Starting your first sync
Disconnecting during a sync
Synchronizing contacts, calendars, e-mail accounts, and bookmarks
Synchronizing music, podcasts, video, photos, books, and applications
We have good news and ... more good news. The good news is that you can easily copy any or all of your contacts, appointments, events, mail settings, bookmarks, books, music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, photos, and applications from your computer to your iPad. And the more good news is that after you do that, you can choose to synchronize your contacts, appointments, and events so that they're kept up to date automatically in both places — on your computer and your iPad — whenever you make a change in one place or the other. So when you add or change an appointment, an event, or a contact on your iPad, that information automatically appears on your computer the next time your iPad and computer communicate.
This communication between your iPad and computer is called syncing (short for synchronizing). Don't worry: It's easy, and we're going to walk you through the entire process in this chapter.
But wait. There's even more good news. Items you manage on your computer, such as movies, TV shows, podcasts, and e-mail account settings, are synchronized only one way: from your computer to your iPad, which is the way it should be.
Tip
The information in this chapter is based on iTunes version 9.1 and iPhone OS version 3.2, which were the latest and greatest when these words were written. If your screens don't look like ours, upgrade to iTunes 9.1 and iPhone OS 3.2 (or higher). By the way, both upgrades are free, and both offer significant advantages over their predecessors.
Synchronizing your iPad with your computer is a lot like syncing an iPod or iPhone with your computer. If you're an iPod or iPhone user, the process will be a piece of cake. But it's not too difficult even for those who've never used an iPod, an iPhone, or iTunes. Follow these steps:
1. Start by connecting your iPad to your computer with the USB cable that came with your iPad.
When you connect your iPad to your computer, iTunes should launch automatically. If it doesn't, chances are that you plugged the cable into a USB port on your keyboard, monitor, or hub. Try plugging it into one of the USB ports on your computer instead. Why? Because USB ports on your computer supply more power to a connected device than USB ports on a keyboard, monitor, or most hubs and the iPad requires a lot of that power — even more than an iPod or an iPhone.
If iTunes still doesn't launch automatically, try launching it manually.
2. Select your iPad in the iTunes sidebar.
You see the Set Up Your iPad pane, as shown in Figure 3-1. If you've already set up and named your iPad, you can skip Steps 3 and 4a and continue with Step 4b.
Tip
If you don't see an iPad in the sidebar, and you're sure that it's connected to a USB port on your computer (not the keyboard, monitor, or hub), restart your computer.
3. Name your iPad by typing a name in the Name text box.
We've named this one BobLiPad.
4a. Decide whether you want iTunes to automatically synchronize the items shown in Figure 3-1 with your iPad every time you connect it to your computer.
If you do want iTunes to do any of these things automatically, select the check box next to the appropriate option so that it displays a check mark, click the Done button, and continue with the "Synchronizing Your Media" section, later in this chapter.
If you want to synchronize manually, make sure that all three check boxes are deselected, as shown in Figure 3-1, and click Done. The "Synchronizing Your Data" section, later in this chapter, tells you all about how to configure your contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes, e-mail accounts, and applications manually; the "Synchronizing Your Media" section shows you how to sync apps, music, and so on.
Tip
You don't have to decide now. If you're not sure, just leave all three check boxes deselected for now. It's easy to enable one or all three at any time.
We've chosen to not select any of the three check boxes so that we can show you how to manually set up each type of sync in the upcoming sections.
4b. After you click the Done button (applies only to those who just performed Steps 3 and 4a), the Summary pane should appear. If it doesn't, make sure that your iPad is still selected in the sidebar on the left side of the iTunes window and then click the Summary tab near the top of the window, as shown in Figure 3-2.
5. If you want iTunes to launch automatically whenever you connect your iPad to your computer, click to put a check mark in the Open iTunes When This iPad Is Connected check box (in the Options area).
Why might you choose not to enable this option? If you intend to connect your iPad to your computer to charge it, for example, you might not want iTunes to launch itself every time you connect it.
If you do choose to enable it, iTunes will launch itself and synchronize automatically every time you connect your iPad.
