Blog

ePub is the short form of electronic publication and was specifically designed by IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum) with eBooks in mind. There are several benefits of converting books to ePub format. First off, ePub books are easy to display on electronic readers. Different shapes and sizes of eBook screens and readers are available in the market. All these offer different controls and features that enable common users to change the font, size and other features of the books they are viewing on iPad or other devices.

Another recommended file format for eNook reading is a Mobi file or mobipocket eBook file. Presently, Apple iPad offers a lot in terms of productivity and entertainment. Because of its portability and efficient backup, it is suited for people who don’t want to miss a single chance to read books. iPad is very comfortable and easy gadget to read books of different formats like epub and mobi. The reason of using epub and mobi format is that they are easily available in the market and most of them are even free of cost. There are many methods and apps by which you can read or even covert these files on your iPad.

ePub and Mobi files extension has a lot of features to enhance the way you read your books. Features such as bookmarking, library management, note taking, and searching are exceedingly helpful for different professionals.

How to Read Mobi files

It is not possible to transfer and view mobi file into iPad directly because it does not support mobi extention. To read mobi files on your iPad, you first need to:

• Convert mobi files into iPad compatible format like epub.
• Or install third party app on your iPad to open and read mobi files.

Convert Mobi and PDF files into ePub format using Calibre Book Management Software 

Calibre is one of the best software available online to cater to all your bibliophilic needs and the best part is that it is absolutely free. In the next section of this post, we are going to use Calibre Book Management system to convert Mobi, PDF and other digital book formats into an iPad friendly ePub format.

After you install Calibre you will be directed through an easy to follow steps to install the software on your PC, Mac or Linux. Once you’re done with the installation, launch the app.

Step 1: The first step is to select the destination directory where all your converted eBooks with ePub format will be transferred.

Step 2: In the next step, you’re going to need to add the eBooks you wish to convert into Cailbre. This can easily be done by pressing the “Add Books” button located on the top left corner of the window.

Step 3: After you have located the files you wish to convert, simply press open and the file will be imported to Calibre.

Step 4: You can then easily convert the PDF or any other eBook format into ePub format by a couple of methods. The easiest one is to open right click on the book you just imported from the list, as shown in the image and then click on Convert Books > Convert Individually.

Step 5: You will then be presented with a few options, at this point you only need to worry about the Output format. Select the ePUB format as shown in the picture and press OK at the end.

 

Step 6: The final step is to wait for the conversion process, you can be certain that the conversion is complete when you can see Jobs: 0 at the lower right corner of the window. Once it is all over, you can hop on to the destination directory and locate your eBook in the ePub format, all ready to be transferred to your iPad.

 

Transferring Converted files to iPad

Once you completed the process of Conversion, click on Open Button to track all converted files. Link your Computer to iPad, launch iTunes and then Sync ePub format file to iPad by using iTunes. That’s just about it, you can now view the eBook from your iPad.

Importing and Reading ePub files on iPad with iTunes

If you have downloaded an ePub file or have one after you followed the conversion process listed in the earlier section of this post, you can use the next to transfer ePub files on iPad with iTunes. Here, you are required to launch iTunes and go to File>Add File to Library. Then navigate to the specific location where ePub file is saved, select it and click on the “choose” button. At the left window of iTunes, click on the option ’books’ and then your selected book will be available in the section of books in your library.

Now, you can connect your iPad to your PC and select it from the devices given at the left side. You will see different tabs under the title bar, click on the Books tab there.

Check the Sync books icon, if it is not enabled. In case you have selected all the books, they will all transfer to your iPad. If you select a specific book, you need to find the newly added book and simply drag and drop the book onto the iPad section like shown in the image below.

Once you are done with the transfer, you can read any Epub format book on your iPad by opening the iBooks app and tap on the specific book you would like to read. In case you don’t already have iBooks app on your iPad you can easily download it from the Apple AppStore.

Alternatively, if you want to import ePub files without iTunes, you can do it easily by following these steps:

• First download iPad ePub converter.
• Install the software and connect it to your iPad device by using the default iPad USB cable.
• After the installation is complete you can will be guided by inbuilt tutorial on How to transfer epub files to your iPad once done, you will be ready to read ePub format on your iPad.

