There are a lot of features that a finance app needs to have. Things like the ability to have different accounts, expenses, income, bulk edit, search, multi-currency, budgets and bills are all included in Moneywiz, meaning that it’s suitable for use for most people. At the same time, it’s also got lots of other features that make it nice to use, such as support for Lion fullscreen or the really nice, varied reports that the apps offer.

I found each version a joy to use. Each version has all of the features that are needed, and are uniquely tailored to each platform. iPhone was designed well so that it was quick to use, with the other versions being a bit more powerful in the way that you can make changes quickly and easily. This means that each one works well, and you won’t be frustrated, with all of them being easy to use. It’s nice to see a powerful software package that doesn’t require a big manual and can still work effectively. EXPERT

Sync between all of the platforms was really good. I would usually make most of my changes on the Mac, and then viewing them on the iPad or iPhone, and they would all show perfectly. At times, I would also make small edits on my iPad, and again, the changes were all synced to the other platforms. It’s also automatic, which is brilliant, and I found it to be solid throughout, with no problems at all. All of the apps also work individually, so you don’t have to use them together.

A lot of similar apps are usually quite expensive for App Store standards, but I found these incredible value for money. For the amount of features you get, each version is well priced and considering that you will be using these apps everyday, they will get even better value for money everyday. It can usually be the case that Mac apps are very expensive, but Moneywiz is relatively inexpensive for Mac apps, making this app package seem an even better buy. At this price, I’d say it’s perfect for both advanced and users who are just beginning to manage their finances in an app.

While all of the apps are already quite solid, especially the Mac app since it was only recently been released, there are a few things that could be improved upon. Mainly, this is the reports. Although the apps provide nice reports, I would like them to be a bit more professional, maybe with more figures rather than charts, making them more suitable for giving to an accountant. It would also be nice if these could be exported to a PDF or printed. A lot of other apps also offer investments,  which is a big part of finances, but Moneywiz doesn’t currently support them. Even a basic investment feature would be nice. However, the biggest thing I would like to see is reoccurring transactions, so that you can add things like Netflix or Lovefilm subscriptions, or other things like that.

The developers of Moneywiz have proven time and time again that they are a fantastic software company. Not only have they improved the existing apps, but they have also expanded based on customer feedback, to bring out the Mac version recently. This means that you can buy these apps knowing that they will just get better, certain to get all of the latest features like Retina support for the new iPad, which was recently added. You’re not just buying a product, you’re buying an investment that will evolve over time. On the website they mention possible plans for a Windows or web version. The web version especially would be fantastic, and certainly set the app further out from the competition.

Overall, this is a fantastic set of apps, with each version packed full of features and perfectly tailored to each platform. It’s already great, but they’ve also got potential to grow even more. Featured by Apple, Moneywiz is just like how you would create a finance app if you could. I’d recommend it to anybody.

Rating: 5/5

iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneywiz-personal-finance/id452621456

iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneywiz-personal-finance/id380335244

Mac: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneywiz-personal-finance/id465339122

Moneywell has plenty of features, ranging from the simple to the more advanced, as it works great to just manage daily spending and income or using it to plan ahead. You’ve got direct access to banking, transaction reports, searching and a whole lot more. If there is something you want, this app has probably got it. The developer has also got great customer support available if you have any problems.

In my experience of using the software, they are are both easy enough to use that anybody, even if they aren’t that comfortable using a computer or iOS device will be able to use them. Not only will you be able to use the basic features, but the apps are also designed well enough that anybody will be able to use the more advanced features after just a few hours. You can do what you want easily, so it’s definitely much better than managing everything in spreadsheets, which is good because I’ve found some apps can actually make it more confusing.

Each version works nicely, with the features that you would expect on each. I found that the iPhone is fantastic to just browse through the data and just to read the data. It’s perfectly formulated to the iPhone, as it’s clear that the developer has spent the time to make sure that it works well. It’s also got the features to make changes, and is powerful enough to work separately if needed. The Mac version is also great, with extensive features and able to quickly manage the information and make changes in just a few clicks.

Both apps are quite well priced. The iPhone version, at $9.99, is certainly more than we are used to paying for iPhone apps, but it works really well, and for something that you will using on an ongoing basis, maybe even each day, it’s worth spending that little bit extra for something that has all of the features you need. The Mac version is priced well compared to similar apps, and it gets even better when you consider that this is a great app. Both are worth purchasing.

