So you braved the wilds of the retail jungle and scored yourself an iPad 2 on launch day. Congratulations! If you now find yourself sitting in front of your Mac or PC wondering what to do next, fear not -- we've got you covered.
Apple made a splash with their iPad 2 announcement last week, and now the real McCoy is finally arriving in retail stores (not to mention, available for online ordering through Apple.com for the less adventurous and more patient). After beating back the masses and braving your wallet to procure an iPad 2, MacLife.com is here to help get you started with a list of the first 10 things you simply must do to enjoy your slim new friend.
Journey with us now, won't you?
Update to iTunes 10.2.1
You did update iTunes before you headed to the store, right? While Apple released iTunes 10.2 on March 2, the company slipped out a modest 10.2.1 update on Tuesday, presumably to catch any last-minute bugs prior to rolling out iOS 4.3 on Wednesday.
Before you start messing around with the iPad 2, it's a good idea to hit Software Update and make sure you're running the most recent version -- along with anything else that pops up there. After all, you're one of the first to have an iPad 2, shouldn't you also be prudent with keeping your Mac or PC up to date, too? The good news is, you can do this before you head out to buy your new pal, saving valuable time you can otherwise share together.
Moving From An Old iPad? Clean Up on Aisle 1
Before you even think about breaking the shrink wrap on your new iPad 2, you should take a good, long look at your first-generation model prior to connecting the new one to iTunes. This is particularly true if you had one of the 64GB models, because you've likely accumulated a lot of stuff there that you may not want to carry over to your fresh new replacement. (Can you say, digital hoarding?)
For example, maybe you went with a 3G iPad the first time around and installed one of the many navigation apps you already owned for your iPhone. If you decided to save $129 this time around and make do with a Wi-Fi only iPad 2 model, you'll find that GPS apps no longer work, since only the 3G variations include the AGPS chip necessary for such use. That means you may have an app (and its accompanying routing data) taking up 1GB or more of valuable iPad storage space, and why bother syncing that over to your new model?
We recommend plugging in your original iPad, deleting any apps you find that you no longer use -- and pay close attention to that Apps tab, you may have a bunch of big files lurking in File Sharing that also don't need to make a nest on your iPad 2. Perhaps your taste in music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, book and photos have also changed over the last year, and you can find some ways to cut down on unnecessary data you'll just have to sync over to the new model by unchecking those items and doing another sync on your original model.
One Last Dance with iTunes Backup
Likewise, if you intend to carry over existing data from an iPhone, iPod touch or first-gen iPad, you'll want to make sure those devices have a good backup before you do so. If your iOS device is already connected to iTunes, just click on it under Devices in the sidebar while holding down the Control key and select "Back Up."
Otherwise, plug your device into iTunes and start a new Sync, which will automatically update your backup the first time it's connected. (Subsequent syncs will skip the backup and just sync else anything else you've changed.) You'll want to do this just before restoring to your iPad 2, so the backup is absolutely the latest version.
OK, Now Break the Shrink Wrap and Activate
Seriously… if you haven't already, go ahead and open your new iPad 2 (what have you been waiting for?). Savor the aroma of fresh glass, aluminum and silicon. After all, you may not get to experience this feeling again until when -- June or July with the iPhone 5?
After a bit of manhandling and maybe letting friends or loved ones hold your slender new friend (but only for a moment!), it's time to use your dock cable to connect with iTunes and set up your iPad 2. Like every iOS device, iTunes will recognize the iPad 2 and offer to name it for you (feel free to change this to whatever you'd like), as well as automatically sync music, photos and applications to your new device.
For most users, you'll probably want to skip the automatic sync options, especially if you're restoring from a backup of your previous iPad or have a large media collection that would easily dwarf the storage on your new tablet. After your tablet is activated, you'll probably want to play around a bit before commencing with the dirty work of syncing media (or restoring from a backup).
Restore, or Say Hello to Your Little Friend
To restore your existing iPad backup to your new iPad 2, select the device in the iTunes sidebar while holding down the Control key and select "Restore from Backup" -- note this is not the same thing as restoring your device to make it factory fresh again, you're just moving the data and settings from your older device to the new one.
If your original iPad was full of media and apps and you didn't heed our second thing to do, be prepared to wait for a while while iTunes moves all of your settings over, then reboots the iPad 2 and syncs all of your media (don't say we didn't warn you).
Otherwise, if this is your first time with an iPad, you'll likely want to poke around and check everything out for a bit -- even if you have other iOS devices, an iPad is a new experience and should be savored like a fine wine (or something like that).
Make a FaceTime Call
Apple didn't put those cameras on there for nothing! Go ahead, fire up the FaceTime app, enter your credentials and make a video call to a loved one or friend to brag about how you have the iPad 2 and they don't -- this is especially handy for those of you on the East Coast with friends on the West Coast, since you'll get a three-hour jump on them.
As always, FaceTime requires a Wi-Fi connection, and the folks you call will need an iPhone 4, fourth-generation iPod touch, iPad 2 or camera-equipped Mac in order to make the connection. We anticipate that FaceTime will really start to take off thanks to the iPad 2's larger display.
Goof Off with Photo Booth
Another new software addition to the iPad 2 which takes advantage of dual cameras is Photo Booth, a carryover from the Mac which essentially emulates those little kiosks found in shopping malls and amusement parks we've all tried at one time or another. Right now Photo Booth is exclusive to the iPad 2, so you'll want to fire it up and get a few laughs in before moving on to more serious fun.
Sure, Photo Booth is probably not one of the apps you'll use a lot, but it's likely to be an extremely good way to sway your colleagues into buying their own iPad 2.
Commit $10 to iMovie and GarageBand
Sure, the iPad 2 is a modest sequel to the original, with its marginal twin cameras, dual-core processor and slimmer build. That's why Apple introduced an updated universal iMovie app last week alongside the new iPad-only GarageBand, which is being touted as two of the major reasons you'll want to pick up the iPad 2. (GarageBand actually works with the original iPad, but sadly iMovie does not -- it requires a device with cameras.)
At only $4.99 each, iMovie and GarageBand are a steal compared to the look on your friends' faces when you show them your new companion rocking both apps. Best of all, if you already purchased iMovie for your iPhone 4 or fourth-generation iPod touch, the update is absolutely free -- just check for updates in iTunes, download and install.
Gorge on Cool Free Apps
Maxed out your weekly App Store budget buying iMovie and GarageBand? We hear you, times are tough and money is in short supply. That's why Apple has a section of the App Store dedicated to "Great Free Apps" that's sure to delight you with some fun -- all while keeping your wallet safely stored in your pocket.
To check out a list of notable free apps from your iTunes software, head to the iTunes Store and use the App Store pulldown menu to select Great Free Apps. Too lazy to get off the couch? You can also find a long list of freebies from your iPad 2 by launching App Store, selecting the Top Charts tab at the bottom and scrolling through the "Top Free iPad Apps" list on the right-hand side.
Prepare to Lose Sleep
Assuming you are able to nab an iPad 2 close to the 5pm local time launch on Friday, March 11, by the time you bring it home, grab some dinner and step through the above checklist, it's likely to be late in the evening. But hey, it's a weekend, so kick back with your iPad 2 and relax!
Watch some movies or TV shows, listen to some music or podcasts, read an e-book or favorite RSS news feeds, shoot some video of your kids/pets/et cetera being crazy, edit it in iMovie and then beam your creation to a black Apple TV via AirPlay. Even if you owned the original iPad, you're likely to find plenty of ways to push that 10-hour battery life on the first night with your new baby.
Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
Sent from my iPad
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