Apple iPad Tips and Tricks (Rev: 1.16)



iPad Keyboard related Tips and Tricks
  1. Quickly type a period and space
    Double-tap the space bar. You can turn this feature on or off in the iPad "Settings" -> "General" -> "Keyboard".

  2. Turn caps lock on
    Double-tap the Shift key. The Shift key turns blue, and all letters you type are uppercase. Tap the Shift key to turn caps lock off. You can turn this feature on or off in the iPad "Settings" -> "General" -> "Keyboard".

  3. Type letters or symbols that aren’t on the keyboard
    Touch and hold the related letter or symbol, then slide to choose a variation.

    [JackNg: For iPhone/iPad] We can use slide to save time with punctuation and numerals. For example, when typing a SMS using the alphabetical keyboard, let say we want to type a "," (comma), we start a slide action with our finger on the 123 key (not a tap, so please don't lift your finger yet) . When the punctuation and numeric keyboard automatically appears on the screen, kindly slide that finger onto the "," and lift our finger.




iPad Apps related Tips and Tricks
  1. View the most recently used apps
    In iPad, double-click the Home button. The most recently used apps appear in the recent list at the bottom of the screen. Flick left to see more apps.

  2. Remove an app from the recent list
    In iPad, double-click the Home button. The most recently used apps appear in the recent list at the bottom of the screen. Touch and hold any app icon until it begins to jiggle, then tap the small round "-" icon to remove that app from the recent list. Press the Home button to stop the jiggle.

    The app is automatically added to the recent list again the next time you open it.

  3. Create a folder in iPad to organize your App icons on the Home screen (for iOS v4.2.1 or higher version only)
    In iPad, touch and hold any icon until the Home screen icons begin to jiggle, then drag an icon onto another icon. iPad creates a new folder that includes that two icons, and shows the folder’s name. You can tap the name field to enter a different name. After finishing typing the new name, tap anywhere outside folder name (or press the Home button) to finish renaming the folder. Press the Home button to save your arrangement and stop the jiggle.

    You can put up to 20 icons in a folder in iPad.


    Create iPad folders using iTunes
    With iPad connected to your computer using the USB connection, select your iPad device under the "DEVICES" list in iTunes. Click "Apps" at the top of the screen, and on the Home screen near the top of the window, drag an app onto another.


    Remove an icon from a folder
    In iPad, touch and hold any icon until the Home screen icons begin to jiggle. Then, tap to open the folder and drag the icon out of the folder. Press the Home button to save your arrangement and stop the jiggle.

  4. Disable all In-App Purchases in iPad
    In iPad, tap Settings -> General -> Restrictions -> Set Passcode (enter your 4 digit numbers as a passcode) -> Enable Restrictions -> In-App Purchases -> Off. Turning off all In-App Purchases will still allow you to download and install those free apps.





Sync videos from your pc folder to iPad Videos app

Apple iPad (first and second generation iPad with iOS v4.3.3) default Videos app from Apple supports only video in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats. It is recommended that you install VLC Media Player v1.1.0 (8.9 MB, free, available from Apple French AppStore) in iPad to play many different types of video files, including .rm, .rmvb, .flv, etc. More info on VLC Media Player is at "Apple iPad Free or Compatible Applications". [JackNg: More info at "Apple pulled VLC off the AppStore"]

[JackNg: Please use iMedia Player [free, designed for both iPhone and iPad] that can play almost any video file formats since VLC Media Player is not available in Apple AppStore anymore since 20 Oct 2010]

Before watching the videos in iPad Videos app, you need to get iTunes to transfer your videos from your pc folder to your iPad Videos app as shown below:
  1. Assume you had already connected your iPad to your pc.

  2. In iTunes, under Library, kindly clicks Movies (Left Hand Side of iTunes).

  3. In iTunes, kindly click File -> Add Folder to Library. Kindly browse to the directory on your computer where you had placed your videos (eg: d:\videos) and click the "OK" button.

  4. In iTunes, kindly click to select your iPad (Left Hand Side of iTunes under Devices). Then, click the Movies tab (locates at top, center of iTunes) and check the "Sync Movies". If your videos store at the d:\videos folder are not in .m4v, .mp4, or .mov file formats, it will not shown in iTunes. Configure the syncing options as per your desire and click the "Apply" button to start syncing your videos in the d:\videos folder in your pc to your iPad Videos app.




Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks
  1. Position the insertion point
    Touch and hold to bring up the magnifying glass, then drag to position the insertion point.

  2. Close current application that "frozen" your iPad
    If an application seems to cause iPad's unresponsiveness, kindly press and hold the Sleep/Wake button. When the red slider appears, kindly press and hold the Home button. This should close the current (frozen) application.

  3. Reset iPad
    If you can’t turn off iPad or if other problem continues, you may need to reset iPad. This should be done only if turning iPad off and on doesn’t resolve the problem.

    Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button simultaneous for at least ten seconds. When the Apple logo appears, let go your fingers and your iPad will reset.

  4. Take a picture of the iPad screen
    Hold the Home key down and press the Sleep/Wake button at the same time. Then, immediately release both the Home key and Sleep/Wake button quickly. The iPad screen will quickly flash (white colour) and you will hear the sound of a camera shutter. You have just taken a picture of your iPad's screen that you can view it with the Photos app. The screen capture is saved in your "Saved Photos" folder, which is accessible by opening the Photos app, tapping on the "Albums" button at the top of the screen, and then opening the Saved Photos album.

  5. Find My iPad
    If you have already setup Find My iPad in your iPad, you can locate your iPad when it is lost or being stolen. Please note that Find My iPad enables you to locate your iPad only when it is on and connected to a registered Wi-Fi network or has an active 3G data plan.

  6. iPad content backup directories in MAC or Windows
    When your iPad is connected to a MAC or Windows Operating System (OS), your iPad content are stored at the below directories before your iPad is syncs with iTunes:


    On MAC OS
    ~/yourUserName/Library/ApplicationSupport/MobileSync/Backup


    On Windows XP OS
    \Documents and Settings\yourUserName\ApplicationData\AppleComputer\MobileSync\Backup


    On Windows Vista/7 OS
    \Users\yourUserName\AppData\Roaming\AppleComputer\MobileSync\Backup

  7. iBooks and applications that you have purchased can be re-downloaded at any time at no charge because Apple keeps track of your purchased iBooks and applications. However, movies, music and TV shows cannot be downloaded multiple times for free. If you re-download content that is not an iBook or application, you will be charged for it again.

  8. You can only sync photos to your iPad from one computer (eg: yourPersonalPc) at a time. If you connect your iPad to another computer (eg: friendPc) and sync photos to it from that friendPc, the photos that are currently on your iPad will be erased and the new library's selections will be transferred.

  9. Multitasking Gestures (手势) for iPad (for iOS 5 and above version only)
    Using four or five fingers, swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar, pinch (收缩) to return to the Home screen, and swipe left or right to switch between apps.





Apple iPad related links/References
  1. How to back up your data and set up as a new device
  2. How to Do Everything iPad (book by Joli Ballew. Online preview is available at Google Books)
  3. How to set up Find My iPad (Free)
  4. iPad fully loaded (book by Alan Hess. Online preview is available at Google Books)
  5. iPad (first generation) - Technical Specifications.
  6. iPad 2 - Technical Specifications
  7. iPad User Guide
  8. NUS iPad Blog
  9. Take your iPad to work (book by Brian Proffitt. Online preview is not available at Google Books)

1 comment:

palokhgijhui said...

I can hardly find words to express how thankful I am for posting this information! very useful!

Please donate. Thanks.


paypal.me/jackngch
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