Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
you'll see when you use it and as you read this topic, that's a profound
difference. It's not a laptop replacement (although it takes that role for
some people), and it's not a limited handheld device, either. The iPad
shares the same underlying operating system as the iPhone, so many
aspects may be familiar if you already own an iPhone or iPod touch, but
it doesn't rely on old computing crutches like using a mouse pointer or
forcing the user to wrangle a sprawling file system.
Instead, the iPad is a big step forward based on an old, simple idea:
Anyone can take advantage of computing and digital media, without
needing to be a computer expert—or even a “computer person.” People
shouldn't have to understand a hierarchical file system or virtual memory.
This idea sounds simple, yet it's extremely difficult to do. And I think that
even after years of making computers “for the rest of us,” Apple is very
close to doing it.
The iPad, and now the iPad
, are the first steps toward a new future. I'm
not talking about robots and jet packs—though you might think I sound
like I've spent too much time at a high altitude—but rather a dramatic
break from what we expect computers to be. And that's a truly new idea.
2
Out of the box, the iPad is an example of beautiful industrial design, but
it can't do much. It needs to establish a connection with iTunes, where
you set up basic information to get started. (If you've already done this
stage, skip ahead to “iPad Essentials.”)
1.
To power on your iPad for the first time, press and briefly hold the
button at the top of the iPad until the Apple logo appears. Soon after,
an image containing the iTunes logo and the sync cable appears.
2.
On your computer, launch iTunes.