The developer is really good, constantly releasing new updates to the app and improving them. Bug fixes have been released, along with new features. This is crucial because it means that the purchase is also an investment, as you can spend and know that the app will evolve and improve over time. You’ll also get support for the latest features, such as the upcoming things in Mountain Lion and iOS6. This is another reason why the price, which you might think is quite high at first, is actually good value for money.

While the apps work really well separately, I’d like the developers to work more on the syncing side. It does have Dropbox support, but I don’t want to have to install another app, or have an another account. For this reason, I think that iCloud, or the developers own solution would be good. Or, at the very least, a WiFi sync, where you can sync to devices on the same WiFi network. In addition, I’d love it if there was an iPad version. Many similar apps have an iPad versions, and I think the iPad is a brilliant device for both looking at the data and small edits.

Overall, both apps work really well, they are packed full of features. They might be a bit more expensive than most people are used to paying, but they are worth the money for the high quality software that you are buying. I’d like to see iCloud support and an iPad version, but since they are just wishes, with a form of syncing already available, it’s not crucial.

Rating: 5/5

iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneywell-2/id498077251

Mac: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneywell/id404246493

The game has a lot of things that you could wish for, with policies covering almost every area. There is also lots of options available so that you can change the game to your wishes, with different scenarios on offer so that you can see what it’s like to run a rich or poor country. There are also advanced options available, such as the ability to change the amount of “patriots” in your country, but I think these could be expanded upon. With various difficulty levels, it can keep anybody entertained.

At first, the game might take a bit of time to get used to. The tutorial works well, but with the huge amount of options and customisation available, it will take you a few turns to really get used to how everything works. This is good, as it means that the game is packed full of detail, which is a bit part of politics, as you have to juggle everything in order to keep everyone happy. At the same time, the game is still simple to play, so that anybody will be up and running in no time. Since I’m used to my MacBook Pro, I do wish the game supported the tap to click feature that is seen on modern trackpads, as I found this one of the hardest things to get used to.

The price is quite good for a Mac Store App. It’s not too highly priced, and as it’s the type of game that you will probably become addicted too, it’s got the potential to become great value for money. I would say it’s fairly priced. It’s not as fully packed as other games, which is reflected in the price point. I would say it’s worth picking up at this price, and a steal if there is ever a sale.

While Democracy 2 isn’t bad, there are a few things that I wish to be added. I think that it would be great if we could have the option to change a few more settings, such as the ability to change the amount of debt you start with. This would create an additional challenge, or if you just prefer to have the ability to implement lots of costly policies, you could set a big surplus. I also think the game can be more refined. For example, when a minister was involved in a scandal, it didn’t tell me which minister it was. I didn’t experience many bugs, but I did get a really annoying one; my popularity was really high, at 95%, yet I had no party members, with the opposition party also having very little. In the future, I really hope the game comes to iPad, as I think it would work fantastically with a touch screen, and it would be a unique addition to the platform.

Overall, Democracy 2 is a fun game to play. It might not be perfect, and the idea could probably be expanded upon. However, it’s a great start and with more detail and more features, Democracy 3 has the ability to be a fantastic game, and I can’t wait to see it on the iPad.

Rating: 4/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/democracy-2/id412796898

In terms of features, you can’t fault this app. It’s got everything you could ever need, suiting both professional and more casual users with a wealth of tools. You can use multitouch to produce some great looking graphs, adding annotations, colour and shading as you go along. It’s also very easy to import data from other apps, just simply by copy and pasting everything in. Once you’ve finished producing something great, you can also send the graph as a PDF, PNG or a JPG, as well as being able to print it or save it to your camera roll.

If you are familiar with any of The Omni Group apps, you’ll find this app incredibly easy to use, with a similar user experience. However, even if you haven’t used any before, you’ll still find this easy to use, as the controls are very simple, and everything is self explanatory. It is made even easier by the inclusion of a help document that shows off the power of the app, while being really short meaning so it doesn’t take long to learn everything. You’ll be up and running producing amazing images within minutes. It’s even quicker than trying to learn how to produce something in Word or something on a PC, while producing something that looks a lot nicer.

At first, the app might seem expensive. However, since it’s got the power of a traditional desktop app, helping to prove that the iPad is a credible post-PC device, it’s great value for money. It’s leading the way in terms of power on the iPad platform, and even with a price that is higher than we are usually used to seeing in the App Store, it’s great value for money. If you’re buying a graph app, it’s likely that you will be creating a lot of graphs in the future, and with the tools and ease of use that this offers, it’s a great way to spend money.

