IPad - setting up without ITunes account?

[avd]

Good Evening,

I am more of a Windows user and have limited experience with Macs.

Can I buy an IPad and set it up (or Jailbreak it) without creating an ITunes account and/or without having a separate "regular" computer?

Thanks.

- John

 

[gentlefury]

iTunes is on windows...without an iTunes account you won't be able to get any apps...so it would be pretty pointless.

 

[avd]

There are other ways to get apps, Cydia for example. But my main interest is in using the device without creating an account on ITunes and without connecting it to my computer.

Can you take the IPad out of the box, turn it on and go, or will it require you to setup an ITunes account to even use the IPad.

On a semi-separate note, can I Jailbreak the IPad from the IPad or do I have to do that on a separate computer and can I do that from the get-go without the initial startup?

 

[Matth3w]

No you must download iTunes and use it to even start up your iPad. You have to jailbreak with the iPad plugged into the computer.

Why are you so anti iTunes? Not that it matters, because if you want to use your iPad you're going to have to get over your hatred of the software to at least set it up.

 

[avd]

I am not "anti ITunes" but I am anti anything that REQUIRES me to provide personal information against my will. Yes, I can make up the information, but it just annoys me that I have to provide information and "register" for something I have no interest in registering.

I should be able to buy a product without needing to store my personal information on some corporate server (be it Apple or Windows) so they can use that information in the future to spam me to death or get my information stolen and be used for other purposes.

I can buy a Windows computer without providing personal information (for the most part) I should be able to do the same with Apple.

So, my question is more about privacy than "anti-" something.

In relation to my question, how about if I connect to a network and surf over to "Spirit" and run the program directly on the IPad?

 

[Hasty]

All you need give them is your email address which is already out there on the web.
Apps and items can be purchased through iTunes gift cards.

The first time your iPad is turned on it has to be connected to iTunes, either at the apple store, a friends house or on your own computer. Until you do that you have no effective way to use it. So no downloads whatsoever till after it's done.
Thereafter you can happily send iTunes to the rubbish bin, but remember when the os upgrade comes this fall you will need it again. To preserve your apps and content as well as rewrite the os.

 

[avd]

Thank you for your reply, Hasty.

I recently setup a friends "regular" mac and he wanted to download a free app, which of course started up ITunes. ITunes requested email, pass, name, address and would not allow me to move forward until I also provided a Credit Card or Paypal information even though I was downloading a free app.

In your statement "...no downloads whatsoever..." does that include regular downloads from the web, meaning not "apps" in the Apple sense, but going to a website, such as Spirit, for example, and downloading their app.

Do I have to run the Spirit app THROUGH another computer? Can I just run it directly from the IPad itself?

 

[Hasty]

Ah had forgotten they already had my cc details as I preordered mine from Apple.
I fear there's no way to avoid giving them a cc.....
I feel your pain as I hate giving them out on the web. Have had it hacked before and that led to a merry dance before I had my money refunded.

You have no os until that first mating with iTunes.
Jailbreaking will require loading the jb software on your main computer first, connecting the iPad and then rewriting it's os.
It's actually easier than it sounds but do read the forum here on jailbreaking so as to avoid any problems.

 

[stever]

You can start up an iTunes account with

• an email account (create a gmail if you like.)
• iTunes gift card.

You can use this account to activate your iPad.
You can purchase and download apps and media with this iTunes account.

I have never given Apple a CC or my paypal account.

.

 

[Hasty]

Nice to know stever.

 

[Matth3w]

I already answered your question...you must connect to a computer to use spirit, you cannot do it from your iPad. Also, you cannot use a legit copy of windows without it sending information to Microsoft. So as much as I am anti apple and pro windows, your statement isn't exactly true. Yes you don't h ave to give an email address but if you're that paranoid create a hotmail account and never log into it again. Call it [email protected]. It's not like you have to give them your main email. And downloading apps through cydia sometime requires a login and payments well. As for iTunes you can select none to give them no credit card.

I understand your concern but that's just life. How many things can you buy on the Internet these days without making an account? I'd be willing to guess that every two out of three online companies that I try to buy from make me sign up, or at least provide an email as a requirement to order. And a big company like apple isn't going to spam you or sell your email.

 

[MikesTooLz]

The only way to sign up for an itunes account and provide no creditcard info (not well known) is to:

install iTunes on the PC.
Go to the app store and choose to download a FREE app.(app must be free)
when prompted for your itunes account login select the option to create a new account.
While signing up for a new account you will get to the section asking you to enter your payment method. Since you originaly were trying to download a FREE app it will give you the option to select NONE.

 

[Hasty]

Good to know. Thanks.