The iPad is not only fabulously beautiful, nor is it just for playing games; it is a truly versatile device, ready for work as well as play, a valuable tool for when you are out and about, at home or in the office.
With the long overdue launch of Microsoft’s Office for iPad, users are now able to access Word, Excel and PowerPoint on their devices, you can read documents, view data and present with PowerPoint for free but if you want to edit and create you will need to buy a subscription – our recent article will give you more detail on this subject. You will probably need to buy a keyboard attachment if you want to work from home or take work home with you, but even then it certainly is not going to be as easy to use or as comfortable as a laptop. PowerPoint is completely different, we found it worked very well and we loved being able to use a finger as a virtual laser pointer.
Finger painting is another great use for the iPad, not only for kids but all of you creative adults too! There are many apps available – Paint FX, ArtStudio and Procreate 2 to name but a few – and the results can be just amazing! A realistic finger painting of Morgan Freeman has caused quite a stir; with many people not prepared to believe that such a stunningly true to life picture could be produced in such a way. If finger painting is not your thing then try using a brush, there are many on the market and some are both stylus and brush, designed specifically for touch screen devices such as the iPad.
The iPad is a perfect educational tool, sound and video gives it an enormous advantage over books and if children are enjoying the novelty of using the device they are sure to enjoy learning too, they won’t even realise it! There are just too many educational apps available for the iPad to mention, they can be used both at home and in the classroom, what a wonderfully fun way to teach your kids.
What about using your device as an eReader? There are so many, many books available and you can also download magazines and newspapers if you prefer. The iPad can also function as a GPS navigation device, or satnav, just download an app and you are away! Remember the filofax? Your iPad can be your modern, up to date version and Siri can act as your personal assistant to help you keep track of your appointments and important dates.
Of course there are the obvious ways to use your iPad; you can watch TV or movies, listen to music, take photographs or video, surf the internet, perhaps do some shopping or just use it for plain old email.
It seems that everyone just loves the iPad, we certainly do and we are looking forward to all the new and innovative ways of using this great little device in the future.
Special Thanks Adam Grabek for providing the image.