Tag Archives: iOS 4.2 for iPad

We waited a long time for iOS 4.2 on the iPad. It is the first major update to the iPad’s software since it was released back in April and brings over 100 new features to the iPad –including headliners like multitasking, folders, AirPint, AirPlay, Universal Inbox, and lots more.

I’ve posted quite a lot lately on some of the signature new features and my thoughts on them – especially on how disappointing AirPrint is.

Now I’d love to hear your thoughts on the new iOS 4.2. It’s been out for about 10 days now, so hopefully most of you have had a chance to install it and get to know it a little. What do you reckon so far? Impressed? What are your favorite and least favorite things about the update?

iOS

Steve Jobs Says AirPrint Has Lots More Coming – There Needs To Be

November 28, 2010 Patrick Jordan 3 Comments

AirPrint was touted by Apple as one of the biggest headline new features included in the recent iOS 4.2 software update for the iPad. It has turned out to be a huge disappointment. Instead of supporting both wireless printers and nearly any printer all that was shared via your PC, it has come out with support only for a very small range of HP wireless printers and no support at all for any shared printers. There are a number of 3rd party printing apps that offer much more than AirPrint currently does.

The hope is that Apple will beef up AirPrint (a lot) in future updates. It surely needs to be drastically improved, and it looks like there is more reason to be hopeful on this subject now – as Steve Jobs himself is apparently promising it. In another of his highly publicized efforts as an Apple customer service rep, he had this email exchange with a user recently:

Dear Steve,

You got me all hype about AirPrint. Now with iOS 4.2 released, I find out that I can only print on 11 select printers. Seriously?!

And, Steve Jobs’ alleged reply:

Lots more coming soon. It’s what it takes to make a giant leap to driverless printing, which is huge.

Here’s hoping that soon means very soon, and that ‘lots more’ includes support for shared printers, as we were originally promised.

News via: BGR

iPad Tips & Tricks

How To Use AirPrint on the iPad

November 22, 2010 Patrick Jordan 18 Comments

AirPrint is one of the headline new features in the latest version of the iPad software – iOS 4.2. It allows you to print directly to certain wireless printers from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch (see below for which models and other requirements).

This new feature has almost no settings, requires no setup on the user’s part, and is one of those typical Apple offerings that should ‘just work’ if you have the right device and printer.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s needed and how it works …

Continue reading →

iOS

Here’s The (Short) List of Printers That Support AirPrint

November 22, 2010 Patrick Jordan 3 Comments

AirPrint is the new feature in iOS 4.2 (released today) for iPad and iPhone that lets you print to certain wireless printers direct from your iDevices. Originally, AirPrint was also going to support printing to any shared printer on your local network, but that functionality was stripped out shortly before release of the iOS 4.2 software update for iPad and iPhone.

So AirPrint currently supports only to wireless printers, and to a very select group of wireless printers for now. For now the list is only seven printers, all from HP. Here’s the list as of today (11/22/10):

HP Envy eAll-in-One series (D410a)
HP Photosmart Plus e-AiO (B210a)
HP Photosmart Premium e-AiO (C310a)
HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-AiO (C410a)
HP Photosmart e-AiO (D110)
HP Photosmart Wireless e-AiO (B110)—Europe and Asia-Pacific
HP Photosmart eStation (C510)

Continue reading →

iOS

iOS 4.2 for iPad Is Out Now

November 22, 2010 Patrick Jordan 10 Comments

It’s finally here. After all these months of knowing that iOS 4.2 would come to the iPad in November, this huge, major update is now available in iTunes.

This is the operating system software update for iPad that adds multitasking, the Multitasking Bar for rapid app-switching, folders for organizing our apps and home screens, AirPrint for wireless printing from the iPad (to a limited group of supported printers), AirPlay for streaming media to Apple TV, and a total of over 100 new features. See my earlier post HERE for a rundown of the most notable new features in 4.2.

You should be able to see the new update available as soon as you connect your iPad to iTunes. If not, you may need to keep hitting ‘Check for Updates’ until it refreshes properly. For those of you who have running the latest gold master (developers only) release, iTunes will tell you that you already have the current version – and a check of the direct download link for 4.2.1 shows that is the exact same build number 4.2.1 (8C148). So I’ll be keeping mine as is.

Happy updating y’all. Smile

iOS

AirPrint Has Dropped Shared Printers in iOS 4.2 Release

November 22, 2010 Patrick Jordan 4 Comments

It looks like AirPrint – the big new printing service included in iOS 4.2 – has been cut back severely in its final release. The service was originally touted to include the ability to print from iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch to certain supported wireless printers and to * all * shared printers on local network PCs.

