Complete Newbie

[Phoenix Rising]

Hi,

I was given an iPad Air by my college to help me study towards my Diploma in Travel. If I complete my course, I get to keep it but if I don't complete the course I have to hand it back. Now obviously I intend to complete the course, so that's not an issue, however I have never used an iPad before, I have no idea how to use it and am having trouble finding out how. I found this forum while looking for instructions on how to save a file from dropbox to my ipad so I can acces it offline and thought that maybe this forum can help me.

Before trying to find the information I need to be able to use this infernal device using Google, I contacted my college. My tutor gave me a phone number and told me to ask for an extension number for the IT department. I rang the number and the person I spoke to refused to put me through to the extension number because the "IT department is there for issues with the college website, not to teach students how to use hardware" and was told to go to the apple site to learn how to use the thing. I went to the website to find the answer to the question that brought me here and found the language to be aimed at those who are already in the know on how to use this stuff and therefore found it to be too confusing.

So now that I have registered with this forum, I daresay I'll be reading as many threads as I can find on topics that might help me, while also working on my studies. I'll be going into the college from time to time and hopefully, I can get someone to explain to me why I need so many pre-loaded apps on the Infernal Device (my nick name for the iPad, because it's driving me insane trying to teach myself to use it up to this point) and from this forum, I hope to learn how to use the Infernal Device and the apps on it.

Cheers,

Phoenix

 

[twerppoet]

Welcome to the forum.

The infernal device works quite well with Google. If you go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars you will find it easy to add your Google Gmail account. You will also find quite a few Google apps in the App Store, including; Google Drive, Google Maps, and many more. The functionality of the apps varies, some being better than what you can get on Android (changes version to version), some not so much.

While it may seem like a lot of apps at first glance, it's actually far fewer than you get pre-installed on most other devices. And at least they are all fully functional apps, not placeholders meant to get you to buy full un-crippled versions. In some cases you'll need those apps, even if you don't use them as your primary apps. They are tied into the system and will act as defaults for certain actions and files.

A moderator will probably be by soon with some links for you, but you can get a jump on learning about your iPad by going to the the App Store, downloading the iBooks app, then in that app's store search for and download the iPad User Guide for iOS 7. Both app and book are free. There is a PDF version on Apple's site as well, but the iBook version is more search friendly.

Good luck.

 

[leelai]

Hi Phoenix and welcome to the Forum!

I see Twerppoet has given you the low down on that infernal device! . And below you will find quite a lot of info which will also help you come to terms with it.

My daughters use their iPads with their Uni work and find it so much easier than lugging around their laptops. Anyway, read through our threads and you'll be up and running in no time! Enjoy!!

The IPad Forum is a community of members from all walks of life and from all over the world coming together to share our experiences and to help each other learn about this wonderful piece of technology the Ipad. There is a wealth of information already here in the many threads we have so doing some searches will answer most of the questions you have. If then you cannot find the answer you are seeking then by all means post your question. There are many friendly and informed members here only too willing to help you.

We also have our own App - It is a very simple app to navigate.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/discussion-forum-for-ipad/id412896524?mt=8
Tutorial for our App
http://www.ipadforums.net/new-membe...sistance/107524-ipad-forums-app-tutorial.html
Tutorial on creating posts on the Forum
http://www.ipadforums.net/new-membe...-creating-posts-starting-new-threads-how.html
Reading the IPad manual is a great place to start so please download a copy of these.
http://www.support.apple.com/manuals/ipad/
3 very informative threads from which you will learn many tips and shortcuts for the IPad.
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-general-discussions/21590-tips-tricks-those-us-who-dont-know.html
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-os/49581-ios5-tips-tricks.html
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help...shortcuts-helpful-places-people-new-ipad.html
We have rules like any Community so please read these also
http://www.ipadforums.net/forum-rul...um-rules-everybody-please-read.html#post14697

Once again we welcome you here and are so pleased you have joined us!

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Phoenix Rising]

Thank you for the warm welcomes. I suppose that there might be a few things that I should clarify. The study mentioned is because I am a middle aged woman changing careers, so my long years of using a pc have left me unprepared for the use of the Infernal Device. In many ways, I feel as though I may be too old to learn this technology, though I am having no trouble studying my course. Probably because it's a completely different type of learning.

The preloaded apps that have me bamboozled are the things that the college have deemed might be useful to me when they issued me with the Infernal Device. So I am planning on going to my college campus to talk with my tutor and find out what things I actually need, so that I can get rid of the rest till I understand what's needed and can use them properly.

 

[twerppoet]

Just approach it as a completely new way of doing things. If you try to cling to how the computer worked you'll just slow the learning process down and discourage yourself with a series of obstacles. Don't confront your device as a challenge, play with it to see what it will do. Play and experimentation is the quickest way to learn anything new. It's a new toy. Enjoy it.

And if you do need to do something that you can't figure out, ask. If it can be done chances are someone here knows how.

Good luck.

As for being middle aged, a large number of members here are about your age, or well past that. The iPad is not difficult to figure out, as long as you don't insist that you already know how it should work.