Top 10 iPad Tips & Tricks by David Kapuler

Aug 19

Written by:
8/19/2011 3:02 AM 

Having recently received an iPad and joined the iOS game, I decided to do some research on ins and outs of this device. I discovered that many of the same time-saving tricks that can be done on a Mac can be done on an iPad, too. Here are my top 10 tips for using an iPad:

1. Reset - Probably the first thing a new user to an iPad is going want to do is learn how to reset their iPad without having to turn it all the way off and on again. To do this, just hold down the power button and home button for a few seconds and the iPad will reset.
2. Force Quit - This is really simple to do. If a program gets frozen or you want to exit right away, just click on the home button to return to the main screen.
3. Screen Shot - Something I do on a daily basis as an educator is taking a screen shot on my mac for tutorials and professional development. This can also be done on an iPad by holding down the power button and home button for a second and then releasing. A camera sound will go off as the screen turns white. The screen shot will be stored in photos.
4. File Transfers - Probably the easiest way to transfer a file from the iPad is simply to click the share button in the upper right and then email the file as an attachment.
5. Copy and Paste - Just tap and hold down on the text and select copy; go to a new app and then tap and hold down and click paste. To copy a whole paragraph, tap and hold down on a paragraph 4 times to select it all.
6. Web Scrolling - A real time saver when browsing a web page is the ability to return to the top rather than having to slide your finger over the entire page over and over. Just click back at the title bar to return to the top of the screen.
7. Dock - You can manage the dock in the iPad in a similar way to to how it's done on a Mac: Click down on a app until it wiggles and then drag and drop it on the dock.
8. Wireless Keyboard - I find that typing on an iPad is clunky, to say the least. While it does work for simple browsing or tweeting, it is not ideal for doing blog posts or more detailed work. For that reason, I suggest getting a wireless keyboard (any Bluetooth will do) to facilitate typing.
9. Deleting - If your iPad tends to fill up with useless applications that you have downloaded, it's simple to delete them by holding down on top of an app until it starts wiggling and then pressing the x button to delete.
10. Smart Cover - Probably my favorite cover for the iPad is the smart cover, which not only connects via a magnet, but also puts the iPad to sleep when pulled over the front.

David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.