As with all of the developers apps, this one is yet again updated frequently, with the addition of new features as well as bug fixes. This means that the app will always be improving, so you’re buying an investment, that will always be prepared for the future, no matter what features Apple adds, The Omni Group will bring them to this app. This has been seen with the support of the new iPad’s Retina display, as well as other features such as a new document browser. With this updates, the price of the app seems even better value, as the app is always getting better.

As for negatives, there isn’t very many that I could find. It’s already got everything, with the ability to export to other apps and send it via email a great feature. iCloud support could be added, as this would be a great way to work, producing the graphs on iPad and then editing them on your Mac, with the ability to then add them to your presentations or documents. This would make the app even more powerful, and would be a great addition to the app. However, even without it, it’s easy enough to export and move around your graphs.

Overall, this is another incredible app from The Omni Group. It’s powerful and has all the tools needed to create amazing graphs while still being really easy to use. It’s something that I would recommend to anybody who needs to create some graphs.

Rating: 5/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/omnigraphsketcher/id363234160

This is another app packed full of features, with almost everything you can imagine. You can create shapes via freehand; use a variety of built-in stencils, with something for almost every situation; diagramming tools and lots of different styling options available for use.  With the ability to have multiple different documents at the same time, it’s also great to use. With everything on offer, you’re bound to find something to suit the situation, and then export it in different formats for use elsewhere.

Even with all of these features, the app is still incredibly easy to use. This is mostly because it has been well designed, with the user in mind, as everything is exactly as you would expect to find it. As a result, it doesn’t take long to get to now the app, as you’ll be able to do some pretty advanced stuff and make some amazing things quickly and easily. However, even if you can’t, there is plenty of tutorials available on the internet as well as help inside the app. Despite the professional features, this is something that anybody can use.

As with other Omni Group apps, it is quite highly priced for App Store standards, more like a fully featured Mac app or something similar. While this may put a lot of people off, it shouldn’t, as with the high quality features that are on offer, this is a still an incredible buy that is great value for money. It might also cost more than other apps, but if you are going to be using this app regularly, it’s still worth purchasing this, simply due to the additional tools on offer, as well as the more high quality offering, as seen by the constant stream of updates.

The app is almost perfect, as it has almost everything you could need. Anything that could be added would be just to supplement the experience, as nothing essential needs to be added. With this in mind, it would be great if the developers could add iCloud support, as this would improve the app, but also make everything easier, especially once you considered that there is also a Mac version. iCloud would allow easy syncing, hassle free, so it would be fantastic if this could be added.

OmniGraffle succeeds where other apps don’t. All too often we see apps neglected by developers, as they aren’t updated, meaning that they never see support for the new features or ever improve. However, this isn’t a problem with OmniGraffle, as yet again The Omni Group are providing great support, not just fixing bugs, but improving the app and bringing all the new features that have helped the app to stand out. The developers weren’t amongst the first to support the new iPad, as well as many other new improvements, such as a document browser.

Overall, OmniGraffle is another incredible app from The Omni Group. It has all the features that you could ever need, as well as fantastic developers that keep on improving the app and bringing all of the latest features, such as Retina support. It might cost a lot, but it’s worth the money and I would recommend it to any iPad owner.

Rating: 5/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/omnigraffle/id363225984

It’s essential that is has the features needed to make it useful, and The Omni Group have met this goal perfectly. You can structure everything, with rows and columns meaning that you can create almost anything. You can also utilise different styles and use notes to keep track of everything. It’s also really powerful, with the ability to add pictures and other things into the document, making it the solution to any problem. Afterwards, you can then share it in a lot of different formats including dynamic HTML which creates something amazing! Clearly, this has enough features to satisfy anybody and any situation.

The app is incredibly easy to use, with almost everything done exactly how you would expect it to be used. If you don’t know how to do something, it’s most likely just as you would expect. The developers have clearly thought about how the app should be used, right from the controls to how you move data items around. It’s like the developers have created an app that they would like to use themselves, which has resulted in an amazing experience, rather than just creating an app that ticks feature boxes. This means that while it is packed with features, it’s still perfect for the casual user who just wants something simple.

At first glance, the app might seem expensive. At $19.99 it’s definitely a lot more than we are used to paying for iPad apps now. Usually, everything is $0.99, or $4.99 at a push, but it’s very rare to see anything more expensive, which makes this look expensive. However, it’s not. With the power of a Mac app, it deserves to charge the prices that we would expect to see on that platform. Since it’s something that you will turn to time and time again, it’s worth the cost.