Don't worry about this too much right now. If you change your mind you can always come back to the Summary tab and deselect the Open iTunes When This iPad Is Connected check box.
Tip
If you do select the Open iTunes When This iPad Is Connected check box but don't want your iPad to sync automatically every time it's connected, launch iTunes and choose iTunes
6. If you want to sync only items that have check marks to the left of their names in your iTunes library, select the Sync Only Checked Songs and Videos check box.
7. If you want high-definition videos you import to be automatically converted into smaller standard-definition video files when you transfer them to your iPad, select the Prefer Standard Definition Videos check box.
Standard-definition video files are significantly smaller than high-definition video files. You'll hardly notice the difference when you watch the video on your iPad but you'll be able to have more video files on your iPad because they take up less space.
Warning
The conversion from HD to standard definition takes a long time, so be prepared for very long sync times when you sync new HD video and have this option enabled.
8. If you want songs with bit rates higher than 128 kbps converted into smaller 128-kbps AAC files when you transfer them to your iPad, select the Convert Higher Bit Rate Songs to 128 kbps AAC check box.
A higher bit rate means that the song will have better sound quality but use a lot of storage space. Songs that you buy at the iTunes Store or on Amazon.com, for example, have bit rates of around 256 kbps. So, a 4-minute song with a 256-kbps bit rate is around 8MB; convert it to 128-kbps AAC and it will be roughly half that size (that is, around 4MB), while sounding almost as good.
Bob tested bit rates and ears extensively when he was writing The Little iTunes Book many years ago and concluded that most people won't notice much (if any) difference in audio quality when listening to music on most consumer audio gear. So unless you have your iPad hooked up to a great amplifier and superb speakers or headphones, you probably won't hear much difference, but your iPad can hold roughly twice as much music if you enable this option. Put another way, we're very picky about our audio and we both enable this option to allow us to carry more music around with us on our iPads. And neither of us has noticed much impact on sound quality with the headphones or speakers we use with our iPads.
9. If you want to turn off automatic syncing in the Music and Video panes, select the Manually Manage Music and Videos check box.
10. If you want to password-protect your iPad backups (your iPad creates a backup of its contents automatically every time you sync), select the Encrypt iPad Backup check box.
And, of course, if you decide to select the Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from Syncing Automatically check box on iTunes Preferences' Devices tab, you can still synchronize manually by clicking the Sync button in the lower-right corner of the window.
By the way, if you've changed any sync settings since the last time you synchronized, the Sync button instead says Apply.
When the iPad is syncing with your computer, its screen says Sync in Progress, and iTunes displays a message that says that it's syncing with your iPad. After the sync is finished, iTunes displays a message that the iPad sync is complete and that it's okay to disconnect your iPad.
Warning
If you disconnect your iPad before a sync is completed, all or part of the sync may fail.
To cancel a sync so that you can safely disconnect your iPad, drag the slider on the iPad (the one that says Slide to Cancel) during the sync.
Did you choose to set up data synchronization manually by not selecting any of the three check boxes in the Set Up Your iPad pane shown in Figure 3-1? If so, your next order of business is to tell iTunes what data you want to synchronize between your iPad and your computer. You do this by selecting your iPad in the sidebar on the left side of the iTunes screen. Then click the Info tab, which is to the right of the Summary tab.
The Info pane has six sections: MobileMe, Contacts, Calendars, Mail Accounts, Other, and Advanced. The following sections look at them one by one.
MobileMe is Apple's $99-a-year service for keeping your iPad, iPod touch, Macs, and PCs synchronized. It is the latest iteration of what Apple used to call .Mac (pronounced dot Mac). The big allure of MobileMe is that it can "push" information such as e-mail, calendars, contacts, and bookmarks from your computer to and from your iPad and keep those items synchronized on your iPad and computer(s) wirelessly and without human intervention.
Tip
Although the suggested retail price of a year's subscription to MobileMe is $99, Amazon.com is currently offering it for $72.18 and we've seen it offered for even less by other vendors. The point is that when it comes to MobileMe, it might pay to shop around.
