Just to use iPAD

[pramod_maheshwari]

My daughter Bhavna and Son-in-Law Ravi gifted me iPAD.It will reach me by the end of this month.I need certain clarification:
1-I am located at Noida,India
2-I am using 2G services and my ISP AIRTEL has not yet started 3G near Delhi.
3-Will it be possible to get microchip fro current ISP and make use of it.
4-I can not use phone from iPAD so I need to take another no.
5-At home I am having wi-fi ut not in office
6-My intention to get iPAD as it is lighter in weight and I can move with it any where.If wi-fi not available than how it will work.
7-Can I surf without wi-fi.
thanks
regards

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

My daughter Bhavna and Son-in-Law Ravi gifted me iPAD.It will reach me by the end of this month.I need certain clarification:
1-I am located at Noida,India
2-I am using 2G services and my ISP AIRTEL has not yet started 3G near Delhi.
3-Will it be possible to get microchip fro current ISP and make use of it.
4-I can not use phone from iPAD so I need to take another no.
5-At home I am having wi-fi ut not in office
6-My intention to get iPAD as it is lighter in weight and I can move with it any where.If wi-fi not available than how it will work.
7-Can I surf without wi-fi.
thanks
regards

Welcome to the Forum. I am sure that you will find everyone here happy to help with any questions you may have. I'll start off trying to answer some of the points that you raise and I'm sure other Forum members will correct me if I make a mistake.

First of all, if you don't already have a copy, you should read the iPad User Guide, which you can download from the Internet; it's not supplied with the iPad.

You can get a copy here

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPad_iOS4_User_Guide.pdf

It contains a wealth of valuable information about how to set up and use the iPad.

If you service provider does not yet have a 3G network, the iPad will run on 2G using what is known as either 'EDGE' (which means "Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution ') or 'GPRS' (which means "General Packet Radio Service"). You will not get as good a data rate as you would on 3G - so this could be a problem for surfing the web - but email should be OK as long as no one sends you an email with a big attachment. However, you will need to check with your service provider what 'data plans' they have available. The iPad will automatically switch from 2G to 3G if it detects a 3G service is available. But check carefully about the cost of the data plan or you could end up with a big bill.

If you want to surf the web or send and receive email, then you need access to either 3G/2G or WiFi. So, if you are in an area where there is neither of these, you simply can't send or receive email or surf the web. But you can use the iPad for a whole range of other activities - for example reading books or documents, writing documents, listening to music etc. You can even write emails and save them to send later, when you do have access to WiFi or 3G/2G - and, of course, you can read emails that you have already received and that are stored on your iPad.

I'm sure that you'll find in Delhi that there are public WiFi networks available - most big cities have them these days, perhaps in coffee shops or shopping malls. Some are free (shops offer free WiFi to attract customers) and some you may have to subscribe to, but I'm sure you'll find some. The iPad will search for WiFi networks and tell you when it's found some and ask if you want to 'join' them. WiFi networks are either encrypted or unencrypted. Public networks - of the sort that I've just mentioned - are usually unencrypted and your iPad can 'join' them without needing an encryption 'key'. The iPad will show you, when it finds a WiFi network, which networks are encrypted (an icon of a padlock appears) and for these you need an encryption 'key' to unlock the network.

To use your iPad on 2G/3G you need a SIM card, similar to the one in your mobile 'phone. However, the iPad uses a new type of SIM card called a microSIM, which is much smaller than the regular SIM used by most mobile 'phones. You will need to check if your service provider offers microSIMs yet; they are new and not all service providers have them available yet. It is *possible* (though perhaps not recommended) to convert a normal SIM into a microSIM and I've seen some Forum posts from people in India who offer to do this. You can do it yourself but it's not recommended for people who don't have experience in this area.

As you point out, you can't really use the iPad as a 'phone, so you'll need to take your regular mobile 'phone with you. You can make calls over the Internet using Skype and similar Internet telephony services, but it won't really work if you don't have 3G.

Final piece of advice - really just repeating something I said earlier and I'm sure all Forum members will agree with - download the iPad manual and read it thoroughly. It is written by Apple and it contains a wealth of very valuable and essential information.

Don't hesitate to come back and ask any further questions that you may have. Enjoy your iPad, don't panic if things seem to go wrong in the early days.

Have fun

Tim
Scotland

 

[Masondixon]

Just wanted to know how to hook up 3G services

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Just wanted to know how to hook up 3G services

Good to hear from you. We need a bit more information, if that's OK.

