain applications on the App Store now come with file sharing. This was a no-brainer for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple and have been using their products consistently since 1985, but I did not want iTunes dictating what I could, or could not, copy into my new iPad2.
So, the first thing I did when I was lucky enough to get hold of an iPad2 on launch day was to install 2 very useful apps that would allow me to transfer some of my personal comic and movie files – yes, through iTunes!
1. The best comic reader for the iPad is ComicZeal4.
This app is an outstanding tool for cataloging, reading and saving your .cbr files. I was just amazing at how well-built this app is.I’m currently reading Mike Mignola’s Hell Boy. Black blacks and blood reds. Recommended.
Here’s how you put your .CRB files into your iPad:
- Download ComicZeal4 from theApple App Store here. It’s good value at about $NZ10.
- Once it’s installed on your iPad, plug into your Mac/PC, select your iPad on the left, and click on Apps at the top.
- Look for ComicZeal4 under under ‘file sharing’. It’s at the bottom of the App page.
- Than just drag your .CRB files from your finder into the ComicZeal4 Documents window. Your iPad will sync immediately and the .CRB file will be readable in ComicZeal4 straight-away. Easy!
2. The best movie player for the iPad is CinexPlayer.
Similar to transfering .CRB files, CinexPlayer will let you transfer any old .AVI file. Just like the 4 steps above, CinexPlay uses file sharing via iTunes. It’s about NZ$12 and well worth it. Here’s a clip for the peeps who built it.
So to sum up, rather than being spoon-fed like a baby by iTunes, I’m very happy to have an iPad that can make use of my personal comic collection and .avi movie files. Flame On!
