There are certainly more security apps available for the iPhone than iPad, and many of those are only for devices that have been "jailbroken" (removing limitations imposed by Apple to run software not authorized by the folks in Cupertino).  As far as I know right now, there is no malware written for the iPad today - but there are still some tools that can keep you, and the ones with whom you digitally communicate, safe from future threats.

VirusBarrier ($2.99) works as a manual virus scanner for email attachments or other documents you want to save on your iPad.  When I say "manual," that means you have to run the app yourself - it doesn't work automatically, like your average desktop antivirus product.  Once you install the app, it becomes one of the options in your Open In... menu in email.  So if you receive an email attachment you don't recognize and you absolutely have to open it, press down on the attachment until Open In..., appears, and then select VirusBarrier:

The "Open In..." menu in your email app.You'll be taken to the VirusBarrier app, where the document is scanned.

VirusBarrier says the PDF file is A-OK!That's it - that's really all there is to the app.  It's a nice security blanket to have if you absolutely need to open attachments you don't recognize (or even ones you do).  That's not actually all there is, but it's the feature you'll probably use the most.  You can also add a "Remote Location," to scan files in other locations before you decide to download them to your iPad.  Right now you can add a Dropbox or iDisk account, website, and FTP or WebDAV server.  In the image below I added my Dropbox account, and am looking at my folder of Articles.

You can select individual files to scan, or you can select Scan All at the top to scan everything in a folder.  Once you're done, you can press the  button in the upper right to either open the file in another app or send it via email to yourself or others.

The Logs button will show you a listing of all the apps you've scanned recently, and the results of each scan:

For $2.99 you get a years' worth of malware definitions - presumably I'll need to pony up another $2.99 this time next year.  You can configure the app to automatically update the definitions daily, weekly, or monthly - the updates will occur on schedule, the next time you connect to a wireless network.

In all, I really like VirusBarrier - it's pretty basic, but that's really all you need for a little extra peace of mind.  Like I said before, there's currently no known malware for the iPad - but VirusBarrier can definitely protect you from passing on an infected file - nothing like being known as the "Typhoid Mary of iPad users" to ruin one's reputation.....

I decided to use the same document in each case - I chose a simple W-9 form, because it would also give the opportunity to test and show the form-filling and signature features of each app. I'll fill out the form to send to my client for him to sign.  I initially placed the form in the Downloads folder in my Dropbox account on my desktop.  How did the form fare in each app?  Here we go....

PDF Expert ($9.99)

Downloading the form to my iPad was a breeze in PDF Expert; of the three apps, it offers the widest selection of networks from which to download your PDF files.  

PDF Expert offers a lot of options for getting your documents into the app.

I was able to easily navigate to my Downloads folder in Dropbox and download the file to the app.  PDF Expert mirrors your folders in Dropbox, so it's easy to find the documents you want. But you can create your own customized folders as well.

Folder view in PDF Expert.

I was able to fill the form quickly and easily.  Just press in the field you want to fill out, and the keyboard appears so you can enter the appropriate text.

You can move from field to field by pressing the buttons just above the keyboard.

Do you need to annotate your document?  The annotation toolbar just above the document allows you to do a lot of things.

See the table below for annotation features of all apps.

If you want to add something to a PDF document in a particular location, just press and hold, and you'll be presented with a number of options:

You have a number of options to insert something wherever you press your finger.

Let's say you want to sign the form, or have your client sign it.  Just press Signature, and you'll get a further option:

In this case we'll substitute the word "Client" for "Customer."  Once you press that button, you'll get a blank screen that your client can sign.

Blank signature screen.After signing.Press Done in the upper right corner, and you'll be able to move the signature and resize it so it will fit within the signature box.  If your client isn't right in front of you, you'll need to mail the PDF form either to yourself (to print it out) or to your client.  Just press the Open In... button at the top right, and press Send by E-mail.  That's all there is to it.

PDFPen ($9.99) 

PDFPen is a bit more basic in its user interface - you can create folders here, but it's not very intuitive (press Edit, then drag a document on top of another to create the folder).

Once you open the form, the user interface is simple as well.  The app supports form filling, much like PDF Expert:

Form filling in PDFPen.

All of the annotation tools are tucked away under menus in the top right.  There's one for Markup tools and a window that allows you to insert Objects, pictures, custom items, and proofing marks.  

Markup tools in PDFPen.Proofreading marks you can insert into the document.