 

Garageband is another unique gift from Apple for audiophiles and more pertinently for music creators or prodigies altogether. iPad further exploits the full functionality of GarageBand by extending the intuitiveness with its overtly simple but responsive touch screen gestures. GarageBand for iPad can be used to create, record, assemble, retouch and even as a fully trusted live performance kit. There are many features and tweaks available in GarageBand for iPad and despite the simple interface, it would take weeks to actually use or even get acquainted with the sea of options and features available. So, in this post we have tried to collect all the tips, sources, tweaks, methods and much more to help you comprehensively understand and use GarageBand for iPad. By the end of this post, you may or may not be a Pro at GarageBand, but you certainly will at-least be equipped with all the tools to unravel the rest of features and maybe even create your own music.

WHY PREFER GARAGEBAND OVER THE REAL THING?

• You can get access to thousands of instruments and effects from only one device without spending time, effort and money on each instrument separately.
• You can play and record instruments that otherwise are way too expensive or sometimes even beyond a mere humans means.
• Recording or Playing both can be done directly from your iPad.
• It can be a relief to others around as you can plug-in the headphones and keep all the music to yourself.
• You can restore the flavor of actual music by plugging in guitar or Keyboard and add some studio standard effects while you are at it.
•  The most important feature is the ability to carry all these features compactly in your Backpack.

Table of Contents.

• • Using Guitar Amp
  • Smart Strings
  • Keyboard
  • Bass Parts
  • Jamming in GarageBand for iPad
  • Recording a Song
  • Recording a Smart Instrument
  • Recording Drums
  • Editing in GarageBand
  • Song Sections
  • Sharing Files from GarageBand

TIPS AND MINOR WORK AROUND TUTORIALS

Without further adulating GarageBand lets move on to the actual GarageBand iPad Tutorial. In this first section we will help you with some of the tips and other peculiarities that you must know before moving on to recording a song.

Import an Audio File

You can use the Drag and Drop method to simply add audio files into the black area of the timeline or ‘RealTrack’. But before all that, you have to convert your audio file into Apple-compatible format. Some of the iPad compatible audio files are MP3, AAC, and FLAC. The DRM protection may also pose a problem especially if you have purchased your file from Ovi, Zune Media store or the like. You can take care of it by removing the DRM protection and then proceed with the Drag-Drop procedure.

Adding Effects to Guitar Track

To add effects to your Guitar Track, tap-open the track info page, locate and tap on the guitar amp tab. You can then spin the amp window around by clicking on the Edit Button located on the top corner of the screen. You then have to go back to the guitar amp and click on the arrow pointing upward in the lower pane. You can then choose any standard effect provided from the single effects slot and add it to the guitar track.

Rename Track Region

You can also rename a region within the track by opening Track editor from your GarageBand iPad app. You can then see current name of the track at top left corner which can be renamed by double-clicking on it and then typing the new name.

Use Guitar Amp

You can use Guitar Amp in GarageBand only after connecting your electric guitar to your iPad. This can be done using 3rd party devices like iRig from IK Multi-media.

Edit Chords

Chords used by the smart instrument(guitar, keyboard, bass or strings) can be edited for different variation or order rearrangement.To do this, choose a smart instrument, and then from the Song Settings Button, Tap edit Chords. On the instrument that you selected, Tap one of the Chord Strip and you can then begin rearranging by swiping the chord wheels. You can also choose the chord, alternate quality, and bass note. Tap Done when you’re satisfied.

Keyboard

There is a lot you can do with Keyboard in GarageBand for iPad. You can begin with swiping between different Keyboard sounds. You can choose the size of keys and the number of octaves visible by tapping on the Keyboard Buttons.

Velocity can also be controlled with a dedicated control button on the Keyboard. Also, a particular Keyboard setup can be saved which can then be accessed from a custom category.

Drums

There are options to choose between different types of acoustic as well as electronic drum-sets. The drum output is totally touch-dependent, the harder you hit, the louder it gets. Some parts of drum set like hi-hat and snare drum will also produce different sound depending on the area you touch.

A repeating pattern can be activated by pressing and holding on two drums simultaneously, you can then move your fingers apart for an increased tempo or vice versa. In addition, swipes across the vertical plane of your iPad screen will increase or decrease the volume.

Bass Parts

Electric, acoustic or synth bass sounds are at your disposal in GarageBand with just a single tap. You can simply use Smart Bass instrument to try all the variations or you can choose the Keyboard instrument and then select one of the Synth Bass Sounds.

