iPad mini For Dummies, 3rd Edition (2015)

Introduction

As Yogi Berra would say, “It was déjà vu all over again”: front-page treatment, top billing on network TV and cable, and diehards lining up for days in advance to ensure landing a highly lusted-after product from Apple. The products generating the remarkable buzz this time around is the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Every iPad is a magical device. We hope you bought this book to find out how to get the most magic out of yours. Our goal is to deliver that information in a light and breezy fashion. We expect you to have fun using your iPad mini. We equally hope that you have fun spending time with us.

About This Book

We need to get one thing out of the way right from the get-go. We think you’re pretty darn smart for buying a For Dummies book. That says to us that you have the confidence and intelligence to know what you don’t know. The For Dummies franchise is built around the core notion that everyone feels insecure about certain topics when tackling them for the first time, especially when those topics have to do with technology.

As with most Apple products, iPad minis are beautifully designed and intuitive to use. And though our editors may not want us to reveal this dirty little secret (especially on the first page, for goodness’ sake), the truth is you’ll get pretty far just by exploring the iPad’s many functions and features on your own, without the help of this (or any other) book.

Okay, now that we’ve spilled the beans, we’ll tell you why you shouldn’t run back to the bookstore and request a refund. This book is chock-full of useful tips, advice, and other nuggets that should make your iPad experience all the more pleasurable. We’ll even go so far as to say that you won’t find some of these nuggets anywhere else. So keep this book nearby and consult it often.

Foolish Assumptions

Although we know what happens when you make assumptions, we’ve made a few anyway. First, we assume that you, gentle reader, know nothing about using an iPad or iOS — beyond knowing what an iPad is, that you want to use iOS, that you want to understand your iPad mini and its operating system without digesting an incomprehensible technical manual, and that you made the right choice by selecting this particular book.

And so, we do our best to explain each new concept in full and loving detail. Perhaps that’s foolish, but … oh, well.

One last thing: We also assume that you can read. If you can’t, please ignore this paragraph.

Icons Used in This Book

Little round pictures (or icons) appear in the left margins throughout this book. Consider these icons as miniature road signs, telling you something extra about the topic at hand or hammering a point home. Here’s what the five icons used in this book look like and mean.

These juicy morsels, shortcuts, and recommendations might make the task at hand faster or easier.

This icon emphasizes the stuff we think you ought to retain. You may even jot down a note to yourself in the iPad.

Put on your propeller beanie hat and insert your pocket protector; this text includes the truly geeky stuff. You can safely ignore this material, but if it weren’t interesting or informative, we wouldn’t have bothered to write it.

You wouldn’t intentionally run a stop sign, would you? In the same fashion, ignoring warnings may be hazardous to your iPad and (by extension) your wallet. There, you now know how these warning icons work, for you have just received your very first warning!

We put a New icon next to anything that’s new or improved in iOS 8 or with the iPad mini.

Beyond the Book

We wrote a bunch of things that just didn’t fit in the print version of this book. Rather than leave them on the cutting room floor, we’ve posted the most useful bits online for your enjoyment and edification.

Here’s where you’ll find them:

· Online articles covering additional topics are at

www.dummies.com/extras/ipad

You’ll find a fairly complete list of phrases Siri understands; making sense of the alphabet soup of cellular data networks (EDGE, 4G, LTE, HSDPA, GSM, CDMA, and more); why your computer offers a shopping mall for content while your iPad doesn’t; all about international and third-party keyboards; an overview of Apple’s iWork and iLife apps; and much more.

· The Cheat Sheet for this book is at

www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/ipad

Here, you’ll find info on using the iPad’s buttons and icons; tips for mastering multitouch; and where to find additional help if your iPad is acting contrary.