iPad: Help, please! Smashed iPad 1 with unlimited grandfathered data plan. What to do?

[fred222]

I've been a regular lurker on MacRumors for what seems like decades; folks, I really, truly, desperately need your help right now.

My partner's dealing with some severe emotional issues (her father died from cancer within six months of finding out about it, and last week she also found out that another old friend of hers was dead - and that their mutual acquaintance was using his ashes as a prop to emotionally manipulate her). Long story short, nobody's at fault, but the iPad 1 3G I had got smashed.

It had that grandfathered-in unlimited data plan and I had it set up to be tethered so it was running all access to the internet in my home. I've saved the SIM card from the wreckage of the device - what, kind folks, is my best course of action?

I figure I need to find an old iPad 1.0 3G and buy it used, since I'm financially strapped right now (more broke than King Midas in reverse). If anyone could point me towards a reasonably priced hand-me-down, I'd be eternally grateful. I'm also unsure how to activate the plan on a new device technically since the old one is certainly not going to boot; I'm paying the $30/month to keep it active for the time being so it doesn't disappear, even though I have no device to use it in.

Sorry to be a bother, just trying to get things back on track and functional. It just couldn't come at a worse time and I'm sorry to bother you for advice and support. Thanks for all your support and such, hopefully what goes around comes around.

For whatever it's worth, I live in Chapel Hill, NC 27517 in case anyone's local. Again, thanks and hope you're all having a blessed day.

[BiigBiscuit]

I'm no expert in 3G iPads and their data plans, but I would assume that all you would have to do is put your SIM into another iPad with 3G. Not sure if you're required to register your iPad under the SIM, or something of that sort because of the carrier, but if that's the case then you would just remove the old one from your account and register the other iPad in place of it.

[kevroc]

Yes, just put the sim card in an ipad and away you go. You'll obviously need to jailbreak so you can tether again, but fortunately there's a jailbreak now for the new os. Best best is craigslist. I also saw a guy at the swap meet doing ipad repairs, you might want to look at that option.

[ibarrett94]

What does the first paragraph have to with anything?

[bursthead]

Originally Posted by ibarrett94

What does the first paragraph have to with anything?

It's all in the details...

[braddick]

Originally Posted by ibarrett94

What does the first paragraph have to with anything?

He's letting us know he is a long time reader, appreciates the sensibilities here at MacRumors and respectfully is seeking our help.

What is wrong with that?

[macsrcool1234]

Originally Posted by ibarrett94

What does the first paragraph have to with anything?

It's to garner sympathy so nobody calls him out for tethering an iPad as his entire homes Internet.

It's people like OP who ruined it for the rest of us.

[iRepairParts]

Originally Posted by kevroc

Yes, just put the sim card in an ipad and away you go. You'll obviously need to jailbreak so you can tether again, but fortunately there's a jailbreak now for the new os. Best best is craigslist. I also saw a guy at the swap meet doing ipad repairs, you might want to look at that option.

Craigslist is the best way to go here. You can always strike a deal with someone on there. Just make sure to meet in a public place and thoroughly examine whatever you are buying.

[braddick]

Originally Posted by macsrcool1234

It's to garner sympathy so nobody calls him out for tethering an iPad as his entire homes Internet.

It's people like OP who ruined it for the rest of us.

That's the second paragraph.

[macsrcool1234]

Originally Posted by braddick

That's the second paragraph.

Re-read my post. The first paragraph is the sympathetic one .