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Apple intros new iPad Smart Case: clever enough to cover both sides, priced at $50
And we're still not done. A new iPad case has managed to sneak onto the Apple Store's online shelves, and it'll protect your precious slab on both the back and front. The Smart Case appears to augment last year's Smart Cover with an additional (polyurethane hardshell) coating for the back of your iPad. Priced at just under $50, the case fits both second and third-generation iPads and will arrive in six different color options. And yes, you can still get that ever-pressing message engraved onto it too. [Thanks Nikhil] For more coverage of WWDC 2012, please visit our event hub!
Daily Update for June 7, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
The iPad's main competition is the old iPad
While manufacturers struggle to compete with the iPad, Apple has managed to do so successfully. In fact, current demand for the iPad 2 is nearly equal to that of the new iPad. The iPad 2 dropped in price by $100 when the new iPad was introduced. A recent Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) report notes that the iPad 2 accounted for 41% of all iPad sales since the new iPad was launched in March, 2012. Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that the drop would make the device more appealing to price-sensitive customers. CIRP partner Josh Lowitz agrees, telling AllThingsD, "The lower price of the iPad 2 seems to be attracting many new buyers, and bringing thriftier customers into the fold...our data suggests that a lot of iPad buyers bought iPad 2s right up to and after the launch of the new iPad." How does a device compete with the iPad, then? It seems step one is, "be an iPad."
Insert Coin: CordLite illuminated iPhone cable (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. On average, North American consumers will spend a lifetime total of five days on failed attempts to pair their dock connector cable with an iPad or iPhone. Yeah, that's not true, but we can certainly sympathize with frustrated device owners -- fitting a tiny connector to any gadget can be a chore, especially in the dark. Scrap Pile Labs' CordLite sets out to point the way to a successful connection with its built-in LEDs. The illuminated cable is quite simple to use -- with no buttons or switches to fuss with, the connector lights up when you touch the aluminum plates, and powers off the moment it's secured to your device. There's really not much else to it -- CordLite functions identically to an Apple-manufactured cable, though the dock connector itself is significant larger than the OEM variety, at least in its current prototype form. The design team has turned to Kickstarter to get their project funded, with a $70,000 goal. If all goes to plan, they expect to ship black or white CordLites beginning in September at $35 a pop, but as always, getting in during the "pre-order" phase will net you a hefty discount. The first 200 backers can get an early-bird cord in the color of their choice with a $25 pledge, with the required amount jumping up to $30 from there. A $45 pledge gets you an exclusive laser-etched model, while $50 will be met with a pair of early-bird cords. As you may have gathered from the picture above, the first version will only function with Apple devices, though a microUSB cord is also said to be in the works. See it in action in the video demo just past the break.
Redsn0w update lets iPad 2, new iPad, iPhone 4S downgrade to older firmware
The iPhone Dev Team released version 0.9.11b1 of redsn0w last week that lets you restore IPSWs directly to your iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPhone 4S. This means recent iOS device owners can now downgrade their firmware using the jailbreak tool. This is good news for folks who updated to iOS 5.1.1 or iOS 5.1 and want to go back to iOS 5.0.1. You do need your SHSH blobs from the earlier firmware if you want to downgrade, but Cydia usually saves those files automatically for you. For detailed instructions, point your browser to the iPhone Dev Team's blog. [Via JailbreakUntethered]
Redsn0w 0.9.11b1 now allows post-iPad 2 devices to downgrade to an older firmware
Per usual, the Dev-Team whiz-kids have been hard at work trying to make your jailbroken iOS life a tad bit easier. This time around, MuscleNerd & Co. have outed their latest revision of RedSn0w (0.9.11b1), allowing folks using the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPhone 4S to downgrade to lower firmwares for jailbreaking purposes -- a feature others have been enjoying for some time now. As expected, you'd still need those saved SHSH blobs from the previous firmware in order to do so, and if your device depends on an unofficial unlock, it's recommended (with a few exceptions) to steer clear since this method will upgrade your baseband. Speaking of, the Dev-Team also notes you should stick with an earlier version of Redsn0w unless you must have the new tidbits. Those of you eager to give it a try can head over to the Dev-Tem Blog to grab yourself a copy.