That's right - if you're into proofing markup symbols, you have a whole lot to use here. There's also an Information button that allows you to customize whatever annotation tool you happen to be using at the moment.  The annotation tools here are definitely stronger than that of PDF Expert.

Unfortunately, PDFPen does not have an dedicated signature feature - to add a signature, you must either use the Scribble tool, or import an image of your signature.

Once you're done, press the wrench button in the upper right, then Share, then Email Document, to mail the form to yourself or your client.

iAnnotate PDF ($9.99)

I have used iAnnotate PDF for a while, and I think it has the best annotation tools of the bunch. However, it has other weaknesses that make this probably my least favorite tool for filling forms and signing them.  

iAnnotate does not connect to very many services, but it does connect to Dropbox, so I was able to download the file. 

The Library view is very confusing to me, especially everything on the left - I think that it is probably a terrific tool for searching through PDF files, but the user interface is too busy.  Fortunately for us, my document is right there in the middle of the screen, so we can start using it.

iAnnotate's Library View is VERY confusing to me.

The first thing you'll notice is that iAnnotate does not have a form filling feature.  Instead, you'll have to use the Typewriter tool and the maneuver the text into place once you're done typing.

The Typewriter tool can be found on the annotation bar to the right.

There's also no feature for adding a signature - you can use the freeform draw tool, but it's just not as satisfying as the other apps.

Where iAnnotate really shines is in its annotation tools - it blows all the competition away.  Just look at this page - and we're just looking at the specific annotation tools!  There are other tools for Navigation, View, Document, and Utility.  It's very powerful in this regard.

Get a load of all these options!

To send the form to your client, you'll have to go back to the Library, press on the file until this toolbar pops up, then press E-Mail.

Adobe Reader (Free)

Adobe Reader's features just don't match up to either PDF Expert or PDF Pen, as the chart below clearly shows.  I'm tempted to give it some slack; after all, the app is free.  But wait a minute - this is Adobe we're talking about, right? The desktop version of Acrobat has some of the best annotation and collaboration tools around - is it too much to ask for just a few more of them in the iPad app?

Unfortunately, Adobe Reader does not connect to any service, so to get our form into it we must go the other direction.  I uploaded the form into GoodReader, then opened the form with Adobe Reader.  Like PDFPen, Adobe Reader does not support folders; you'll just see a list of documents.

Adobe Reader's documents list.

And when you get to the annotation screen, the commenting tools are also pretty meager, with really the only customization being the ability to adjust the opacity of the annotation:

To fill out the form, just press the field and start typing.  Like all of the other apps there are buttons at the top of the keyboard from moving from field to field.

To sign the form, tap the fountain pen icon  at the upper right.  You'll be prompted to tap where you want to sign.  

Adobe Reader's signature page.

You can then customize the signature further when it's place in its correct place.

If you want to get a secure signature, you can send the signature out using Adobe's great EchoSign service.  This is one area where Adobe Reader shines - EchoSign is really a terrific tool for client and other signatures, and its integration into Reader is terrific.

So who wins?  Again, it depends on what you're looking for in a PDF annotation/signature app.  Based on the chart below, I'd say that PDF Expert wins on breadth of features, PDFPen and iAnnotate win on breadth of annotation tools, and Adobe Reader wins on signature security.

What do you think?  Let me know your favorite PDF annotation tool in the comments.

Conventional wisdom says the number of apps in the "Open In..." box is 10, but I can say differently.  Just testing out different types of documents in my GoodReader app, most of the document types limit me to 10 apps in the "Open In..." box - Word, PDF, Excel, and PPT all offer me 10 different app from which to choose. However, I also have an RTF (Rich Text File) in my list of files, and when I press "Open In..." for that, I am presented with...twenty-five app choices!

Theoretically, when you click on "Open In..." you are given choices that apply to the file type you are trying to open.  For example, when I want to open a PowerPoint file, Keynote is always the first option in the list. It's clear that an RTF file can be viewed in a lot of different apps - otherwise, why would it give me so many options?  And if that's the case, why can't iOS give me that many options for all of the files I try to open?  It's a puzzling conundrum that has yet to be figured out, and one on which Apple has so far been silent.

Jeff Richardson had a great writeup on this very issue over at iPhone J.D. back in January - he sets forth the problem succinctly, and offers some workarounds.  I agree that the best workaround is simply to delete apps that do show up on your "Open In..." list until the apps you actually want appear in the list - then reinstall all of the apps you had to delete.  But as Jeff explains, this approach is inelegant - and as far as I'm concerned, a real pain in the butt.  

