Homework on iPad/iTunes sync

[Major Eazy]

As I will be getting myself a new iPad, hopefully in a couple of weeks time, I am just doing some "homework" to familiar myself with operations. This is my own notes for myself, this is not me telling you how to do so and so, this, I repeat, is my own notes for myself, which I want to share with you because I would like your options. Maybe some of you would say something like "You’ve done it well, that’s how you should do it." Or some of you may notice errors and feel free to help offer pointers, like saying "You got most of it right, but um, this little part here, well, it’s bit incorrect, actually you’re supposed to....." I just wanted to see how I am getting on.

By the way, any of the text in bold are not what I wrote down on my paper, they are actually my asking any of you a question, please feel free to help to answer. Here is how I wrote for myself:

NOTE: When using syncing, always ensure you are not using iPad and no apps are running. If needed, press the HOME button to make sure.

After connecting your iPad to computer using USB cable supplied with iPad, iTunes on PC will automatically open and depend on settings, would automatically start syncing.

iPad will be found listed under DEVICES in the iTunes. If you renamed your iPad with a better name, this name will show instead of saying iPad

NOTE: Do not start using iPad during syncing. If in need of using iPad, then have to cancel sync and have to start again later on.

When syncing is done, click on the Eject icon beside iPad in iTunes, then...

Do I really have to do this? What happens if I don’t use the Eject icon and chose to just unplug the connection cable?

Remove the dock connector from iPad.

Syncing iPad and iTunes is for the following reasons:

1) To back up the data on the iPad by backing up into iTunes.

Do it back up into the same backed up file on iTunes? Do I have any control over this, like can I get it to create a new backed up iPad file?

2) To make sure all music files and other media files, etc., are both same on both iPad and iTunes, in other words, each mirror each other.

3) To download apps from PC into iPad and to upload apps from iPad (which were downloaded directly into iPad via Wi-Fi or 3G) into iTunes, so that there will be copies of all the paid for apps in iTunes in case anything go wrong with iPad and apps on iPad gets lost. (In similar way as you keep the CD-ROM that contents the application software which you paid for, which you have installed on your PC, so if anything go wrong with PC, you reinstall from CD-ROM.)

How did I do with my studies?

 

[Rcairncross76]

You don't have control over the backing up of your ipad, it is all automatic and will do it every time you plug your iPad in.

It doesn't matter if any apps are running while you sync, it will simply sync then when the sync is finished the app will be as you left it.

If you pull the plug out without ejecting , in my experience, nothing bad happens but you could loose some data so your best off pressing eject.

 

[Pocobear]

Normally, when it finishes syncing, you will see that it is OK to disconnect at the top of the iTunes screen. And it can't hurt to not have anything running when you Sync, why take a risk, when you don't have to. You know the KISS principle, "Keep It Simple Stupid".

Backup seems to keep at least two backups, however, they aren't like today's and your last one, but more like todays and an older backup, perhaps from when they last had an iOS update.

 

[iPadCharlie]

It looks very thorough! You might want to take a look at this post where I provide the link to download the latest edition of the iPad User Guide that includes the features found in iOS 4.2.1 -- http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-os/14114-new-ipad-user-guide-includes-ios-4-2-1-features.html

If you read through this from cover to cover, you will be able to hit they ground running when you take your new iPad out of the box!

 

[Major Eazy]

Rcairncross and Pocobear...

About wanting control over back up, what I mean is, well first I'll explain what I do with back up then I'll explain what I mean about control.

With my Windows based PC, I have three diskette (actually Zip 100MB diskette) and each one is A, B, and C.

I back up onto diskette A, then after a couple of days, I back up onto diskette B, a few days later, onto C, then a day later onto A, then B, then C, A, B, C, A, B, C. It gones on like that.

In the event anything go wrong, I restore data from the last diskette I used. It could be diskette B if I recently backed up to B (just an example).

But if anything go wrong with diskette B, maybe it backed up data with virus or the back up went wrong, so I go for the one before that, in that case A. If anything wrong with A, go for C. That's three chances of back up.

When I said something about control over iPad/iTunes back up, I mean, can I back up, but later decide to get iTunes to back up to another file on the next back up. Can I somehow get iTunes to have three sets of back up. Can't I have iTunes to have "Backed up iPad data - set A" and "Backed up iPad data - set B" something like that? Than iTunes overwriting the same file with every back up?

 

[Major Eazy]

It looks very thorough! You might want to take a look at this post where I provide the link to download the latest edition of the iPad User Guide that includes the features found in iOS 4.2.1 -- http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-os/14114-new-ipad-user-guide-includes-ios-4-2-1-features.html

If you read through this from cover to cover, you will be able to hit they ground running when you take your new iPad out of the box!

Thanks.

What I learned are all based on iOS 3 as the books and magazine items were printed before November. The shop that sells the iPads will have so many iPads that were shipped with iOS 3 in stock, so when I get one, it will have iOS 3. I figure if the day should come that I am forced to upgrade, I'll have build up enough experience to be able to sync manually, but I'll still look up this link anyway.