However, the best thing about this app is the developers. Time and time again they have added the latest features, such as Retina support for the new iPad, along with many other features since the release. This means that you know that you have brought something worthwhile that will always improve. With this in mind, the price seems even better, because you’re not just buying an app, you’re buying an investment as well.

One big thing that I would like to see added would be iCloud support. This is the sort of app that iCloud is built for, and it would be brilliant to be able to sync things across to the Mac version, or even across multiple iPads. Similar apps have iCloud support already, and with this app miles ahead of the rest on most of the other features and design, it would be simply amazing to see this feature brought to OmniOutliner. It would definitely secure Omni’s place as the best Outliner app available on the iPad.

Overall, this is one of the best apps currently available on the iPad. It will make your iPad so much more powerful, with a Mac level app showing the rest exactly how it should be done. It’s something that I would recommend to anybody, and if you buy this, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/omnioutliner/id430118869

Most styluses are quite thin, just like pens, but this is different, looking and feeling more like a marker pen. This makes it easy to use and works really well. One of the best things however is the design. It looks professional, and it looks like the creators have spent a lot of time on all of the details, from the fantastic packaging right to the aluminium or wooden core. The stylus is certainly a lot better than other products and looks and feels and lot more expensive than it actually costs. It’s also very comfortable to use and doesn’t become difficult to use even with its bigger size.

The stylus is extremely accurate and this has lent itself perfectly to iPad apps. It works perfectly with note taking apps, such as Penultimate and it’s also a fantastic option if you like to use art apps, such as Sketchbook Pro. Yet, with the popularity of Draw Something, I have found that this is one of the best apps to use the stylus with. It helps to create some great drawings and makes the app great fun.

Many styluses are quite high priced, which makes it a difficult decision. It’s not something that is essential, so I wouldn’t want to pay a fortune for one. I’d much rather spend money on apps, improving the iPad experience. However, as the Cosmonaut is available at $25, it’s the perfect option. It’s not expensive, yet at the same time, it’s a high quality product. It’s certainly fantastic value for money and something that I would recommend every iPad owner to purchase. It’s currently one of the best products available and to get something like this at $25 it’s a steal.

For the most part, I think that the Cosmonaut is amongst one the best options that are currently available. However, there are a few things that I find slightly annoying. This is mainly due to the rubber coating, which makes it difficult to slide out of a pocket if you’re in a rush, while at the same time you will get fluff or other things sticking to it, but slightly ruining the design. Despite this, it’s still brilliant and it’s certainly got less negatives than the other styluses that are available and for the price you can certainly forgive these.

Overall, the Cosmonaut is something that has been designed well and as a result is one of the best styluses that is currently available. It works well, and is fantastic to use with note taking or art apps. At the same time, it won’t break the bank, as it’s very well priced making it extremely good value for money. It’s one of the only things that I have used that I’ve wanted to keep and use again, so I’d certainly recommend it.

Rating: 5/5

Link: http://www.studioneat.com/products/cosmonaut

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Features will ultimately decide the fate of an app. If it can’t do something useful, it won’t be used and it won’t succeed. Yet this is very useful and it certainly deserves to succeed. I can see it becoming one of the main apps that people turn to whenever they need time lapse recording. With lots of features such as shutter settings, hardware button support, both cameras and custom frame adjustments it is really useful. Even with all of this, the app is still easy to use. You can review your work shot-by-shot and make things exactly as you want them to be with minimal fuss. The app is so simple to use that it doesn’t need instructions as anyone will be able to pick up the app and use it straight away, without having to mess around for a long time.  This all enables something that is usually quite difficult to be done professionally and easily.

The price is certainly higher than we are used to paying for apps now, especially iPhone apps. However, for something of this quality, that does the job it sets out to accomplish perfectly, it’s worth a purchase. For something that works so well, it’s worth paying more for this app rather than something that doesn’t work as well. Therefore, this is great value for money and should be purchased by anybody who uses the iPhone camera for video.

Feature wise, the app is perfect and it does everything exactly as it needs to. However, at the moment, the app only supports 720p, while the iPhone 4S is capable of 1080p, so this really needs to be upgraded. 1080p looks a lot better, so the app would benefit from this. At the same time, it would be lovely for the app to support the new iPad. With the new release, it now has a fantastic camera and the bigger screen would lend itself well to video editing. While this isn’t needed, it would certainly set the app out from the crowd, with very few editing apps available on the iPad. With a fantastic development team behind it, it is likely that these features and more will come in the future.