I'd Apple to fix this feature/bug, but I'm not going to hold my breath - it has been a known issue for nearly two years, and still nothing from Cupertino.  So I guess my plea goes out to the app developers themselves - if you intend users to view documents or other files within your app, then give us another option than an "Open In..." button.  The most direct way of doing this is to allow us to connect to our Dropbox or Box or other file synching accounts - that way, we could open the documents directly, without getting other apps involved.  And easy access to our files is what all of you developers want for your users - right?

Given that the "Open In..." list isn't likely to change any time soon, I thought I'd open up the comments below for you to chime in on the question:  What are the 10 Must-Have Apps in your "Open In..." box? If you're limited to 10 apps, which are the apps you absolutely need to have there?  Here are mine - looking at the list, it's pretty basic:

• GoodReader
• PDF Expert (or iAnnotate, or ReaddleDocs, or Adobe Reader)
• QuickOffice Pro (or Documents to Go)
• Keynote
• CloudOn
• Evernote
• TrialPad
• NoteShelf
• CreatePDF (or PDF Converter, or Save2PDF)
• Dropbox

What about you?  What apps make your ideal "Open In..." list?  I realize that not all of these apps open the same types of documents - but if this was the same every time I tried to open a document, this would open just about everything for me.

Option #1: Quitting an App.  The first (and easiest) thing to try is simply stopping the app that's giving you problems.  First, pull up your task bar by going to your home screen, then pressing the home button twice.  Just press down on the misbehaving app until it starts jiggling, then press the red minus sign in the upper left. Confirm that you want to close the app, and poof!  It's gone.  Now try to restart the app.  In most cases, this will solve the problem.

Option #2: Reinstalling the App.  In those cases where it doesn't work, reinstalling the app is the next thing to try.  To do that, press down on the app icon (not on the task bar, in the regular place where it lives).  Then press the black x in the upper left corner.  Confirm that you want to delete the app, and it will be removed from your iPad.

(Warning:  some apps store data in them, and if you delete them you might lose all the data contained in the app.  Before deleting an app, make sure the data is backed up somewhere else, or that you don't need any data in the app.)

Next, go to the App Store and press Purchased, to see those apps you already own.  At the top of that screen, make sure Not On This iPad is pressed, so you can see a list of those apps that aren't currently installed on the device.  Navigate to the app you just deleted, and press the cloud icon to the right of it.  After you enter your iTunes credentials the app will be reinstalled.

Option #3:  Reboot! If this doesn't solve the problem, or your issue is much worse than a single app, then rebooting the iPad might do the trick.   You've probably done this before:  just press and hold on the sleep/wake button for three second, and slide the button on the screen to power it off.  Once it turns off, press the sleep/wake button again, and it will turn back on.

Sometimes this doesn't work - the iPad is so frozen up that pressing the sleep/wake button has no effect.  If that's the case, the press and hold the sleep/wake button and the home button at the same time for 10 seconds.  This will perform a "hard reset" on your iPad, which is basically the same as a reboot.

The Nuclear Option. If all else fails, you may need to wipe the device and start over.  There are two ways to do this, depending on whether you're using Apple's iCloud service.

First, make sure your iPad is backed up.  You may be using the iCloud service to back up your iPad, or still using iTunes.  Either way, do a backup (if your iPad is in crisis, I hope you did a backup recently!).  Then take a deep breath and head to Settings, then General, then Reset.  Press Erase All Content and Settings.  This will return your iPad to its original factory settings, without any of your content on it.  The iPad is basically a new device for you now, and starts with a Welcome screen; after you choose your preferred language and agreeing to the Legal Terms, you'll get a screen that gives you three options:

• Set up as a New iPad
• Restore from iCloud Backup
• Restore from iTunes Backup

If you're using iCloud, select that option.  You must be connected to a wireless network for this to work, and you'll be prompted to select a nearby network.  You'll be prompted to sign into your iCloud account, and you'll then select the backup you want to restore.  iCloud will then restore all of your settings, and reinstall all of your apps.  If you have music or videos on your iPad you didn't get from the iTunes store, you may need to transfer them manually from their source. 

If you're using iTunes, then you'll be prompted to plug your iPad into your computer.  iTunes will then perform essentially the same restore as iCloud, and you'll be prompted to select the right backup to restore.  The process is the same, and at the end you'll have a fully restored iPad.

