1. Replace your old laptop.
2. Use it as a good old notebook.
3. Turn it into a powerful reading station (plus 4 more)…
Do you consider replacing your current tablet with an entry-level Apple iPad?
You can obviously use it for playing games or watching Netflix movies, but the device is here to give you more than this.
Read on to learn how to make the most of it – but first, a few facts.
The benefits of the entry-level iPad
▸ This 10-inch device is the cheapest in the range of Apple tablets. Prices start at a bit over $300 for the basic version with smaller memory and Wi-Fi only connectivity.
▸ The next most affordable iPad model, iPad mini, is almost $200 more expensive, but it has the smaller screen.
▸ iPad 10.2-inch works with Apple Pencil – a dedicated stylus from Apple, but it can also be used with other tablet pens.
▸ Most touchscreen pens offer palm rejection and come with replaceable tips. They are usually a few times cheaper than Apple Pencil. Check out the most popular iPad compatible pens on Amazon.
▸ Since 2021, the basic iPad is equipped with the top-quality front camera that supports Center Stage technology. This feature will help you stay in the focus and in the center of the screen no matter what you are doing.
▸ The entry-level iPad gives you a stunning performance, compared to other tablets on the market. Apple claims that the 2021 iPad is:
– 3 times faster than the best-selling Chromebook – 6 times faster than the best-selling Android tablet.
▸ As iPad 10.2 is the most popular and affordable Apple tablet, you can choose from the widest range of cheap accessories – much more than for iPad Pro, Air, or Mini. For instance, you can see the latest cases for iPad 10.2.
What is iPad 10.2 best for?
1. Replace your old laptop
iPad 10.2 is not only faster than a leading Windows laptop model. If your laptop needs an upgrade, maybe it’s time to replace it with the tablet.
Thanks to the upgraded performance, the iPad is blazing fast. You don’t have to wait until it wakes up or the system loads, displaying one welcome window after another. Just open a cover, and it’s ready to use.
On the iPad 10.2, you can browse the web and shop in online stores, write and read emails, check calendars, jots notes, set reminders, or use your favorite social networks. You can listen to music or audiobooks, play games, and watch movies.
And there are over a million other apps that were designed to work seamlessly with the iPad – also the ones you know from your current device.
Missing a real keyboard? You can get an iPad keyboard case or a standalone wireless keyboard. There are lots of the on the market. All you need to do is define your needs.
2. Replace default apps with the ones you know and like
If you are new to Apple ecosystem, you may feel overwhelmed with too many too new things you have to learn.
iPad 10.2 comes with native apps: Safari for browsing the web, Mail for sending mails, Apple Books for ebooks and audiobooks.
You don’t have to use them. iPad and iPhone are extremely popular devices and every company want to be there.
If you use Gmail on your computer, you can use Gmail on the iPad 10.2 as well. All other Google apps are here as well: Calendar, Keep, Photos, Drive, or Docs. They look and feel the same as desktop or Android apps.
If you watch Netflix movies on your laptop, you can get the Netflix app to your iPad as well – and, again, it’s very much the same as the one you use right now.
If you are switching from your Amazon Fire tablet, you will find on the iPad familiar apps: Amazon Kindle for books, Audible for audiobooks, Prime Video for movies and TV shows.
The same with other platforms. For users of ebook platforms there are apps for Kobo, Nook, Play Books, Scribd, and dozens more.
3. Use the iPad as a good old notebook
The iPad is compatible with Apple Pencil – a digital pen that will let you use the tablet similarly to a paper notebook.
You don’t have to learn multi-finger gestures if you don’t want. With Apple Pencil you can do practically everything: from simple tasks such as opening an app, to highlighting text in a book you are reading, to making hand-written notes, to sketching out ideas and projects.
Combine it with the possibilities of iPadOS operating system, giving you the possibility to make handwritten notes practically everywhere, and you will be able to use the iPad as a paper notebook, but much more convenient to use.
Please note, that only Apple Pencil 1 is compatible with iPad 10.2. It’s not included with the iPad. You will have to buy it separately. On Amazon, it’s a few dollars cheaper than in the Apple online store.
4. Make it your entertainment hub
Do you remember working on your old laptop? It was a perfect machine for work, but when the evening came it was not fulfilling the need to de-stress.
A magic of the iPad is that you can use it for both work and entertainment – in any possible combination. There is no need to feel guilty you are using your iPad for entertainment. Millions of other people do it, also because this device is created to bring as much fun as you need.
Pick up one of video-on-demand apps: Prime Video, HBO Go, Netflix. Or spend some time with books. Or get a comic book. On one of thousands of fantastic games.
5. Work with files the way you want
A few years ago, iPads didn’t have file manager. It was not possible to find and manage files the way we did it on a computer: with icons and visible filenames, that you can move, sort, filter, or delete.
In late 2019, Apple fixed this problem once and for good with the introduction of the app called Files.
You can add here the files through your cloud service, such as iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
You can also use a pen drive to add files directly to your iPad (it has to have a different type of port called Lightning).
It’s best to buy a drive that has Lightning connector on one side and USB port on the other.
6. Use it as a powerful reading station
The basic iPad has everything to make it a one-stop reading station.
If you are looking for a portable device that you can use to read books, not only novels, but also textbooks, or image-rich non-fiction, the most affordable iPad is all you need. There is no reason to spend extra money on more expensive iPad models.
And you can use the iPad to get access to almost any reading ecosystem, be it Amazon Kindle, Scribd, or library books powered by OverDrive.
But you can, obviously, read much more on your iPad, not just ebooks. You can download one of the news apps, such as Google News, or dedicated apps from your favorite newspaper.
Finally, you can use the iPad as a handy cookbook – just place it on a stand, and cook as you read!
Even better, if you get one of those cases with strong magnets, such as Zugu, you can place the iPad on a fridge, and turn it into a kitchen news station.
7. Take video calls to a whole new level
You can Skype your family or take part in a Zoom meeting using your smartphone, but taking into consideration a small screen, they are more “calls” than “video.”
You can use a large-screen computer, but even a laptop can be too big and too heavy if you want to talk somewhere else than at the desk.
A tablet is a perfect combination of a large screen and portability. The new iPad is a perfect tool to run video meetings. Especially now, when it comes with Center Stage.
Center Stage is a feature that’s very helpful when you make many video calls. The front ultra-wide camera combined with machine learning uses the much larger field of view to recognize and keep you centered in the frame all the time.
The 10.2 crisp display will let you clearly see people on the other side (or sides). The camera on the front, with face recognition and backside illumination, will let others see the best of you.
What you can optionally think if is an iPad stand that offers an adjustable height – something that will place the device exactly at the eye level.
Keep exploring. Here are other tips and lists for iPad users:
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