Greetings iPad lovers

My name is Rich and I love the iPad

I'm a Tour Guide in Spain, so I am always on the road travelling. My iPad has been a fantastic tool for my work and for play. I can't imagine not having one. Needless to say, because I require connectivity on the go, I have a wifi and 3G model which gives me more or less 100% connection.

I was lucky to get my hands on iPad 1 on the day it was launched in Europe, and I just knew it would become my new best companion. I knew it would be a huge hit too. As the OS has developed, and with App Developers creating ingenious apps, it has just got better and better.

So, to get iPad 2 on launch day was a real joy. I was very lucky. I decided not to order online at 2am Spanish time at launch but to risk visiting a store at 5pm. I visited El Corte Ingles which is a huge chain of department stores in Spain. I was number 55 in the queue and I guessed my chances were slim. So, I was overjoyed, when I was lucky enough to walk away with my iPad 2 !!!

I'm looking forward to reading and participating in the forums.

Rich

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Good to hear from you. You’ll find a whole bunch of iPad enthusiasts in this Forum who are only too willing to help other iPad owners and to hear of their experiences. Don’t be afraid to post any questions you may have or use the ‘Search’ button near the top of the Forum web page. I usually find I discover one new interesting and useful piece of information about my iPad every day - and often not even what I was looking for!!

I'm glad that you were able to get your iPad - you're a lucky guy!!

Hope to hear from you soon with your thoughts about the iPad.

Have fun and enjoy your iPad


If you don’t already have it you can download a copy of the iPad manual for free.

Apple - Support - Manuals

It’s free too.

Tim
Scotland

I bet the weather is better in Spain than in Scotland

Thanks For the reply Tim. I'm looking forward to participating!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Ps yes the weather is about 22c at the moment. However, I'm actually in England right now having a "holiday"!

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It's 22C in Spain and you come to the UK for a holiday!!!!!!

If I was lucky enough to live in Spain I'd never want to leave. I've spent many fantastic holidays there - can't wait to go back..

Anyway, have a great time in the UK..

Tim

Thanks Tim

Holiday was great. Weather remarkably kind. I put my O2 sim in my iPad 2 so had uninterrupted internet and email for my entire break. Technology eh!? I could not live without an iPad now.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Hi Rich,

I will be vacationing in Mardid, Malaga and Alicante for 2 1/2 weeks driving along the southern coast. I would like to bring my US 3G iPad1. Can you tell me who would be the best provider in Spain for a local microSIM and how much it would be? Also, the car rental company wanted US$186 for GPS rental. Would the 3G reception be good enough in most places to use the iPad's GPS instead?

One more thing....I am wondering if my iPad is locked and need to be unlocked before I can use a non-AT&T SIM.

Hi there!

There's good news and not so good news really.

Firstly, GPS here is great on iPhones and iPads so I wouldn't bother paying for extras!

Secondly, choice is not Spain's best quality. There are a lot of monopolies out here so consumers suffer with lack of choice and lack of deals :-((

When I go back to the UK and I amazed by the sheer amount of deals, cheap prices and flexibility.

Now, there are choices with:

Www.Movistar.es
Www.Vodafone.es
Www.orange.es

I will try and do some research for you to see if they do any sort of pay as you go option. I just get the feeling it is all contractual. But leave it with me.

I pay 17€ a month for 2GB

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Thanks Rich. I searched the 3 links you provided and got the following. Looks like Vodafone has the best prepaid deal. Guess I'll look for a Vodafone shop when I get to Madrid. BTW, I have not heard of 3G having a bandwidth of >2Mbps in the US. Is it really that fast in Europe?

Moviestar Rates

Up / down traffic cost
Prepaid Internet Daily Rate 1 Mbps / 384 Kbps 30 Mb* 3 € per day
Internet Weekly Bonus 1 Mbps / 384 Kbps 1 GB over 7 days** 19 €
Internet Monthly Bonus 1 Mbps / 384 Kbps 1 GB over 30 days** 49 €
Internet Quarterly Bonus 1 Mbps / 384 Kbps 1 GB over 90 days** 59 €
* Over 30 MB is 3 € / 30 MB to a maximum of 12 € / day after which will be flat for the day total.
** 1 GB over limit be at a cost according to the daily rate purchased.
__________________________________________________ _______________
Vodafone

Mobile Internet Express:
Mobile Internet Express 32 € / month (€ 37.76 / month inc VAT.). Maximum speed up to 21.6 Mbps for the initial 2GB / month after which the maximum speed to 128Kbps. This fee does not allow the use of voice over IP. If P2P use this speed will be reduced. In case you are interested in enjoying these services, see other applicable rates or call 123. This fee does not apply to access the Internet on a mobile phone. Prices shown valid for Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Roaming not include traffic or SMS.

Mobile Web Basic:
Basic Mobile Internet 15 € / month (17.70 € / month inc VAT.). Maximum speed up to 7.2 Mbps for the initial 500 MB / month after which the maximum speed to 128Kbps. This fee does not allow the use of voice over IP. If P2P use his speed will be reduced. In case you are interested in enjoying these services, see other applicable rates or call 123. This fee does not apply to access the Internet on a mobile phone. Prices shown valid for Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Roaming not include traffic or SMS.

__________________________________________________ ______________
Orange

35 € / 30 consecutive days
cruising speed: up to 7.2 Mbps for the initial 2GB, after which speed is reduced to 64 kbps

Hi I will be traveling to southern Spain in the summer from the UK what are the chances of picking up a PAYG Vodafone sim in the airport or even buying one online before I leave? is it just as simple as putting it in he iPad when you get there or do you have to connect to iTunes before it will work??

Sent from my iPad using iPF