Insert Coin: Etcher, the fully functional Etch A Sketch iPad case
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Visions of the iPad as a modern-day Etch A Sketch have so far been primarily decorative: they've been more about remembering youth than recreating it. That's why Ari Krupnik & Associates' officially-sanctioned Etcher iPad case project on Kickstarter stands out. Those knobs? They work, and they're Made for iPad certified. And, as the Etcher is a product of the digital era, your creations in the custom-written app can be saved and shared to Facebook, Flickr or even YouTube as a time lapse video. Shaking the Etcher will still erase your image -- it just doesn't have to disappear forever this time. Your pledge level determines not only what variety of Etcher case you get, but how much control you get over the project. Committing $45 is all it takes for the nostalgic red, but if you spend $60, $75 or $100, you'll have the additional options for blue or a special backer-only color. Those at the $100 level get to vote on what color they and the $75 pledge-makers will see. A $175 outlay will provide early access to the software development kit as well as a say in what open-source license the code will use. Moving up to $210 or $360 will give you that control as well as an accordant five or 10 Etcher cases. If you like what you see, you have just over a month to contribute and make the iPad drawing add-on a reality.
Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already
Plugged your iDevice into an iTunes-equipped machine lately? You should. Apple has just let loose iOS 5.1.1, a seemingly minor point update that actually promises to fix quite a few (potentially) substantial quirks. Coming two months to the day after the iOS 5.1 software update, the extra 0.0.1 is said to improve reliability of the HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut, address bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks and solve a few issues that were affecting AirPlay video playback "in some circumstances." There's also improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List, and Apple has purportedly fixed an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase. Sucked the update down yourself? Let us know how it goes in comments below, and peek the full changelog just after the break. Update: Looks like iOS 5.1.1 has already been jailbroken. Huzzah! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Editorial: Apple isn't making a 'converged' laptop / tablet hybrid, but I still want one
Deflated. Disappointed. Let down. Unsurprised. All of those emotions ran through my being at one point or another following Apple CEO Tim Cook's comments regarding "converged" devices, but if anything, his denial has made me all the more hungry for this particular device. For months -- heck, maybe even years -- I've waited for Sir Jonathan Paul Ive and co. to finally nail the concept of a laptop / tablet hybrid. In many ways, Apple managed to get right on a smartphone in 2007 what I felt was wrong holding a BlackBerry. I still think the iPad's screen is about 2.7-inches too large for my own personal tastes, but the world at large has affirmed that it nailed that design, too. Oh, and the MacBook Air? C'mon -- we all know it's the thin-and-light you always wanted, and given that it'll run Windows with poise, it's arguably the sexiest Windows laptop currently on the market. The point? Apple has waited for companies to flounder about with certain designs before, all while perfecting its own take for a future release. Windows-based tablets were flooding out in the early noughties, and believe it or not, Toshiba was already giving the tablet / laptop hybrid thing a whirl in 2003 with the Portege 3500. Apple waited over half a decade to usher in the iPad, and the rest -- as they say -- is history. The iPhone followed a similar path; companies came before it and did their best to produced pleasing, long-lasting, highly usable smartphones, but the iPhone completely changed the trajectory of everything that came after. Love it or hate it, it's hard to imagine a 2012 with Windows Phone in it had Apple not pinned Windows Mobile in a corner back in '07. So, if Apple has shown an ability to thrive with designs that others have experimented with, why is the "converged" laptop / tablet a nonstarter?
