Less than a week after wondering how long I'd last without an iPad and I now own one. On Sunday we drove in to town, had some lunch then went to our local "Apple store". Much better to get an instant fix than ordering online and waiting for the delivery.

I spent the rest of the day teasing myself by leaving the box unopened for as long as I could. This turned out to be a mistake, as, while I waited, my internet connection got turned off. By the time I'd excitedly sat down to play with the iPad late Sunday afternoon it turned out to be as much use as the proverbial chocolate tea pot. An brand new iPad with no internet connection is no fun at all.

It wasn't until the next night I got a chance to play proper and install some apps - which is when the brilliance of the iPad/app-store combination really comes to light. Since then I've installed the usual suspects - Flipboard, iBooks, Adobe Ideas, BBC News, some games (that burger-making one) and a handful of kids drawing apps. Enough to turn it in to something useful. Already I can see where it fits in to my life - somewhere between my laptop and my phone. Surprisingly, Karen has warmed to it too. Not half as much as the kids though, who you have wrestle it from.

What I want now is recommendations for useful apps and fun games. They don't have to be productivity apps. Anything you think is a must-have. Feed me!