The iPad UK imports are arriving today! We’ve just unboxed our very own iPad, but if you pre-ordered one too and are still waiting for the courier, or are planning on picking one up from launch at the end of the month, now’s the time to prepare for it. Read on for everything you need to do right now to make your tablet “magical” as soon as it struts up to your door.
Update iTunes
You won’t be able to activate and sync your iPad without the latest version of iTunes for PC or Mac, iTunes 9.1. It’s out already, even if the iPad UK models aren’t, so you can save time by giving it a download right now. You should be prompted to download it next time you fire up iTunes, but if not, give the Check For Updates menu option a prompt, or simply get it from apple.com/itunes.
Get your ebooks ready
The iPad UK models won’t have access to iBooks, at least for the time being, but since the iPad supports EPUB files, you can always bring your own for reading on its 9.7-inch screen. The latest version of iTunes will let you add EPUB eBooks (but not read from the desktop), so just drag and drop them and you’ll be good to go the first time you sync. Don’t worry if you’ve got books in other formats: so long as they’re DRM free, you can convert them to EPUB with the free Calibre software for PC, Mac and Linux.
Sort your photos
If you’re ever able to put your iPad down, you’ll be able to use it as a digital photo frame as well. It’s a smart one too: the iPad UK model supports Faces and Places from iPhoto for Mac, so you can sort snaps by friends and locations. You’ll need to be grabbing shots with a GPS camera for Places (Like, say, an iPhone) but if you’ve got a Mac and iPhoto 09, you don’t need anything else to use Faces. Start rummaging through your galleries, and click on just a handful of faces to get it to learn what your friends look like, and let it do the rest.
iPad UK price leaked by Play.com?
Get your wallpaper ready
The stock background for the iPad is a bit bland, so you can jazz things up by replacing it with one of your own choosing or design. The iPad’s screen is a 1024×768 affair, so you’ll want to whip up a JPEG in that exact ratio and resolution for best results. How about an iPad UK welcome with a Union Jack adorned across it?
Get a MobileMe subscription
If you want all of Apple’s useful cloud services for when your iPad UK model turns up, you’re going to have to pay a bit extra (£59 per year). But if you plan on taking your iPad out and about with you it’ll be worth it: it’ll give you push email and contacts for instant messages and over the air updates, access to your computer hard drive from afar, and even help you track down lost GPS-infused iPads with the Find My iPad feature. Apple’s UK site still isn’t showing iPad support for MobileMe just yet, but the US version is, and since there’s a 30 day free trial, you’ve got nothing to lose by signing up and getting to grips with it before your iPad arrives.
Out April | £TBC | Apple
