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Take Control of Working with Your iPad, Second Edition
Get real-world advice for doing real work on your iPad!
Any day can be "Take Your iPad to Work Day." Let Joe Kissell help you find and use the best productivity apps and techniques for your iPad. Whether you'd like to run your office from an easy chair, take meeting notes on your iPad, or travel light and still be able to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more, Joe's real-world advice helps you make the most of your iPad.
Is this ebook up to date? No. This circa 2011 ebook dates from the time of iOS 4. In late 2012, we released a new title called Take Control Live: Working with Your iPad. This title is not at all a typical Take Control ebook. It consists of a season pass to four video presentations about getting work done on the iPad in the context of the software, general technology, and iPad models available in late 2012 (and early 2013). It also contains (or will contain as each presentation occurs and the title is updated) show notes for each presentation, which will provide a skimmable, compressed version the content.
Special topics include clever tips on how to use the iPad's virtual keyboard effectively, the best ways to transfer documents among apps and devices, how to print from the iPad (with or without AirPrint-compatible printers), and ways to surmount common hurdles that keep you from using your iPad productively. You'll also learn the pros and cons of Apple's productivity tools and get savvy suggestions for third-party products that you may want to add to your iPad toolkit.
- More Info
- Contents & Intro
- What’s New
- FAQ
- Blog
This book will teach you to:
Type right: You'll learn tips for maximizing typing speed and accuracy with the onscreen keyboard and learn the best ways to use the iPad Keyboard Dock and Bluetooth keyboard options.
Select, cut, copy, and paste: These commands may be second-nature to you on a regular computer, but learning their touchscreen variants may give you pause. Joe explains what to do.
Transfer files among apps and devices: If you find that using iTunes to exchange documents with your iPad is limiting or cumbersome, take heart! This ebook looks carefully at apps that can exchange documents with each other and with cloud/server-based systems, including Air Sharing HD, Documents To Go, Dropbox, GoDocs, GoodReader, Google Documents and Spreadsheets, MobileMe iDisk, Memeo Connect, Office2 HD, PrintCentral, Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, ReaddleDocs, SugarSync, and more.
Manage your contacts and calendars: Learn the basics of using the iPad's included Contacts and Calendar apps.
Take notes effectively at meetings and lectures: It's hard to take a shiny new iPad to a meeting unobtrusively, but once the ooohs and ahhhs die down, you'll be able to get back to business, with pointers for using Apple's Notes app, and tips on great third-party apps that help you to take typed or handwritten notes, record audio, and even use speech recognition.
Write and send email: Find out how to set up email accounts, view and reply to email, and adjust settings in Mail to match your needs. (For more in-depth information about email on the iPad, take advantage of one of our Take Control bundle deals to buy both this book and Joe's Take Control of Mail on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch—the bundles are listed to the left.)
Create documents in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and more: Joe gets you up and running with the apps in Apple's mobile iWork suite, and he explores a number of third-party alternatives that offer capabilities Apple overlooked. Joe also provides a special focus on cross-application communication among your iPad, "the cloud," and a desktop computer.
Print your documents: And not just on a printer - Joe describes how to “print” to a Dropbox folder, to PDF format and more, using Apple's built-in AirPrint feature and third-party apps.
And still more... Learn how to use instant messaging, browse the Web effectively (especially with apps that complement or replace Safari), and map locations, all in the context of maximizing productivity and getting your work done. A final section offers pointers to apps that allow you to perform even more tasks, including drawing and painting, working with multitrack audio, outlining and brainstorming, and using databases.
Book Info
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About the Author
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Book Reviews
Author Interviews
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Joe Kissell has written numerous books about the Macintosh, including many popular Take Control ebooks. He's also Senior Editor of TidBITS and a Senior Contributor to Macworld, and previously spent ten years in the Mac software industry.
Table of Contents
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Read Me FirstThis book shows you how to use your iPad for a variety of work-related activities, such as managing calendars and contacts, using email, browsing the Web, creating and editing documents, and giving presentations. It helps you understand how to think about your iPad and encourages you to explore options beyond those Apple provides. It was written by Joe Kissell, edited by Tonya Engst, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. |
Introduction
The iPad is a wonderful, all-purpose digital device whose features and size put it between an iPhone (or iPod touch) and a laptop or netbook. It’s ideal for consuming various kinds of media (including books, comics, TV shows, movies, photos, and music), playing games, and performing a thousand other tasks. But however adept this device may be at recreational activities, what a lot of people want to know is whether and how the iPad can be used for work. That’s what I explore in this book.
The answers may be different for each person. A recurring refrain in this book is that the iPad is not a computer (in the way that most of us think of computers), and so if you expect it to do everything a Mac or PC can do, you’ll be disappointed. On the other hand, the iPad lets you accomplish tasks that would be infeasible on a device with a smaller display. And because the iPad is so versatile, is easily transported, and has such a long battery life, it may make you more productive by letting you do certain kinds of work in environments where a laptop wouldn’t make sense.
