Electronics

[glb613]

You don't have to use the icloud backup.  Do a backup to your computer usng iTunes. 

Backup to your computer

[Jordan2]

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@glb613 wrote:

If your iPad is too old for operatiing system updates, buy new.  If you can update to the newest operating system, backup your iPad to your computer or the icloud and do a complete reset to factory conditions.  Once it has restored to factory condition, do a restore from your backup and see how it runs.  This costs nothing and may be the only thing you need to do. 

I have an iPad with the built-in cellular connection and I've never activated it.  There is free Wifi everywhere for none secure use.  It adds about $150 to the price and I'll never buy an iPad with it again. 

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I also have an iPad with built in cellular which I have never activated. After the Sandy storm I wanted something that I could keep up with what was going on when I lost electricity in my home and my internet access. My understanding is you can pay for it only the months you want and not every month. I wouldn't use public WIFI because I am too parinoid!

[glb613]

I've used public Wifi everywhere with my iPad and iPhone and haven't had a bit of trouble.  I don't use it for anything sensitive like banking or shopping.  While we all can face a storm or other disaster, I'm not going to buy another iPad with cellular again.  Each person can decide for themself. 

[dooBdoo]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@dooBdoo.  You give great advice.  There seems to be little written about how to use the "cloud", and believe me I've looked.  It's sort of a mystical, mysterious thing to us neophytes.  A friend who has had her iPad several years recently asked me if I knew anything about "that cloud thing".  We oldsters don't have the spontaneous exchange of information with our peers that youngsters do.

Do you know of a good source of information on how to get data into it and how to retrieve it?  A trip to the Apple Store might be out of the question for me as I can only stand 5 minutes max.  It's a great idea though.  I may have to go and carry a chair.

I have noticed that Apple no longer supports iPad2.  For what you pay, they ought to have free tech support forever.

I do a hard reset a least 2X a day.

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Thanks, for the kind words, @Kachina624!  iCloud is really just a remote computer system managed by Apple that you can use for storage/syncing instead of using your own computer.  I wanted to clarify -- my posts have advocated frequent backups either to your computer or iCloud, not just iCloud.  I've been consistent in older threads to say I prefer a backup to iTunes on my Mac but I do sync Contacts with iCloud.  As @glb613 linked, it's easy to sync/backup to your computer and it's the preferred method for many.

If I were you, I'd give the Apple Store a call -- I doubt you'll need your own chair.  Their support team is usually top notch and will accommodate your needs, in my opinion.

[Moonchilde]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@glb613 wrote:

If your iPad is too old for operatiing system updates, buy new.  If you can update to the newest operating system, backup your iPad to your computer or the icloud and do a complete reset to factory conditions.  Once it has restored to factory condition, do a restore from your backup and see how it runs.  This costs nothing and may be the only thing you need to do. 

I have an iPad with the built-in cellular connection and I've never activated it.  There is free Wifi everywhere for none secure use.  It adds about $150 to the price and I'll never buy an iPad with it again. 

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Hi, @glb613!  I do the backup/erase and reset/restore fairly often and it really does help -- but I always advise folks to be sure they're confident in their backup first, and that they might even want to get an Apple expert to walk them through the process the first time so they feel more comfortable with it.  I, too, purchased the built-in cellular connection and in all these years I've never used it -- partly because I have my secure router at home.  I wouldn't buy the cellular option again.

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My first iPad, I purchased with 3/4G and never regretted it. My home wi-fi would go out on occasion, sometimes for hours. And I have never felt that "wi-fi everywhere" was "everywhere-enough" for me - and I live in the middle of a  huge metropolitan area. When you're just home from a long day at work and your wi-fi goes out, trekking to McDonalds just to connect doesn't appeal :-(

I also spent the extra for cellular for my second and current iPad but have not activated it because I subsequently purchased an iPhone, and since I've switched internet services my wi-fi rarely goes down.

In the future (if I ever buy another iPad, which is doubtful), I would buy wi-fi only because it's cheaper and because where I will be moving to is a cellular dead zone - it's wi-fi or nothing. So there would be no point.

[Cha1k]

@Kachina624

You have received some excellent advise from other posters on this thread about backing up your iPad.  I have some information that I use in the classes I teach that might help you understand iCloud.