Overall, this is a really good app that does exactly what it sets out to do. With the App Store growing by the day, it’s getting harder and harder to find the really good apps, but this is one of them. You can certainly download this with the confidence that it is both easy to use and produces fantastic results. It’s well worth the money.

Rating: 5/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frames-time-lapse-stop-motion/id503347879

For a book, it’s important that the content is spot on, and fortunately, this book is just right. It’s very interesting, and I didn’t want to put it down. The app has got enough content that will provide you with hours of reading, with the fascinating content providing something that can be read over and over again. Each time you will find something new, and it’s just brilliant to look at the art. The app is incredibly easy to use, with simple controls that means anybody will be able to use it. It’s very simple, almost like a PDF viewer, which although might not be the best thing, it does mean that the content takes pride of place. it’s great how you can zoom in to take full advantage of the high quality pictures provided.

With the development of the App Store, we’ve all used to cheap apps, that usually cost less than a $1. However, it’s important to maintain high quality, and it’s worth paying extra for in certain circumstances. Designing Obama is one of them, priced at $4.99, as it’s a high quality app and includes plenty of content. You can get fantastic value for money out of this app and that’s the main thing that counts. This is especially the case once you consider that the book costs $79, a lot more than the iPad app, meaning that you cannot go wrong. Even considering that this is not much more than a PDF viewer, it’s still worth it.

You can’t fault the content, so most of the negatives stem from the fact that this is not much more than a PDF viewer, and as a result, doesn’t use the iPad to its full potential. This makes the app experience quite as good as it could be, especially in regards to navigation. It would be amazing to see the app rebuilt, as either a new app, or as a new iBook, taking advantage of the new tools in iBooks Author. Videos and other content could also be added to make the experience even better. This would turn something good into something truly spectacular.

Overall, this is an amazing app that is definitely worth downloading if you are interested in politics or art and design. The content is very interesting, and although the app could be much better, getting a book that costs $79 for only $4.99 is a great deal, and at this price, there is nothing to complain about.

Rating: 4/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/app/designing-obama/id385022145

It’s important that an app contains all the features that you will ever need, and this does. With things such as close-up, palm handling, typed text and easy organisation, it’s a joy to use. At the same time, you’ve got plenty of style options, from different colours, font and size to choose from. It gets even better, as it’s also got lots of extra polish that really makes it succeed, with things like automatic shape recognition or handwriting recognition.

One of the main criteria for a notes app is that it needs to be easy to use, and Notes Plus certainly is. It’s easy to get to the menus that you need, and with the great design, that is built to ensure that it works well with handwriting and notes taking, it’s perfect. While the app works well using your finger, it’s the perfect candidate to use with a stylus. I found that this makes it more accurate and easier to use, especially as it more natural to use a stylus when compared to “writing” on the touch screen directly.

Although the app is really good, the price is higher than we are used to seeing on the iPad. While it’s fully featured, it is also a bit more expensive than similar apps that are also available. However, these don’t tend to offer as many features, which means that Notes Plus is still great value. When you consider that a note app will usually be used quite frequently, it’s important to make sure that you are buying the best possible app, even if it does cost a bite more. This means that Notes Plus is still fantastic value for money. If there was one complaint, it would be that you have to pay extra for the handwriting recognition when the app is already quite expensive. However, it’s worth paying the extra as it’s still great value and it gives you a product that can truly be considered brilliant.

While the app certainly has all the features you need, one of the best things about the app is the developers. They have always been adding to the app, which has brought various new features such as Dropbox integration. This means that the app will always be growing and getting better. This is crucial with the recent release of the new iPad, with the retina display, as you want to be sure that retina support will be added if you’re going to be using Notes Plus as your main notes app. The fact that the developer is also willing to answer emails quickly is also a fantastic promise.

For the most part, the app is well designed. It’s got everything you could ever need and the developers have clearly put a lot of thought into the app. This means that there are very few negatives. One of these is the fact that the shortcuts can sometimes be difficult to use, meaning that a few mistakes can be made so you have to stop briefly, but it’s not a major problem.

Overall, this is a brilliant app and with all of the features available it manages to stand out in a crowded market. It might cost more than comparable apps, but everything considered it is still great value and worth a purchase. It’s certainly one of the best note taking apps available and a good substitute for fully fledged note taking app from Apple.

Rating: 5/5

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/notes-plus-handwriting-note/id374211477