First of all, I guess you have a 3G iPad. In the US, as far as I understand, most iPads come with the microSIM already installed, but a few don't seem to have them. On your iPad's Home screen (see below for how to get there if you don't know) is there an icon at the top left hand corner of the screen that says 'No SIM'. If so, then I guess you'll need to contact either the Apple store or your service provider to get a SIM.

Do you have a data plan - perhaps with AT&T? If you do, then you probably may not need to do anything other than turn the 3G on - it may be on already!

Do you see an icon, on the very top left-hand corner of the iPad's screen with something like AT&T - perhaps a '3G' and, to the very left, some signal strength bars? If you do, then you're already good to go. If not and you see either 'No SIM' or 'No Service' then you either need to get a SIM or, if you see 'No Service' then it means you're currently in a location where there's no coverage. So perhaps try again when you're in a different location.

On the iPad's Home screen (the one you can get to by pressing the button just below the iPad's screen) you'll see a 'Settings' icon. Press that and you should be able to turn the 3G on and off. I know that the exact way the 3G service and data plans are managed seems different in the US, so I'm not sure that I can be too much help here. But, on my iPad in the UK, there's a 'Carrier' tab in the Settings app that allows you to manage - turn on and off - the 3G and see what carriers are available.

I'm sure that they'll be some US iPad users who'll be able to help you some more - but, in any case, don't hesitate to come back with any further information that can help us give you some further advice.

Don't panic and enjoy your iPad.

Tim
Scotland

 

[rajatmital]

Reply from india .

Hello Tim

It was great to see your detailed reply to Pramod from india

You seem to know a lot about I pad

I bought recently

Which is best app for seeing ms excel files .?

Welcome to the Forum. I am sure that you will find everyone here happy to help with any questions you may have. I'll start off trying to answer some of the points that you raise and I'm sure other Forum members will correct me if I make a mistake.

First of all, if you don't already have a copy, you should read the iPad User Guide, which you can download from the Internet; it's not supplied with the iPad.

You can get a copy here

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPad_iOS4_User_Guide.pdf

It contains a wealth of valuable information about how to set up and use the iPad.

If you service provider does not yet have a 3G network, the iPad will run on 2G using what is known as either 'EDGE' (which means "Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution ') or 'GPRS' (which means "General Packet Radio Service"). You will not get as good a data rate as you would on 3G - so this could be a problem for surfing the web - but email should be OK as long as no one sends you an email with a big attachment. However, you will need to check with your service provider what 'data plans' they have available. The iPad will automatically switch from 2G to 3G if it detects a 3G service is available. But check carefully about the cost of the data plan or you could end up with a big bill.

If you want to surf the web or send and receive email, then you need access to either 3G/2G or WiFi. So, if you are in an area where there is neither of these, you simply can't send or receive email or surf the web. But you can use the iPad for a whole range of other activities - for example reading books or documents, writing documents, listening to music etc. You can even write emails and save them to send later, when you do have access to WiFi or 3G/2G - and, of course, you can read emails that you have already received and that are stored on your iPad.

I'm sure that you'll find in Delhi that there are public WiFi networks available - most big cities have them these days, perhaps in coffee shops or shopping malls. Some are free (shops offer free WiFi to attract customers) and some you may have to subscribe to, but I'm sure you'll find some. The iPad will search for WiFi networks and tell you when it's found some and ask if you want to 'join' them. WiFi networks are either encrypted or unencrypted. Public networks - of the sort that I've just mentioned - are usually unencrypted and your iPad can 'join' them without needing an encryption 'key'. The iPad will show you, when it finds a WiFi network, which networks are encrypted (an icon of a padlock appears) and for these you need an encryption 'key' to unlock the network.

To use your iPad on 2G/3G you need a SIM card, similar to the one in your mobile 'phone. However, the iPad uses a new type of SIM card called a microSIM, which is much smaller than the regular SIM used by most mobile 'phones. You will need to check if your service provider offers microSIMs yet; they are new and not all service providers have them available yet. It is *possible* (though perhaps not recommended) to convert a normal SIM into a microSIM and I've seen some Forum posts from people in India who offer to do this. You can do it yourself but it's not recommended for people who don't have experience in this area.

As you point out, you can't really use the iPad as a 'phone, so you'll need to take your regular mobile 'phone with you. You can make calls over the Internet using Skype and similar Internet telephony services, but it won't really work if you don't have 3G.

Final piece of advice - really just repeating something I said earlier and I'm sure all Forum members will agree with - download the iPad manual and read it thoroughly. It is written by Apple and it contains a wealth of very valuable and essential information.

Don't hesitate to come back and ask any further questions that you may have. Enjoy your iPad, don't panic if things seem to go wrong in the early days.

Have fun

Tim
Scotland