Air Display App for iPad

Air Display is an app for the iPad that allows you to use it as a second display for a Mac or PC via your wireless network.  I have been hesitant to buy it, since it costs 9.99.  However, I finally decided to give it a try.

One of my favorite uses is to have it running MOG or other music apps while I am using the main screen for other things.  I simply installed the app on the iPad, then installed an app on my MacBook Pro and I was in business.  There are a couple setting to choose from.  If you use the "Retina" setting for the new iPad, you will probably find it difficult to read.  You don't have to restart the computer to change this setting, so I found myself turning it on and off depending on how I was using it.

While Airfoil serves a similar purpose (it will send an audio stream from the iPad to the MBP), I enjoyed the ability to just move the curser over to the iPad and use the MBP's keyboard and mouse to put in new songs or artists on my iPad.

Also, it is great for Photoshop CS6.  I can put the Bridge browser on the iPad and use it to select photos.  It will then open them up on my main display in CS6.

With the Retina setting on Air Display turned on, the pictures look amazing!  I prefer the setting above to scroll through the photos, but you can also use smaller photos, if you have really good eyes.

One of my other favorite uses is to put Win7 up on the iPad via VMWare Fusion installed on the MBP.  It allows me to see specific Win7 apps, while working in OSX.  As an example, I have a music program called Foobar2000 installed on Win7.  I can move the screen to my iPad and use it to play music.  Notice, in the pic below, I also pulled over the Airfoil app, so I could choose where I wanted the music to play.

As you can see, there are a lot of uses for Air Display.  One of the other benefits is that you can mirror the screen from your iPad (3) to your Apple TV if you want.  I have also heard of people using it for Sketchpad since you can also control the curser or keyboard on the iPad with your fingers.  Others use it for chat, email, or other widgets.  The man downside that I ran across is that your computer screen goes blue for a second when you attach it or move the iPad from landscape to portrait position.  Not really a big deal, in my book.  Also, the mouse can be lethargic when moving around (especially with the Retina setting on).  I believe it depends on your network speed, so it may not be a problem for some, while being a major issue for others.  

Is it worth $9.99?  It really depends on whether you will use it.  I really enjoyed having the extra display while using my laptop, so I think it was worth the money.