9

Browsing the web

equipment_needed.eps Equipment needed: An iPad with an Internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G/4G).

skills_needed.eps Skills needed: Experience using the iPad keyboard (see Chapter 4) and connecting to the Internet.

One of the best features of the iPad is the ease with which you can browse the Internet. From the comfort of your sofa or a café, or even in bed, you can look at family photos on Facebook, book your holiday, do your banking or search for the answer to pretty much any question. Almost anything you can do online with a conventional computer, you can do with the iPad.

We say almost anything because one thing the iPad doesn't support is Adobe Flash animation. So the iPad won't play things that use Flash technology: some animations, online games and video clips embedded in websites. It's not a big problem, though, as Flash technology is being phased out. And when it comes to games and video on the iPad, as Apple would say, “There's an app for that” (as you see in Chapter 14). What's more, the iPad offers a much more reassuring web experience in terms of security than the Windows computer you may have used. Although you still need to ensure that you don't give out too much personal information while surfing the web, the Internet is a far friendlier place when experienced through the iPad.

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