iPad 2's new 32nm A5 processor improves battery life
If you're in the market for a new iPad 2, pay attention! As Chipworkds reported last month, Apple's put an updated 32nm A5 processor into the new Apple TV and the iPad 2. More specifically, the iPad 2.4. Compared to the previous 45nm A5 chip found in the iPad 2, the new chip comes in almost 42% smaller. And now AnandTech has the scores to prove that the new, smaller chip is much more efficient than its predecessor, particularly in the battery department. Apparently you can expect to see an 18% improvement when playing video, 15.8% improvement when web browsing and 29% improvement when playing power hungry games compared to the old iPad 2. How can you get your hands on one of these iPad 2.4s? Well, reports say they're rather thin on the ground right now. And unfortunately, the only way to tell if you've got one is by turning it on and peering at the system information. So, you'll either have to take your chances or wait for the new stock to fully replace the old. [Via The Verge]
Buying an iPad 2? Here's the rarer, more efficient specimen you need to (somehow) track down
Not all iPads are made equal, even if they're all packaged and branded identically. There's a major new mutation within the 2nd generation tablet and it brings significantly better battery life. Specifically, the fourth and latest production model of the iPad 2 (known as iPad2,4) has not only a lower price tag ($399) but also a new 32nm processor, which is significantly smaller and more efficient than those in previous iPad 2s (which had 45nm chips and an older transistor design). According to AnandTech, this results in an overall 16 percent increase in battery life during web browsing and as much as a 30 percent boost when playing games. Obviously that's worth having, but how can you tell if a boxed-up iPad 2 has the new processor before taking it to the checkout? Here's the downer: you can't. Until retailers' inventories naturally flood with the updated type, the only way to tell is by switching the slate on and running a utility like GeekBench -- and perhaps there'll be circumstances where you can give that a go on the shop floor. Alternatively, if third-party sellers discover that their stock is the iPad2,4, they could pull off a Darwinian win-win by marketing that fact to buyers.
Logitech unveils its Solar Keyboard Folio for the new iPad and iPad 2, we go hands-on
There are all sorts of ways to go green these days, from driving an EV to installing super efficient light bulbs, and now Logitech's given us an environmentally friendly way to type tactilely on a tablet. It's a new iPad and iPad 2-friendly case called the Solar Keyboard Folio, which packs a Bluetooth keyboard powered by ambient light using the same solar cell tech found on the firm's computer keyboards. Once topped up with photons, Logitech claims its battery will keep you typing for over 1,000 hours even in complete darkness. The case is crafted of black, soft-touch, faux leather embossed with a small Logitech logo and has perforations for the iPad's speakers, plus a portal for the tablet's camera. Its keyboard is made of gray plastic, and pecking at the grid is a similar experience to using the one found on Logitech's other recently released iPad typing peripheral, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. Buttons are short-throw and provide satisfying clicky feedback, but the space bar and shift keys have a hollow feel when pressed. Perhaps the Folio's most intriguing design feature is the feet on the corners of the cradle in which the iPad is placed. Those little nubs allow for two viewing angles -- your slate can be seated in a more upright position behind the keyboard for typing, or in the notches outside the two shift keys for a more obtuse viewing angle when the keyboard isn't needed. What's this bit of green gear cost? It goes on sale in the US and Europe this month with an MSRP of $130.
Hands-on with Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover
Logitech announced its Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the new iPad and iPad 2 a couple of weeks ago, and today we got our grubby mitts on the thing. In case you forgot, it attaches to your Apple tablet like a Smart Cover when not in use, but perhaps you didn't know that those magnets secure the slate in stand mode as well. And secure is the operative word, once you slot your slate in, it takes a concerted effort to dislodge it -- plus, there's virtually no shaking of the screen while typing away on the keyboard. As for those chiclets, they have a predictably short throw, but aside from a hollow feeling when pressing the spacebar and shift keys, the rest of the grid gave a satisfying snick with each button press. Build quality of the keyboard was good, without any massive seam gaps or other glaring defects, and the aluminum back makes for quite an attractive package when attached to the iPad. The deck is, unfortunately, slathered in glossy black plastic -- a customer preference, Logitech was quick to point out -- which results in plenty of finger and palm prints when typing. Other than those niggles, however, it's a compelling option for folks wanting to do some tactile tablet typing.
Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion
Tim Cook: Apple focusing more on iPad for enterprise Tim Cook hates litigation, not quite ready to call a patent truce 365 million iOS devices 'in play,' iPad taking off in education and government markets How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it. The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year. Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010. As for CEO Tim Cook's reaction? Aside from grinning from ear-to-ear looking at his growing stash of loot, he stated: "We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver." Keep on telling us that, Tim, and we'll keep waiting. The conference call kicks off at 5PM ET, and we'll be liveblogging it just after the break!
Padcaster / Lenscaster lets you mount SLR lenses on iPad, we go hands-on at NAB (video)
Think people look ridiculous shooting stills or video with an iPad? Try throwing an SLR lens into the equation as well. Manhattan Edit Workshop founder Josh Apter developed the Padcaster as an inexpensive solution for mounting an Apple iPad on a tripod. And why would you want to do such a thing? With 1080p video capture, built-in LTE and a on-board editing suite, such a device makes for an excellent on-the-go all-in-one, letting you shoot, cut and transmit video with a single package. One major aspect of visual storytelling that the tablet doesn't excel at, however, is emphasizing details with blurred backgrounds, along with magnifying your subject with optical zoom. Enter the Lenscaster. This universal lens mount lets you use a standard 35mm adapter to attach any SLR optic to the iPad camera, enabling a small variety of hardware-driven optical effects, including shallow depth of field, manual focus and a zoom option that doesn't result in detail loss. Apter took the Padcaster and Lenscaster along on a demo shoot in New York City's Union Square, interviewing passersby with a Cinevate 35mm lens adapter, 85mm f/1.4 Carl Zeiss lens and a Sennheiser MKH-60 shotgun mic, all mounted to a Padcaster-equipped new iPad. The mounting duo may note be visually appealing from a physical perspective, but the resulting footage does look convincing -- you can see it in full after the break. The Padcaster's aluminum frame even doubles as a DSLR cage, letting you assemble a pro rig complete with camera, lens, mic and lights after removing the urethane iPad insert. The designer is also working on an iPad insert, though the tablet-sized contraption may prove to be overkill when paired with a pocketable smartphone. The Padcaster will be available soon for "about $200," while the Lenscaster attachment should ship for an additional 60 bucks. You'll also need to factor in a magnification optic to compensate for the distance between the iPad and the lens, along with a 35mm adapter, both of which are not included. The device is also unable to take full advantage of the iPad's resolution, creating black borders around the image, which you'll notice in the sample video, positioned just below our hands-on video right after the break.
Buy this book: Darren Murph's 'iPad Secrets'
We have something of a history of Engadget editors writing books on tech-related topics, and our esteemed Managing Editor (and Guinness World Record-holder) Darren Murph is the latest to join the club. He's written a book in which he'll enlighten you on some of the inner workings of Apple's favorite tablet -- and he won't call you a Dummy in the process. Heck, the publisher was thoughtful enough to put the man's signature right there on the cover, so if you're not satisfied it'll make forging checks and cleaning out Darren's checking account that much easier.
Eventbrite unveils At The Door Card reader, turns iPads into ticketing terminals
Square may see the iPad to as an excellent retail tool, but Eventbrite thinks Apple's tablet a box office boon, which is why it created the At The Door app and card reader solution. Eventbrite's a self-service ticketing platform and its new dongle, which connects via Apple's 30-pin connector, lets indie event promoters take reader-encrypted credit card payments with any iPad. Meanwhile, the app lets you see on-site and online ticket sales, keep track of customer contact info and balance the books as well. Plus, any payments taken through the app are service fee-free, meaning users only pay for credit card processing. Not only that, you can wirelessly print tickets and receipts via a compatible printer (should you be willing to buy one), too. But before you go planning your personal Woodstock, perhaps you'd like to know how much this ticketing bonanza costs? Well, the app's free and the reader's 10 bucks, with Eventbrite handing out 10 dollar account credits in return for those who jump on the bandwagon. If that sounds like something you're into, hit the PR after the break for more info, or buy a card reader at the source below.
