Introduction

It's not uncommon for old devices to be left behind, and the iPad is no different. After upgrading to the larger iPhone 6 Plus, I found myself doing less and less with my iPad, until one day I noticed that it was sitting under my keyboard gathering dust.

Well, that needn't be the case. Here are some simple steps that will allow you to breathe new life into an old iPad!

Start with a clean slate

One of the great things about iOS devices is that when you move to a newer device it is easy to transform it into a clone of your old device. Yes, this is a massive timesaver, but it also means that you never get to start with a new broom. You're using the old layout, the old apps, and the old ways of working.

One of the easiest ways to shake up your workflow is to wipe your device and start from afresh. It only takes a few taps, and you've got yourself a clean iPad!

Upgrade to iOS 9

iOS 9 can run on iPads going back to the iPad 2, so there's no need to keep your iPad running on old, outdated, and insecure software. Not only does upgrading make your device safer, it brings with it a new features and services that allow you to do more with your old hardware.

Look for new and updated apps

I've had an iPad since day one, and back then the app landscape was very different. There was far fewer choices when it came to the software I could install. I needed apps that would integrate with my existing workflow - such as utilities to unzip files and create and open Microsoft Office documents - and built a new workflow around that.

But times have changed, and yet I found that I was using the same old apps. Sure, many had seen regular updates - although some seem to have been abandoned - but a bit of time spent in the Apple App Store saw me discovering new and better apps to work with.

Leverage the integration between iOS and OS X

Beginning with iOS 8 and OS X 10.10, Apple added an unprecedented level of integration between the two platforms. With subsequent releases of both iOS and OS X, this integration has become much better and more reliable.

While initially I found it hard to adopt this into my workflow - partly because I had kludgy workflows in place to try to make switching between the two work - I've found that once I'd gone through the process of starting something on my iPad and then switching the Mac a few times, it became second nature.

This is definitely a powerful feature, and once you master if, you'll wonder why you didn't use it before.

Embrace iCloud

iCloud integration has come a long way, especially with the release of iOS 8 and iCloud Drive, and it makes sense to use it - doubly so if you use a Mac.

If you're not a fan of iCloud - and I know a lot of people aren't - then there are plenty of other players in cloud storage - Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box are just a few - work very well.

Freeing your data from the device and making it available to all your devices is very liberating, and can dramatically improve workflow . 

Accessorise your iPad

One way to really get the most from your iPad is to accessorise it, and there's no shortage of third-party accessories on offer to allow you to do this.

Probably the most important iPad accessory is a keyboard. A good physical keyboard can transform an iPad into a true portable workstation, and massively boost your productivity.