For example, have you ever tried to use a laptop (even a fairly small one) on the tray table of a coach-class airplane seat? It’s geometrically tricky to say the least, and if the seat in front of you reclines, it can become impossible. So, if you were planning to read a report or work up a quick spreadsheet or presentation on the plane, your plans might be thwarted—but not if you’re using an iPad! Similarly, because you can carry the iPad nearly anywhere, you may find yourself doing useful work on park benches, in cafés and waiting rooms, and in other places where a laptop would be inconvenient to lug, and where an iPhone’s or iPod touch’s tiny screen would be too limiting.
The bottom line is that the iPad can make you more productive in many kinds of work than a smaller device could—and it may also be a better solution, in some contexts, than a laptop or netbook. But the trick is knowing how to exploit the iPad’s strengths and minimize its weaknesses when it comes to work-related tasks. That’s what I’m about to show you.
This book assumes you’re already thoroughly familiar with your iPad’s major features and are comfortable interacting with it. If you need help with things like using multi-touch gestures, charging and syncing your iPad, installing apps, and getting online, you should start by reading Tonya Engst’s Take Control of iPad Basics. That’ll teach you all the fundamentals so that you can make sense of everything I discuss here.
And by the way, although this book covers primarily work-related topics, other books in the Take Control series explore other aspects of using your iPad:
- Take Control of Media on Your iPad, by Jeff Carlson, explains everything you need to know about using your iPod for books, music, podcasts, movies, TV shows, photos, and other media.
- Take Control of iPad Networking & Security, by Glenn Fleishman, delves into all the details you may need about working with Wi-Fi and 3G wireless networks—and keeping your data safe as you do so.
- My ebook, Take Control of Mail on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, goes beyond the discussion of how to send and receive email in this book to more fully help you develop a mobile email strategy.
Working with Your iPad Quick Start
This book shows you how to do a variety of work-related activities with an iPad. Because each person has different work needs, feel free to skip around and read these topics in any order. However, I do recommend reading Adopt the Right Mindset first, because that chapter sets the tone for everything else I discuss here.
Start on the right foot:
- Learn how best to approach your iPad; see Adopt the Right Mindset.
- Discover useful skills for working with your iPad such as how to Use Keyboard Shortcuts and how to Cut, Copy, Paste, and Replace; see Master the Basics.
Handle business fundamentals:
- Make the most of your iPad’s address book; see Manage Your Contacts.
- Never lose track of a meeting or appointment; see Manage Your Calendars.
- Breeze through meetings and keep track of important data by typing notes, taking handwritten notes, recording discussions, and more; see Take Notes.
Stay connected:
- Connect to POP, IMAP, MobileMe, or Exchange servers; see Send and Receive Email.
- Chat with colleagues and friends in real time; see Use Instant Messaging.
View and create office documents:
- Get documents from your Mac or PC onto your iPad—and vice versa; see Transfer and View Documents.
- Discover the joys and pitfalls of word processing on an iPad; see Work with Text.
- Crunch numbers, manage lists, make graphs, and more; see Work with Spreadsheets.
- Go beyond slideshows with Keynote’s impressive capabilities or a third-party app; see Create and Give Presentations.
- Commit your creations to paper; see Print from Your iPad.
Do everything else:
- Transcend Safari’s limitations; see Browse the Web.
- Figure out where you are and how to get where you’re going; see Use Maps.
- Find examples of iPad apps for a variety of other tasks; see Do Other Work Activities.
What's New in the Second Edition
As I point out in Expect Change, the world of iPad software is nothing if not dynamic. This second edition covers changes that occurred in iOS 4.2 and many new or updated third-party apps.
Here are the major changes in this version:
- Greatly expanded the list of third-party to-do list apps; see the sidebar To Don’t
- Added a list of third-party calendar apps; see Use Third-Party Calendar Apps
- Revised the discussions of apps that let you Take Handwritten Notes, Record Audio, and Combine Note-Taking Activities
- Updated the Send and Receive Email chapter to cover iOS 4 changes such as the unified Inbox
- Added a discussion of IM apps that support multitasking in Use Instant Messaging
- Expanded the coverage of third-party Web browsers in Use Alternative Browsers
- Updated the Use Maps chapter to account for some (mostly minor) user interface changes in the Maps app
- Thoroughly updated and expanded the Transfer and View Documents chapter to cover the latest capabilities of leading apps
- Completely reworked and greatly added to the discussion of text editors and word processors; see Work with Text
- Updated the chapter Work with Spreadsheets to cover new capabilities in Numbers and several third-party apps
- Updated the chapter Create and Give Presentations to cover new capabilities in Keynote and several third-party apps
- Totally revised the Print from Your iPad chapter to cover AirPrint and third-party tools to enable printing on non-HP printers
- In the Do Other Work Activities chapter, added several options to the Use a Database, Draw and Paint, and Brainstorm, Outline, and Mind Map sections—and added a new section, Record and Mix Audio
Can I read this ebook on an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Kindle?