If you want to have your e-mail, calendars, contacts, and bookmarks synchronized automatically and wirelessly, click the Set Up Now button. Your Web browser launches and instructions appear for subscribing to MobileMe if you're not already a subscriber or for setting up each of your devices for MobileMe if you are already a subscriber.
If you're going to use MobileMe to sync your e-mail, calendars, contacts, and bookmarks, you can safely ignore the information in three of the next six sections: "Contacts," "Calendars," and "Advanced." Those three sections deal with using iTunes for synchronization, and you won't need them if you're using MobileMe. The other two sections, "Mail accounts" and "Other," both contain information even MobileMe users may find useful.
The Contacts section of the Info pane determines how iTunes handles synchronization for your contacts. One method is to synchronize all your contacts, as shown in Figure 3-3. Or, you can synchronize any or all groups of contacts you've created in your computer's address book program. Just select the appropriate check boxes in the Selected Groups list, and only those groups will be synchronized.
Note
Note that the section is named Sync Address Book Contacts because Figure 3-3 was captured in iTunes on a Mac and Address Book is what it syncs with. If you use a PC, you see a drop-down menu that gives you the choice of Outlook, Google Contacts, Windows Address Book, or Yahoo! Address Book. Don't worry — the process works the same on either platform.
The iPad syncs with the following address book programs:
Mac: Address Book.
PC: Outlook, Google Contacts, Windows Address Book, or Yahoo! Address Book.
Mac and PC: Yahoo! Address Book and Google Contacts.
On a Mac, you can sync contacts with multiple applications. On a PC, you can sync contacts with only one application at a time.
If you use Yahoo! Address Book, select the Sync Yahoo! Address Book Contacts check box and then click the Configure button to enter your Yahoo! ID and password. If you use Google Contacts, select the Sync Google Contacts check box and then click the Configure button to enter your Google ID and password.
Syncing will never delete a contact from your Yahoo! Address Book if it has a Yahoo! Messenger ID, even if you delete that contact on the iPad or on your computer.
Tip
To delete a contact that has a Yahoo! Messenger ID, log on to your Yahoo! account with a Web browser and delete the contact in your Yahoo! Address Book.
Warning
If you sync with your employer's Microsoft Exchange calendar and contacts, any personal contacts or calendars already on your iPad will be wiped out.
The Calendars section of the Info pane determines how synchronization is handled for your appointments and events. You can synchronize all your calendars, as shown in Figure 3-4. Or, you can synchronize any or all individual calendars you've created in your computer's calendar program. Just select the appropriate check boxes.
Note
The Calendars section is named Sync iCal Calendars because Figure 3-4 was captured in iTunes for the Mac. If you use a PC, this section will be named Sync Calendars with Outlook. As before, don't worry — regardless of its name, it works the same on either platform.
The iPad syncs with the following calendar programs:
Mac: iCal
PC: Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007
On a Mac, you can sync calendars with multiple applications. On a PC, you can sync calendars with only one application at a time.
You can sync account settings for your e-mail accounts in the Mail Accounts section of the Info pane. You can synchronize all your e-mail accounts (if you have more than one), or you can synchronize individual accounts, as shown in Figure 3-5. Just select the appropriate check boxes.
The iPad syncs with the following mail programs:
Mac: Mail
PC: Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007
Warning
E-mail account settings are synchronized only one way: from your computer to your iPad. If you make changes to any e-mail account settings on your iPad, the changes will not be synchronized back to the e-mail account on your computer. Trust us, this is a very good feature and we're glad Apple did it this way.
By the way, the password for your e-mail account may or may not be saved on your computer. If you sync an e-mail account and the iPad asks for a password when you send or receive mail, do this: Tap Settings on the Home screen, tap Mail, tap your e-mail account's name, and then type your password in the appropriate field.
The Other section has a mere two items: Sync Safari Bookmarks and Sync Notes.
Select the check box for Sync Safari Bookmarks if you want to sync your Safari bookmarks; don't select it if you don't.
Just so you know, the iPad syncs bookmarks with the following Web browsers:
Mac: Safari
PC: Microsoft Internet Explorer and Safari
Select the check box for Sync Notes to sync notes in the Notes application on your iPad with notes in Apple Mail on a Mac or Microsoft Outlook on a PC.
