How to Use an iPad as a Writing Tool
With the size of an Apple iPad closely matching that of a regular date or organizer book, it can easily be used by writers for many tasks related to their job. The iPad can be used for basic things such as reading e-books, surfing the net, managing emails, listening to music or watching videos. Writers can use this tablet computer for additional activities such as conducting and compiling research, reading daily newspapers, creating, editing, saving, and printing documents, scheduling appointments, and managing projects from beginning research to the finished product.
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Things You'll Need
- Apple iPad
- Apple add-on keyboard
- Pages word processing app
- PrintCentral app
- Corkit app
- Evernote app
Instructions
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Dock the iPad on to the add-on external keyboard for typing articles, press releases, reports, and other documents. The keyboard has an easy to use port and the iPad sits right on top.
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Use the Pages word processing program to create, edit, save, and print documents. Files can be saved to and printed from the iPad. This word processing program is a full featured program with cut, copy, paste and formatting capabilities.
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Backup the files created on the iPad daily by emailing files to a business or personal email to transfer to another computer or thumb drive. The iPad lacks USB ports and other connectivity to other computers or other external storage devices , making emailing files to other computers the fastest and most secure way to transfer files.
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Use the PrintCentral program to print files. The iPad lacks a standard print function so users need to download a print management app such as PrintCentral to be able to print documents, photos, or Web content from the iPad.
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Use the Calendar program to manage a writing schedule, interview dates, media calendars, deadlines, and other events.
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Create to-do lists and reminder post-its that can be displayed on the opening screen of the iPad. Use the Corkit program to create and save post-it notes as a jpg file. Use the Settings app on the iPad desktop to change the wallpaper daily to put up the new post-it screen.
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Use the Safari app to conduct on-line research to include in press releases or articles.
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Create a photo slide-show of writing clips and photography samples to quickly show potential clients samples of your work. Public relations writers can scan printed writing clips, press releases or other promotional materials to PDF or JPG. files and save to a desktop or laptop computer that has a copy of iTunes downloaded to it. Sync the iPad with iTunes on the desktop computer to transfer scanned files and photos to the iPad.
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Use the Evernote app to enter and manage public relations and writing projects. You can enter URLs from your Internet research, photos, graphics, and many other elements that belong to a particular writing project into individual notebook like folders. This program will also sync to a regular computer so that all of the project files can be transferred for backup purposes to another storage device.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the iTunes app to download music, movies, audio books, or podcasts.
Use the Books app to download e-books for research and professional or personal reading.
Users can also download an office software application program called iWork that includes a spreadsheet program and presentation software.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
