Planning for a 2nd iPad

[HowardBrazee]

Right now, I buy all of the e-books for my wife and myself, because my computer is the one that gets synchronized with our single iPad.

It appears that we will both want to read e-books at the same time, at least once we downsize and I'll have to give up my library.

Planning for a future 2nd iPad, what will that mean with synchronization, apps, & books? Will we need to use one logon for all purchases?

[JSWolf]

If you are planning on reading eBooks using iBooks, don't read the same eBook at the same time unless there is a way to turn off the sync feature. Because if there is not a way to turn it off, you will then end up screwing up your reading for each other.

As for purchases, register both iPads to the current account so you can share all the purchases between the two iPads.

[HowardBrazee]

That means she should log in as me to, say, buy a book from Amazon?

[Crowl]

Amazon supports up to 5 kindle devices on the one account so no problems there.

Have you considered getting a different second device if it is kindle books you are mostly buying, the greater portability of my ebook reader means there are times when it is more convenient for me than the larger pad.

[HowardBrazee]

I wouldn't be surprised if we get a dedicated e-reader. It will be some time before we make a choice about what we do. However, it is worth considering right now whether it makes sense to buy Amazon books, for instance.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you are planning on reading eBooks using iBooks, don't read the same eBook at the same time unless there is a way to turn off the sync feature. Because if there is not a way to turn it off, you will then end up screwing up your reading for each other.

As for purchases, register both iPads to the current account so you can share all the purchases between the two iPads.

No need, you can just use 2 accounts on an iPad, one for iBooks and settings, one for apps

[Rob_E]

You can turn off page sync in iBooks.
Whether or not you need multiple accounts depends on you. I set up a 3rd Amazon account just for ebook purchases. It's easier to track that way than having my wife log in to my account, and it's fed by gift cards, so there's no surprises with account balances. And if my in-laws had a Kindle, they could use the account, too, and my wife and her mother wouldn't have to ship paperbacks back and forth to each other. But really getting all of your books from one account is only useful for sharing purposes. If you don't read the same books, it might not matter.
I do try to keep all of our iStore purchases on one account, though, just to make sure we can share e everything. I wasn't aware that you could have two accounts in use on your iPad, and I'm not clear how that would work. When I try to buy anything, it doesn't ask what account I want to use, it just asks for the password to the account I use on the desktop, so I find it easier if everyone just uses the same account.
But I'm also unlikely to buy books on iBooks because the Kindle versions are accessible more places.

[leebase]

The iPad does not have multiple accounts on a single iPad. I have an iPhone and an iPad, which is the same scenario. I have them both using the same iTunes account. Works fine.

I do hope that Apple gets a bit more sophisticated in handling family use of their products.

Lee

[drofgnal]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Because if there is not a way to turn it off, you will then end up screwing up your reading for each other.

The simple way to do this is put the ipad in airplane mode when reading. Airplane mode cuts off all wireless communication so no syncing between devices is possible in any reader program, ibooks or kindle.

[HowardBrazee]

Originally Posted by leebase

The iPad does not have multiple accounts on a single iPad. I have an iPhone and an iPad, which is the same scenario. I have them both using the same iTunes account. Works fine.

I do hope that Apple gets a bit more sophisticated in handling family use of their products.

Lee

I'm hoping the new IOS also lets us have a choice on how we close applications. Sometimes it is nice to suspend an application such as an e-reader or Safari. Other times I want to get all the way out - so that next time I enter it, I go to the start screen, not to my previous spot. No Safari Web pages saved from earlier.

[Rob_E]

Originally Posted by HowardBrazee

Other times I want to get all the way out - so that next time I enter it, I go to the start screen, not to my previous spot. No Safari Web pages saved from earlier.

I doubt you'll see that choice in Safari. From the very first iOS it has saved all your open web pages, and I'll be very surprised if that changes. The solution is to close the individual web pages before exiting Safari.

As for other programs, have you used any iOS 4.x devices yet? I don't believe that 4.2 will handle multi-tasking apps any differently than the previous 4.x's. My understanding is that (if the app supports it?) any app you leave will freeze in place, but that there is an additional step that lets you shut down that app entirely.

But even then it's not necessarily the choice of the operating system. Even in 3.x I have some apps, like Stanza, that always open to the exact page I was reading when I closed it and some apps, like Comics(ComicBookLover) that always open to the home screen. I expect individual developers will still control this behavior. Your only way of affecting it will be if you suspend an application or shut it down entirely.

[HowardBrazee]

My iPad is my first IOS device. (Apple doesn't want Verizon customers to buy iPhones).

I agree that the behavior is defined by the app, but when full multi-tasking comes, something more flexible is more attractive.

And it would be very nice if Safari for the iPad gave us the same option that Safari gives us on other systems.

[Rob_E]

Here is a nice walkthrough of some of 4.2's features, and some attention is paid to multitasking at app management.