How to set up your new Apple iPad

With the holiday season beginning in just a few weeks, there’s already a lot of festive buzz about Apple’s iPad. The iPad is bound to be one of the most popular holiday gifts this season. Whether you’re looking for an eBook reader, the latest apps, a portable media player, or just a fun new device, iPad will make its debut in many homes this December.

Now that you’ve done your ceremonial “unboxing,” it’s time to use the iPad. If you’re not familiar with iPods, iPhones, or most other Apple technologies, this can be a very frustrating task. Fear not as I am here to show you how to set up your Apple iPad and start having fun with the Apple app!

The first thing to do after unboxing your iPad is to connect your new baby directly to your computer using the USB cable. Open your iTunes software once it is connected to the computer. If you don’t have iTunes, you’ll want to download it from Apple’s website before connecting your iPad. iTunes is pretty easy to set up.

Once your iPad is connected to your iTunes, you will be prompted to sign in. This may be where you experience your first hiccup in the process. If the iPad is not connected properly, it is likely that your version of iTunes is not up to date. Just go ahead and update your iTunes and you should be fine upon reboot.

You will be prompted to register your iPad once iTunes recognizes it. Be sure to register because if something goes wrong with your iPad, it may take a while for you to receive a remedy from Apple if you’re not registered. So go ahead and register your iPad.

Next, you will be prompted to restore your iPad to its original state or set up your iPad as new. Obviously, this is a new iPad, so you want to choose the option that allows you to “Set up a new iPad.” Keep in mind that if you want to restore iPad, it might take a long time. So in the future, if you have to do a restore, make sure to set your restore at a time when you don’t need immediate access to your iPad.

The next step will be to sync your media. You’ll be prompted to set iTunes to sync automatically. I choose not to do this with any of my Apple devices. If there’s one flaw with the iPad it’s that iPad apps are huge and will fill up your iPad quickly. So choose carefully when it comes to syncing your media. If you have a lot of movies on your iTunes, you may want to sync only the movies or videos you want to watch right away. Otherwise, you’ll quickly fill your iPad with a bunch of files that you won’t be using for the foreseeable future. My recommendation is to sync your media manually so you can choose what you want on your iPad.

Email settings are one of the easiest things to set up on iPad. It’s as simple as selecting your email program, entering your login information, and you’re good to go.

I would also recommend taking some time and searching the internet for tips and tricks for the Apple iPad. There are a lot of cool things that some iPad users have done with the device. There are things that you would have never dreamed of that some people have discovered and posted step by step tutorials online for new iPad owners like you.

You are now set up to receive emails, download apps and view your favorite media on your new toy. Sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful world of this amazing piece of technology. It will change your life and before you know it, it will be time to make a run to the store for the next version of the Apple iPad.