04-29-2010
iPad Tips for Seniors: How Does it Work?
Photo courtesy of Flickr user Tom RafteryI have heard the word iPad, but have no idea what it does, or how to use it - I have wondered how us elderly ever learn how to use any of the new gadgets (even finding out how to use my cell phone was a hard and even now I don't know how to use all the features.) Really sucks as I am sharper than ever, but have no grandchildren to show me how the new stuff works! Aloha BarbaraTo answer Barbara's first quandary, the iPad is a touchscreen laptop. And in our opinion, it is quite an easy device to use. Especially for those that don't have a grandchild to walk them through the process of figuring it out, we are here to provide a basic tutorial. We should note that the tutorial is not comprehensive; essentially we want to show you the necessary building blocked, needed to understand the tablet's primary functionality. How to Turn the iPad On?
-Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button (the tab in the bottom center) until the Apple logo appears.What to Do Now?
-Once the iPad is turned on, you will arrive at the Home Page. -On the Home Page, you will see a series of on-screen options: Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Maps, Videos, iTunes, YouTube, App Store, Settings, Safari, Mail, Photos, iPod. (If you go into Settings, you can customize this list, adding or subtracting selected icons). -Whatever part of the section you want to visit, touch that icon with your finger. A new page will then appear and, pending on your selection,
If you are at sea, with no internet connection, it will work. However, it won't be able to access any online content, which means web browsing and email won't work. You can still use any of the other apps installed, from games to word processing to eReader software (e.g. Kindle). And watch movies and listen to music.
Emil, if you buy an iPad that has 3G built-in, you will need an account for that. If you buy the Wi-fi only version, you won't need an account with a cell provider but you will need access to a Wi-fi network, whether that is your own or at a local coffee shop, or wherever.
Either way, it doesn't work as well as a normal cell phone for calls. It will work over skype, but that requires a consistent internet connection.
Thanks. Colm.
Thanks for reading ElderGadget. We are happy to answer your question/s to the best of our ability. The email you currently use now should be able to properly sync up with your iPad. As for your second question, you should be able to store information from your iPad onto your hard drive. For example, if you download a song off of the iTunes Store, it wouldn't be a bad idea to store a copy of the song on a hard drive as a back up.
Hope that helps!