US iPad v. UK/European iPad?

Shipping it would be cheaper BUT thats assuming customs dont pick it up and decide to charge. If they do then you will be hit with 20% VAT AND import duty which often puts the price up over what it would cost to buy over here.

Also, she would need to buy a UK power adapter.

So, if you get away with it you would end up saving around £30 (not much really) after she buys a uk plug.

Send the money, also means no problems should she need to get it serviced. I know apple, worldwide support etc but sometimes people like to give reasons to not do any work.

They are cheaper in the US, but obviously you'd have to pay postage/shipping (and probably insure the package) in order to get it over here (Apple themselves won't ship abroad). If you do buy in the US then the Verizon 3G model won't work with 3G over here - they are CDMA based, not micro-sim, and we don't use CDMA here.

UK US

£399 $499 wifi 16 gig

£659 $829 3G 64 gig

The currency rate is currently about $1.50 to £1 so the US wifi 16 gig would be about £335 (£65 pounds cheaper in the US) and the 3G 64 gig version £552 (so if bought in the US £100 cheaper).

A full list of US iPad prices is on this page, and the UK pries are here

Ship it to her. Get with some a nice engraving so it's memorable and personal (its free to have it engraved), Then ship to her. Might take a little longer to get done, but I'd say with decent shipping and insurance it'll still be cheaper to get it in the US. Plus it'll mean more!!!

I bought my first iPad in London while I was living and working in Poland. It would be eaiser for you to send her the money to buy it in the UK. The drawback is it will cost more there. I paid about $200.00 more in the UK than I would have if I had come home to the states and bought it.