When a change is very substantial, I may add an update or bonus information that you can download at my website for this book, http:// northcountryconsulting.com or at my app website http:// champlainarts.com.
Part 1
You, Your iPad, and the World
IN THIS PART…
Get started with your iPad.
Make your iPad useful.
Share thoughts and info with others.
Make your iPad easier to use.
Chapter 1
Exploring Your iPad
Hundreds of millions of iPads have been sold, and whether your iPad is a new purchase of your own, a gift, or a device owned by your employer or a volunteer organization you work for, this book will help you get the most out of it.
Your current iPad may be your first iPad, or it may be your second or third. I develop apps and write books about developing apps, so I’m certainly not a typical iPad user, but I have three on my desk (it’s a big desk), as well as an original iPad 1 that still works and that I keep around to show people how long-lasting the devices can be.
With the extraordinary integration of devices that Apple has developed using its tools such as AirPlay, AirDrop, and continuity, my data and I move seamlessly among the iPads, my primary iPhone, the iPod touch I use for testing, my Apple TV, and CarPlay in my car. I don’t spend too much time searching for the piece of paper where I wrote down something important because I know where the something important is: It’s in my iCloud account, and I can get to it from any device.
Whether you’re a first-time iPad user, a longtime expert, or anyone else in the vast iPad universe, this book has something for you. You even get some tips on unlearning things you already know that are no longer needed with the latest and greatest iPad.
❯❯ Size: The iPad is available in various sizes, depending on the version of iPad. Here are the three basic sizes, by iPad type:
• iPad: The first iPad (the 2010 model) featured a touchscreen that measures 9.7 inches diagonally as do the iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2. The iPad itself is slightly larger to accommodate the edges (bezels, to be specific). (The formal names of iPad 3 and iPad 4 are iPad 3rd Generation and iPad 4th Generation.) As of this writing iPad 4, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2 are on sale.
• iPad mini: Along with the iPad 4 in October 2012, a smaller version, the iPad mini, made its debut with a screen measuring 7.9 inches diagonally. Versions iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 4 are currently on sale. They differ in memory size and processor type.
• iPad Pro: In November 2015, the larger iPad Pro appeared, with a screen measuring 12.9 inches diagonally. A 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro appeared in March 2016.
❯❯ Screen resolution: In addition to screen size, screen resolution has evolved so that Apple’s Retina display, which supports very-high-resolution graphics, now appears across the line. (The name derives from the concept that individual pixels on the screen are so small that at normal viewing distance, they can’t be distinguished.) The Retina display has many more pixels to use in display images. Thus, the iPad versions starting with iPad 3 display 2048x1536 pixels in 9.7 inches, but earlier versions displayed only 1024x768 pixels in the same space. That translates to 264 (pixels per inch – ppi) in Retina display versions and 132 ppi in earlier version. The more pixels in the same space the sharper the image. It may also be easier to read. The iPad mini adopted Retina displays with iPad mini 2.
❯❯ Apple Pencil: With the release of iPad Pro, Apple introduced Apple Pencil, which lets you draw and write on the iPad screen with a familiar pencil-style tool rather than with your finger. The Apple Pencil contains a batter and sophisticated processing powers that make the experience of using it very much like (and sometimes better than) traditional pencils. Third-party pencils and drawing tools exist, but Apple’s integration of Apple Pencil is remarkably smooth; the product has taken off quickly among graphic artists, illustrators, and designers. As other people have discovered its usability for marking up documents, it is becoming more and more common in business environments.
For what it’s worth, I consider myself “other people” in this context. I couldn’t live without my Apple Pencils. It’s easy to pair one with an iPad Pro – you just connect it and it draws power for its battery very quickly. That pencil becomes paired with that iPad Pro until you connect it to another one. I use mine with the iPad Pro (the 9.7-inch model) that’s on my desk at all times. I scribble things down as I need to. I use the other Apple Pencil with my 12.9-inch iPad Pro for when I’m in meetings. For up to six people, the larger iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are preferable to a whiteboard (at least for me).
From a practical point of view, Apple now has two main iPad lines: models that support Apple Pencil (at the time of this writing, iPad Pro 9.7 and 12.9-inch models) and models that don’t (iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4). When you combine Apple Pencil with an iPad, you get a remarkably powerful combination for many purposes.
Apple’s iPad is a combination of hardware and a software operating system (called iOS). The current operating system is iOS 10, though small updates appear all the time, so by the time you’re reading this book, you might have 10.2, 10.3, or 10.4.
In addition to the features of previous iPads, the latest iPad models offer
❯❯ Updated body: Apple has made the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4 a bit thinner than earlier models and made improvements to screen and camera features. The iPad mini 4 has a fully laminated display with antireflective coating, just like the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro. The iPad Air 2 weighs 0.96 pound; the iPad mini 4 weighs 0.65 pound; and the big brother of them all, iPad Pro, weighs 1.57 pounds, which is impressive given the dimensions of the display.
❯❯ New processor chip: The 64-bit A8X processor in the iPad Air 2 is faster than the A8 chip in the previous-generation iPad Air. The iPad mini 4 has advanced to an A8 processor. iPad Pro sports the best processor of the bunch, an A9X, which makes it the fastest performer of the trio.
❯❯ Wi-Fi: Two-antennae, dual-channel Wi-Fi and the use of MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology allows for much faster wireless connections. The iPad Air 2 supports the latest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac as well as a, b, g, and n; the iPad mini 4 supports 802.a/b/g/n/ac.
❯❯ Faster motion coprocessor: This coprocessor processes game features such as the gyroscope and accelerometer. The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 have an M8 motion coprocessor. The iPad Pro offers a slightly faster M9 motion coprocessor.
❯❯ New photo and video recording features: Video recording features added to the iPad mini 4 include the addition of Slo-mo mode for video recording and Burst mode for taking and optimizing a series of pictures. There is more on photos in Chapter 14, and more on video in Chapter 15.
❯❯ Touch ID: This security feature is now included on all new iPad models. Sensors in the Home button allow you to train the iPad to recognize your fingerprint and grant you access with a finger press. Touch ID also