The Retina Display on the New iPad

The Retina Display on the New iPad

The most noticeable difference from the previous iPad is the Retina display, which really needs to be seen with the naked eye to be appreciated.

New Features in iOS 5 on iPad

New in the iOS 5 software that’s installed on the latest iPad is the iCloud online storage service from Apple, as well as new ways to control the cellular connection to enable a WiFi hotspot.

Turning on iCloud

Users can turn various iCloud storage and replication functions on or off. This can be controlled in a very general way with central policy through most mobile device management (MDM) platforms as well.

The Question of File Sharing on iPads

One concern over using iCloud with the new iPad is that it is quite easy for users to upload files that are then shared among Apple iOS devices that share the same account. This is usually desirable for personal files but can be problematic when managing corporate data.

Photo Streaming in the Corporate Environment

Personal photos are meant to be shared in a way that corporate photographic information often isn’t. While Photo Stream is turned “off” by default on the new iPad, turning the feature on makes it easy for users who take the BYOD tack to comingle personal and corporate photos.

WiFi Hotspot Security

The new iPad can be used as a personal WiFi hotspot when it is outfitted with Verizon Wireless 4G service and an optional data service plan. The iPad can generate a password for WPA2 protected access to the hotspot.

WiFi Hotspot Supports up to 8 Wireless Devices

Up to eight devices can use the new iPad personal WiFi hotspot. In tests where we had a strong cellular signal from Verizon, the iPad WiFi hotspot easily accommodated our test users who viewed a variety of online videos, performed file downloads and accessed VPN-protected networks simultaneously.

Configurator Manages iPad Feature Restrictions

Released at nearly the same time as the new iPad, Apple’s newly updated Configurator enabled me to manage my test iPads by generally restricting or enabling certain features including iCloud. I would like more granular control over iOS and iPad features in future versions of the Apple Configurator.

Configurator Doesn’t Handle WiFi Hotspot Controls

I used Apple Configurator to configure WiFi settings for the new iPad, but I couldn’t use the same management tool to control the newly added personal WiFi hotspot capability.

Changing VPN Settings With Configurator

As with previous versions of iOS and the iPad, I was able to use the Apple Configurator to arrange VPN settings for my mobile device users.