Note that on a Mac, you must have Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later installed to sync notes.
Every so often the contacts, calendars, mail accounts, or bookmarks on your iPad get so screwed up that the easiest way to fix things is to erase that information on your iPad and replace it with information from your computer.
If that's the case, just click to select the appropriate check boxes, as shown in Figure 3-6. Then, the next time you sync, that information on your iPad will be replaced with information from your computer.
Note
Because the Advanced section is at the bottom of the Info pane and you have to scroll down to see it, you can easily forget that the Advanced section is there. Although you probably won't need to use this feature very often (if ever), you'll be happy you remembered that it's there if you do need it.
If you chose to let iTunes manage synchronizing your data automatically, welcome. This section looks at how you get your media — your music, podcasts, video, and photos — from your computer to your iPad.
Note
Podcasts, and video (but not photos) are synced only one way: from your computer to your iPad. Deleting any of these items from your iPad does not delete them from your computer when you sync. The exceptions are songs, podcasts, video, iBooks, and apps that you purchase or download using the iTunes, App Store, or iBooks apps on your iPad, and playlists you create on your iPad. Such items are, as you'd expect, copied back to your computer automatically when you sync. And although the iPad has no camera, if you save pictures from e-mail messages, Web pages (by pressing and holding on an image and then tapping the Save Image button), or screen shots (which can be created by pressing the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons simultaneously), these too can be synced.
Tip
Taking a screen shot creates a photo of what's on your screen. It's a handy tool and it's what we used to generate almost every figure in this book.
You use the Apps, Music, Podcasts, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, iTunes U, Books, and Photos panes to specify the media that you want to copy from your computer to your iPad. The following sections explain the options you find on each pane.
Note
To view any of these panes, make sure that your iPad is still selected in the sidebar and then click the appropriate tab near the top of the window.
The following sections focus on syncing only. If you need help acquiring apps, music, movies, podcasts, or anything else for your iPad, this book contains chapters dedicated to each of these topics. Just flip to the most applicable chapter for help.
Tip
The last step in each section is "Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window." You'll have to do this only when enabling that item for the first time and if you make any changes to the item after that.
If you've downloaded or purchased any iPad apps from the iTunes App Store, set your automatic syncing options as follows:
Click the Apps tab, and then select the Sync Apps check box.
Choose the individual apps you want to transfer to your iPad by selecting their check boxes.
For your convenience, you can sort your applications by name, category, or date acquired. Or, you can type a word or phrase into the search field (the oval with the magnifying glass to the right of the words Sync Apps) to search for a specific app.
(Optional) Rearrange app icons in iTunes by dragging them where you want them to appear on your iPad, as shown in Figure 3-7.
Tip
If you have a lot of apps, you're sure to love this feature (new in iTunes 9) as much as we do.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your apps are synced and your icons are rearranged on your iPad just the way you arranged them in iTunes.
To transfer music to your iPad, follow these steps:
Click the Music tab, and then select the Sync Music check box in the Music pane.
Select the button for Entire Music Library or Selected Playlists, Artists, and Genres.
If you choose the latter, select the check boxes next to particular playlists, artists, and genres you want to transfer. You can also choose to include music videos or voice memos or both by selecting the appropriate check boxes at the top of the pane (see Figure 3-8).
If you select the Automatically Fill Free Space with Songs check box, iTunes fills any free space on your iPad with music.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your music, music videos, and voice memos are synced.
Figure 3-8. Use the Music pane to copy music, music videos, and voice notes from your computer to your iPad.
Warning
Music, podcasts, and video are notorious for chewing up massive amounts of storage space on your iPad. If you try to sync too much media, you see error messages that warn you there's not enough room on your iPad for everything you tried to sync. Forewarned is forearmed. To avoid these errors, select playlists, artists, and/or genres that total less than the free space on your iPad.
How much free space does your iPad have? Glad you asked. Look near the bottom of the iTunes window while your iPad is selected. You see a chart that shows the contents of your iPad, color-coded for your convenience. See Chapter 18 for tips on working with this graph.
