If you have taken the plunge and invested in an Apple iPad then you will doubtlessly have fallen in love with your new gadget. However, if this is your first experience of a device based on the iOS operating system or a tablet in general, then you may want a little guidance to help you make the most out of it.

Here is a quick look at some of the top hints and tips which will help you familiarize yourself with the iPad and make it the most powerful tool in your portable arsenal.

Security
It is important to keep your iPad secure, because you will be storing private data on it and taking it out and about with you.

The first useful feature to activate is the advanced passcode option, which means you do not need to rely on the simple four digit standard key and can in fact use any combination of letters and numbers.

The second thing to do is activate the Erase Data option which can be found in the same menu. This will automatically delete any personal information if the passcode is incorrectly entered more than 10 times. As long as you keep the code safe in your memory or out of harm`s way, this little option will prevent any third party from getting at your details.

Multitasking
The iPad benefits from multitasking capabilities via its iOS software. To see which apps you have running or hanging in suspension, you just need to press the home button twice in quick succession. You can then jump back into an app which is in the background to get on with tasks more quickly.

While the multitasking bar is activated, you can also swipe your finger to the left or right to bring up media playback controls. This means that if you have left something playing in the background you can always manipulate it without having to launch the app again.

The iPad has integrated gesture controls to make multitasking even easier to handle. With them enabled, you can put four or five of your fingers on the screen simultaneously to switch between open applications. Meanwhile pinching this collection of fingers together will jump you out to the home screen, should you not feel like using physical buttons for some reason.

Web browsing
The Safari web browser which is used by the iPad is comprehensively compatible and also easy to use. If you head into iTunes you can actually choose to synchronize your bookmarks from any other web browser that you have installed on your PC or Mac over to Safari on your iPad, which will make the browsing experience feel far more personal.

Web browsing on the iPad is easily one of the best ways to experience the internet, outdoing Apple`s smartphones due to the larger size of the display. That is at least until the iPhone 5 arrives later in the year with its rumored increase to the screen area.