Smart Strings

A lot of effects and repercussions can be added to Smart Strings that will enhance your overall guitar experience on GarageBand for iPad. A single chord can be played in various inversions with just a tap on each section of the chord strip. Plucked sound can be made by releasing your finger off the string and not by simply tapping it. A sustained chord can be played by sliding your fingers back and forth on the chord strip.

Individual notes can be played in notes mode by plucking on the fretboard. This will play back notes with an arco effect (bowed), but you can also play pizzicato (plucked) notes by holding one finger on the Articulation button on the left while you tap the string briefly.

Jamming in GarageBand for iPad

You can connect up to 3 iDevices with GarageBand over a Wi-fi or Bluetooth connection to participate in and create jam sessions. You can designate a particular iPad as Bandleader who has the ability to control playback and recording. Rest of the members of your jamming group can share settings or record all parts on a device.

RECORDING A SONG IN GARAGEBAND FOR IPAD | STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL

To record a song and then add other parameters to your song follow instructions listed below:

Step 1. Open the GarageBand from your iPad and then navigate to and tap on + sign located near the top left corner of the screen.

Step 2. From the menu that now pops up, Tap on ‘New Song’

Step 3.  You will then be presented with various instruments to choose from as your first recording instrument. You can swipe across the options and select any instrument of your choice by tapping on it.

Step 4.  From the ‘instrument view,’ you can then tweak and adjust intricate instrument settings according to your personal preferences.

Step 5. If the need arises, you can also create custom chords.

Setting up Song Parameters

You can set up various song parameters like metronome, tempo, count-in, Key and time signature from the Song setting tab. Song Settings can be reached by tapping on Song Settings icon, which looks like a Wrench, once in the menu, various parameters listed above can be individually optimized.

Song Sections

Making sections of your song will help you to copy-paste or move around certain sections like intro, verse, chorus etc., as you desire. Each of these sections is named with letters and by default, a song contains 8-bar repeating sections in GarageBand. You can then add more sections to the existing ones or adjust the length of sections already created. All this can be done by tapping on the Song Section Button located on the right edge of the ruler, as highlighted in the image below.

Altering the length of Song Section

You can alter the length of each section present or create by following the steps below:

Step 1. Tap on Song section button as highlighted in the image above.

Step 2. From the various Sections labeled as letters, Tap on, let’s say “Section A”.

Step 3. You can then either turn the automatic mode on, or you can change the number of bars by tapping on the arrows located next to manual. For faster bar increments, press-hold and swipe your finger vertically across the iPad screen. You can set any value to the Bar, but it should be noted that overall, the total number of Bars allowed in a complete song is 320, so work accordingly.

Recording a Smart Instrument, Guitar Amp or Audio Recorder

To record an instrument part in Garageband for iPad follow these easy steps:

Step 1. First of all, make sure you are in Instrument view and not in Track view, then choose and tap the instrument you want to record.

Step 2. The Playhead can then be used to mark the starting point of recording. You can rewind to move it to start or tap on the ruler to choose a specific bar/beat.

Step 3. Once you are satisfied with every aspect, hit Record.

Step 4. Play the first section of the song and tap Stop when you are done. You can save yourself some time and effort if the section you recorded is a repeated riff or ostinato as you can loop or copy/paste it as much as you like.

Step 5. You can listen to the recorded section by moving the PlayHead to start of the section and if you don’t like what you hear, you can always tap Undo.

Recording for New Section

You can either add another instrument to the same section like above or you can choose to record new pattern in the next section. While the former can be done exactly like instructed in above section, for the latter you should follow the below steps:

Step 1. Tap on Song Section Button.

Step 2. From the tiny windows that pops-up, Tap on Add button. This will add Section B to your Song.

Step 3. Just next to Section B, you will notice a Blue arrow, Tap on it to set the bar limit manually.

Step 4. To save and close Section controls, tap anywhere on the Tracks View.

Step 5. You are now ready to record the same instrument with a different pattern in Section B.

Tip: To move between different sections of the song, you can swipe left/right across the horizontal axis of Track View.

RECORDING DRUMS

There are two major ways you can utilize in Garageband for iPad to record Drum parts. There is an easy way, where you can just use Smart Drum to record default drum parts, or you can try the complex method in which you can record each drum part separately and then layer it with more parts.

Method 1: The Easy Way

Step 1. Simply tap on the Track Button and select Smart Drums from instruments.