To transfer movies to your iPad, follow these steps:
Click the Movies tab and select the Sync Movies check box.
Choose an option for movies that you want to include automatically from the pop-up menu, as shown in Figure 3-9, or select the check box for each movie you want to sync.
Tip
Regardless of the choices you make in the pop-up menu, you can always select individual movies by selecting their check boxes.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your movies are synced.
The procedure for syncing TV shows is slightly different from the procedure for syncing movies. Here's how it works:
Click the TV Shows tab and select the Sync TV Shows check box to enable TV show syncing.
Choose how many episodes to include from the pop-up menu in the upper-left corner, as shown in Figure 3-10.
In the upper-right corner, choose whether you want all shows or only selected shows (again, see Figure 3-10).
If you want to also include individual episodes or episodes on playlists, select the appropriate check boxes in the Episodes and Include Episodes from Playlists sections of the TV Shows pane.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your TV shows are synced.
Tip
Regardless of the choices you make in the pop-up menus, you can always select individual episodes by selecting their check boxes.
To transfer podcasts to your iPad, follow these steps:
Click the Podcasts tab and select the Sync Podcasts check box in the Podcasts pane.
Two pop-up menus allow you to specify which episodes and which podcasts you want to sync, as shown in Figure 3-11.
Select how many episodes of a podcast you want to sync in the pop-up menu on the left.
Choose whether to sync all podcasts or just selected podcasts from the pop-up menu in the upper-right corner.
If you have podcast episodes on playlists, you can include them by selecting the appropriate check box under Include Episodes from Playlists.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your podcasts are synced.
Tip
Regardless of the choices you make in the pop-up menus, you can always select individual episodes by selecting their check boxes.
To sync educational content from iTunes U, follow these steps:
Click the iTunes U tab and select the Sync iTunes U check box to enable iTunes U syncing.
Choose how many episodes to include.
Choose whether you want all collections or only selected collections from the two pop-up menus.
If you want to also include individual episodes or episodes on playlists, select the appropriate check boxes in the iTunes U Collections and Items sections of the iTunes U pane.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your iTunes U episodes are synced.
Tip
Regardless of the choices you make in the pop-up menus, you can always select individual episodes by selecting their check boxes.
To sync iBooks and audiobooks, follow these steps:
Click the Books tab and select the Sync Books check box to enable book syncing.
Choose All Books or Just Selected Books.
If you chose Just Selected Books, select the check boxes of the books you wish to sync.
Scroll down the page a little and select the Sync Audiobooks check box to enable audiobook syncing.
Choose All Audiobooks or Just Selected Audiobooks.
If you chose Just Selected Audiobooks, select the check boxes of the audiobooks you wish to sync.
If the book is divided into parts, you can select check boxes for the individual parts if you wish.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your books and audiobooks are synced.
The iPad syncs photos with the following programs:
Mac: iPhoto or Aperture
PC: Adobe Photoshop Album or Adobe Photoshop Elements
You can also sync photos with any folder on your computer that contains images. To sync photos, follow these steps:
Click the Photos tab and select the Sync Photos From check box.
Choose an application or folder from the pop-up menu (which says iPhoto in Figure 3-12).
To further refine what photos are synced, you may have any of the following options:
Select albums, events, and more: If you choose an application that supports photo albums, events, and/or facial recognition, as we have in Figure 3-12 by choosing iPhoto, you can automatically include events by making a selection from the pop-up menu or select specific albums, events, and/or faces to sync by selecting them in the areas below.
Search for photos to sync: If you're using iPhoto, you can also type a word or phrase into the search field (the oval with the magnifying glass) to search for a specific event or events.
Select a folder of images: If you choose a folder full of images, you can create subfolders inside it that will appear as albums on your iPad.
But if you choose an application that doesn't support albums or events, or a single folder full of images with no subfolders, you have to transfer all or nothing.
Because we selected iPhoto in the Sync Photos From menu, and iPhoto '09 (the version installed on our Mac) supports events and faces in addition to albums, we also have the option of syncing events, albums, faces, or all three.
Click the Sync or Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window.
Your photos are synced.
