Murph - IPad Secrets (Covers iPad, iPad 2, and 3rd Generation iPad)

Part I: Becoming an iPad Setup Pro

Chapter 1: Selecting and Setting Up Your iPad

Chapter 2: Arranging Icons and Folders for Efficiency

Chapter 3: E-Mailing Like a Champion

Chapter 4: Wrangling iTunes (While Maintaining Your Sanity)

Chapter 1

Selecting and Setting Up Your iPad

In This Chapter

• Deciding which iPad is right for you
• Understanding the perks (and costs) of 3G/4G-enabled data
• Dealing with non-expandable storage
• Configuring Find my iPad
• Working with wireless networks
• Updating your iTunes build
• Organizing your iLife

One of the beautiful things about Apple in general, and the iPad in particular, is the complete simplicity of the buying process. Apples never been one to offer limitless customization options, which just so happens to be both a blessing and a curse. Tweakers are no doubt flustered by the single screen size option (9.7), the sole CPU choice, and the inability to order an iPad with more memory, but the limits also serve to curb confusion and fragmentation in the portfolio. This chapter breaks down the options that do exist in the blossoming iPad universe, explaining the pros and cons of each so you can decide if you should use your hard-earned greenbacks for an upscale model. I also help you understand how to manage the storage youre dealt, untangle the mystery of wireless connectivity, and ensure that your PC or Mac is ready to work in concert with your freshly birthed tablet. Ive found that iPad ownershipmuch like home, car, and pet ownershipis far more gratifying when things are kept tidy. Hence, a deep dive into the organization of your looming iLife awaits.

NOTE Increasingly, the iPad is becoming a device thats only truly alive when its connected. Consuming content while offline is a major part of the entertainment aspect, but true power users quickly realize that the iPadmuch like any other mobile device, smartphones includedis severely hamstrung without a live connection to the Internet. Much of what you can do is limited to how often youre online, which makes the proposition of a 3G/4G-enabled iPad that much more intriguing. However, those who already own a mobile hotspot (or have a smartphone with a tethering plan) may be able to enjoy the 3G/4G spoils without committing to another mobile data contract.

Choosing Which iPad to Buy

In my introduction, I made it sound like the process of buying an iPad is as easy as choosing between chocolate and cheesecake for breakfast. And it is. Sort of. But having relatively few options doesnt mean that you have no options whatsoever. Apples slate, much like a full-on computer, is apt to serve you for years to come, so its worth overthinking the model selection. Apple provides only two types of wireless (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G or 4G), three types of storage (16GB, 32GB, or 64GB), and two carrier options (Verizon Wireless and AT&T). I focus on the most current modelsthe iPad 2 and 4G LTE-equipped iPadbut by-and-large, most of the options for the iPad 2 were present for the original iPad, if youre looking to buy used.

In other words, youre looking at a grand total of three different model decisions. The screen size (9.7), processor, internal storage amount, and the front- and rear-facing cameras are set in stone, depending on the model you buy. The original iPad shipped with an A4 processor, while the iPad 2 stepped up to an A5, and the new, 4G LTE-capable version has an A5X; the latter actually has the same CPU as the iPad 2, but the package adds a quad-core graphics processor to handle the increased screen resolution. This take it or leave it style has always been a polarizing trademark for Apple, but Im of the belief that fewer buying options enables a tighter seal between the hardware and software. Apple is unique in its insistence on handcrafting both the physical tablet and the operating system (iOS) that runs beneath it, and the only logical way to guarantee a stellaror, at the very least, uniformexperience across the entire iPad portfolio is to quell deviation with regard to specifications. Supply chain aficionados might refer to this as vertical integration. Digressions aside, making the three aforementioned choices may sound easy, but Id caution you not to make them in haste. Lets dig in to find out what combination would be idyllic for you if youre still situated outside of the iPad Owners Club.

Saving Money the Refurbished Way

Generally speaking, Apple only sells refurbished gear through its online store. Dont bother looking in one of its physical retail outlets; the best you can find there is a closeout on an old model, or perhaps a used store demo.

Its a common theme, really. Apple introduces a new product. Apple sees massive demand. Apple sees people lined up for hours in order to get their hands on Apples new product. But eventually, supply catches up with demand, and if you wait even longer, you can even find yesterdays hottest commodity in refurbished form .

If youve ever tried to find an Apple productparticularly an iPad of any descriptionon sale, youve probably realized that its a Herculean task. Apple has notoriously tight controls on pricing, and, unlike products in the PC universe, you wont find typical discount stores selling Apple wares at a discount. Even Walmart is only permitted to shave a few precious cents from its iPhone and iPod touch offerings. So, is there any hope whatsoever to get on the iPad bandwagon on the cheap? You bet.

Refresh Apples refurbished section early and often; the hottest deals vanish within minutes of appearing, and theres absolutely no way to sign up and be alerted when new stock arrives. It just takes plenty of patience and a little luck.

Apple only ever advertises the MSRP, but I have a tried-and-trusted alternative to paying top dollarApples astonishingly well-stocked refurbished store ( . Its continually updated as new batches of refurb iPads flow in. I knowyouve probably done the refurb thing elsewhere, only to get a heavily used device with a warranty that expired before the postal service could even deliver it. But heres the thing: Apples refurbished products are better than any other refurbished product Ive ever come across .

See that? Good-as-new iPads for less than retail. Just be quick on the (virtual) trigger.

When I say theyre as good as new, Im thoroughly downplaying reality. In fact, I rarely recommend that people buy an Apple product new. Refurbished iPads, just like the companys refurbished Macs and iPods, arrive in fresh plastic wrap with polished accessories, a user guide, and the exact same one-year warranty thats affixed to new Apple products. The only difference? A drab cardboard exterior compared to the flashily designed boxes you see in the store. Aside from the packaging, youd be remarkably hard-pressed to tell an Apple refurb apart from a brand new piece of kit.

On average, you can save anywhere from 8% to 28% by buying refurbished. Considering that you get the same warranty, resting easy on that decision should be well, easy.

Wi-Fi Only or Wi-Fi + 3G/4G: Which, and Why?

I wont spend too much time detailing what you likely already understand, but its worth pointing out the basic differences between the Wi-Fi only and the Wi-Fi + 3G/4G models. Both the original iPad and the iPad 2 are offered in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models. The former is the more affordable of the two, offering only a Wi-Fi module for wireless connectivity. The iPad revealed in early 2012, however, ushered in support of LTE, a next-generation 4G network that offers wildly fast transfer rates on the go. In other words, a Wi-Fi iPad can only connect to the Internet (or in turn, the cloud) through Wi-Fi, so its on you to provide a signal. When you stray too far from a Wi-Fi signal, the iPad drops offline until you come back into range.