I'm still a big fan of CloudOn, and this week they also issued an update.  Now Box users can connect to the service, and the app also provides support for Adobe Reader - so you can read PDF files within the app. Unfortunately, the Commenting and Signing options have been disabled, so really all you can do is read PDF files.  There are certainly better apps for working with PDF files, but it's nice that CloudOn added this feature.

Have you tried out either OnLive or CloudOn?  Leave a comment and let me know which one you prefer.

Let's be clear - Paper may not be an app that would be useful to the average lawyer.  But if you like to sketch, draw, or keep basic lists, the app may be worth a try - because from what I've seen, the app can help you create some pretty amazing drawings.  Here are a few examples from the Fifty-Three site:

These images and many more are available at http://madewithpaper.fiftythree.com.

You can create and keep as many notebooks or journals as you want.  The notebooks are customizable with 11 pre-designed covers - but you can also cover your notebook with the photo of your choice.  In the screenshot below, the last two notebooks are from images I had in my Photo Roll.

To start using Paper, just tap on one of the notebooks.  You can add as many pages you like to the notebook simply by pressing the + button in the menu under the notebooks (Note:  when the notebooks are closed, pressing the + button will create a new notebook.  To add new pages to a notebook, the notebook must be open before you press the + button.

To start working with a page, just do a two-finger spread motion to expand the page to full screen.  Drag your finger up from the bottom to call up the toolbar.  From there you can select the tool you want to use, and the right color.

Pick a tool, and start drawing, writing, or sketching.  If you need to undo something, just swipe two fingers in a counter-clockwise direction - it will remove everything you did in the reverse order it appeared on the screen.  There's also an eraser if you want to get rid of something quickly, or refine something you've drawn.

Paper does not work in Portrait mode - you can certainly draw with that orientation, but it will display sideways when you view the page later.  

Once you are done with a page, you can share the drawing on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, or as an image to your camera roll.  You can also mail the page to anyone as a JPEG file.

The main drawback I have with Paper is with writing.  I'm not much of an artist, so if I used this app I would use it to take notes.  Unfortunately, Paper does not come with a wrist protection feature like many of the note-taking apps I have reviewed and regularly use.  I am not sure how the person wrote on the image above; I can only imagine it was done without the wrist touching the iPad, because I am having a lot of trouble writing on it in my usual manner.  Also, if you want to write on this, use a stylus like the Wacom Bamboo - something with a rubber tip.  I was unable to write with my JotPro.

In all, I really like the Paper app - and if you like to sketch accident scenes or other types of diagrams in your practice, then it might work for you.   For taking notes, however, I think it lacks many of the features of other, more robust note-taking apps.  Then again, Paper wasn't designed for the kind of note-taking I have in mind.  I'm keeping it around, though, for fun drawing, and if I ever wind up taking a class that helps me d

I'm thrilled to announce the publication of my latest book, iPad Apps in One Hour for Lawyers, published by the ABA's Law Practice Management Section.  The idea that drove me to write this book, is the sheer number of apps in the App Store for the iPad - at last count there were somewhere between 80,000 and 90,000.  I keep getting asked the same question - how do you know which apps are best?  So I decided to create a curated listing of what I consider the best iPad apps, in the categories most important to lawyers. The result was this book - short reviews of 220+ iPad apps in the following categories:

• Getting organized and being productive
• Documents:  creating and organizing them
• Apps for the law office
• News, reading and reference apps
• Utilities
• Travel apps

I also spend some time describing how to buy, download and install apps on your iPad.

The book is currently available in print from the link above.  We'll also have an iBook and e-Book version available soon.  Unfortunately, the book won't be available on Amazon for some time, either in print or on the Kindle - this is due to an outmoded ABA policy (don't get me started).

If you'd like to know more about the book, please let me know.  I hope you enjoy it!

This is a great device, so I'll cut to the chase: if you are looking for your first tablet, or wondering whether you should upgrade from an iPad 1, the answer is an unqualified yes.  If you have an iPad 2, then it really depends on how you answer these questions:

• Does the resolution on your iPad 2 bother you?
• Do you want a faster cellular connection?
• Do you want a better camera?

If you answer Yes to one or more of these questions, I'd suggest you upgrade.  If you answered No to one or more, you're probably okay keeping the iPad 2 for a while longer.

The first thing I noticed about the new iPad was its weight - it's only 1.8 ounces heavier than the iPad 2, but it is quite noticeable to me, especially when I put the SmartCover and back cover on it.  To be fair, my Switcheasy CoverBuddy doesn't quite fit - it's made for an iPad 2, which is a little thinner than the new iPad - I'll get rid of it when something that fits is available.  That said, it's still lighter than the original iPad, so I'm not complaining.

