Stolen Ipad

The people you talked to at Apple support were mistaken.

The 3g iPad and iPhone 3g / 3gs do have GPS chips. They get your location in one of three ways:

1) wifi signals via skyhook
2) cell tower triangulation
3) a built-in gps chip

The gps chip is assisted meaning that it uses (1) and (2) above to figure out the general location which allows the gps chip to lock onto your location much faster.

I have used both an iPhone and an iPad in locations without a cellular signal or wifi signal, and it did lock onto my location (although it was noticeably slower without the "assistance").

If yours was wifi only, then it most definitely does NOT have GPS. It does have location services, but it can only guess at your location based on wifi signals. A company called skyhook has mapped out the wifi signals in most urban environments, and since it is hard to be anywhere without a wifi signal, this actually works pretty well much of the time.

However, if you did not have MobileMe installed, then there is NO way for Apple to find your device for you. An iPad does not give out its serial number when it connects to a wifi signal, and without a service running on the device itself (like MobileMe sets up), there is no way to retrieve this information.

Hey there!

You know most of the credit cards (Visa/MasterCard etc) comes with purchase protection plan that usually cover against theft or damage with 60-90 days...
(and yes, usually come with extended warranty for 1 years too)

You might want to check them out to see if you're eligible:

VISA:
http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/benefits/bftpurchase_securityeclaims.html

MasterCard:
http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/guidetobenefits/inde x.html

1. A WiFi only iPad does NOT have GPS and cannot be traced or located unless you have MobileMe Find My Ipad enabled. This is not a way for Apple to sell MobileMe.

2. Apple can't do what you want then to do as they don't have the legal right to track a device.

<Edited by Host>

Yes, I agree, I went to iFixit and saw the proof myself.

But ... two Apple technical support personnel independently told me and my buddy on separate calls told us that no GPS was in either product.

If you go the iPad section in this web site you will see that the 3G model of the iPad has what is called Assisted GPS:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ Look under the header Location.

This is what Assisted GPS is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS

Well I have a 3G iPad that can tell me my location with cellular and wifi off and in the middle of nowhere...so, I think that should prove that I have GPS...

No... It just proves your in the middle of nowhere I could have told you that!

dimashq wrote:
Yes something that has a GPS is trackable 🙂
and no having a GPS does not mean its 3g,mine is wifi only 🙂
i appreciate your comment.and know it was not in the compartment or anywhere visible,it was well hidden and wrapped but someone was following/watching me for the purpose of stealing it I'm 100% sure. Thank you all and please be careful and safe.Its a harsh reality.

You're not the brightest bulb huh?

If you have the wifi version, you don't have a GPS.

Ya come in here mad at Apple because you were careless with your iPad. Why?
If your Honda was stolen would you be mad at the Honda dealership because they wouldn't help you find it? No.
And don't use the "hondas don't have gps" because your iPad didn't have gps either. Only 3g versions have gps. Do you think Apple has some sort of CSI/Criminal Minds/X-Files computer system that makes terribly grainy film HD quality so we can see the murderer (!!) AND find your lost iPad?

If you are now 100% sure someone was watching you or following you then you MUST have thought this before the theft occured as well.
Moral of the story:
1. Apple is a normal company. They can't help you track down your mistakes.
2. Trust your gut about people following you.
3. This one sponsored by Captain Obvious: Dont leave $500 electronics in your car.

Does mobile me work in the UK with a PC? Obviously it still needs the 3G connection. If so how much is it in UK pounds?

Yes it works in the UK, even on a PC.

It is not hard to find on the UK Apple Store :

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC288Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA&mco=MTA4MjgwOTQ

Yeah that was the link i originally found but it came up on the US site. Thanks

The link I provided is a UK product on the UK Store.

Yeah thanks i understood after i accessed it... considering the fact that the Ipad is very desirable i think i will take it up for a year or two.

I think a lot of people would rather place the blame somewhere else than take responsibility for their own lack of foresight.

At the rate cars get broken into in mall parking lots, only a fool would leave anything expensive in cars. I feel bad for the OP having to suffer such an expensive learning experience but maybe next time, he'll think twice before he leaves expensive stuff "well hidden" in his car.