Step 2. You can then choose the type of drum you want to use. Like Acoustic or Electronic.

Step 3. Drag the elements of the kit on the grid to set up Beat.

Step 4. Now, move the playhead to the desired bar, hit record, do nothing and finally Tap Stop when recording completes.

Method 2. The ‘HighWay’

To develop grove and customize Drum/beat effects, you can record each part of the kit like, bass drum first, then hi-hat, then snare separately and layer them together for a more expert drum profile.

Step 1. Select the instrument in track header area.

Step 2. Tap on Mixer Button and check if the Merge button is ON. It is usually turned ON for drums by default, but if it isn’t, do it now.

Step 3. Optimize your Quantization settings by Tapping on Quantize Button.

Step 4. To record the first part of Drums, Tap Record, when you are done, move the PlayHead back to the start of the section and Record another part.

Step 5. Repeat the process until everything is recorded and then Tap Done.

EDITING IN GARAGEBAND FOR IPAD

To begin editing your songs in Garageband, you should at first have some working knowledge about certain important parameters. The most important of these parameters being, Track regions. Simply put, track regions are specific sections that automatically build in Track view as you finish recording a song. There are three types of Track region, each highlighted in 3 different colors:

• Green regions represent Touch Instrument Recordings.
• Purple regions show record parts from Guitar Amp or Audio Recorder.
• Blue Regions represent the mundane but useful Apple loops.

Now that you know what a track region means, you are ready to Edit each of them gradually as much as you please. To do so:

Step 1. Tap a single region in Track View. You can also select multiple regions by Tapping and holding on any single region, and then as you constantly press on the section, you can use subsequent finger taps to select other regions.

Step 2. To use the selected region as a loop throughout the length of the song, you will have to Tap again after you select the specific region. When you do so, an Edit Menu will appear, from the Menu simply Tap Loop. You can then shorten or lengthen the Loop by tapping the Region and bringing close or far the ends of it.

Step 3. To copy and paste a specific region anywhere in your Track, simply Tap-select the desired section. Tap again to bring forward the Edit Menu and choose Copy from the drop-down box.

Step 4. Now navigate the Playhead to the start of destination bar, double tap the empty space and choose Paste from the Menu.

Step 5. You can use the same double Tap menu and Tap-hold method to cut, delete, Join or split regions respectively.

After you are done fiddling with regions you can dive deeper into editing by modifying, editing and polishing every single note (Except Drums). To do this, you will first need access to Editor, this can be done by double tapping on a region and once the Edit menu appears, you can swipe a finger upwards or downwards to enter into Note editing Mode. After you are in, there are a lot of things you can do in editor mode ranging from viewing different parts to changing even the pitch of every note. Just swipe up and down, right and left, Pinch zoom, go crazy, explore every option and try every possible gesture and you will be a pro before you know it. Just make sure to Tap Done when you are done with this sorcery.

Quite obvious to state at this point, GarageBand for iPad is a fully loaded and studio-quality music App and there are a plethora of features, tools, Tweaks, and tips that cannot be explored in just one post. We tried to help and provide as much as we could in a single post. We can and will surely provide more information and tutorials in subsequent posts, only if there is an appreciable response. But before we wrap up this extensive iPad GarageBand Tutorial there are a final few instructions that will help you to get your created music off of iPad, into your Personal devices and maybe even to millions out there via iTunes.

SHARING CREATED FILES FROM GARAGEBAND.

Step 1. Return to the Main Menu by tapping on the My Songs Button.

Step 2. Tap and hold one of the Song icons, this will trigger a ‘wobble’ and almost everything on your iPad, including the icons, will start jiggling. Except, a few new buttons near the top left the corner, and that’s where you’re headed.

Step 3. Tap on the Curved Arrow button, which in fact is your Share button.

Step 4. You can now use various options to share your Music. You can either upload it to Facebook, Youtube, SoundCloud or iMovie(If you have installed it already.). The better way to do it is by email or iTunes.

SHARE, EXPORT OR IMPORT TO ITUNES

This final tutorial will help you to access your GarageBand for iPad files from your Mac or PC iTunes. There are two main ways to do this:

1. iTunes: Simply choosing iTunes from the Two options that show up will actually convert your Track into an audio format, which can then be played in iTunes or any other music player. You can however further edit this single-layered track with software like Mixcraft, Acid Music Studio, GarageBand, Logic, Pro Tools, and Audacity. But you will no longer have separate instrumental tracks like in GarageBand as all of them will be merged into one single audio file.

