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-   -   iPAD in Canada (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1083740-ipad-canada.html)

tlvancouver May 10, 2010 2:18 pm

iPAD in Canada
 
I ordered my ipad today (32gb 3g) and was pleasantly surprised by the data costs in Canada (delivered May 28).

Rogers is offering 250 mb for $15 (same as US) and 5gb for $35 (vs $30 unlimited in US). The apple.ca site originally had a $20 plan for those that have a data plan, but Rogers said that was a mistake and isn't being offered. It appears that this will be able to be activated on the device itself as it is in the US.

I have a jailbroken iphone that I'll tether using MyWi for heavy download times, but will go with the $15 plan so that it is easily available while traveling. I also see that AT&T has SIM cards on their site, so I'll likely order one so I can activate that while traveling to the US.

Any other Cdns pulling the trigger today?

Dubai Stu May 10, 2010 5:58 pm

When you sign up for the plan, would you post your impressions as to whether this sign up process would work for a non-Canadian visiting Canada. I presume based on your timing that you are using a US purchased iPad, I'd also be curious whether the automatic options work out of the box with a US iPad.

tlvancouver May 10, 2010 6:04 pm

Actually the Cdn ipad just went on sale today, and so I won't get it until the 28th. There is a 20 cent charge for the Rogers SIM card (I assume on the apple.ca site they need to put an amount in for ordering purposes - this also implies Bell and Telus might be offering plans soon).

I know others are considering ordering ipads in their countries and then using a Rogers SIM for extended travel in Canada instead of roaming packages, I will post about the sign up process as soon as it arrives.

blueline7 May 10, 2010 7:02 pm

I'm very intrigued about the Ipad...I use a BB and never use a Mac, but this seems very cool....

My question is, what do you anticipate using it for if you generally travel with a laptop?

Shareholder May 10, 2010 7:41 pm

I'm using my iPad now in Toronto with wifi and have been doing so for over a month since getting it in Buffalo before a long spat of travels around the planet. Perfect replacement for a lap top, which I was finding too heavy to take on my travels even at just over 3-pounds. My needs are for light word processing and spread sheet functions and the two Apple aps work just fine. The pad's keyboard dock makes it more functional for working purposes but otherwise it is a great multimedia travel companion. From Australia I was downloading free US TV news programs to keep up with what was happening back home. Once I figured out all the functions of the iPad, I had no regrets and find it ideal for my needs.

tlvancouver May 10, 2010 9:27 pm


Originally Posted by Shareholder (Post 13934999)
Once I figured out all the functions of the iPad, I had no regrets and find it ideal for my needs.

I'm pleased to hear that you enjoy it - I am willing to adapt my travel usage to make it work, the only challenge might be delivering PPT presentations, not sure how to attach a remote!

blueline7 May 18, 2010 6:00 pm


Originally Posted by Shareholder (Post 13934999)
I'm using my iPad now in Toronto with wifi and have been doing so for over a month since getting it in Buffalo before a long spat of travels around the planet. Perfect replacement for a lap top, which I was finding too heavy to take on my travels even at just over 3-pounds. My needs are for light word processing and spread sheet functions and the two Apple aps work just fine. The pad's keyboard dock makes it more functional for working purposes but otherwise it is a great multimedia travel companion. From Australia I was downloading free US TV news programs to keep up with what was happening back home. Once I figured out all the functions of the iPad, I had no regrets and find it ideal for my needs.

I had to pass on the Iphone because I couldn't type properly on it compared to the Blackberry...How is the Ipad for typing or do you require an auxiliary keyboard? If so, that would be a real drag....

RCyyz May 31, 2010 1:03 pm

Excitement = clicking on the FedEx link from your Apple.ca/store account and seeing this message: On FedEx vehicle for delivery

Just a few more hours (minutes?) until my iPad arrives! :)

Diplomatico May 31, 2010 1:43 pm


Originally Posted by blueline7 (Post 13934814)
I'm very intrigued about the Ipad...I use a BB and never use a Mac, but this seems very cool....

My question is, what do you anticipate using it for if you generally travel with a laptop?

I use mine to surf the web, download movies/TV shows from iTunes for long flights, download books from iBooks, read the mobile versions of USA Today, FT, and WSJ, stream movies from my Netflix account, etc. (Sorry, non-Canadian response here, lol.)

newself May 31, 2010 4:15 pm

My only complaint is the outlandish wireless charges at hotels. Ethernet is free in the room but the iPad is only wireless. My solution has been to sit in the executive lounge and drink free booze while I surf.

pdxer May 31, 2010 5:01 pm


Originally Posted by newself (Post 14052681)
My only complaint is the outlandish wireless charges at hotels. Ethernet is free in the room but the iPad is only wireless. My solution has been to sit in the executive lounge and drink free booze while I surf.

get a pocket size travel router, connect it to the ethernet in the room and set up your own personal hotspot. there are even 3g travel routers where you can plug in an expresscard or usb data stick for connectivity almost anywhere. the only drawback is no free booze :)

antirealist May 31, 2010 5:07 pm


Originally Posted by newself (Post 14052681)
My only complaint is the outlandish wireless charges at hotels. Ethernet is free in the room but the iPad is only wireless.

