iPad – Email Management

I've found that I tend to use my iPad for what I call “bits and pieces” tasks, in other words, things I can do with little bits of time because they don't require a long, concentrated period of attention. I've already mentioned how great the iPad is for Internet surfing, but another fantastic productivity boost came when I started to use it to manage my email while away from my desk.

 

If you're like me, you get a lot of important but not critical email messages. You know, stuff that you need to read and maybe even want to respond to, but it doesn't contribute to your bottom line or your customer care. Now, instead of using my precious desk-time for that task, I save those emails for when I have a few minutes here and there.

 

Here are some of the basics:

 

You can connect easily with a variety of email services. It's plug-and-play when it comes to accessing your email accounts from your iPad. You can access Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, as well as others. You just need to enter your email account name, password, and maybe the server, and you're good to go. Want to adjust the settings? Simple. Go back to your main screen and click on “Settings” then “Mail, Contacts, Calendar” and you can adjust a number of features – including how many email messages you want to see at a time and the time periods for checking for new messages.

 

You can connect with multiple email accounts. Got a customer support email account, a new orders account, and a private account? No worries! Your iPad will allow you to add multiple accounts and view them all in the same screen or separately. You can also set one default account to keep things simple.

 

You can compose, read, delete, forward, and perform all the standard email functions on your iPad. Pretty much anything you can do on your regular email browser can be done on your iPad.

 

You might choose to create an iPad-only email account. Just in case you want an account just for on the go, or maybe to connect with your VA while you're travelling.

 

You can create a custom iPad signature. Although many people like the default “Sent from my iPad” because it shows how cool you are, you can change your default. Just go to Settings → Mail, Contacts, Calendar → Signature.

 

You'll soon find that working your email on your iPad is just like using a laptop or desktop. It's really that simple!