At first, I couldn't tell the difference between the iPad 2 display and the new iPad's retina display - I thought, "maybe they sent me an iPad 2 by accident."   After a while, though, the differences began to become clearer - literally - the display is significantly better on the new iPad, whether you're reading a book, watching a movie, or reading email.  Here's a comparison of the Gmail app icon - it's from a great review of the new iPad at The Verge:

For most of you, the real difference here will come in the clarity of the text you read with the iPad.  It's clear, crisp, and really enjoyable.

Next - the camera.  I've already said that I just don't get why anyone would want to hold up something this big to take a picture.  But if you happen to be someone who does, you'll want to take a look at the new iPad's camera.  I took two pictures of my new book iPad Apps in One Hour for Lawyers.

Taken with iPad 2 cameraTaken with the new iPadNot even close.

I did not purchase a 4G model - I don't need one because I have a 4G Mi-Fi hotspot - but reviews I have read say that the 4G speeds are "faster than wi-fi fast."  That assumes, of course, you are in an area where 4G networks are available.  

Now, it's not all roses and honey with my new iPad.  There are a couple of things I wish were different, and they all deal with the battery.  In order to keep the iPad's impressive 10-hour battery life, they had to increase the size of the battery, and they did - by about 70%.  For me, there have been two effects of this massive battery:

• The device gets unusually warm after using it for a few hours.  Not "it's going to explode!" warm, but warm enough to know something is working pretty hard under the hood.
• Bigger battery = longer charge time.  Be prepared to leave it plugged in overnight to get a good charge.

The Huffington Post offers a great roundup of 9 reviews on the iPad, if you'd like to read more about what tech experts are saying (spoiler alert:  they all love it, too).

I agree with the experts that the new iPad is the best tablet currently on the market - so I'll say again, if you're thinking about buying a tablet, you owe it to yourself to take a look at the new iPad.

So what's your take?  Do you already have your iPad?  Does my review (or the others above) push you over the edge to buy one?  Is there no way you'll ever one?  Leave your comments below and let's discuss!

Yesterday, I was mercifully relieved of this suffering when Apple unveiled the new iPad.  Not the iPad 3. Not iPad HD.  The new iPad.  Or maybe we're supposed to just say iPad.  Whatever.  It's here.

The Apple site calls the new iPad "Resolutionary," which means a couple of different things.  First, it refers to the fact that the iPad now has a Retina display, like the iPhone.  This means 2048x1536 resolution, with 3.1 million pixels - that's a pretty awesome display.  

But Apple's choice of words means something else as well - this new iPad is not "revolutionary."  While the changes made are pretty significant, they do not represent a re-invention of the iPad.  In other words, the changes aren't so big that all iPad2-toting lawyers need to rush out and upgrade - but read ahead for more of my thoughts on this.

In addition to Retina display, the new iPad comes with a couple of other nifty features:

• iSight Camera - the iPad 2 captured images at less than a megapixel.  The new iPad offers a 5-megapixel camera, which isn't as good as the iPhone's 8-megapixel offering but still pretty darned good.  (Although I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would actually want to take pictures with something as big as an iPad.)
• HD Video Recording and Viewing - you can now record high-definition video in all its 1080p glory. Further, all movies and television stores sold by Apple are now available in HD format.
• 4G LTE support - the iPad finally supports 4G, which is great for those of you who have access to it in your area.  

There were a few things the pronosticators were hoping for that we didn't get - you can read more about them in this article at PC Magazine.  It's the missing things like these that make the new iPad more of an evolutionary device rather than something that's truly transformative.

I've been asked "should I upgrade to the new iPad when it comes out?"  a lot in the past few months. Now that we know the new iPad's features, here's my take on that question:

• If you have an original iPad 1, I think you should take the leap and upgrade - when you include the improvements made in iOS 5 available only in newer iPad versions, it makes a lot of sense to move on up to the newer version.
• If you have an iPad 2, the decision is tougher - it's going to depend on a couple of things: 1) Do you need/want 4G speeds on your device?  2) Do you plan to take movies/pictures with the iPad? or 3) is it just too cool not to upgrade?  If you answer Yes to any of these, then give some thought to upgrading.  If those things aren't important to you, you might want to wait until next year, when the "next" new iPad comes out.

