Through the incremental updates, the genius of their cadre of engineers and the adoption of best practices influenced by iOS jailbreakers and developers from other platforms, Apple has made working with an iPad an absolute pleasure. That said, by taking the time to learn about some of the device's lesser known gesture-based commands can make using the tablet even better. 

How to activate gestures
For some reason, Apple has opted to leave multitouch control for the original iPad an option that has to be turned on to use.  To activate iOS gesture-based controls on the original iPad, Click Settings, tap General and then look for a pane labeled Multitasking Gestures. Switch it on and you're ready to go.

Switch between apps
By swiping left or right with four fingers, users can easily switch between open applications.

Pinch your way home
While the home button will get the job done in a pinch, users can opt to pinch their iPad's screen with all four fingers and their thumb to return to their tablet's home screen.

Multitasking bar
Swiping four fingers across your iPad's screen in an upward motion will reveal the iOS multitasking menu, as well as save a lot of wear and tear on your Home button in the long run. (You can also double-tap the home button to gain access to the same menu.)

Activate additional touch-based controls

Thanks to iOS' robust Accessibility feature set, disabled users are able to make full use of the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. This same functionality can also be leveraged by other users to expand the number of commands you can give your iPad using nothing more than their touchscreen.

To enable your iPad's Accessibility functions, open Settings and Select General. Now, scroll to the bottom of the General menu and select the Accessibility option. Scroll to the bottom of the offers under this menu and tap AssistiveTouch. Turn the setting on.

Doing so enables an onscreen home button. When tapped, users have access to a number of new options including a menu of favorite applications, the ability to create custom touch gestures and a number of controls that heretofore could only be altered using the device's hardware buttons.