16 ACCESSORIES The iPad comes with two important accessories at no extra charge: a USB Power Adapter that you use to charge it directly from a wall outlet and a Dock Connector to USB cable that connects the iPad to the USB Power Adapter or to a computer. Once it’s attached to a computer, you can back it up, transfer files to and from it, and charge it. Tip: You may want to purchase a second power adapter for travel or to leave at an office. (Apple’s iPad 10W USB Power Adapter accessory includes the adapter, a 6-foot power cord, and the Dock Connector to USB cable.) Beyond those two freebies, there are plenty of optional accessories for making your iPad more useful and fun. For example, you can: • Transfer photos to your iPad: Apple sells a $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit that can help you offload photos from your digital camera to your iPad while you’re on a trip away from your com- puter. It includes two dock adapters, one with a USB jack and the other with an SD card slot. (The USB jack adapter works only with digital cameras and the iPhone.) Through either adapter, you can download photos directly into the iPad for later syncing via iTunes to a computer. Remember, it’s optional: The iPad Camera Connection Kit is entirely optional—you can also transfer photos from a digital camera to a computer and then from the computer to your iPad. You can read a detailed review of the Camera Connection Kit, see its photo, and learn how it can connect the iPad to other USB devices at http://db.tidbits.com/article/11219. Also, for more about USB input via a mic, read Andy Ihnatko’s article at http://ihnatko.com/ 2010/04/27/usb-microphones-work-with-the-ipad-new-post/. • Output audio to speakers or use headphones: The jack on the iPad takes a 3.5-mm stereo cable, so you can plug in normal headphones and speakers. For headphones, however, you might prefer wireless Bluetooth headphones. For help finding good headphones, check this Macworld article by Dan Frakes: http://www.macworld.com/article/144708/. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> 17 • Output video from your iPad to a projector, computer monitor, or TV: Apple sells video output cables for VGA, com- posite, and component. VGA is useful to plug into video projectors, while composite (all signals on one cable) or component (three cables separating out video components) are best for plugging an iPad into TVs. No adapters are available for DVI or HDMI as far as I know. • Dock your iPad: Apple sells two docks. Both prop the iPad up at a good viewing angle. Both also offer two connectors: a USB port (for connecting to a computer or power adapter) and an audio jack. The idea is that you connect cables to the dock for use on a table or desk, after which you can easily pop the iPad out of the dock and take it away with no cables trailing. The $69 iPad Keyboard Dock comes with a unique iPad keyboard, which includes special keys for Home, Search, Picture Frame, Switch Input Language, iTunes Transport, and Screen Lock. The $29 iPod Dock doesn’t include a keyboard. I expect third-party docks will become available in 2010. Picture Frame mode: The iPad is easy to switch into Picture Frame mode (lock it and tap a button), wherein it shows specified photos in a slideshow. This is great fun, but you’ll want to put the iPad in an upright position, just as you would a framed photo. A dock or case with a “kickstand” is a must for this purpose. • Connect wirelessly to a Bluetooth keyboard: If you want to do a lot of typing on your iPad you’ll want either the iPad Keyboard Dock noted above or a Bluetooth keyboard like the Apple Wireless Keyboard or any third-party Bluetooth keyboard. • Protect with a case: A case may be useful for protecting your iPad if you plan to carry it around a lot, or toss it in a laptop bag. Some cases include a kickstand that supports the device at a good viewing angle. iLounge is maintaining a gallery of iPad cases at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/accessories/ipad. Tip: You can find more details about Apple’s iPad accessories at http://www.apple.com/ipad/accessories/. And, for tested, real- world advice, be sure to read this Macworld article: http://www.macworld.com/article/150439/. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> 18 Find Buttons and Ports Some people can look at the iPad and instantly know what the buttons and cable-connection ports are for. Others find them indecipherable. Figures 1–4 show the iPad in an upright, “portrait” orientation, with the docking port and the round Home button at the bottom. Figure 1: iPad in portrait position, lower center and right. (A) Dock connector port, see Accessories and How to Connect. The round Home button is the Dock connector port. See Go Home. (B) Speaker vents. Figure 2: iPad in portrait position, upper left. (A) Headphone jack, see Accessories and Connect with Bluetooth. (B) Microphone port. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> 19 Figure 3: iPad in portrait position, upper right. (A) Sleep/Wake button, see Turn Your iPad Off and On. (B) Screen rotation lock, see Rotate and Tilt (Change Orientation). (C) Volume up/down. Figure 4: iPad in portrait position, lower left side. (A) The micro-SIM card tray and card on a 3G iPad. The Wi-Fi–only iPad doesn’t have this tray. Removing and Inserting the micro-SIM Card To open the tray shown in Figure 4, above, find the micro-SIM extractor tool that came taped in a paper packet with your iPad. Push the tool into the hole by the tray until you hear a click (if you can’t find the tool, try a small paper clip). If you are the sort who gets flummoxed by this sort of task, view this YouTube video first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWPz_hgzsuw. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> 20 Connect Your iPad to a Computer Most of the time, you use the iPad unfettered by cables or physi- cal connections of any sort. However, occasionally, you’ll want to connect it to a computer for a variety of housekeeping tasks. Note: If your school or employer gave you an iPad with certain apps and files pre-loaded, the primary computer that your iPad connects to may not be yours! You should talk to your IT depart- ment about how backups and operating system updates will be handled, and how you should move personal data to the iPad. WHY CONNECT? When you first get your iPad, if you press the round Home button, you’ll likely see the image in Figure 5. Figure 5: This image is telling you to connect your iPad to your computer and launch iTunes. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> . plenty of optional accessories for making your iPad more useful and fun. For example, you can: • Transfer photos to your iPad: Apple sells a $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit that can help you. components) are best for plugging an iPad into TVs. No adapters are available for DVI or HDMI as far as I know. • Dock your iPad: Apple sells two docks. Both prop the iPad up at a good viewing angle desk, after which you can easily pop the iPad out of the dock and take it away with no cables trailing. The $69 iPad Keyboard Dock comes with a unique iPad keyboard, which includes special keys