What is synched between iPad and another computer?

[healer]

While trying to do a backup, by mistake, I did a sync as well. I think the sync files are stored in the same location on my Windows 7 system. Am I right?

It says it has synchronized some music files from my computer to the iPad. However I can't find them on the iPad. I want to delete them from the iPad. I open iTunes, and I can see only all the Internet connections. How do I get to see the locally stored music files.

How can we control what to sync and what not to? Can we do a one-way sync?

I remember I could see the iPad from the Windows Explorer on the Window 7 system before I tried synching or backing up. Now I can't see it any more. I am trying to locate the files from there. Is it because I have run iTunes? Can I see files on the iPad from iTunes on a Windows system?

 

[twerppoet]

When you have iTunes open, and the iPad connected, you will see it listed under Devices in the left column. Select it, and you will see the various sync options listed across the top. Select each category, and go through the various options until you have them set the way you want.

On the Summary page, you can tell iTunes not to launch when you connect the iPad. In preferences, the devices tab, you can also stop the autosync.

 

[healer]

Are you referring to the iTunes at the computer or the iPad? I try the one on the computer, I can't find the Summary page. Neither can I find anything to disable the autosync under the devices tab in the Preferences. Please help!

 

[twerppoet]

On the computer. iTunes on the iPad is just the store. iTunes on the computer does much more.

Here is the Preference setting in iTunes that will disable auto sync for all devices.




Here is how iTunes should look when the iPad is plugged into the computer and selected in iTunes.



If that isn't working, let my know what part is not happening and I might be able to help.

 

[healer]

Thank you very much!

Your screen shots help me a lot. I looked but I didn't see previously.

What is the significance of those options on the bottom of the iTunes.

My "Open iTunes when this iPad is connected" is dimmed out and disabled, so I can't select or de-select. By the way mine is iPad while yours shows iPhone. I suppose this is because yours which is connected is an iPhone while mine is iPad.

I have since checked "Sync only checked songs and videos", hopefully it would further restrict what to be synchronized. What do the last three options really mean? Do they mean to convert high definition video to that of lower definition while synching. What does "Manually manage music and videos" do?

My iPad and the Windows computer are on the same network connected to the router wirelessly. Do I still need the USB cable connected between them in order to do backup and restore as well as synchronization? Is this what the option of "Sync with this iPad over Wi-Fi" is supposed to control?

Lastly, is the power consumption the same when we actually turn off the power of the iPad by pressing and holding down the power button momentarily and when we let it turn off itself after time-out?

 

[twerppoet]

When you disable the auto-sync as I showed in Preferences you lose the ability to open iTunes when the device is connected. That is why it is grayed out. I forgot about that. As you'll notice, mine is also grayed out. I prefer to launch iTunes and sync manually.

I use the "Sync only checked. . ." option to prevent items that are not really songs from syncing. I've got some poetry and movie sounds that occasionally gets mixed in if I don't. There are other ways to prevent the sync, but this was convenient at the time.

"Prefer standard definition. . ." means that if you have both a standard definition video and a high definition with the same name, it will chose the smaller of the two. In terms of quality, it's the same as comparing the older TV resolution with the new HD options.

The Convert higher bit rate. . .: does exactly what it means. It will convert your higher quality songs to the specified bit rate when transferring the songs to the iPad. I'm not enough of an audiophile to care if my songs are slightly lower quality on the iPad, especially with my standard Apple headphones. I doubt I could tell the difference.

If I remember correctly "Manually manage. . ." means that iTunes leaves your music and videos in the original folder when you import. Normally the iPad makes copies and places them in it's own hierarchy.

If your iPad and computer are on the same network, you can use the wi-fi sync option. I prefer the greater speed and control of the USB cable. It's up to you which you end up preferring.

When you press the power button briefly you are only putting the iPad to sleep. It will still consume power, though considerably less than if the screen is on. How much power is consumed in this mode depends on what background tasks may be active. The iPad will still check for Mail, continue downloads that were started, and a few other things. Unless you have an active GPS app or are streaming music the batterie usesage on the iPad when in sleep mode isn't usually a problem.

When you press the power button until you see the power off slider, and slide it, the iPad is truly off. It will only turn back on if you press the power button for about 3 seconds, or plug the iPad into a charger.


If you go to the Help menu in iTunes you can search for many of these terms, a few tutorials, and the various iDevice user guides. It may not answer all your questions, but it should help make you more familiar with what the app will and won't do.

 

[healer]

Thank you!

I didn't expect the help for iPad is with Itunes.

I thank you very much.

 

[twerppoet]

No problem.

You can also find the iPad User Guide in the iBooks Store, as a PDF on the iPad Support page, and an HTML version of it in Safari. The bookmark is installed by default at the top level of your saved bookmarks (bottom of the list).

Some of this info is on the (easily overlooked) card that came in your iPad's box. Sometimes Apple's clean elegant packaging works against it. There would probably be fewer (why no manual?) questions on the forum if that card was a bit more noticeable.

 

[healer]

Thanks for your further information.

I have actually downloaded the iPad User Guide on my Windows system. Now I want to put a copy on the iPad without further downloading from the Internet by transferring the file from the Windows Explorer to iFunBox but I failed.

I downloaded the app iBooks and I have supposed I could simply drop it into the iBooks directory and then I can read it from there. No, I fail. I open iBooks but I can't see it anywhere.

I have even set up my Windows system as a web server. I can read my web sites or any document in there from the iPad but I don't know how I can get the file over for the apps through the intranet.

So it looks like iPad works only with the Internet.

 

[twerppoet]

Sounds like you are doing some jailbreak stuff. I've no experience with it, but in general dropping stuff into an app's file structure (when it's not designed with an open files system) is something you should only do if you know exactly where it goes, and how the app handles things. Many apps not only store the base file, but create indexes and other files that manage their content when a file is added. I have no idea if iBooks does this, or how if it does, but it's the most likely reason your files are not showing up in the app.

I've only added books to iBooks by the normal methods: iTunes, email, Open In, and from the iBook Store. The last is what I recommend. The version in the iBooks store is free, and because it is in ePub format it is more versatile than a PDF.

If you really want the PDF version in iBooks, just email it to yourself and use Open In in Mail. iBooks will be an option.

You could also use DropBox and the DropBox app. Again, iBooks should show up as an option for Open In.

 

[healer]

I am not too sure if I am actually using the jailbreak stuff. I install it according to your recommendation on the other thread when I mentioned I wanted to access the file system of the iPad. Now it sounds more like Jailbreak is not what I need.

Your suggestion of adding "books" to iBooks seems to conflict with what you said on the other thread. So as you advised on the other thread I would follow the suggestion on the other one.

I have not got to use the email functions on the iPad yet. I wonder if it allows to create more than one profile like Microsoft Outlook.