iPad For Dummies. LeVitus Bob

now you know that the iPad you hold in your hands is very different from other computers.

      You also know that these slate-style machines are rewriting the rule book for mainstream computing. How so? For starters, iPads don’t come with a mouse or any other kind of pointing device. They lack traditional computing ports or connectors, such as USB. And they have no physical or built-in keyboard, though Apple will sell you a Smart Keyboard accessory for the iPad Pro models.

      iPads even differ from other so-called tablet PCs, some of which feature a pen or stylus and let you write in digital ink. As we point out (pun intended) in Chapter 1, the iPad relies on an input device that you always have with you: your finger. Okay, so the iPad Pros you meet in this book also break that longstanding iPad rule, at least if you spring for the Apple Pencil accessory.

      Tablet computers of one form or another have actually been around since the last century. They just never captured the fancy of Main Street. Apple’s very own Newton, an ill-fated 1990s personal digital assistant, was among the machines that barely made a dent in the market.

      What’s past is past, of course, and technology – not to mention Apple itself – has come a long way since Newton. And suffice it to say that in the future, tablets – led by the iPad brigade, of course – promise to enjoy a much rosier outlook.

      If you were caught up in the initial mania surrounding the iPad, you probably plotted for weeks about how to land one. After all, the iPad, like its close cousin the iPhone, rapidly emerged as the hippest computer you could find. (We consider you hip just because you’re reading this book.) You had to plot to get subsequent versions as well.

      Speaking of the iPhone, if you own one or its close relative, the Apple iPod touch, you already have a gigantic start in figuring out how to master the iPad multitouch method of navigating the interface with your fingers. If you’ve been using iOS 10 on those devices, you have an even bigger head start. You have our permission to skim the rest of this chapter, but we urge you to stick around anyway because some things on the iPad work in subtly different ways than on the iPhone or iPod touch. If you’re a total novice, don’t fret. Nothing about multitouch is painful.

      Getting Started on Getting Started

      We’ve always said that you needed the following four things to enjoy your new iPad, but starting with iOS 5, you don’t need a computer (and the connection to iTunes and whatever program you use to store your contacts) to use an iPad. You see, iOS 5 was the first operating system to allow you to activate, set up, and apply iOS updates to an iPad wirelessly, without having to connect it to a computer. All the ensuing versions of iOS continued the tradition. We show you how to get your iPad set up without a computer in the next section; in Chapter 3, we show you how to set up your iPad with your computer.

      Because even though you don’t need a computer, we think you’ll prefer using your iPad with one rather than without one.

      

In our experience, many tasks – such as iOS software updates and rearranging app icons – are faster and easier to do using iTunes on a Mac or PC than on the iPad. Having a backup for your data helps too. Actually, it more than helps. A backup can be a lifesaver.

      Now, here are those four things you need to use your iPad:

       ✓ A computer: As we point out, you don’t really need a computer, though it’s helpful to use your iPad with one just the same. The computer can be a Macintosh running Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later or macOS Sierra, or a PC running Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 (or Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional Edition with Service Pack 3 or later if you still have such a machine).

      The iCloud service has higher requirements: Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Lion (10.7), Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, or macOS Sierra for Macs; or Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 for PCs. Flip to Chapter 3 for details about iCloud.

       ✓ iTunes software: More specifically, you need version 10.7 or later of iTunes – emphasis on the later because by the time you read this, it will be later. After all, iTunes was up to version 12.5.1.21 by the time we were preparing this book.

      Apple constantly tweaks iTunes to make it better. You can go to www.itunes.com/download to fetch a copy. Or launch your current version of iTunes and then choose iTunes ⇒ Check for Updates.

      The uninitiated might want to know that iTunes is the nifty Apple jukebox software that owners of iPods and iPhones, not to mention PCs and Macs, use to manage music, videos, apps, and more. iTunes is at the core of the iPad as well, because an iPod is built into the iPad, as part of the Music app. You can use iTunes to synchronize a bunch of stuff from your Mac or PC to and from an iPad, including (but not limited to) apps, photos, movies, TV shows, podcasts, iTunes U lectures, and of course, music.

      Syncing is such a vital part of this process that we devote an entire chapter (Chapter 3) to the topic.

       ✓ An Apple ID account: Read Chapter 7 for details on how to set up an account. Like most things Apple, the process isn’t difficult. You’ll want an account to download content from iTunes, the App Store, or to take advantage of iCloud.

       ✓ Internet access: Your iPad can connect to the Internet in either of two ways: Wi-Fi or cellular (if you bought an iPad with 3G or 4G capabilities). You can connect your iPad to cyberspace via Wi-Fi in your home, office, school, favorite coffeehouse, bookstore, or numerous other spots.

      

At press time, 3G (third-generation) and 4G (fourth-generation) wireless data connections were available from many carriers in countries too numerous to mention; in the United States, you can choose among AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile. Those wireless carriers are pretty far along building the zippier 4G (fourth-generation) networks across the United States, with Verizon in the lead rolling out the fastest variety, called LTE (Long Term Evolution). While the others play catch-up on LTE, the latest iPads on AT&T and T-Mobile makes nice with other pretty fast networks, including something known as HSPA+.

      As this book goes to press, data rates (no contract required) are reasonably priced as long as you don’t stream or download a lot of movies or watch tons of videos while connected over 3G or 4G. For as little as $5 in some instances, you can purchase a day pass for data instead of opting for a monthly plan.

      Figuring out how much data you need beforehand isn’t always easy, but it’s simple enough to adjust along the way. If you’re streaming a lot of music, T-Mobile for one provides a nice benefit: the capability to stream free on most major services, including Spotify and Apple’s own Apple Music.

      The following are some of the offerings from the major US carriers when we published this book. Keep in mind that all the rate plans cited are subject to change and sometimes tied to shareable family plans that include smartphones. In some instances, you must pay activation or other fees. Promotions are also common:

      ● AT&T: $14.99 a month for 250MB, 3GB for $30, and 5GB for $50

      ● Sprint: $15 a month for 1GB, 3GB for $35, and 6GB for $50

      ● T-Mobile: $20 a month for 2GB, 6GB for $35, and 10GB for $50

      ● Verizon: $20 for 2GB, $30 a month for 4GB, $40 for 6GB.

      A friendly warning pops up on your iPad when you get close to your limit. At that point, you can pay more to add to your data bucket or start from scratch next month. Keep in mind that with 4G, you’re likely to consume more data in a hurry. And prices of course are subject to change.

      

Whichever carrier you go with, we recommend finding a Wi-Fi network if you want to buy, rent, or watch movies, lest