There are lots of great ways to read our ebooks on these devices. For more details, please read our latest Device Advice.
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Update Plans
We do not plan to update this ebook again. In late 2012, we released a new title called Take Control Live: Working with Your iPad. This title is not at all a typical Take Control ebook. It consists of a season pass to four video presentations about getting work done on the iPad in the context of the software, general technology, and iPad models available in late 2012 (and early 2013). It also contains (or will contain as each presentation occurs and the title is updated) show notes for each presentation, which will provide a skimmable, compressed version the content.
—Adam Engst
New iPads, Oh My!
October 29, 2012 --
Until last week, the iPad line-up consisted of three basic models: the original iPad, the iPad 2, and the 3rd-generation iPad.
Last week, Apple announced two new iPad models: the 4th-generation iPad and the iPad mini. Now, the line-up looks like this:
- Original iPad: Still a nice iPad, but it was discontinued even before last week.
- iPad 2: The oldest iPad still on the market.
- 3rd-generation iPad: This rather nice iPad was discontinued last week.
- 4th-generation iPad: Like the 3rd-generation iPad, this new iPad has an exceptionally crisp Retina display. It also has a faster processing chip for overall speedier operations, a slightly different Wi-Fi radio for potentially faster network connections, and a few other hardware improvements.
- iPad mini: This entirely new iPad comes in a slightly smaller size, and with a lower price tag.
For more about the new iPads, you can read my TidBITS article, Apple Introduces the iPad mini and Fourth-Generation iPad. I also recommend Jeff Carlson's Seattle Times article, iPad mini looks like a good fit. Jeff was at the Apple announcement, so his article is informed by having actually held a mini.
—Tonya Engst
Joe Kissell and Adam Engst Say Adieu to MobileMe
July 20, 2012 --
If you haven’t yet had the time or temerity to move from MobileMe to iCloud (and you really should, since MobileMe has been MobileDeadToYou since June 30th, 2012), you can find helpful migration tips and observations in the TidBITS Presents event that Joe and Adam hosted live on on June 16th. A TidBITS article, Watch Joe Kissell and Adam Engst in TidBITS Presents: Adieu MobileMe, describes the event and provides some useful links; the event itself can be viewed on YouTube.
—Michael E. Cohen
Running a Mail Spam Filter on an iPad or iPhone
May 2, 2012 --
Take Control reader Genevieve S. wrote in with an interesting question a few days ago:
Genevieve: Do you know any third-party app that can filter mail on iPad and iPhone—i.e., apply rules?
Tonya’s reply: I don’t know of any apps that can filter mail locally on the iPad, but I’ve cc’d Adam and Joe here to see if either of them has a suggestion. Personally, I use my gmail account on the iPad, and Google handles the filtering on the server.
Joe’s reply: There is an app called ibisMail, which comes in both iPad and iPhone versions, that does filtering on the device. However, I do what Tonya does—let a server-based filter do all the work before messages appear on any of my devices.
Genevieve: Thank you for responding. I use the Gmail filter too, but the AT&T/Yahoo filter is lousy. This is not a problem when receiving mail on the Mac—the rules in Mail handle the leakage—but if I read the mail on the iPhone, a local filter would help.
Adam jumps in: You could forward the other account to Gmail to get the benefit of its filter. Lots of people do that. 
Genevieve: Great idea!!
In the third edition of Take Control of Mail on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, Joe touches on email forwarding in “Decide Which Account(s) to Use,” and he references a Macworld article that he wrote—Streamline e-mail with Gmail. The Macworld article discusses how to forward a non-Gmail email account through Gmail.
—Michael E. Cohen
iOS 4.3.3 and iOS 4.2.8 Address Location Tracking Bugs
May 5, 2011 --
The "discovery" by two researchers in April 2011 that iOS devices were storing far more location-related information than necessary, and that the information could be accessed relatively easily, incited a firestorm of criticism. Apple has now addressed those criticisms with two iOS updates.
—Michael E. Cohen
GarageBand 6.0.2 Can Open Projects from iPad Version
April 4, 2011 --
Apple has released a minor update to the Mac version of GarageBand '11. Version 6.0.2 reportedly improves overall stability, but most notably it introduces support for opening projects created in the iPad version of GarageBand. When you first open an iPad project after installing this update, GarageBand on your Mac will need to download an additional update that’s just shy of 200 MB. Note also that when you open iPad GarageBand projects, you’ll immediately be prompted to save them under a new name. That’s because once you’ve modified a project in the desktop edition, it can no longer be opened by GarageBand for iPad.
—Tonya Engst
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