Even if I am not a lover of Apple's commercial policy, I would not be honest if I did not admit that the iPad is a technological jewel, the best tablet on sale, clearly superior to any other Android tablet. the iPad is a full-fledged computer, with a large screen, not too suitable for writing but perfect for reading and for interacting with web applications which are more enjoyable than the iPad from a normal PC.
An iPad, however, can be very useful even if it is used together with the PC, perhaps as a second monitor or as a mouse or to connect remotely to the PC.
There are apps for doing so many things on the iPad, including integration with a Windows computer or Mac.
Obviously it will be necessary to download, for the various uses listed, both an iPad application and the related program for PC or Mac and, in several cases, these apps are free.
READ ALSO: With Spacedesk you can extend the PC monitor on laptops and tablets also iPad .
1) iPad As a second monitor
The iPad is not a small mobile phone, it has a large and spacious screen that can be used very effectively as a second computer monitor to extend the desktop.
the iPad becomes very useful when sitting on a desk working on a pc, desktop or laptop.
To use the iPad as a second monitor you need to download the Air Display application at a cost of 10 Dollars (unfortunately it costs but it is the best solution ever) and make sure that iPad and computer are connected on the same wifi network, which is normal if you has a wireless router or if you are using Windows 7 as a virtual Wifi router.
On the Windows PC or Mac you need to install the free Air Display program by downloading it from the links on the same page (below).
After installing Air Display on Windows or Mac and after accepting the installation of the video drivers, restart the computer and install the application on the iPad downloadable, for a fee, from the App Store.
Touch the icon to launch the application the first time and put the iPad screen on the right of the PC monitor (you can still choose the position you prefer).
From your computer, run the installed AirPlay program.
If you get a DNS error, change it on your computer using different addresses like Google DNS.
The configuration options on the PC can be seen by right clicking on the Air Display icon at the bottom right near the clock.
In addition to extending the desktop, with Air Display it is also possible to see the computer desktop in mirror mode, perhaps to show another person what is being done on the PC.
The touchscreen on the tablet will function normally and it will be possible to drag windows with your finger, not only with the mouse.
In addition, you can use the iPad keyboard to write on the computer, which can be useful if you are working in pairs or, for example, if you want to have a customer fill in something.
2) An iPad can also be used as an external computer mouse .
There are many applications that can do this: one is HippoRemote (free in lite version), capable of transforming the iPad into a trackpad (pad) to move the mouse cursor and also to use the keyboard remotely.
On a Mac OS X you can use the application to make Multi-Touch gestures. You can also use it for remote presentation control or your computer media player.
3) You can also use the iPad to connect remotely to the PC whenever you want, even if you are on the other side of the world.
Obviously the prerequisite is that the computer is turned on.
There are several applications to connect in remote desktop from an iPhone or iPad to the computer among which, my favorite, always remains Teamviewer .
In Teamviewer I have spoken in other articles as the best program for the complete control of a PC from another computer and the iPad version, thanks to its large screen, works wonders.
