With the sheer number of apps on iTunes, at the Android Market, on Nokia Ovi, or in any other venue where you get your fix of the latest digital tools that religiously obey your every bidding, it’s hard to come up with a listing of the top 5 must-have apps. Add to this the varying interests of many users – some might want to find cheap laptops for the holiday shopping season while others would prefer books or maybe even dog toys – and you know why compressing all your needs to just a few applications is nothing short of impossible.

Still, the need to compartmentalize and reduce everything to a few bare essentials have prompted us to list, what we think, are the top 5 must have applications of your iPad. Some of these might not reflect your interests directly, but one way or another, it should give you an idea of some of the things that are important to many iPad users. Whether you are a mesothelioma lawyer or a San Pedro dentist, you should be able to find something worthwhile and usable in this list.

So without much ado, we present, the top 5 must have iPad applications for your daily convenience.

1. Twitter/Facebook/Tweetdeck. As you can see, our number one listing might already consist of three apps in total. If that doesn’t tell you anything about how monumental hard this task is, then nothing will. Still, we feel that we have a very valid explanation for this trio of apps. Most people are stuck trying to maintain at least two and possible more social networking accounts in various locations around the web. Facebook and Twitter easily top the list but accounts on LinkedIn, Flickr, Foursquare and many others certainly complicate the discussion.

If you are on Twitter but not on Facebook, it stands to reason that you only need a Twitter app. Conversely, you only need a Facebook app if you are on FB but not on Twitter. However, if you need to maintain both at the same time, you might as well have a social media aggregator to minimize having to post to multiple sites, unless you consider all that effort a fat burning furnace of sorts that allows you to lose weight. In essence, you need a Twitter or Facebook app to manage your social networks but should you need both, then go for the common app that allows you to do all your status updates to all sites in one go.

2. Evernote. It’s a notepad but with a more creative interface. If you have ideas that come to you in the wee hours and would want an app that helps you capture all these moments, you definitely need Evernote. It can also act as a reminder, a post-it for all your thoughts; think of it as the personal freedom wall that you have always wanted. Let the ideas flow like couettes with Evernote on your iPad.

3. iBooks. Avid readers need the iBooks app, a one-stop location for all your book needs. Buy the latest releases or lookup the classics that you have always wanted to read. Whether you have a thing for fantasy, business books such as York property management tips, or you simply want a page turner for those down and out moments, iBooks is the app for you.

4. Netflix. Movies are integral components of the modern lifestyle and Netflix is your solution to all these. Where iBooks gives you books, Netflix allows you to stream movies so you can watch them on your iPad while wait for your flight announcement. You will never be bored again with Netflix on your tablet, its much more exciting than watching your heat pump prices.

5. Angry Birds/Fruit Ninja. We cannot resist including gaming apps like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja. Frankly, we can’t decide which of the two is better so we present both for your discernment. These games are so addictive, you might want to check yourself to a drug rehab when you’re done. Spend countless hours hacking away at tossed fruits or getting revenge at those thieving pigs with any of these two blockbuster gaming apps on your iPad. And we assure you, the big screen display of your tablet won’t make it any easier for you to stand up and be separated from the birds or the fruits; that’s guaranteed.

There are countless other apps that might stoke your one way or another. Unfortunately, there’s just too many of them to count or keep track off. In the end, just consider your iPad as you would drivers insurance; it gives you the perfect opportunity to test drive any app without worrying about the consequence. You can download free apps at will and just delete them if you didn’t feel a connection.

And with these five apps for the taking, you are sure to have hours and hours of virtual fun right at your fingertips.