Now that iOS 4.2 is finally available to iPad users, what new features does it bring to the table? Some of them are more than welcome like folders, Find My iPad and the Mail app’s revamp. A few of the other features, including the much lauded multitasking as well as AirPrint leave a little to be desired.

We’ve put together a rundown of the most important features, to give you an idea of what you’ll get with the update, although there are already rumours flying around that OS 4.3 will be out as soon as December. Of course, 4.2 took its sweet time to arrive, so we won’t be holding our breath.

Folders

To make life easier, we would suggest organising your iPad when it’s hooked up to iTunes. It will be less time consuming as you can select multiple apps by clicking the CMD/CTRL button. When you download a new app on your computer, when syncing your iPad, you can add it to the desired folder straight away before it’s even on your iPad.

Find My iPad
In the past, it required a paid MobileMe account to benefit from this feature but with 4.2, iPads and other iOS devices can be remotely located and controlled if lost.

The service, available when you download the free app, Find My iPhone, will allow you to locate your iPad on a map, display a message of your choice on the screen, set a passcode lock and even wipe all of your personal data from the device.   Bakari recently looked further into this really useful service here.

Multitasking
Multitasking has been a thorn in the side of Apple fanboys, and while it’s now available on OS 4.2 it isn’t exactly perfect. First, not all apps support multitasking so don’t expect to listen to music using just any radio or music app and leave it running in the background.

For those apps that do support multitasking, click the home button twice in succession to bring up a menu of currently open apps. Closing an app uses a similar process as deleting an app from your screen, hold the icon down until the delete icon appears on each app, and close the apps that you don’t need. Don’t forget to do this on a regular basis otherwise you’ll be leaving apps open in the background left and right.

It seems Apple can’t find a middle ground. Either no multitasking at all, or leave all of your apps open unless they are manually closed. For example, if you’re listening to a music app that supports multitasking, be sure to use the mulitasking menu to close it as hitting the home button alone will not stop the music.

Mail Revamp
The native Mail app has had a small but significant makeover. You can now view all of your email in a unified inbox, as well as read threaded conversations a la Gmail, making for a much more streamlined email experience.

AirPrint
Apple might want to make a big deal over the ability to print wirelessly from your iPad, but the truth of the matter is that it only works with specific HP printers.