2. GarageBand: This option is particularly advantageous for users with Mac or a PC running desktop version of GarageBand. In contrast to the previous option, this method will actually preserve all the track layers and effects, to be further edited or enhanced on Desktop version of GarageBand.

After you decide and choose any of the options above, you can retrieve your file from your Desktop via iTunes by following the steps shown in the self-explanatory image added below.

Quite obvious to state at this point, GarageBand for iPad is a fully loaded and studio-quality music App and there are a plethora of features, tools, Tweaks, and tips that cannot be explored in just one post. We tried to help and provide as much as we could in a single post. We can and will surely provide more information and tutorials in subsequent posts, only if there is an appreciable response.

Apple has always amazed geeks as well as stylists from the very beginning with every device launch. This can be attributed to their elegant design, unmatched engineering and the unique goal that Apple and its loyal customers believe in. Apple iPad is no exception and with each upgrade every year the technology is getting better and the sales are reaching even higher thresholds, breaking all the records set by every predecessor. So, in this post we have collected information on iPad Dimensions – Length, Width, Height and Weight of all iPad Models plus some facts as well, to actually help you differentiate between all these awesome gadgets.

 

iPad 1

The iPad was announced in 2012 on January 27 by the founder of the Apple Company Steve Jobs at a press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Due to the novelty of this device, people were extremely impressed and the sales proved this later on. A record braking 300,000 iPad’s were sold on the very first day. All in all, Apple sold more than 15 million first-generation iPad’s prior to the launch of the iPad 2. In March 2011 it was discontinued.

The first generation  iPad featured WIFI and had 9.7 inch multi-touch display(250 mm). This display had LED backlighting and scratch resistant coating and the resolution was set at 1024 x 768 pixels with 132ppi.

Weight:

-WiFi model: 1.5 lb (680 g)

– 3G model: 1.6 lb (730 g)

Dimensions: 9.56 x 7.47 x 0.528 inch (243 x 190 x 13.4 mm)

This first model runs iOS 5.1.1 and features a built-in lithium-ion-polymer battery. It is packed with 256 MB of RAM and is available with a choice of storage space ranging from 16, 32 to 64 GB. iPad 1 had also things like accelerometer, ambient light sensor and even magnetometer. Beside its display customers found keys such as home (main one), volume rocker and also rotation lock button pretty hard to press. This tablet was the reference in the whole industry and set the trend for years to come and still does via its new predecessors.

iPad 2

iPad 2 was presented also by Steve Jobs on 2^nd of March 2011. It is about 33% thinner than its predecessor and 15% lighter. Plus of course it has a better processor. Because the battery was so well made it remains unchanged. iPad 2 has a 9.7 in (250 mm) with LED technology plus fingerprint and scratch-resistant coating. It works at a resolution of 1024×768 pixels at 132 ppi giving you crisp clear images.

Weight:

-WiFi model: 1.325 lb (601 g)

-3G model (AT & T type): 1.351 lb (613 g)

-CDMA model (Verizon type): 1.338 lb (607 g)

Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.346 in (240 x 186 x 8.8 mm)

From this model onward Apple has used iOS 6.1. Another novelty with this model was the introduction of front and back camera, meaning users can by now take advantage of different social applications such as Skype. Back camera shoots a 720p HD video with 30fps plus an in-built 5x  digita zoom. The front camera is a 0.3 MP VGA camera. Beside accelerometer, ambient light sensor, magnetometer Apple also introduced gyroscope to this device opening the way for a huge number of applications  and amazing games.

iPad 3

Apple announced its new iPad 3 on 7^th of March 7, 2012 this time by Apple CEO Tim Cook. This new iPad had a better processor (dual core Apple A5X) and more RAM memory (1024 Mb DDR II). With the iPad 3 was introduced New jaw dropping Retina Display with an  amazing 2,048 x 1,536 resolution at 264 ppi (over 50% more pixels than a standard 1,920  x 1,080 HDTV).

