Contributed by Lindsay Shugerman, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

The iPad has opened up a whole new world of connectivity.

But if you’re new to the world of tablet computing, you may not know all the possibilities.

Here are our top 10 choices for things to do on an iPad. Once you try these, you’re bound to find another dozen reasons to love your new iPad.

10. Keep in touch with social network friends

There are several apps that make it easy to post to your favorite social networks and see what all our friends have posted, too. The larger screen makes this a much better experience on an iPad than on even the smartest of smart phones.

9. Organize your life, your day

There are dozens of apps to help you organize your workday or plan a project. And since it’s easy to carry the iPad with you, it’s easy to keep track of what’s been done or add something new. Apps like Bento, which now works on iPads, even make it fun.

8. Writing or editing text on the fly – no matter where you fly or drive

Instead of waiting until you’re back home and trying to sort through a pile of notes, or carrying a heavy laptop, an iPad lets you write and edit almost anywhere. Apps like GoodReader make it easy.

7. Look for a new job. Monster has an app for that

Looking for a new job is easier with an iPad. Apps from several of the major job hunting sites make it possible to keep track of your searches from anywhere, And with the writing apps, you can keep your resume handy in case a chance meeting turns into an impromptu interview.

6. Play games

Let’s be honest. It would not be possible to really cover the top 10 things to do on a iPad without talking about Angry Birds. And all the other great (AKA addictive!) games you can download. Hey, an IPad isn’t just for work, you know. They’re a lot of fun too!

5. Watch videos

With iTunes, Netflix, ABC and others jumping into the iPad app world, it’s easy to find and watch video on your iPad. Some newer apps still awaiting approval from Apple will let you stream, movies stored on your home computer to your iPad, making it easy to watch your collection without storing the big files.

4. Read books

Barnes &Noble has a Nook app, Amazon Kindle app, and a dozen others have their own versions e-book readers for the iPad. That makes it a great choice for carrying your whole summer reading collection on vacation without paying extra baggage charges.

3. Look up directions to wherever, whenever

On a trip and need to know where the next gas station is? Check your iPad. Heading for grandmom’s house and forgot the directions to get over the river and through the woods? iPad to the rescue. There are apps for mapping, apps for storing directions and apps for finding exactly the kind of business you need.

2. Listen to music

I don’t know about you, but I need music on while I work. The iPad lets me listen to my stored music, buy new songs from iTunes or stream new tunes from sites like Pandora while I’m writing. If you have little ones, you can even stream a kiddy-music station to keep them occupied while you shop or take a Starbucks moment.

1. Browse through catalogs and shop

Okay, so we’re a little biased on this one, but we think it’s pretty cool that you can shop your favorite catalogs right from your iPad. Our catalog shopping app brings the traditional catalog feel right to your iPad. You look through full pages, not text listings. The images are the same ones you’d see in the paper catalog, and with a click, you go right to the company sites to place orders. Now how awesome is that?