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iCloud has three main components:

1. iCloud Backup - (Settings > iCloud > Backup turned on)  After you turn iCloud Backup ON, plug in your iPad and tap Back Up Now.  iCloud will back up:

•  Purchased apps, books, music, movies, TV shows

•  Photos and videos taken with iPad or iPhone (if you use iCloud Photo Library, your photos and videos are already stored in iCloud, so they won’t also be part of an iCloud backup.  If iCloud Photo Library is not activated, photos are accessed thru Photo Stream — up to 1000 photos for 30 days.)

•  iPad settings

•  App data

•  Home screen, folders, and app layout

•  Ringtones

2. iCloud Photo Library -  (Settings > iCloud > Photos > iCloud Photo Library  turned on)

Store all your photos and videos and access them from any iOS 8.1 or later device, Mac with Yosemite v.10.10.3 or later and on iCloud.com using the same 

Apple ID.  

It is strongly advised that you turn on iCloud Photo Library if you do not have your photos backed up to your computer.

3. iCloud Drive -  (Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive turned on)

Store presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and any other kind of document.  You can access these docsfrom any of your devices set up with Cloud - iOS devices as well as Mac computers using Yosemite v.10.10.3.

iCloud Storage Options   -  5 GB provided free

To see how much of your iCloud storage you have used, go to: Settings > General > Usage.  Under the iCloud heading tap Manage Storage

If you find that 5GB isn't enough to store everything you have on your iPad, you may purchase additional storage.

Additional Storage options:

50GB - $1.00/month

200GB - $3/month

1TB - $10/month

You can see what is stored on iCloud by going to iCloud.com on any computer.

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Apple still supports the iPad 2.  It was released in March of 2011 and will run iOS 9 even though it will slow the device down.  The iPad 2 is knocking on the door of being 5 years old and that's ancient in tech years, especially for mobile devices.  Android phones and tablets cannot even come close to running current updates on legacy devices that are 3-4 years old.

Keeping up with technology isn't for sissies.  In order to play in the tech sandbox successfully, you have to be willing to read the user guides and adjust to change.  That's difficult the older we get.....in fact I find myself shunning some topics as I get older and technology has been my hobby for years!

Let us know how it goes and if you have any questions.

(Edited to correct iCloud Storage pricing)

[Kachina624]

@Cha1k, Thanks so much for appearing like a magic genie.  I went right to settings, cLoud, and did a back-up now while plugged in.  It's dutifully backing_up as we speak.  When it's finished, it's safe to reset the whole thing?  How do I do that?

I know these things don't last forever but it recharges well, so I'd like to get a little more time out of it.  It has been constantly telling me it experienced a problem and reloads.  I'd never seen that before I did the upgrade, but it makes the pad virtually unusable.

Thanks so much for your (and dooBdoo's) help.

[Cha1k]

@Kachina624

Since you have backed up your iPad to iCloud, go to your computer and log into iCloud.com.  You can check to make sure your contacts, photos, calendar, etc. are there.  

If possible, do like dooBdoo suggested and back up to your computer also.... using iTunes.  (Hi Doobs ✋)

Here is the link from Apple that tells you how to erase and restore your iPad.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204686

[jackthebear]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@dooBdoo.  You give great advice.  There seems to be little written about how to use the "cloud", and believe me I've looked.  It's sort of a mystical, mysterious thing to us neophytes.  A friend who has had her iPad several years recently asked me if I knew anything about "that cloud thing".  We oldsters don't have the spontaneous exchange of information with our peers that youngsters do.

Do you know of a good source of information on how to get data into it and how to retrieve it?  A trip to the Apple Store might be out of the question for me as I can only stand 5 minutes max.  It's a great idea though.  I may have to go and carry a chair.

I have noticed that Apple no longer supports iPad2.  For what you pay, they ought to have free tech support forever.

I do a hard reset a least 2X a day.

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did you know you can schedule an appt at the Genius bar? this may help if you need to go in to avoid standing too much....you can schedule for the 1st time of the day

look on the Apple.com site

[violann]

If I were to back up/restore, would all of my saved passwords, photos, music, EVERYTHING that's on my iPad right now, be returned to it?

I'd b using iTunes and my MacBok Pro as my backup device.