Savannah Groeneveld asked:




Setting up your new iPad 2 device can be a simple process. You need to have a working computer with iTunes installed on it and then the process should be very smooth. You will be able to have contacts, pictures, calendars and even videos transferred from your computer to your iPad 2 in less than an hour. Follow these steps to decrease the time it takes to set up and sync your new device with iTunes:

Get the Most Recent Version of iTunes

This is one of the most important steps when syncing your iPad 2 with your iTunes account. If you have an iPhone or an iPod (which most iPad owners do), you are more than likely familiar with iTunes. This is program, which can be downloaded from the internet for free, is how your iPad 2 and computer will “communicate” with each other. Go to the iTunes website to be sure you have downloaded the most recent version available.

Connect Your iPad to the Computer

Now that you have your iPad 2 and computer in front of you – it’s time to connect them so they can start “talking” to each other. In your iPad 2 box, you will find a USB cable which will be used to charge and sync your device with your computer. This cable comes with all iPad devices. Plug the USB end of the cord (the smaller end) into any USB port on your computer and the thicker end of the cable into the bottom of your iPad 2. Once you have correctly plugged each end to the right device your iPad will automatically begin to charge.

Connecting Your iPad for the First Time

The very first time your new device is turned on it will ask the user to connect it to iTunes. This does not need to be done if you don’t want to sync your device with your computer. If you plan on syncing your device, please connect it like mentioned above.

As a part of the process you’ll need to enter your iTunes account details to pull up your specific iTunes account. If you have an iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G, it will prompt you to sign up for a data plan if you desire. Follow the prompts to get to the point where you can actually sync your two devices.

Force the Sync

When you have chosen what you want to sync to your iPad in the iTunes dashboard, you will need to apple these setting. Click the “apply” button to start the syncing process. You can also force a sync when you feel the need by click on the “Sync” button, which is located on the bottom-right area of the iTunes window.

Craig J Burns asked:




The New: iPad 2

With the introduction of the new iPad 2, Apple changed things again: put simply, it’s thinner, lighter and faster; adds two cameras, and an assortment of new features included in the latest version of the operating system. Like many of Apple’s products, the new version is priced at the same price point as the previous version: starting at $499. Most visible of the new features would be FaceTime, which utilizes the two built-in cameras to enable live video calls between other iPad 2, iPhone 4, or even Mac users over a Wi-Fi connection. With the camera on the front facing you, you can show yourself – and with the camera on the back, you can show others what you are seeing: for example, showing an out-of-state Grandma the new baby.

For many people, this is the feature that seals the deal: with the beautiful large screen providing a crisp clear picture of your loved ones, what better way to stay in touch? Depending on what you like to do, the new iPad 2 also features an accelerometer, gyro, and compass that work together to know which way the iPad is facing and turning – for games and many apps, this means your iPad 2 can provide some wild new games that respond to your movements. If you’re lost, this not only shows you where you are on a map, it knows which direction you’re heading: if you’re one of those people that can’t read a map to save your life, your worries are over.

Like with any new product, there are definite improvements over the previous version. If you’re considering buying an iPad, the question now is if you need the new one, or will the “old” iPad be enough?

The Old: iPad (from way back in 2010)

During a test of the speed of the iPad 2, CNET UK found something quite interesting. When they first compared speed tests of the iPad and the iPad 2, they found that the iPad 2 was four times as fast as the original iPad. However, when they installed the new version of the iOS onto the original iPad, the speed difference was much less: Jason Jenkins reported: “Once we’d updated the software on our iPad 1, the gap between the two devices narrowed considerably, with the iPad 2 coming out at just 1.5x faster than the iPad 1.”

What exactly does that mean to you? Well, if you don’t care about the cameras or the enhanced gaming abilities of the new iPad 2 – if you just want to surf the web and check email – the difference between the two models is not so great anymore. And with the reduced pricing, as well as even lower rates on refurbished and clearance iPads on Apple.com, you can get great value for your dollar – go to store.apple.com and scroll to the bottom, then click on “Refurbished iPad.” As always, it comes down to what you want. And if you don’t play fancy games either, then you should seriously consider taking this opportunity to buy an iPad at a greatly reduced price, while still getting the benefits of the latest software update. For many people, an original iPad is going to be a better and more cost-effective choice. Compare both models features and decide what’s most important to you. If you decide to go for the original, then pay close attention to the clearance section of Apple.com’s store or other resellers to find the best deals.

A Note About FaceTime

FaceTime is definitely a wow factor: being able to video chat with friends and family is amazing the first time you do it. While an amazing and cool feature, it won’t do you any good if you don’t know anyone who can FaceTime with you. Also, at the moment you can only do it while connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, not through the cell phone network. The Wi-Fi only limitation is due entirely to the cellular phone companies in the United States being unable to handle the huge amount of data that video conferencing would add to already over-taxed networks, but that will change in the near future. Considering that so many places offer free Wi-Fi, as well as how easy it is to set up your own Wi-Fi network at home, this isn’t that big of a drawback. On the plus side, with a Wi-Fi only iPad you don’t have to pay extra monthly fees to the cell phone company just to use these features.

Further Reading: iPad 2 Speed Test