Weight:

-WiFi model: 1.44 lb (650 g)

-LTE model: 1.46 lb (660 g)

Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.37 in (240 x 186 x 9.4 mm)

This model features a better 1080p HD back camera with 5MP, 30fps and 5X digital zoom. Owners can now use iPad instead of a big digital camera to produce the same high quality pictures – this is yet another plus to the versatility of such kind of device. Front camera is the same as previous model (VGA, 0.3MP). For the first time in an iPad Apple introduced Bluetooth 4.0 thus enhancing its connectivity. Sadly though, on 23^rd of October 2012 exactly  its replacement, iPad 4 was announced.

iPad 4

The 4^th generation iPad was announced by Apple on October 23^rd 2012. It is the most recent in 9.7 inch iPad version. The display is also Retina with a huge resolution of 2048 x 536 pixels at 264 ppi. This new iPad retained the size 9.7 inches display size(250 mm) and also the LED back-lighting technology, plus fingerprint and scratch resistant coating. Random Access Memory is also the same: 1024 MB DDR II. The 4^th generation iPad has the fastest processor, called Apple A6X. CPU features a 1.4 GHz dual core.

On January 29, 2013, Apple announced iPad 4 with 128 GB of storage space – the biggest yet in an iPad (there are 3 other models available: 16, 32 and 64 GB storage space).

Weight:

-WiFi model: 1.44 lb (650 g)

-LTE model: 1.46 lb (660 g)

Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.37 in (240 x 186 x 9.4 mm)

In this model they also improved the front camera, taking it to an efficient 1.2 MP still, 720p video. Operating System remains the same though, iOS 6.1.

iPad mini

On 23^rd of October 2012, Apple announced a mildly controversial tablet, iPad Mini. While all the producers went for bigger size displays, Apple turned the game around and went smaller with this new device. The display of iPad Mini measures 7.9 inches (200 mm). It is also a multi-touch display using the same LED technology (the resolution is 1024 x 768 pixels at 163 ppi). But consumers appreciated this new device and sales went up. It seems the portability given by the size and weight of this tablet made it a winner among its mundane competitors.

Weight:

-WiFi model: 0.68 lb (310 g)

-LTE model: 0.69 lb (310 g)

Dimensions: 7.87 x 5.3 x 0.28 inch (200 x 130 x 7.1 mm)

iPad Mini uses the iOS 6.1 and the same type of built in lithium-ion polymer battery. This device is somehow similar to iPad 2 but is 53% lighter and thinner (7.1 mm vs. 8.8 mm)

iPad Mini 2 (Second Generation Mini or iPad Mini with Retina Display)

This iPad was released on November 12, 2013 and was a significant improvement over the previous iPad Mini, so much so that it was even compared with iPad Air in terms of its sheer performance. The iPad Mini 2 featured an A7 processor which made it much more powerful than its predecessor at a price tag that was about $100 less than the full-sized iPad.

Weight

Wi-Fi: 331 g (0.730 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 341 g (0.752 lb)

Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.30 x 0.30 inch (200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm)

The main selling point of this iPad Mini 2 was its beautiful display with a 326 PPI as against the mundane 163 PPI of iPad Mini 1 which bumps up the resolution of the mini iPad from 768 x 1024 pixels to 1536 x 2048 pixels.

iPad Air (5^th Generation)

iPad Air was launched on November 1, 2013, and it combines the slim and trim design of iPad Mini and the massive power of full sized iPad into something that most people would recognize as the best handheld device. With its 64-Bit processor, the iPad Air crushed almost every benchmark and recognized itself as a clear update from the previous iPads.

Weight

Wi-Fi: 469 g (1.034 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 478 g (1.054 lb)

Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.67 x 0.30 inch (240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm)

However, the thing that set this device apart from the earlier versions is its weight, which is much, much lower than the previous ones (0.44 pounds to be exact) and thus the name iPad Air.

iPad Mini 3 ( 3^rd Generation)

iPad Mini 3^rd generation was released on October 22, 2014, and this iPad Mini was a minor update from the previous iPad Mini 2, so much so that almost everything regarding design, display and even performance remains the same. The only update though is the Touch ID that was introduced into this iPad Mini through which you could unlock your iPad, apps and even make quick payments using Apply Pay with your fingerprints.

Weight

Wi-Fi: 331g (0.73 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 341 g (0.75 lb)

While having a Touch ID on your smartphone sounds more logical, considering you are going to use it a hundred times a day, having one on an iPad Mini seems nothing but superfluous, and certainly does not justify the price hike.

iPad Air 2 (6th Generation)

Released alongside iPad Mini 3 on October 22, 2014, this device was a big upgrade from the previous iPad Air, especially in terms of performance. Usually, with iPads, Apple included the latest hardware that powered latest iPhones, but with iPad Air first triple-core processor was used, making it significantly faster than the iPhone 6 and faster than the rest of iPads. On top of that, an extra 1GB of RAM was tossed in to help run more apps and games smoothly.

