Communication is vital for the project manager. Having access to the latest project information is also equally important. iPad is an important tool to help you in your daily tasks of managing a project. Personally, I use a combination of tools for my day to day tasks. Can iPad replace the desktop or your notebook? The answer to this is most probably no, but iPad can help you regain your mobility. You do not have to carry around a laptop. iPad is a perfect replacement for your laptop. I use remote desktop connection (RDC) to connect to my work computer from everywhere by using a combination of 3G or WiFi with a VPN. All the information I need is readily available on my fingertips without having to carry around my laptop. I also connect my iPad to the overhead projector which allows me to use collaborative tools with the project team or with clients. The results are amazing!

Below is a list of 10 iPad applications which I have installed and use daily on my iPad.

1. Toodledo – To Do List – Toodledo is a powerful, online to-do list. Keeping track of all your tasks will help you avoid disorganization, stay motivated and be more productive. Check it out.

2. Note Taker HD This amazing app enable you to take handwritten notes and create diagrams. Very handy when you want to communicate your ideas during a conversation. Also a must if you are attending a workshop. I attended recently an Agile Project Management workshop and I used Note Taker to capture some whiteboard drawings and add notes to the pictures. It was really great and very useful after the workshop to remind me of some key areas without having to carry around paper notes.

3. iThoughtsHD (mindmapping) – CMS Very handy during requirements gathering. iThoughtsHD imports and exports mindmaps to and from many of the most popular desktop mindmap applications such as Freemind, Freeplane, XMind, Novamind, MindManager, MindView, ConceptDraw MINDMAP, MindGenius and iMindmap. I am also using iThoughts to define the scope with the key stakeholders (including the project team). The visualizations are far better than any spreadsheet. Connected to the projector I create the WBS in real time with input for everyone attending the meeting. After the meeting I can email a PDF file to the participants from within the application. I tried also opening the mind map with Freemind and the integration works perfect.

4. Quickoffice. With its easy-to-use interface lets you edit  Microsoft® Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. It provides  access to multiple cloud service providers including MobileMe, Dropbox, Google® Docs, Box.net, Huddle and SugarSync. Quickoffice was acquired recently by Google.

5. Pocket Informant Pro It is a great productivity tool. Syncs with Google Calendar and Toodledo. Very well designed interface. I can see both my appointments and tasks together. In my opinion this is a must have tool for project managers.

6. Evernote You can take notes and synchronize them with your other devices (desktop – laptop, etc).

7. Remote Desktop Lite – RDP I started using the Lite version for about 4 months. It works very well. I tested the connectivity both over 3G and WiFi. I made the decision to purchase the full program, Remote Desktop – RDP. It supports: Landscape mode.- View only mode.- Mouse left/right click, drag , hover and  wheel.- WOL (Wake on LAN). – Printing. – NETBIOS name support for easy configuration – Banners with extra keys (ctrl, alt,shift, arrows f1 f2…). You can lock the screen and you can use two fingers to scroll. It a far better solution accessing your work PC from your iPad than having to carry around a bulky laptop.
Microsoft Remote Desktop – Microsoft Corporation is also a tool to consider for RDP.

8. Dropbox Great free service to share files.

9. iBooks Helps you organize your project management books.

10. Skype for iPad This application needs no introduction. Couple it with a monthly subscription for maximum benefits. I lowered my telecommunication costs significantly.

Feel free to send me your favorite project management tools for the iPad.