The iPad hits tomorrow, but the app race is already underway

People aren’t waiting for the iPad to start buying apps for the device. iTunes already has lists up of the top selling paid and free apps – and entertainment categories seem to be trouncing gaming at present.  

Among free apps, iBooks, Netflix and ABC’s media player take the top three spots. It demonstrates, if nothing else, that the marketing muscle Apple has spent on highlighting the iPad’s eReader and video functionality hasn’t been wasted.

Productivity software leads the paid category, with Apple’s pages (word processing), numbers (spreadsheet) and keynote (presentation) topping the list. Each sells for $10.

Games, which have been the leader on the iPhone and which make up the majority of iPad apps, aren’t in the Top 10 among Free apps. Only three currently are on the paid list – “Scrabble,” “Flight Control,” and “Plants vs. Zombies”.

All of this is subject to change, of course, once people have the system in hand and begin getting familiar with it, but it’s an interesting preview of what early adopters are interested in. If entertainment apps do prove to be the traffic driver for the device, the negotiations battle between Apple and content providers are going to be very interesting to watch.

Planning to get an iPad? Which apps are on your “must” list?