#FF00AA

Memeo looks lovely (ignoring the exaggerated drop shadows) and makes me want to use Google Apps more. Unless there’s a catch — and there has to be one, if they intend to release an app like this for free.

CourseNotes looks even lovelier and may be my first must-buy if it’s versatile enough. I particularly like how you can apparently set any given article to become a to-do with a due date.

smartNotes feels to me like a dedicated, limited version of Illustrator, and that’s the wrong way to go about it. But there’s probably a market for it, in geeks who wish they had a touch-screen MacBook and bought an iPad without understanding what’s good about it.

Auditorium has nice graphics and evidently records audio while you take notes, which is the only (efficient) way I can imagine for anyone to take notes on an iPad during a meeting or lecture — no matter how big the virtual keyboard is, you’ll never be able to type reliably without keeping your eyes on the screen. And bringing a dock and keyboard along with you isn’t that convenient.

Things for iPad looks pretty and simple, which is a good way to go. Now the question is how well the user interaction has been adapted to the iPad, and whether it’s really worth $20. (I mean, as a standalone, I’m sure it is, but if you’ve already paid for the Mac app?)

The Early Edition looks like a fine way to read RSS news, but I’m sure there will be other offerings with an even more thought-out interface. Not a fan at all of the page slider at the bottom, in particular.

AIM is nice, but who cares?

More App Store leaks: the AP app looks pretty, but weird (i.e., hard to judge from screenshots)

AppStarAwards Finalists: Nothing of interest. (Well, the Thumbelina interactive book looks cute. The iPad is obviously a perfect fit for pop-up books.)