My: Locate a lost iPad (or iPhone, AirPods, or Mac). I look more closely at Find My in Chapter 14.
Shortcuts: Combine two or more actions — such as taking a photo and sending it via text message to someone — into a single script that you run by tapping an icon.
Clock: Check the current time (locally as well as from anywhere in the world) and set alarms and timers. You hear more about this nifty app in Chapter 12.
Contacts: Store information about the people you know. Chapter 11 explains how to use the Contacts app.
Stocks: Track stocks. You can also get news articles about the companies you're following.
Translate: Translate a word or phrase in one language (entered by typing or speaking) into another language. See Chapter 12 for the details.
Voice Memos: Record everything you speak into your iPad's microphone. For more about the Voice Memos app, turn to Chapter 12.
Measure: Measure distances in the real world by using the iPad's back camera. Seriously, try it! Turn to Chapter 12 for more on the Measure app.
iTunes Store: Buy or rent music, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and more. You find more info about iTunes Store in Chapter 7.
Magnifier: Using the iPad's rear camera, zoom in on real-world objects that are too small to see clearly. Chapter 12 shows you how the Magnifier app does its job.
Tips: Get tips for using your iPad.
Depending on your iPad model, the second page of the Home screen might also house a few other Apple apps, such as Pages (word processor), Keynote (presentations), Numbers (spreadsheet), Apple Store (buy Apple stuff), iMovie (create digital movies), Clips (create short video clips), and GarageBand (record and edit music).
Getting to know the dock
At the bottom of every iPad Home screen page, you see a special shelflike area called the dock. By default, the eight icons on the dock are as follows:
Messages: Exchange free, unlimited text or multimedia messages with any other device running iOS 5 or later or Mac OS X Mountain Lion or later. Find out more about Messages in Chapter 6.
Safari: Navigate sites and pages on the web. Chapter 4 shows you how to start using Safari on your iPad.
Music: Listen to music or podcasts. You discover how the Music app works in Chapter 7.
Mail: Send and receive email with most email systems. Chapter 5 helps you start emailing from your iPad everyone you know.
Calendar: Create and manage appointments. You learn more about Calendar in Chapter 11.
Photos: View, edit, and manage the photos in your iPad library. To get started, see Chapter 9.
Notes: Type short notes while you’re out and about. For help using Notes, flip to Chapter 11.
App Library: Get quick access to all your apps organized by category. I explain more in Chapter 10.
Two last points:
Notifications are messages from iPadOS and your apps that tell you about recent activity on your tablet. I wanted to mention them even though they don’t have an icon of their own. You hear much more about notifications in Chapter 12. To see them now (I know you can’t wait), swipe from the top of your screen to the middle to make them appear. Then swipe from the bottom to put them away again. This gesture works anytime — even when your iPad is locked. If it’s locked, you’ll see your most recent notifications when you swipe down. Then swipe up to see older notifications.
I’d be remiss not to mention the useful Control Center, with controls for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio playback, and much more, all available from any screen in any app. You discover much more about Control Center in Chapter 14, but if you can’t stand the suspense, put your finger in the top-right corner of your iPad screen and swipe down to open Control Center (and then tap some other part of the screen to put it away).
Chapter 2
Basic Training
IN THIS CHAPTER
By now you know that the iPad you hold in your hands is very different from other computers.
You also know that the iPad is rewriting the rule book for mainstream computing. How so? For starters, iPads don’t come with a mouse or any other kind of pointing device. They lack traditional computing ports or connectors, such as USB. And they have no physical or built-in keyboard, though Apple will sell you a Smart Keyboard accessory for recent iPad models.
iPads even differ from other so-called tablet PCs, some of which feature a pen or stylus and let you write in digital ink. As I point out (pun intended) in Chapter 1, the iPad relies on an input device that you always have with you: your finger. Okay,