Fears of recall as iPad is hit by iGremlins

Apple may be forced to recall their brand new iPad after thousands of users have complained they cannot use their tablet computers to connect to the internet.

This has rendered many of the features of the £326 device useless.
Hundreds have posted comments on Apple's website saying they cannot get a wi-fi signal and that they are having problems re-charging the battery and uploading applications.

Others complained that their devices were overheating and the screen was showing a message that read: 'iPad needs to cool down before you can use it'.
Customers activate their iPads at an Apple Store in Palo Alto, California. Hundreds have posted comments on Apple's website saying they cannot get a wi-fi signal and that they are having problems re-charging the battery and uploading applications
More than 300,000 iPads - called 'the laptop killer' by some reviewers - have been sold in the U.S. since its launch on Saturday.
However, British fans, who will be able to buy the device from the end of the month, may want to wait until some of the glitches have been sorted out.

Technology expert Brennon Slattery from Macworld said: 'A massive recall many be necessary if the problem persists.'
He added that Apple may have to physically replace the antenna in the iPad to improve wi-fi reception.

From Los Angeles, aa514 wrote: 'All my devices, two laptops and iPhone have a strong signal, but my iPad does not connect to the internet at home at all and has a weak connection at work.'
Another user - andyspocket from Nashville, Tennessee - wrote: 'I never imagined how USELESS this device is without connection - can basically only type notes in notepad app.
'I made an appointment with Apple Store and they replaced my iPad with a new one. Fingers crossed for better luck on this one.'
Apple has updated its support website in response to the complaints. They state: 'Under certain conditions, iPad may not automatically rejoin a known Wi-Fi network after restart or waking from sleep. This can occur with some third-party Wi-Fi routers that are dual-band capable when: * Using the same network name for each network; * Using different security settings for each network.'
They suggest giving each Wi-Fi band a different SSID name but both bands to have the security type.
Apple has dealt with wi-fi problems before in early versions of the MacBook Air.
Launch pad: Apple staff in San Francisco open the door as the device goes on sale for the first time. By the end of day more than 300,000 had been sold
The initial version of the iPad is only able to link to the internet via its wi-fi antenna. A new 3G version is due out later this month.

Some users have speculated the problem may be that the antenna is located behind the Apple logo on the back of the $499 (£325) device.
Michael Arrington, editor of the blog TechCrunch, reported 'scores of complaints' - and said he too was having difficulties with his wireless connection.
He said: 'My understanding of wi-fi issues on devices, particularly cramped devices like the MacBook Air and iPad, is that it’s usually a hardware/design issue and something that can’t be fixed via a software patch.'
One disgruntled user wrote: 'I have rebooted the iPad three times, doesn't help. My Macbook is running on the same wi-fi network just fine. Not spending $500 on something I can't even use. It's going back tomorrow.'


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