vShare and AppCake Are Considerable Installous Alternatives

Now that Installous has disappeared - or rather, shut down because the team at Hackulo.us thought things aren't as active as before  you should be looking for alternatives.

There are plenty of alternatives to Installous but one fact that you'd probably agree is nothing is as simple and elegant as Installous itself. In a way, it was like Cydia: one single stop for all the resources you ever needed. In this case, resources was those precious IPA files.

But let's accept the fact that the Cydia app is gone for the moment (we still hope that it will be back). Thankfully, with problems surfacing in Installous much earlier, we have been looking for good, considerable alternatives that are as good, if not better.

There are number of great alternatives but of course, it's a hard time for hardcore fans of Installous who have been happily using the simplified interface. Two of the very best alternatives are reviewed here.

1. AppCake

Without a doubt, AppCake from the iPhoneCake repo comes as the finest alternative right now. The benefits lie in the fact that you don't have to install any AppSync for AppCake to work and secondly, the interface is kind of intuitive and simple. 

AppCake is available in http://cydia.iphonecake.com repo (which you have to add in Cydia -> Manage -> Sources -> Edit -> Add)

2. vShare

vShare (formerly AppVV) has gained instant prominence now. Not surprisingly because the folks behind it have produced a really amazing piece of a software that works with iOS 6. Configured for the iPhone and iPad, vShare is right now available for download through their website at http://v.appvv.com/en 

vShare requires that you install AppSync. Currently, as the entire Hackulo.us repo is down with no signs of coming back up, you will need to find third-party sources (like the SiNfuLiPhone repo) to get AppSync. If you have AppSync already, no worries.

iPad in Business: Inventory, Time Tracking, Invoices and Project Management

The iPad is a powerful tool if you know that it houses some amazing apps that can help you run an entire business. "iPad for business" is a recurring theme here at iGB as we realize that apps from the App Store are designed so powerfully that one can run an entire fleet of wide-spread businesses with an iPad.

From things like tracking shipments, inventory and time to overall project management and collaboration, the iPad provides some of the finest applications and features to enable all that. It's no wonder that project managers, business analysts, experts and a lot of founders are shifting towards an iPad environment.

An iPad for Business / Project Management
It's not just the app though. iPads are inherently mobile and easy to carry around. With advanced features like LTE now becoming a part of the devices, connectivity is not an issue at all. Mobility, technology, and a huge resource make the iPad an idea choice to conduct your business from.

In short, the iPad:
Offers great mobility along with support for latest technologies like LTE
Enables faster, intuitive and better tracking of your business processes
Adds value and functionality through features like invoicing, payment processing and even inventory management

Managing Inventory
Shopkeepers, florists and even large-scale producers who usually rely on advanced tracking and management software on the Mac are increasingly converting to the iPad ecosystem. One of the features that enable this shift is the huge amount of iPad inventory apps available on the App store. Not just that, but the quality of the apps found on the store is huge thanks to all the strict guidelines that drives the App Store.

Apps like Inventory Tracker and Real Inventory make managing your inventory enormously easy.

Office Productivity
One of the most vital things a business often needs is the ability to handle documents. Great apps like CloudOn offer a complete solution in the absence of a powerful but cheap Microsoft Office alternatives. Office, by itself, is enormously costly.

Native apps like Mail, Notes and Reminders are great but there are plenty of options like the native Gmail app if you want to get more features. Apple's own iWork is a wonderful suite to work with although it brings a little learning curve along if you're not already used to it.

Project Management / Expense Tracking
Project management for managers - especially collaborative task assignment, management and sharing - is something that is usually associated with the desktop. However, there have been several apps like OfficeTime make it a breeze to manage time and expenses while a plethora of apps enables task tracking and collaboration.

Don't Miss: Best Project Management Apps for iPad

Payments
Finally, apps and devices supplied by Square have proved that you can process payments right on your iPad (or iPhone). You can carry out secure transactions through your iPad with the payment accessory provided by companies like Square, Intuit, SwitchPay etc.

The iPad ecosystem is brimming with possibilities of conducting your business in a more simplified and organized way. It just takes a little time and exploration to find the right set of tools (apps) that will answer your every requirement.