Using iPad with Arthritis
Hi Randall,
Glad you asked. I use my iPad to retrieve and respond to emails, listen to music (have quite an mp3 collection), surf the Internet, check the weather, shop and read books. I do sync it with a PC through iTunes though.
But if I understand correctly, the iPad NEVER needs to be hooked up to a computer if you have downloaded iOS 5 and are using iCloud to sync. You might want to call customer support or check iPad Forums to find out more information.
I've gone considerably longer than 2 weeks without syncing to my PC. If someone who has a notebook computer visits her every 6 - 8 weeks, they could sync her iPad with iTunes on their computer. Depending on how she uses the iPad, that would be more than sufficient.
One thing though - because of my arthritis, I cannot use any of the cases that are out there because they make the iPad too heavy for my hands to hold for any period of time. Instead, I purchased a good quality skin (Zagg) which has worked well to protect the iPad while keeping the weight down. I use a wheelchair and have a bag on the side the wheelchair that holds the iPad when I'm not using it. That way, it is always available.
If she likes reading, you can set it up to download ebooks from her local library and/or from Free Library of Philadelphia ($35 annual fee). She will really appreciate that.
Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.
Terry
Hi Terryfic,
I just won an iPad in a raffle at a technology conference here in Chicago. I am thinking of giving this to my Mother as a birthday gift, so I just set up this ipadforums user account to fit her profile. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis and cannot effectively operate a regular keyboard. So she does not own a computer. She lives in NY state. I thought an iPad would be ideal for her with its touch screen. I would buy a protective case to prevent damage from spills. I asked a salesperson at a local Apple Store here in Chicago about the iPad's operation and they informed me that it needs to be connected to a pc every 2 weeks or so to download and update content. Otherwise, the salesperson said the unit will essentially collapse.
I was not aware that the iPad is not a stand alone unit. Is this true? What is your experience?
Thank you!
Randall