Airport express should work, although I haven't had the opportunity to try this yet.

Set up an ID and password before you leave, plug in the unit in your room and just sign in to the hotel internet registration page on the iPad.

RCyyz Jun 2, 2010 11:33 am

Had trouble getting my 3G connection with Rogers to work. I scanned through another forum and there were many many folks having all sorts of difficulties getting their connections to work.

I called Apple and the guy there had me reset my network settings (Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings). This worked like a charm! ^

And in 1 morning of use, I've gone through 50MB of my 250MB plan!

I still can't get my Bluetooth headset to paid though. :( Other than that, my iPad experience is quite positive. ^

RCyyz Jun 4, 2010 2:35 pm

Well it took me 3 days to use up 250MB on my Rogers plan. I don't think I did anything terribly abnormal so clearly for my use, 250MB ain't good enough. My problem is that the next step up is the "full" plan for $35 / month. I'm not sure I want to turn my iPad into a $35 / month expense. I know it's less than $500 per month, but still ...

Other than that, I have to say that I'm finding my iPad quite useful and still very fun to use. I'm quite enamoured with the reading capabilities of the iPad. Books are just fine to read whether coming from iBooks, Kobo (Indigo) or Kindle (Amazon). It's neat being able to carry around several books at once without having a heavy load to carry. I'm a voracious reader and I typically spend several airfares on books every year.

I was pleased to find the Zinio reader for iPad. This enables me to read my Science journal on the go. I see that Zinio also supports subscriptions to National Geographic, The Economist and others.

But what's really neat is is the Globe & Mail's Globe2Go reader. This is a great way to carry around the paper. I see people with their scrunched-up papers on the streetcar or in the subway, when an iPad would be a much easier way to read the paper on the go. Image quality on the iPad is great and the ability to navigate the paper is no more difficult than with a physical paper. I'm rather hoping that the Globe will eventually offer an electronic only subscription. If I need a paper version, I'll be more than happy to go to the store and buy an occasional copy.

Battery life in my iPad seems fine. I got about 6 hours on it and still had 35% battery. I think I'll have it plugged in on the airplane though so it's fully set to go when I hit the ground.

The iPad is nicely filling a space inbetween the Blackberry and the main computer at home. There are lots of times when I just want to surf to look something up but I don't want to bother booting my main computer. And having a full browser easily beats use the Blackberry for web access. I'll admit too that some of the iPad games are quite fun to play.

I still can't get my Bluetooth headset to pair, but other than that I have to say that the iPad is a good addition to my life. :)

GadgetFreak Jun 5, 2010 12:18 pm


Originally Posted by RCyyz (Post 14077696)
Well it took me 3 days to use up 250MB on my Rogers plan. I don't think I did anything terribly abnormal so clearly for my use, 250MB ain't good enough. My problem is that the next step up is the "full" plan for $35 / month. I'm not sure I want to turn my iPad into a $35 / month expense. I know it's less than $500 per month, but still ...

Other than that, I have to say that I'm finding my iPad quite useful and still very fun to use. I'm quite enamoured with the reading capabilities of the iPad. Books are just fine to read whether coming from iBooks, Kobo (Indigo) or Kindle (Amazon). It's neat being able to carry around several books at once without having a heavy load to carry. I'm a voracious reader and I typically spend several airfares on books every year.

I was pleased to find the Zinio reader for iPad. This enablesY me to read my Science journal on the go. I see that Zinio also supports subscriptions to National Geographic, The Economist and others.

But what's really neat is is the Globe & Mail's Globe2Go reader. This is a great way to carry around the paper. I see people with their scrunched-up papers on the streetcar or in the subway, when an iPad would be a much easier way to read the paper on the go. Image quality on the iPad is great and the ability to navigate the paper is no more difficult than with a physical paper. I'm rather hoping that the Globe will eventually offer an electronic only subscription. If I need a paper version, I'll be more than happy to go to the store and buy an occasional copy.

Battery life in my iPad seems fine. I got about 6 hours on it and still had 35% battery. I think I'll have it plugged in on the airplane though so it's fully set to go when I hit the ground.

The iPad is nicely filling a space inbetween the Blackberry and the main computer at home. There are lots of times when I just want to surf to look something up but I don't want to bother booting my main computer. And having a full browser easily beats use the Blackberry for web access. I'll admit too that some of the iPad games are quite fun to play.

I still can't get my Bluetooth headset to pair, but other than that I have to say that the iPad is a good addition to my life. :)

I think it is worth the price just for reading. As far as the data, are there lots of places that you can use WiFi? I have the WiFi version and I think the Boingo PDA subscription will work for it. That is $7.95 a month in the US and works in a lot of places. You might look into that as an alternative to more 3G data.


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