iPad: The Missing Manual, 7th Edition

Appendix B. Troubleshooting & Maintenance

The iPad is a computer, and you know what that means: Things can go wrong. This particular computer, though, is not quite like a Mac or a PC. It runs a spin-off of the OS X operating system, but that doesn’t mean you can apply the same troubleshooting techniques.

Therefore, let this appendix be your guide when things go wrong.

First Rule: Install the Updates

There’s an old saying: “Never buy version 1.0 of anything.” In the iPad’s case, the saying could be: “Never buy version 8.0 of anything.”

The very first version (or major revision) of anything has bugs, glitches, and things the programmers didn’t have time to finish the way they would have liked. The iPad is no exception.

The beauty of the iPad, though, is that Apple can send it fixes, patches, and even new features through software updates. One day you’ll glance at your Home screen’s Settings icon, and—bam!—there’ll be a badge indicating that new iPad software is available.

So the first rule of trouble-free iPadding is to accept these updates when they’re offered. With each new software blob, Apple removes another few dozen tiny glitches.

And sure enough: Within the first few weeks of iOS 8’s existence, software updates 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 came down the pike. Then 8.1 came, a month later, offering Apple Pay, Continuity, and other features. And more will come.

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The iPad runs actual programs, and as actual programs do, they actually crash. ...