brand new Ipad locked for sake of nonexistent passcode

Oh, oops, sorry. So, brand new ipad, and it is asking for a passcode. Friend did not create one, does not use faceid, doesn't want any of that, etc etc. She just got it today and just wants to use it. For whatever reason, it locked her out. (Btw we already had to return the last new ipad, so we are really hoping this one will start working.)

I searched and it sounds like she needs to restore it (already). I could not find a page for Ipads where there *never was* a passcode ... this seemed as close as we could get - a page about removing a passcode.

This page has instructions, and I have questions about the instructions, so that maybe we won't have to call multiple times, then return it, then reorder it, then wait weeks ... like with the last one:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211078

"Remove the passcode on an iPad that has a Home button

1. Make sure that your iPad isn't connected to your computer.
2. Press and hold the Top button until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn off your iPad. Then connect your iPad to your computer while holding the Home button. Keep holding the Home button until you see the recovery mode screen."

When it says, make sure your ipad isn't "connected" do they mean by a usb cord, or could it also mean the wifi? (She can't even get to settings ... she remembers signing into the wifi ... we can't even get to that page now...)

And then in step 2, do they mean connect it with a cord??? (what would someone do who did not have a computer? and how can someone plug in a usb to the back of an imac while holding down the bleeping bleep button home???? Even if you have the usb cord plugged in first, this will be no easy task. !!! If it weren't for the genius bar I would seriously consider going back to pcs. Which I swore I would never do. Who is running Apple now????)

3 "If you backed up your iPad, after you remove the passcode, restore your data and settings."

So ... has anyone here actually restored their Ipad, and is it hard? Bc I don't see any instructions about *how* you do that. Apparently, a magic screen of some sort will just appear?

I guess we can try turning it off and back on. But this is the first time it has been charged up ... why is it messing up already??

Although I am frustrated, obviously, if anyone has done this before and has input, we would appreciate it. Thanks!

Btw - it is an Ipad air, model a2152. That wasn't even a choice in the pulldown menu below. And if *my* ipad weren't working I wouldn't be able to have looked it up and wouldn't even know it's an ipad Air since it *doesn't just say so" on it. Wt...?????