iPad For Dummies. LeVitus Bob

and then type iPad For Dummies cheat sheet. And here's what you'll find: info on using the iPad’s buttons and icons, tips for mastering multitouch, and where to find additional help if your iPad is acting contrary.

      Where to Go from Here

      Why, go straight to Chapter 1, of course (without passing Go).

      In all seriousness, we wrote this book for you, so please let us know what you think. If we screwed up, confused you, left out something, or – heaven forbid – made you angry, drop us a note. And if we hit you with one pun too many, it helps to know that as well. Because writers are people too (believe it or not), we also encourage positive feedback if you think it’s warranted. So kindly send email to Ed at [email protected] and to Bob at [email protected]. We do our best to respond to reasonably polite email in a timely fashion. Most of all, we want to thank you for buying our book. Please enjoy it along with your new iPad.

       Note: At the time we wrote this book, all the information it contained was accurate for all Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G and 4G iPads with the exception of the first through third-generation iPads, which can’t run iOS 10 and are not covered. The book is also based on version 10 of the iOS (operating system) and version 12.5 of iTunes. Apple is likely to introduce new iPad models and new versions of iOS and iTunes between book editions, so if the hardware or user interface on your new iPad or the version of iTunes on your computer looks a little different, be sure to check out what Apple has to say at www.apple.com/ipad. You’ll no doubt find updates on the company’s latest releases.

      Part 1

      Getting to Know Your iPad

      IN THIS PART …

      Get basic training for getting along with your iPad.

      Enjoy a gentle introduction to your iPad.

      Take a peek at your iPad hardware and software and explore the way it works.

      Discover the joys of synchronization over USB or Wi-Fi and find out how to get your data – contacts, appointments, movies, songs, podcasts, books, and so on – from a computer onto your iPad, quickly and painlessly.

Chapter 1

      Unveiling the iPad

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      ❯❯ Looking at the big picture

      ❯❯ Touring the outside of the iPad

      ❯❯ Checking out the iPad’s apps

      Congratulations! You’ve selected one of the most incredible handheld devices we’ve ever seen. Of course, the iPad is a combination of a killer audio and video player, an e-book reader, a powerful Internet communications device, a superb handheld gaming device, a still and video camera, and a platform for over 1.6 million apps at the time this was written – and probably a lot more by the time you read this.

      

Apple has produced 12 iPad models so far: The original iPad (2010), the iPad 2 (2011), the iPad third generation (Spring 2012), the iPad fourth generation (Fall 2012), the iPad mini (Fall 2012), the iPad Air and the iPad mini 2 (Fall 2013), the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 (Fall 2014), the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and iPad mini 4 (Fall 2015); and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Spring 2016). To avoid confusion, we refer to the four original full-sized iPads – the ones that don’t have Air, mini, or Pro as their surname – as first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation iPads, respectively.

      Note that we’re not covering the first-generation through third-generation iPads in this book because the latest operating system (iOS 10) doesn’t run on them. If you’re the owner of one of those models, you can still find a lot of handy information here, but some things might look or work differently. You might want to rummage around for a previous edition of this book.

      In this chapter, we offer a gentle introduction to all the pieces that make up your iPad, plus overviews of its revolutionary hardware and software features.

      Exploring the iPad’s Big Picture

      The iPad has many best-of-class features, but perhaps its most notable feature is that there's no physical keyboard or stylus in the box. Instead, every iPad includes a super-high-resolution touchscreen that you operate using a pointing device you’re already intimately familiar with: It’s called your finger. (Apple did, however, introduce its first optional stylus and keyboard – the $149 Apple Pencil and $169 Smart Keyboard, both of which work with only iPad Pro models.)

      Every iPad ever built has a beautiful screen, and since the third-generation they’ve sported Apple’s exclusive high-definition Retina display, which is easily the most beautiful screen we’ve ever seen on a tablet.

      Other things we love include the iPad’s plethora of built-in sensors. It has an accelerometer to detect when you rotate the device from portrait to landscape mode – and instantly adjust what’s on the display accordingly.

      

The screen rotates – that is, unless the screen orientation lock is engaged. We tell you more about this feature shortly.

      A light sensor adjusts the display’s brightness in response to the current ambient lighting conditions. Then there’s a three-axis gyro sensor that works with the accelerometer and built-in compass. And most models – the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, and iPad Pros – also include Apple’s Touch ID sensor, which lets you unlock your iPad with your fingerprint.

      Last, but definitely not least, all iPads since the third generation include Siri, a voice-controlled personal assistant happy to do almost anything you ask (as long as your iPad is running iOS 6 or later).

      In the following sections, we’re not just marveling about the wonderful screen and sensors. Now it’s time to take a brief look at the rest of the iPad’s features, broken down by product category.

       The iPad as a media player

      We agree with the late Steve Jobs on this one: The iPad is magical – and without a doubt the best iPod Apple has ever produced. You can enjoy all your existing iPod content – music, audiobooks, audio and video podcasts, iTunes U courses, music videos, television shows, and movies – on the gorgeous color display found on every iPad ever made (even the oldest iPads have gorgeous color displays).

      

Here’s the bottom line: If you can get the content – be it video, audio, or whatever – into iTunes on your Mac or PC, you can synchronize it and watch or listen to it on your iPad. And, of course, you can always buy or rent content on your iPad in the iTunes Store.

      Chapter 3 is all about syncing (transferring media from your computer to your iPad), but for now, just know that some video content may need to be converted to an iPad-compatible format, with the proper resolution, frame rate, bit rate, and file format to play on your iPad. If you try to sync an incompatible video file, iTunes alerts you that an issue exists.

      

If you get an error message about an incompatible video file, select the file in iTunes and choose File ⇒ Create New Version. When the conversion is finished, sync again. Chapter 8 covers video and video compatibility in more detail.

       The iPad as an Internet communications device

      But wait – there’s more! Not only is the iPad a stellar iPod, but it’s also a full-featured Internet communications device with – we’re about to drop some industry jargon on you – an email client that’s compatible with most POP and IMAP mail services, with support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. (For more on this topic, see Chapter 5.) Also onboard is a world-class web browser