How to Turn on Your iPad and Register It

The first time you turn on your iPad, you have to register it — using a connection to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed — before you can get it to do anything at all. Once you have an iTunes account, follow these steps to register it:

1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your iPad until the Apple logo appears.

   In another moment, a screen appears, showing a picture of a cord plugging into an iPad, subtly indicating your next step.

2. Plug the Dock Connector to USB Cable into your iPad.

3. Plug the other end into a USB port on your computer.

4. Sign in to your iTunes account in the dialog that appears, and then follow the simple onscreen instructions to register your iPad and choose what content is automatically downloaded when you connect your iPad to your computer.

   You can choose to have the following transferred to your iPad from your computer when you sync: music, videos, downloaded applications, contacts, calendars, e-books, podcasts, and browser bookmarks. You can also transfer content you download directly to your iPad using the iTunes and App Store apps to your computer.

   When you're done, your iPad Home screen appears, and you're in business.

5. Unplug the Dock Connector to USB Cable.

If you buy your iPad at an Apple Store, they'll register it for you, and you can avoid getting an iTunes account right away and in fact skip this whole process (though you'll eventually probably want to get an iTunes account to get at their treasure trove of content and apps).