Hi and welcome to the Forum!
You should be on your iPad with the app. I use it all the time. Go to the Settings app then Notifications and set up your alerts there. Whilst in the app, press More (bottom right) and yes you will get Settings and Help, press Settings and this will load with Forum Reading and Posting options and Facebook if you use it. Just set these how you want them.
Hpulmer is from Germany so his are in German, when on the app if you just press the photos they will load in full size, no need to try to peer at them. You'll be fine, just a little learning curve but the app is so much simpler to use. Any thread you post to will immediately subscribe you to that thread, so you will get notifications on the Subscribed tab whenever new posts are added to that thread. If you like a thread and want to subscribe to it just press the arrow thingy top right and this will load with options, to Reply to post, refresh, or to subscribe. Pressing the Forums tab will take you to all the different sub forums. Just have a play.
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
Reading the IPad manual is a great place to start so please download a copy of these.
http://www.support.apple.com/manuals/ipad/
2 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
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!