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10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

Summary: Think you know all there is to know about your iPad? Think again! Here are 10 little-known and extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks that will help you make even more of your beloved device!

Stephen Chapman

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Take a screen shot

This is perhaps the most awesome trick I have to share. Have you ever achieved a top score in a game, experienced a glitch in an app, or encountered some other scenario where you thought to yourself, "Man, I wish I could somehow take a picture of this!" Well, now you'll be able to do just that. Here's how:

Press and hold the on/off button on the upper right-hand side of the iPad, then press the home button. Conversely, you could hold the home button and then press the on/off button to achieve the same result. That's it! You should see your screen go white and, depending on what you have running, hear a sound like you've just taken a picture.

To note, I used this functionality to take every picture you see in this gallery!

Need gadgets or gift ideas? Check out the following galleries!

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Topics: Apple, iPad, Mobility, Operating Systems

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47 comments
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  • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

    well extremely awesome isn't what it used to be. I'm still managing to resist tablets.
    ollymorgan
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

      @ollymorgan <br><br>How nice for you.<br><br>One day you will realise.

      But yes, these are tips & tricks. Not awesome unless you are using the device.

      A bit the same as power steering is not impressive to someone who doesn't drive.
      richardw66
      Reply Vote

      • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

        @richardw66 Yep. I kept from buying an iPad for a long time but once I did, I was hooked.

        Thanks for the tips too Stephen.
        Grammarphile72
        Reply Vote

      • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

        @Grammarphile72 No problem! I'm glad you found them useful.
        StephenChapman
        Reply Vote

    • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

      @ollymorgan

      Is it because of the lacks of Windows apps ? Well you can run Windows apps on your iPad by using ThinServer XP. Hope this helps :)
      bojanwojan
      Reply Vote

  • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

    My favorite by far is the 4-finger swipe:

    Swipe up/down to show/hide the recently used app list (the 'task manager'.)
    Swipe right/left to move between recently used apps.
    CyberZombie
    Reply Vote

  • yawn...

    Move along please, there's nothing to see
    PensivePeter
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

      @PensivePeter Speak for yourself. Color me stupid but I didn't know 2/3 of this stuff. Very helpful.
      Grammarphile72
      Reply Vote

  • 10 extremely unintuitive iPad tips and tricks

    Thanks for those. Clearly Apple could have done a better job of making the iPad more intuitive.
    toddybottom_z
    Reply Vote

    • No, they shouldn't

      @toddybottom_z Apple doesn't want you to know these until you are ready to know them. If they were free with this, Grandma would be afraid of it. The masses should just know how to buy apps and run time, no more. If you start talking swiping and jiggling icons, they will freak out. Apple knows that the common consumer can only handle two states, "on" and the other one which they often forget.
      A Gray
      Reply 1 Vote

      • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

        @A Gray
        I agree that Mom/pop and your normal Luddite wouldn't understand much beyond 'push this button to turn it on.' But ZDNet is not targeted at that audience.
        CyberZombie
        Reply Vote

  • Looking for a feature or app?

    Does the Ipad 2 have the means of showing different desktops? I have business uses, my wife, family matters and my kids, games & social contacts, I cannot risk, getting my matters mixed up, nor do they want their confidences disclosed. How can we accomodate each onther on one unit?
    ablediver
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

      @ablediver Unfortunately no. There are jailbreak solutions but not sure how bug-free they are.
      vahnx
      Reply Vote

    • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

      @ablediver
      Apple would ideally like you to buy one iPad per user!!!
      jaykayess
      Reply Vote

      • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

        @jaykayess Just as every other vendor would like you to do with their device.
        non-biased
        Reply Vote

    • support for multiuser

      nope, not on Apple devices... They are consumer grade devices not designed for multiuser or the enterprise...... for that you need a Windows based device...
      @...
      Reply Vote

  • Hmmm..

    I wouldn't go as far as "Extremely awesome"... more like cool tips. Thanks though!
    Mcleary316
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

      @Mcleary316 Yeah, I can see how this title comes off a bit sensationalistic, but I'm admittedly overly-enthusiastic about things like this from time-to-time. I get excited by the prospects of learning and/or teaching new things that aren't otherwise made readily apparent!
      StephenChapman
      Reply Vote

      • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

        @StephenChapman Maybe a suggestion for a follow-up article: "Why I don't use iPad's 'Default Apps' - and what I replaced them with" - I'm very curious how you get around ALL of such basic apps as Contacts, Calendar, Messages, Maps, YouTube, Camera, Reminders,...
        realinjun
        Reply Vote

      • RE: 10 extremely awesome iPad tips and tricks

        @realinjun Great idea! I'm hoping your reply was meant with sincerity and not snarkiness, haha. (You know how the Internet has a way of stripping emotional context behind the text.) Put simply, I don't use any of those types of apps in any form -- be it the default apps or otherwise! Sans the occasional YouTube video that I follow from a place where it's linked to, I just don't use them. That's not to say I have an aversion against Apple's default apps (though I DO with our severe limitation of dealing with Newsstand). I just have no use for them at the moment.
        StephenChapman
        Reply Vote
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