If you are still contemplating the plunge to iOS 7, start off by reading TUAW’s Don’t Panic Guide to iOS 7. In addition to helping you decide if now’s the time to update, the article links to Apple’s own PDF guides to iOS 7 that you can download for free. If you decide you can’t wait another minute, there are suggestions for what to do before tapping that install button.
If waiting was never an option and you are now faced with figuring out a very different interface, there are lots of places to look for help. You can begin by wading through one of Apple’s device-specific and very extensive guides mentioned above, or you can opt for something shorter and more to the point.
MacLife has put together a fairly comprehensive gallery in 90 iOS 7 Tips and Tricks where you can click or tap your way through a host of concise tip windows that address both new features and the new look.
MacWorld has created a series of Get to know iOS 7 articles that starts with a general overview. If you are finding the new interface just a bit confusing, go directly to the article on Design Changes. As author Dan Moren says, “Whether you love or hate the new design—or fall somewhere in between—it’s going to require an adjustment.”
Another article in the series offers details on the improvements to Notification Center. If you use Notes and Reminders you’ll notice that both have received fairly significant changes to the way they look, and Reminders has picked up some new functionality via the Scheduled button. Find more articles in the series by clicking on the drop-down menu at the top of the page (or the bottom of the page if you are reading the overview).
While I haven’t gotten used to all of the changes, a few things have already begun to stand out as favorites. I’m happy that Flickr has been added to the sharing options in photos. I like that I can use Notifications for an at-a-glance view of the weather, my calendar, and any reminders that I’ve set up for the day. Continuous scrolling in the calendar app is nice, too, as is the ability to put all my photo apps in one folder instead of two. Yes, that means I have to scroll, but I find that more appealing than tapping in and out of separate folders. I’ve also been exploring iTunes Radio, which may turn out to be a little dangerous to my wallet given how easy it is to purchase songs on the fly or at least add them to a wish list. I don’t know that I’m ready to give up Pandora as my go to iPad radio app, but iTunes Radio isn’t bad and has access to a much larger catalog of music. (See RollingStones’s How to Use iTunes Radio: It’s a Pandora clone, with a lot more music.)
IOS 7 is available for iPad 2 and up, as well as, iPhone 4 and up. For the fine print on what features are available depending on the age of your device, visit Apple’s iOS 7 page (scroll to the bottom of the page for compatibility details).
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