Weight:

Wi-Fi: 437 g (0.963 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 444 g (0.979 lb)

Dimensions: 9.4 in x 6.67 in x 0.24 inch (240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm)

With Touch ID and an A8 Processor, the iPad Air 2 is ultra-thin, ultra-light, ultra-powerful and remains the best mid-sized Apple iPad till date.

iPad Mini 4 (4^th Generation Mini)

Revealed alongside iPad Pro on September 9, 2015, iPad Mini 4 necessitated the killing of the earlier iPad Mini 3 because it was so much better. This left users with a choice of either buying the cheaper iPad Mini with half the processing power or going for this iPad Mini 4 and getting access to the power of iPad Air on a smaller sized iPad.

Weight

Wi-Fi: 298.8 g (0.659 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 304 g (0.670 lb)

Dimensions: 8.00 x 5.31 x 0.24 inch (203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm)

The bump in hardware with respect to RAM and processor certainly makes iPad Mini 4 a powerful little beast and also able to handle multitasking through the latest iOS.

12.9-inch iPad Pro (1st Generation)

iPad Pro is a device like no other iPad in particular and other tablets in general. With a humongous 12.9-inch display it easily eclipses iPad Air and makes iPad Mini look like an iPad Tiny. Besides having a beautiful and big display, this iPad also comes in with Apple’s latest A9X processor, which improves processing power by almost twice as much compared to the model in the iPad Air 2.

Weight

Wi-Fi:  713 g (1.5 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 723 g (1.57 lb)

Dimensions: 12.04 x 8.69 x 0.27 inch (305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm)

Besides having a big screen and powerful hardware, the iPad Pro also came in with support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard that accentuates its functionality allowing it even to give some laptops a tough time.

9.7-inch iPad Pro (1st Generation)

Released on March 31, 2016, this iPad Pro is not just a smaller version of 12.9-inch iPad Pro but packs in a bunch of features that make it a unique device in its right. Places, where this iPad beats the earlier version, include, but is not limited to a better display with a True Tone and decreased reflections bright light and a beautiful 12MP camera that is compatible with Live Photos.

Weight:

Wi-Fi:  436 g (0.96 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 448g (0.98 lb)

Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24 inch

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is also compatible with Apple pencil to help you draw fine and better while the smart keyboard functionality translates into enhanced productivity on the go.

The iPad 2017

While the world awaited the launch of iPad Air 3 or an iPad Pro update, Apple rolled out a much subtle device on March 24, 2017, and equally subtly named it The Apple iPad. This version is much like the Apple iPad Air 2 except for a few performance tweaks on the plus side and an added 0.05 inch thickness on the downside.

Weight:

Wi-Fi: 469 g (1.03 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 478 g (1.05 lb)

Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 inch (240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm)

Although you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between an iPad Air and this one, the same definitely cannot be said for its price ($349).

10.5-inch iPad Pro (2017)

This iPad Pro punches in a 10.5-inch display while extending the length by only a mere ½ inch. This was achieved by a minimal bezel which essentially also makes it a beautiful gadget to look at. The device matches the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in power and performance while maintaining a slim profile.

Weight

Wi-Fi: 469 g (1.03 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 477 g (1.05 lb)

Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 Inch (250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 mm)

While this device is powerful and all, we would recommend you do your thorough research before dropping a whopping $649 on a tablet.

12.9-inch iPad Pro (2017)

The second generation iPad Pro adds the True Tone display that debuted in the 9.7-inch model to the bigger 12.9-inch model.   This gives the world’s best tablet compatibility with a theatrical wide color gambit, which will make movies and video look fantastic.  The new True Tone display also operates at 120 Hz to provide smoother graphical transitions and has a 12-megapixel back-facing camera.

Weight:

Wi-Fi: 677 g (1.49 lb)

Wi-Fi + Cellular: 692 g (1.53 lb)

Dimensions: 12 x 8.68 x 0.27 Inch (305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm)

This iPad Pro will become the device it aspires to be when iOS 11 rolls into town. For now, it remains a beautifully designed compromise, meaning it still represents the 2-in-1 market’s struggle to define itself.