iPad jacks and ports for earbuds and earphones

Connect through iPad jacks and ports

While the iPad's innards are full of state-of-the-art hardware, the outside isn't very complex at all - just four buttons. The outside of the iPad sports two jacks where you plug in cords. Here's what you do with them.

Headphone Jack. Although it doesn't come with its headphones, as iPods and iPhones do, the iPad does offer a headphone jack on its top left edge. You can plug in any pair of earbuds or headphones that include the standard 3.5-millimeter stereo miniplug.

Dock Connector. The flat port on the iPad's base is called the Dock Connector. You plug the provided USB cable in here for connecting your iPad to your computer for battery-charging, as well as for music, iBook, and video fill-ups from your iTunes library.

This thin port has been a fixture on iPods since 2003, meaning that certain accessories, like stereo-audio docks meant for an iPod, may work with the iPad just fine - but look into the tech specs before you purchase anything new. The Dock Connector snaps directly into the tablet's optional external keyboard, too.

Add earbuds and earphones to your iPad

Desire to use your iPad for private listening? Back in the old days, the only real headphones you could get came with a cord attached, and those still work just fine. But if you want to rid yourself from wires while you lay back, relax, and listen to a Bach cello suite, get a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones that connect wirelessly to the Bluetooth chip inside the iPad. Your only entanglement then will be mind with music. Here's the way you get either type of headphone to operate on the iPad:

Wired. Pretty much any pair of headphones or earbuds using the ubiquitous 3.5mm stereo plug fits the iPad's headphone jack. Just be sure to push the plug firmly to the headphone jack therefore it fully connects.

Bluetooth. While you shop for stereo Bluetooth headphones, look for those advertised as A2DP; they're made to play back music in stereo. To get them to work, you need to pair the headphones with your iPad.

The iPhone manual tells you which button to push on the headphones to pair the two. As for the iPad, start on the Home screen and tap Settings, then General and the Bluetooth. Turn Bluetooth on.

The iPad looks around and once it finds the 'phones, it lists them by name. When the headphones require a passkey, the iPad keyboard appears so you can type in the digits. Once paired, the iPad screen says Connected next to the headphones icon and also the sound now plays over your wireless connection.

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