IIwinning, I feel the same as you about the lack of help from Apple about issues that come up repeatedly on their sweet "Apple Support Communites" boards. Doesn't that title sound just so cozy and comforting? It actually means:
"Don't bother us, we don't want to hire people to help you. Just go figure it out amongst yourselves, you peons".
Apple personnel apparently never deigns to drop in on these boards to help out with issues that drag on for months and months unresolved.
One little sentence buried deep in the user's manual for iPad using OS 5, which is the highest my first generation iPad can use, finally gave me my answer:
I had never even noticed why it synced OK on some days, but not others. Sure enough, when I plugged my iPad into a wall jack just now, it synced just fine via WiFi.
–I hope this helps a few thousand other troubled souls, too.
Please always make time to give feedback to let Apple (or any company you deal with) know where their lousy web pages need improvement. You and I are the people. No one else will to fix anything in this world if you won't yourself.
Mike Storer in Arizona