DisplayMate compares Apple Retina displays
DisplayMate, known for its professional monitor and television calibrating tools, took a close look at the retina display of the new iPad and compared it with the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2. In a rather lengthy article, the company runs the three devices through its battery of laboratory and visual tests. DisplayMate points out that the high resolution is almost overkill and likens it to the overinflated megapixels in digital cameras. What makes the iPad display so wonderful is its improved color saturation, better color accuracy, and the fact that Apple made a variety of improvements without raising the price of the tablet. Though its a leap forward, the new display needs some work. Tablet manufacturers should try to lower reflectance, improve the ambient light sensor and work on the automatic brightness level which is "functionally useless," says DisplayMate. You can check out the rest of the detailed analysis at DisplayMate's website.
New iPad battery nearly as good as iPad 2
CNET reporter Eric Franklin spent his weekend torture-testing the battery of the new iPad, the iPad 2 and the Android-powered Asus Transformer Prime. He took each device, charged it fully and then drained its juice by continually playing a movie. All these tests were conducted in airplane mode so WiFi, 4G or LTE connectivity would not affect these results. He discovered that the iPad 2 with iOS 5.1 lasted the longest at 14.2 hours, while the new iPad with its 42.5-watt-hour battery lasted 12.8 hours. The latest version of iOS helps the iPad 2 as the iOS 4.3 version only squeezed out 11.9 hours. The Transformer Prime came in last 9.6 hours, but its performance was bolstered to 15.3 hours when the tablet was used with an external keyboard dock that included a battery.
Giving your former iPad to a spouse or family member: the quick guide
My wife is thrilled with the "new" iPad 2 she inherited when my new iPad arrived. I wanted to configure it for her so she could get up and running, so I thought I would just change a few settings here or there and give it to her using my settings. After about 30 minutes of tweaking, I decided to start over from scratch. The reason is simple: there are just so many settings underlying the personalization of the iPad that un-doing them all was nearly impossible. It was much easier to add the things that I knew she would want rather than remove the things that she might not. Even the things that I knew I wanted to change, like Messages, left residual effects behind. For example, Spotlight had cached my iMessages, and continued to show them even after I had logged out of my iCloud account and into my wife's. Long story short: start clean, sync back the apps and media you want to keep, and work from there. Here's how. Backup your iPad and transfer purchases from iPad (optional) Before you reset the iPad, you probably want to back it up and transfer all of your app and media purchases to iTunes. You can do this by connecting your iPad to iTunes and Control + clicking (or right-clicking, or two-finger-clicking on a trackpad) on the iPad in the devices list in iTunes. You'll get a contextual menu that lets you sync, back up or transfer purchases. Of course you can always re-download apps and music from the App Store/iTunes Store, but if you have large applications it will be faster to sync them from iTunes. You may also want to backup your iPad, just in case. Chances are you already backed it up before transferring yourself over to the new iPad, but it doesn't hurt to do it again. Full Reset All of your data from the iPad can be deleted very simply either from iTunes (by clicking the Restore button on the device summary screen, and then choosing "Set up as a new device" once it's wiped) or right on the iPad. On the device, go to Settings » General » Reset and choose Erase All Content and Settings. You will be asked to enter your passcode lock (if you have one set) and then confirm your choice. As one of our commenters points out below, you can also issue a Wipe command using Find My iPad, if you're so inclined. (Aside: you may have set the option to delete your data if you enter the wrong password 10 times. However, the iPad will start to introduce a delay after a certain number of mistaken entries, so that isn't a good way to reset your iPad on purpose.) Once you reset, the iPad will reboot, and after a few moments you will see the initial configuration settings. One of these is the setup detail for an iCloud account. Even if you are planning to share App Store purchases, each person should have their own iCloud account/Apple ID. The reason is that Messages, FaceTime, and many other