iPad For Seniors For Dummies. Feiler Jesse
this: Just about any computer you buy today comes with a minimum of 250GB to 500GB of storage. Computers have to tackle larger tasks than iPads do, so that amount makes sense. The iPad, which uses a technology called flash for memory storage, is designed (to a great extent) to help you experience online media and email; it doesn’t have to store much and in fact pulls lots of content from online sources. In the world of memory, 16GB is puny storage if you want to keep lots of content on the device.
The biggest users of memory are movies, followed by photos and music. The bigger or longer the movies, photos, and songs are, the more memory you need. You can always back them up to iCloud to relieve the pressure on your iPad (as described in Chapter 3).
What can really, really, really push you into needing much more memory is using your iPad to create and edit content. If you’re using iMovie to create your own movies from raw footage you shoot or collect, you’re going need to be able to keep several clips as well as your being-built movie in memory at the same time. (iMovie from Apple is free from the App Store but you can also do a lot of video work with Photos, as described in Chapters 14 and 15.)
If you’re creating complex drawings (large or detailed), you’ll probably need more memory. If you’re writing or editing text – even text with a few illustrations – you’ll probably need less memory.
So how much capacity is enough for your iPad? Here are a few tips:
• If you like lots of media, such as movies or TV shows, and you want to store them on your iPad (rather than access them online on sites such as Hulu or Netflix), you need a lot of built-in memory. If you’re just checking email and browsing the web, you generally need less memory; the minimum configuration is probably okay for you.
• Ask friends who are using an iPad how much memory they have and how much they think they need. Choose friends who do the same sorts of things you do. (To find memory usage, go to Settings and tap About. You’ll see the numbers for capacity and available usage. Don’t think that you can use all the available memory. Once you start using all your memory, performance can be degraded. There are no hard-and-fast guides to the amount of available memory you should have but just be aware that some of your memory is needed for the iPad itself.
• If you have an iPhone, use it as a guide. Look at how much memory you’re using on your phone, and think about what you’ll do on your iPad.
Although you can use your iPad on its own without any Internet or Wi-Fi access and without a computer to pair it with, it’s easier if you have Internet access and a computer that you can (occasionally) use with your iPad.
Use basic Internet access for your iPad
You need to be able to connect to the Internet to take advantage of most iPad features. If you have an Apple ID, you can have an iCloud account, Apple’s online storage service, to store and share content online, and you can use a computer to download photos, music, or applications from non-Apple online sources (such as stores, sharing sites, or your local library) and transfer them to your iPad through a process called syncing. You can also use a computer or iCloud to register your iPad the first time you start it, although you can have the folks at the Apple Store handle registration for you if you have an Apple Store nearby. If you don’t have a store nearby, the Chat feature on apple.com can connect you to a representative; you can also use apple.com to request a phone consultation. These are free (but for Chat you’ll need an Internet connection).
There are ways to set up your iPad without an Internet connection and without going to an Apple Store: The best way to find out more information is to contact support.apple.com through an Internet connection on another device or at a public library or Internet cafe.
Can you use your iPad without owning a computer and just use public Wi-Fi hotspots to go online (or a 3G/4G LTE connection, if you have such a model)? Yes. To go online using a Wi-Fi–only iPad and to use many of its built-in features at home, however, you need to have a home Wi-Fi network available. You also need to use iCloud or sync to your computer to get updates for the iPad operating system.
Pair your iPad with a computer
For syncing with a computer, Apple’s iPad User Guide recommends that you have
❯❯ A Mac or PC with a USB 2.0 port and one of the following operating systems:
• Mac OS X version 10.6.8 or later
• Windows 10, 8, 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
❯❯ iTunes 11 or later, available at www.itunes.com/download
❯❯ An Apple ID and iTunes Store account
❯❯ Internet access
❯❯ An iCloud account
Apple has set up its iTunes software and the iCloud service to give you two ways to manage content for your iPad – including movies, music, or photos you’ve downloaded – and specify how to sync your calendar and contact information. There are a lot of tech terms to absorb here (iCloud, iTunes, syncing, and so on). Don’t worry: Chapter 3 covers those settings in more detail.
You use Wi-Fi to connect to a wireless network at home or at locations such as an Internet cafe, a library, a grocery store, or a bus, train, plane, or airport that offers Wi-Fi. This type of network uses short-range radio to connect to the Internet; its range is reasonably limited, so if you leave home or walk out of the coffee shop, you can’t use it anymore. (These limitations may change, however, as some towns are installing community-wide Wi-Fi networks.)
The 3G and 4G-LTE cellular technologies allow an iPad to connect to the Internet via a widespread cellular-phone network. You use it in much the same way that you make calls from just about anywhere with your cellphone. 4G-LTE may not always be available in every location. You can still connect to the Internet via 3G when 4G-LTE service isn’t available, but without the advantage of the super-fast 4G technology.
A Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad costs an additional $130 when compared to the basic Wi-Fi only model, but it also includes GPS (Global Positioning System) service, which pinpoints your location so that you can get more accurate driving directions.
Also, to use your 3G/4G network in the United States, you must pay a monthly fee. The good news is that no carrier requires a long-term contract, which you probably had to have when you bought your cellphone and its service plan. You can pay for a connection during the month you visit your grandkids, for example, and get rid of it when you arrive home. Features, data allowance (which relates to accessing email or downloading items from the Internet, for example), and prices vary by carrier and could change at any time, so visit each carrier’s website (see the following tip) to see what it offers. Note that if you intend to stream videos (watch them on your iPad from the Internet), you can eat through your data plan allowance quickly.
How do you choose? If you want to wander around the woods or town – or take long drives with your iPad continually connected to the Internet to get step-by-step navigation info from the Maps app – get Wi-Fi + Cellular and pay the price. If you’ll use your iPad mainly at home or via a Wi-Fi hotspot (a location