For those of you who don't have an iPad yet - whether you get one now or not depends on how (or whether) you use technology in your practice.  If the iPad won't substantially improve the way you work, it's not worth the investment.  But if you want to explore different - and often better - ways of taking notes, drafting/revising documents, holding meetings, doing legal research, and trying a case in court, you might want to give the new iPad a look.  It's as good a time as any to take the plunge.

And yes, I ordered mine yesterday.

That's why I was really intrigued when I learned of the debut of two new apps, both of which provide MS Office access on your iPad.  OnLive Desktop and CloudOn came out in the past two months - both are free, and both offer access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in a virtual environment.  In other words, the Office applications aren't actually on your iPad; they exist on another computer, and you're accessing the application that computer's desktop.  I thought I would run down the basic features of each app, discuss how they handle Office files, and reveal my choice for the app I might start using in place of Docs to Go or QuickOffice.

OnLive Desktop

Brought to you by the folks who started the OnLive Gaming Network, the OnLive Desktop provides an actual virtual desktop in what appears to be Windows 7 environment.  On your desktop you'll see a folder for your Documents, and shortcuts to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint - all Office 2010 applications.

The OnLive DesktopTo get started, you can open one of the apps directly, or open your Documents folder and double tap on a document to work on it.  OnLive comes with a virtual keyboard that you can use - it's pretty cool, because it offers onscreen word hints as you're typing.

Working with the virtual keyboard in WordAnother interesting feature is the handwriting application - just tap the little pen button above the ESC key, on the virtual keyboard, and you can use a stylus or your finger to enter words into your document.

Using the handwriting feature in OnLive

Personally, I don't really like the virtual keyboard - it's just too hard to type on the iPad's screen.  I would prefer to use my wireless keyboard to work on documents, so that's what I would recommend.

One thing you might notice in the images above is that you can now use Track Changes on your iPad!  That's right - the Track Changes feature works in OnLive (and CloudOn below, as well) - this is, hands down, the number one requested feature of lawyers in document creation apps.  This alone may be the reason that you choose to use one of these tools.  

There are a few downsides to using OnLive.  First, you must be connected to the internet to use it - if you're on a plane without wireless you won't be able to work on your documents.  Further, if you're on a slow connection, you might experience some latency - that is, the app will work a little slower than you'd like.  For me, the other objection is that you must store your documents with OnLive in order to access them - you first have to upload them to your Onlive repository on your desktop or laptop before you can work with them on the iPad.  One advantage to this is that you can insert images in documents created in OnLive, because you can upload the pictures to your OnLive library; in CloudOn this feature is not available.

The OnLive app is free, as is the basic account, which comes with 2GB of storage.  However, with the free account they offer you no guarantees that you will be able to get in to use the service; if demand is high, priority will be given to those with Pro accounts (further, you'll be logged off the system if you don't use it for more than 20 minutes).  A Pro account costs $9.99/month, and in addition to priority access will give you 50GB of storage and the ability to add additional PC applications.  The Pro service is not available yet - the site says it is coming soon.

CloudOn

The CloudOn app doesn't provide access to a traditional desktop.  Instead, you connect directly to your Dropbox account - and when you log in, you'll be taken to the last folder you were using.  Just open a document and the app that created it (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint) will automatically open.

If you want to create a new document, just press the third button at the top to select the right application.

CloudOn opens to your Dropbox folders.

You don't have access to all features in the MS Office applications, like you might in OnLive (including inserting images), but you really get what you need.  Some of the features don't quite work right (for example, when you try to indent a numbered or lettered list, it doesn't change the sub-level number or letter), and it's pretty slow when you try to scroll around a document.  But otherwise, the app works just like the version of Word or Excel you might use on your desktop or laptop.

Editing a Word Document in CloudOn

Like OnLive, CloudOn can be slow because 1) you are using an online service that 2) is being used by other people at the same time.  But for me, the best feature of CloudOn - and the feature that will make this the app I use - is its integration with Dropbox.  When I open the app, I can open a document directly from my Dropbox folders.  As soon as I'm done with the document, it is automatically saved back to my Dropbox folder.  It can hardly get easier than that, and for me it is far preferable to using a separate online storage repository just to work on documents.

CloudOn is currently free, and there will always be a free version even if/when pricing plans are introduced. 

If it wasn't clear already, I recommend CloudOn of the two products, and am already using it regularly to work on Word and Excel files when using my iPad.

Because both CloudOn and OnLive Desktop are both free, I urge you to try both of them out, and see which one works best for you.  If you have any questions or issues, feel free to come back here and leave a comment so we can talk about it.