Top 20 starter apps for the iPad

Borders' brand-spankin'-new ebook store-slash-e-reader for the iPad allows you to purchase and read books with a customisable reading interface. Free

Keep up-to-date with your ABC viewing; the ABC app lets you browse and watch programs from the ABC. Free

Check out the weather at over 60,000 locations all over the globe. Do you need 60,000 locations? Probably not, but surely it can't hurt. A built-in GPS will detect your own location for seven-day forecasts, with large, at-a-glance icons. AU$2.49

This app does exactly what it sounds like, but with a gorgeous, newly designed iPad interface. Browse, organise and watch videos, create playlists and interact with other YouTubers. AU$3.99

A fascinating, dynamic comic reader with both free and paid comics available from a range of big league and indie comic publishers, as well as creator-owned titles. The interface may not look as good as Marvel's, but Comics has a greater range of titles to choose from — and more for free, too. Free

Keep up-to-date with Twitter with TweetDeck, which shows you everything that's happening on one handy page. Free

Amazon's ebook store and reader. It doesn't have as great a range of titles available as the Borders app, but the interface is a pleasure to read with. Free

The most comprehensive free cooking app available, with browsing and searching, an account-bound recipe book and kitchen-friendly viewing. You'll probably need an imperial-to-metric converter to hand as well, though. Free

A sci-fi first-person shooter with intuitive touch controls, single-player game and multiplayer support for up to four players in a deathmatch. Think Halo meets Doom on the iPad. AU$8.99

You may not think a dictionary very interesting, but having one to hand with a quick search function and accurate definitions is certainly useful. With this app, the entire dictionary is saved to your iPad, so no waiting for connection to the web for a definition. AU$9.99

IMDb.com is the most comprehensive database for film and television out there, and the iPad version is a completely redesigned and more user-friendly interface, allowing you to search information, view reviews and watch trailers. Free

Instapaper Pro allows you to save web pages for offline reading with the touch of an icon that it adds to the Safari browser. Sounds simple, but if you're a regular browser, you'll probably find yourself using it every day — well worth six bucks. AU$5.99

SketchBook Pro is a super-smooth and fun image creation program. It has such a range of customisable tools, but it's easy to use, which means it's equally suitable for casual doodlers as it is for more serious artists and designers. AU$9.99

Ever wanted to take Wikipedia with you wherever you go? With Wikipanion, you can! Free

Usually we wouldn't recommend a single book in a list of this kind, but Alice is such a lovely experience we couldn't resist. The beautifully designed pages are animated and react to all sorts of movements, such as tilting, shaking and touching the screen. The good news is, there's a free version that allows you to try before you buy. AU$11.99

Play a track or even sing at SoundHound to identify a tune, and it can come back with lyrics, videos and even download tracks via iTunes. It's also one of the most comprehensive music recognition programs available. AU$5.99

It's science, Jim, but not as we know it. This periodic table is fully animated, giving you information about each element, high-definition 360-degree samples of each that you can explore by touching and rotating. It even supports 3D viewing with stereoscopic glasses. Amazing. AU$16.99

With every second site you visit requiring an account these days, it can be hard to keep track of usernames and passwords. 1Password Pro takes care of that for you; all you need is one password for your password safe, and it will store usernames, passwords, credit card details and even URLs for you. AU$17.99