Tablets for the uninitiated--A PowerPoint Tutorial

Introduction

• Did you just buy a tablet and want to learn how to use it?
• Are you thinking about buying a tablet, but haven’t made the leap yet?
• Did your kids buy a tablet for you and you haven’t taken it out of the box yet?
• This guide will walk you through the basics of tablet computing and familiarize you with some of the best ways to enjoy your tablet.

Overview

• Designed with all tablets in mind
• Android and iOS friendly
• Advantages of using a tablet
• The home screen
• Connecting to the Internet
• Apps and app stores
• Web browsing
• Using e-mail
• Reading and downloading e-books
• Streaming video

The advantages of using a tablet

• Portability—easy to use on the go, or lounging on the couch. Not as cumbersome as a laptop and typically has a longer battery life.
• Ease of use—once you learn the basics, tablets are very user- friendly
• Great for book lovers—Instead of lugging around a stack of books for a long weekend at the beach, bring your tablet and enjoy having thousands of books at your fingertips.
• Great for browsing the internet and reading the news.
• Can be good for people with poor eyesight because you are able to enlarge text to meet your reading needs.

Android or OS?

• There are two major operating systems for tablets today: Android, developed by Google, and iOS, developed by Apple.
• If you have an Ipad or Ipad mini you will be using the iOS platform.
• If you have any other tablet—e.g. Kindle, Nook, Nexus, or Galaxy, to name a few popular brands– then you will be using the Android platform.
• We will go over the basics of both operating systems together, so don’t worry if you don’t know which specific version of Android or iOS you have.

The home screen

• When you turn-on or wake your tablet you will see the home screen.
• Tapping on an icon, the small square or circle shaped objects on the screen, will open various apps for use.
• You can organize your home screen by long-pressing on an icon (holding your finger down for more than one second) and dragging the icon to your desired location.

Connecting to the Internet (Wi-Fi)

Apps

• Apps, short for applications, are represented by small colorful icons
• Unlike the programs that you double-click on to open on your home computer, you can access apps with the tap of your finger on your tablet.
• You can group related apps together by long-pressing on apps and dragging an icon on top of another icon. 

App Stores

• Several apps come preinstalled on your tablet, but you will want to install more apps from the app store.
• Don’t let the word ‘store’ intimidate you. Many of the best apps are absolutely free, however, you will need to set up your account with a credit card the first time using the app store.
• Some users purchase many apps, others none whatsoever, so it’s really up to your preference.
• If you are not using an iPad the app store might go by a slightly different name so look for an icon called “Amazon Apps” or “Google Play” or “Samsung Apps” depending on your tablet. Tap on the icon to open the app store.

Reading and Composing Emails

• When you first turned on your tablet you were probably prompted to link your email address to your device. (If not, go to Settings>Mail>Add Account>select your email provider and enter your email address).
• To check your email find the “Mail” or “Gmail” app and open it.
• From there you can read your emails and compose and send emails using your on-screen keyboard.
• Some users like the feel of a tactile keyboard so if you enjoy writing emails on your tablet, then you might want to invest in a Bluetooth keyboard to write longer emails.

Reading ebooks and ebook purchasing

• There are many different ways to read e-books on your tablet.
• The most commonly used e-book reader apps are Kindle, iBooks (Apple only), Nook, and Google’s ‘Play Books’ app (see icons left to right above). You will need to install these apps first in order to use them.
• Once you’ve installed the app, you can purchase books from the store--look for the store button within the app--and download them to read.
• There are thousands of older books that are free to download because they are in the public domain and no longer under copyright protection. Now is the perfect time to download a copy of War and Peace or Moby Dick and you won’t have thumb through a heavy book to read them! Change the font, resize the text, the options are many.
• Another feature for book lovers is that you can download a book sample, usually the first 2 chapters of a book, and begin reading the book. If you like it, you can buy it to continue reading.

Streaming video services

• To watch videos on your device you can install apps such as YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu.
• These apps are free to install but Netflix and Hulu+ require an account use.
• Movies can be rented or purchased as well via the iTunes store or various App stores.

Conclusion

• I hope that you feel a bit more comfortable now with using a tablet and doing some basic tasks.
• I hope you learned something new and that these basic skills will enhance your tablet using experience.
• If you’ve just purchased a new iPad, you may be eligible for a free 1 hour workshop at your local Apple genius bar as well: https://www.apple.com/retail/learn/
• For further information please don’t hesitate to ask your friendly librarian to assist you in locating resource materials and finding other help sessions.