setting are specific to particular users. Also, more and more applications will start to be able to sync documents through iCloud, and you will most likely want those to be personalized. The good news is that Apple provides you several places to enter different Apple IDs. For the initial setup, make sure to enter the Apple ID of the primary user of the iPad. If you need to create one, you can do it right on the iPad. Sharing App Store Purchases One Apple ID can be used on up to 10 "devices and computers" ("devices" here refers to iOS devices). It is very important to note that "[o]nce a device or computer is associated with your Apple ID, you cannot associate that device or computer with another Apple ID for 90 days." So you'll want to get this right the first time. In most circumstances, the only thing you'll want to share an Apple ID for is App Store purchases. To change that Apple ID, go to Settings » Store and tap on the Apple ID. Then tap "Sign Out" to logout the current Apple ID from the App Store. Then log in with the Apple ID you have used for purchases in the past. Sharing Calendars and Contacts Sharing calendars is very easy. Just go to iCloud.com, log in with your Apple ID, and click on the calendar you want to share. Then enter the email address of the Apple ID you want to share your calendar with, and decide if you want to give them "View & Edit" access (so they can add, delete, and change events on your calendar), or just "View Only" access. (Unlike Google Calendar, iCloud calendars do not have an option for only sharing "Busy/Free" information without specific details.) You don't need to do anything at all to enable that sharing on the iPad itself; that's done at iCloud.com. My wife and I share our calendars that way, but we also want to share our contacts too. As you'd expect, we have not only family members in common, but also friends. If we are planning to meet at a restaurant, I'll enter the information into my iPhone, and it will sync to her iPhone (and iPad) too. On my wife's iPad, I went to Settings » iCloud and turned off Contact syncing, since that connects to her account and is empty. Then I went to Settings » Mail, Contacts, Calendars, chose "Add Account..." and then select iCloud from the list of account types. I entered my iCloud information, and then only enabled Contact syncing. Pro tip: When setting up contact sharing on my wife's iPhone 4S, I waited for the contacts to sync and then went to Settings » General » Siri » My Info and chose my wife's contact information. Other Apple IDs Here are some other places you'll need to enter your Apple ID: Home Sharing: Settings » Video » Home Sharing FaceTime: Settings » FaceTime Messages: Settings » Messages Game Center: For some reason, Game Center settings aren't in the Settings app, but if you launch the app, it will prompt you for your Apple ID. (Note: iTunes Match under Settings » Music appears to default to the same Apple ID as in the App Store, which makes sense since it's linked to music purchasing) You may also want to download and install Find My Friends and iBooks as the first two must-have apps, since Apple does not include them with iOS by default. Apple even suggests using one Apple ID for iCloud and one for the App Store as an alternate setup. Whether you choose to do this for your config is up to you, but if you want to avoid buying essential apps separately for your family's two devices (or more) then you probably want to use the same Apple ID for the App Store on all of them; you might want to turn off automatic download of app purchases to the hand-me-down device, though -- and the same with Photo Stream. Another important decision is which Apple ID you want to use for Find My iPad. I associate all of our iOS devices and Macs with our main Apple ID (the same one used for making App Store and Mac App Store purchases). That way, we can have a single "console" for tracking down anything that goes missing, rather than having to remember a list of Apple IDs and their associations with specific devices. Worth the effort Resetting the iPad might seem like extra work, but I believe that it's well worth it. You may find that you and your spouse (or whoever receives your hand-me-down iPad) have very different preferences. Fortunately my wife and I both agree that Keyboard Clicks (Settings » General » Sounds » Keyboard Clicks) are awful, and the side switch (Settings » General » Use Side Switch To) on the iPad should be used for Lock Rotation, not Mute. If you passed your previous iPad along to a family member, let me know what other settings you customized for them. We discussed sharing an iPad between spouses back in 2010. Thanks to PJ and David C. for suggesting this post.
