Got a new iPad for Christmas? 11 must-have apps

Don&#039;t forget to download The Week&#039;s iPad app! — (Image credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

If you unwrapped a new iPad or iPad Mini on Christmas, congratulations! Someone really cares about you. But unless you're already iSavvy, navigating the labyrinth that is Apple's App Store can feel a bit overwhelming. Here are a few of our favorite apps to help get you on your way:

1. Google Chrome

You're going to spend a lot of time browsing the web. Maybe you're even reading this website right now using Apple's native Safari browser. If you like the speed and no-nonsense sensibility of Chrome on your desktop, you'll love the iPad version of Google's browser. Need to search for something? Just type it in the URL bar. Need to go into incognito mode for a bit? That's here, too. Plus, Chrome can sync the webpages you're looking at across all your devices — from your desktop to your iPhone. (Free)

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Here at The Week, we read a lot of stories. A lot. And often, we come across a long story that's simply too long to read in a single sitting. Enter Instapaper, a simple, reader-friendly app that allows you to clip stories from all over the web to read later. When you use it, it strips noisy websites of all their usual trappings — it's just you, a white background, and the text. It's not free, but if you read a lot, it's worth the sticker price. ($3.99)

Lots of people hate reading books on a screen. I used to be one of them. But downloading the Kindle app on my iPhone and iPad changed everything, and now it's my preferred medium — especially for brick-sized guilty pleasures like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series. You'll have access to Amazon's unrivaled digital library of ebooks (which you can download instantly from Amazon.com), and the app automatically syncs with the page you left off on regardless of what device you're using. (Free)

If you're a Twitter user, consider ponying up a few bucks for Tweetbot. It's much better than the social network's free client. Perusing tweets is a breeze, and Tweetbot simply does a better job of organizing other users to find and message with. Another favorite feature: You can tap and hold down on a story link to beam it directly to your Instapaper cue. But don't take my word for it. Check out what this happy customer had to say in his rating: "Tweetbot does Twitter so vastly better than Twitter itself, it's not even funny any more." All that for the cost of a (really cheap) cheeseburger. ($2.99)

If you're starting to feel guilty for loading up Google apps on your Apple machine, don't be. Gmail users will want to download the search engine's superior email application, which recently got redesigned for version 2.0 after a disastrous initial launch. Searching through your old archives takes advantage of Google's refined search algorithms, and turning your device horizontal lets you read emails while keeping your inbox open in a left-hand column. It's clean, fresh, and simply a must-have for anyone with a Gmail account. (Free)

Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.