 iPad as laptop - Image courtesy of Carol Bondy Note: More and more people are ditching their computers for iPads. My computer is not much larger than an iPad but offers some features that my iPad doesn't offer BUT I image a a lot of folks don't need those features. I thought Rick's tip allows you a bit more of a computer experience with the ease of an iPad
By Rick Rouse It's no secret that Apple's iPad line of tablets have amazing touch screens and quite functional virtual onscreen keyboards. However, it's also no secret that most people find it much easier to type using a full screen physical keyboard and "tapping" doesn't give you the same level of control you can get with a mouse. For most typical "tablet" tasks the iPad's virtual keyboard and touch screen work just fine, but if you do a lot of typing and/or image manipulation you might be better off attaching a physical keyboard and mouse to your iPad so you can use it like a laptop. Luckily, this is very easy to do thanks to the wonders of Bluetooth technology. All you need to do is get yourself a Bluetooth keyboard and Bluetooth mouse and then pair them up with the tablet. Although virtually any Bluetooth-enabled keyboard will work with your iPad, you'll likely be more satisfied with an Apple Magic Keyboard since it's actually designed to work with Apple products. While you could also use a genuine Apple Magic Mouse, I recommend going with the much cheaper Macally Wireless Bluetooth Mouse instead. This excellent mouse works flawlessly with both Macs and iPads and it only costs about what you'd expect to pay for a pizza. Once you have your keyboard and mouse in hand, just follow the instructions that came with the devices to pair them up with your iPad. If you end up needing them you'll also find generic pairing instructions on Apple's website. And finally, although you can get by without one, you'll probably find it's a lot easier to use your iPad as a laptop if it's supported by a tablet stand. Bottom line: If you only use your iPad for perusing Facebook, surfing the Internet and sending an occasional short email, the device's touch screen and virtual keyboard are probably all you'll ever need. However, if you do a lot of typing or image manipulation, you can greatly enhance your productivity and user experience by adding a physical keyboard and mouse so you use your iPad like a laptop. If you find this tip (and this newsletter) useful, please consider sharing it with your friends. Share Rick's Tech Tips Newsletter
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 Okay, let’s pretend you’ve switched from Windows 10 to 11 and there are some things you don’t like. After starting out with Windows 3.1, I think? I’m accustomed to the changes MS has put us through. Windows 11 is different, a bit, but it’s mostly familiar.
Why did the start button move to the middle of the task bar? I don’t know, but really, it’s still right there, not hidden, so fine. Windows keeps growing and changing, partly to keep up with security and partly to add features, like AI. I get that. I don’t necessarily like it, but I get it. I don’t like my hairline either, but there is no stopping it. I do suggest making as many tweaks as you like to make Win 11 more comfortable, and there are a few. You can choose to download another browser and make it the default, for instance. And you can go ahead and move the start button to the left if it’s important to you. Look HERE For some other good suggestions. I don’ think they’re crucial, but they are pretty good and it will give you some confidence, maybe, to look for other changes to make. Question following article on updating to Windows 11
How do i get my computers updated? Richard G Answer This is the official Microsoft version. support.microsoft.com The easiest way to upgrade to windows 11 is to buy a new computer. The easiest way to upgrade with your existing computer is to get someone to do it for you. I suggest Julian Shapiro at [email protected]. Call him at (631) 680-2404. After that it’s a matter of doing it yourself. This can vary with difficulty. If your computer is new enough, it should be prompting you to upgrade already. If your computer is not new enough, it is still possibly upgradable, but takes some work. You can look at that method HERE. You can google many ways to upgrade an unsupported system. I download the ISO and create a bootable thumb drive using Rufus, which allows you to select various exceptions and creates what you need. That sounds confusing but it is very straightforward. Good luck. It’s been a while since I wrote any Mac tips. So many folks have given up their Mac computers and switched to iPads and iPhones, I wonder how valuable the tips are. I still use my desktop though, so maybe a few people are interested. Like PCs, Macs have lots of shortcuts for getting things done. Also, Macs have a lot of features that PCs don’t, And vice versa, of course, but still. This is about Macs. When I google Mac tips on my iPhone I first get a list of AI generated tips that are fairly useful. Here they are: Here are some tech tips for Mac:
This video has more tips and tricks for Mac:  Those are great, but AI generated stuff isn’t necessarily what a person wants or needs, though it was useful. Sometimes I prefer to be shown how to do things, and for that, I like YouTube videos. Whether it’s for how to remove the toilet flange in the floor of a 1967 Airstream or how to upgrade the hard drive in a Macbook Pro, YouTube seemingly has it all. For that, I am grateful, and appear to be smarter than I am. Watch it HERE:  Several weeks back somebody wrote asking about how to lock rotation screen on an iPhone. I can’t seem to find the message now, so I’ll wing it. The ability for the screen to rotate on an iPhone is in the settings. Sometimes, you don’t want your screen to rotate, for whatever reason, and it’s a fairly simple setting.
Following is what I found when I googled it: To stop an iPhone screen from rotating, you can use the Portrait Orientation Lock feature in the Control Center: Open the Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen if your iPhone has Face ID, or swiping up from the bottom of the screen if your iPhone has a Home button. Tap the Rotation Lock button, which looks like a lock with an arrow around it. When the Screen Rotation lock icon is red on a white background, the lock is active You can also double-tap the Home button to open the multitasking window, then tap the Portrait Orientation Lock button. Some apps don't support rotation, so the screen might not rotate even if Portrait Orientation Lock is off. Apple Computer For those of you that like Apple Computers, I want to write about the new Mac Mini. I haven’t used a Mac Mini in years, but I loved it back then. It was powerful, very small, and still upgradable. The new Mac Mini is getting great reviews and the starting price at Best Buy looks to be $549. For a Mac, that’s a great price. I prefer a desktop to a laptop, but that’s just me. My current desktop is actually smaller than a Mac Mini, but it suits me fine and it’s been working great. It’s an ‘off brand’ called a TRIGKEY. There are many of them, and they are mostly cheaper and more powerful than the big names. Back to the Mac Mini; I read a great review on it HERE. It’s been in the news a lot, if you get nerdy news like me, and it’s been highly touted. |
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