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iPad 1/2 Q's

S

Sn0wball

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 30, 2009
126
0
England
Looking to buy an iPad 2 when it's released.

Got a few general iPad questions though, as it is all new to me.

1) Can I freely transfer files from my PC to iPad? Are there any DRM restrictions?

2) Are the following file-types able to be transferred from PC and opened/viewed on iPad: MP3, PDF, Doc, AVI, Mov, Wav, JPG, GIF and PNG?

3) How do I connect iPad 2 to a PC, in order to transfer files (PDFs, AVIs, MP3s, etc.) to the iPad's hard-drive?

4) If I have a physical DVD movie I'd like to convert (using a PC) for viewing on the iPad, how would I go about doing it?

5) Can I freely install and use a different browser to Safari? Such as Firefox or the like?

6) Would iPad 2 (or even iPad 1 for that matter) be able to update and use iOS5 when it's released? I'm not sure how Apple goes about introducting software upgrades as I'm mainly a MS Windows guy.

7) "WiFi" is just for using my wireless router? While "3G" is being able to access the web using iPad from anywhere? I've never used a 3G device before. Can you pay-as-you-go or do you have to take out yearly contracts? Do you need 3G if you wish to use the GPS?

Thanks in advance,

Snowy
 
First thing, the ipad works like an iphone or ipod touch in that content is typically transferred into iTunes and then into the device. Some apps allow integration to iDisk or Dropbox or other services.

Biggest thing is DO NOT expect an ipad to be a full laptop replacement. It's a great device for many things, but it is not a full general purpose system replacement.

Answers to those I know:
2: definitely MP3, PDF, JPG. Probably the others, but this should be searchable, http://www.aneesoft.com/tutorials/ipad-supported-video-format.html#ipad_video_format_supported is one page with info
3: itunes is the supported method -- others exist, and some apps such as Readdledocs will access Dropbox
4: Probably a variety of ways on a PC, usual method on Mac is Handbrake
5: Yes, there are other browsers. Not sure if Firefox has an iOS browser
6: it'd be surprising if iOS5 wasn't supported on both ipad1 & 2
7: yours and any other open wifi hotspot you find. 3G allows access when away from a wifi hotspot. Both AT&T & Verizon have pay-as-you-go plans, no contract required, no requirement to have an active plan during months you don't need access. May vary outside the US, I don't know. 3G iPad also includes GPS capability; see AGPS on wikipedia for how it works.
 
I'll give it a shot:

1) sort of. Any music, videos, and photos that are in Apple's supported formats for iPad can be transferred to the device. Other files can be transferred if there is an application available that handles them.

2)
MP3 - yes through iTunes music sync
PDF - yes through iBooks
Doc - yes if you purchase the $10 Pages app (there are also some third-party attempts at DOC support with varying degrees of success)
AVI - not through native iTunes video sync, you need to use a third-party app like CineXPlayer to view AVI files
Mov - not totally sure but I think yes, if it meets Apple's format specifications
Wav - I've never tried it...would recommend converting to MP3 or Apple lossless format
JPG - yes - note that photos synced through iTunes will be resized to save space (down to roughly 6 MP)
GIF,PNG - I believe you would need to convert to JPG to sync them, but they are viewable through the browser

3) a cable is provided which connects to the iPad dock connector and has a USB plug on the other end. Plug it into your computer and the iPad will sync with iTunes

4) Most people recommend Handbrake, a free video converter. You will also need a tool to break the copy protection on the DVD before Handbrake can convert it (search Google for that)

5) Every browser on the iPad uses Apple's "Webkit" rendering engine. So you cannot get Firefox, IE, Chrome, etc on the iPad. You can buy apps that give a different look to the browser (iCab, Atomic, Skyfire, etc), but their web rendering is still using Apple's webkit.

6) It seems certain that iPad 1 and 2 will be able to upgrade to iOS 5. Certain features of iOS 5 may be disabled on older devices like iPad 1 if they require too much processing power. Once available, the upgrade will appear when you sync with iTunes (it will ask if you want to upgrade).

7) If you get the WiFi-only iPad, you can only use it on WiFi hotspots, either at home or public hotspots like in airports, coffee shops, etc. 3G will work wherever there is a 3G signal. 3G providers and their plans will depend what country you live in. Many have month-to-month plans for the iPad.
 
1) Can I freely transfer files from my PC to iPad? Are there any DRM restrictions?


If the media you are transferring has DRM restrictions then it depends on what those restrictions are. It doesn't matter what device you try to transfer to, the DRM stays in-tact regardless. If the media is limited to the original device it was d/l'd to then, no, you can't xfer it.

2) Are the following file-types able to be transferred from PC and opened/viewed on iPad: MP3, PDF, Doc, AVI, Mov, Wav, JPG, GIF and PNG?

You would need additional apps for some formats like .doc, but yes -- though not sure about AVI or WAV. You might need to convert those first.

3) How do I connect iPad 2 to a PC, in order to transfer files (PDFs, AVIs, MP3s, etc.) to the iPad's hard-drive?

iTunes. But you can also use cloud-based apps like Dropbox.

4) If I have a physical DVD movie I'd like to convert (using a PC) for viewing on the iPad, how would I go about doing it?

There are dozens of programs. Google. Fairmount + Handbrake is one way.

5) Can I freely install and use a different browser to Safari? Such as Firefox or the like?

Take a look in the App store. There are a few but Safari is the best and safest way to browse. Firefox is not available AFAIK.

6) Would iPad 2 (or even iPad 1 for that matter) be able to update and use iOS5 when it's released? I'm not sure how Apple goes about introducting software upgrades as I'm mainly a MS Windows guy.

Yes. It will be a free update. In fact iTunes will semi-nag you until you do update when an update is released.

7) "WiFi" is just for using my wireless router? While "3G" is being able to access the web using iPad from anywhere? I've never used a 3G device before. Can you pay-as-you-go or do you have to take out yearly contracts? Do you need 3G if you wish to use the GPS?

I believe all iPad 3Gs are paygo, but best to check w/ your cellco.
 
Thanks guys, much appreciated, answered all my queries. Just downloaded iTunes and iBook to familiarise myself. Seems Handbrake is compatible for use on the PC too which is great as I don't have any other Apple hardware, iPad will be my first.

I'm due to go into hospital for an operation requiring a two-week stay shortly (NHS waiting times :rolleyes:), hopefully March 25th will come first, hence the questions about various media to keep myself busy and working. :) Looks like Orange do one-month 3G contracts for a decent price too.

Thanks again.
 
I would consider jailbreaking as soon as an untethered jailbreak becomes available. You'll be able to put VLC on your iPad and use any media format known to man.

Also the amount of customization you can do is unreal.

On a different note I would consider purchasing Jump Desktop www.jumpdesktop.com and installing the software on your home computer if not your work one (if possible). You can remotely connect to your computer and stream audio and video as well as access all your files and programs.
 
Sn0wball said:
6) Would iPad 2 (or even iPad 1 for that matter) be able to update and use iOS5 when it's released? I'm not sure how Apple goes about introducting software upgrades as I'm mainly a MS Windows guy.
Click to expand...

The way it should realistically work for the iPad1 is:

OS5 - fully supported
OS6 - partially supported
 
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