Over recent weeks, Apple updated the description text for the service on its site – stripping out all mention of shared printers support – and now it is missing from the AirPrint section of the official 4.2 release announcement:

AirPrint is a next-generation Wi-Fi print architecture that dramatically simplifies printing by completely eliminating printer drivers. A selection of AirPrint enabled printers including the HP Photosmart, HP LaserJet Pro and HP Officejet will be the first to support printing direct from iOS devices. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users can simply tap to print their documents or photos wirelessly to any printer that supports AirPrint.

This leaves AirPrint as a not very exciting feature at all for most users. There is only a very slim range of supported wireless printers that are supported for it, and there are 3rd party apps that are already fully capable of printing to shared printers. Hopefully Apple will update AirPrint soon, as for now it’s become quite a lame new feature.

iOS, iPad News

It’s Official – iOS 4.2 Released Today

November 22, 2010 Patrick Jordan 2 Comments

The long-awaited iOS 4.2 software update for the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) will be released today. Apple has confirmed that in a press release. It may already be available for download in some markets and should be released for US users at 10AM PST this morning.

iOS 4.2 brings over 100 mew features to the iPad – including multitasking for 3rd party apps, the Multitasking Bar for rapid switching between apps, folders for better organizing our apps and home screens, AirPrint for wireless printing to supported printers, a universal Inbox, and AirPlay for wireless streaming of media from iPhones and iPads to Apple TV. For lots more detail on the big new features for iPad in the 4.2 update, see my earlier post on this here:

http://ipadinsight.com/ios/big-new-features-for-ipad-in-the-ios-4-2-software-update/

I’ve been running the (developers only) beta and gold master builds of iOS 4.2 for many weeks now, so I already know how great this update is. The Multitasking Bar alone makes using the iPad so much better / faster / more productive. The ability to easily, rapidly switch between apps is superb. I’m keen to hear what you all think once you install 4.2 – please let us know in the comments.

iOS

Another New iOS 4.2 Gold Master Release – 4.2.1 (for developers)

November 18, 2010 Patrick Jordan 2 Comments

There is a new iOS 4.2 Gold Master build available this afternoon from Apple (for registered developers) – iOS 4.2.1 GM seed.

This is a surprise. Generally there’s just a single gold master (GM) build before a final release of software. We’ve already seen two for iOS 4.2 – with the second one released last week said to address some WiFi issues that some users of the first GM build were experiencing. Now we’ve got a .1 release – so presumably this one is fixing some more issues that have been uncovered.

I’ve downloaded and installed this build just a few minutes ago, and so far I don’t see anything different. Please share in the comments if you’ve spotted anything new.

iOS

Looks Like iPad WiFi Issues Are Fixed in New iOS 4.2 GM Build

November 16, 2010 Patrick Jordan 2 Comments

Image Source: Redmond Pie

I’ve been running the new (second) Gold Master build of iOS 4.2 since it was released (for developers) last Friday. The main reason this second gold master (GM) build is said to have been released was to address WiFi issues being experienced by many users of the original GM build.

I was one of those who had intermittent but severe WiFi problems with that original GM build. At least once a day my iPad would show full WiFi signal strength but would lose all connectivity – Mail, Safari, and any other apps that needed online connection would not have any. A quick toggling off and on of WiFi would generally fix it, but it was still a nuisance.

It’s been over three days with the new GM build now, and I have not seen the WiFi issue a single time. So far so good for me on this issue. Hopefully other users of the new build are seeing the same, so that we can see a public release of 4.2 very soon.

What are you all seeing? If you’ve been running the two GM builds, has the WiFi issue been resolved with the new build? (if you were seeing it before)

iOS

Apple Releases New Build of iOS 4.2 Gold Master for iPad (for developers)

November 12, 2010 Patrick Jordan 1 Comment

Apple has released an updated version of its iOS 4.2 GM (gold master) build to developers this afternoon.

GM builds are generally intended to be the final build prior to public release, so this update may well be addressing the WiFi issue many have seen in the first GM build, as earlier rumors indicated. Here’s the brief statement on this at the Apple Developer Member site:

An updated version of iOS 4.2 GM seed for iPad has been posted. If you have already submitted your iOS 4.2 app for review, you do not need to resubmit but retesting is recommended.

The build number for the iPad GM seed has changed from 8C134 to 8C134b.

I’ve just downloaded the new build – so I’ll share some thoughts in the next few days on whether it looks like it has squashed the WiFi issues.

iPad Apps

More iOS 4.2 App Updates Today

November 12, 2010 Patrick Jordan

iPad app updates for iOS 4.2 are still going strong today. I’ve seen 4.2 compatibility updates for NetNewsWire for iPad, iA Writer, Art Authority for iPad, Tweet Library, Penultimate, and Office2 HD so far during the day.

Good stuff.