Are you using a provider-specific mail app (like Yahoo Mail or Gmail) or just the general one that comes with it? On an Android device (phone), I find I need to uninstall/reinstall mail apps periodically. I'd try that if you have a specific one from the app store. Otherwise, if you're using the generic app that comes on the ipad, I'd delete your email account info, reboot the device, and then re-enter the email account info as if it were the first time. (sometimes what happens is that the stored info or the app files get garbled, just one wrong memory bit and it can bring the function to a stop)

cathrugg--my DH is in IT as well. He helped to some degree with set-up, but not all that much. Not only doesn't/hasn't he used Apple devices, he has been super, super busy lately, so I've been figuring out a lot of this on my own (some trial and error, some via internet queries and searches). I might have email set to manual already, have to check. My Push notifications might be on though, so that might override the ability to set email settings? Brightness set to auto, I believe (automatically dims in lower light situations). Have to check maps setting. I have iPad locator "on", but I think my other locator settings are off. Running down the battery, and then fully charging it (leaving it on the charger an add'l 20-30 min past reaching 100%), helped a great deal. Now if it's 100% when I go to bed, it's either still 100% when I get up, or it's only down 1% or 2%. It also stopped dropping by 10% or more by the afternoon when it's sitting unused all day. Made a big difference. I'll take a look at the things you mentioned and report back! I really am enjoying mine. Would love to have the 4G of the newly unveiled iPad (I'm spoiled with the speed of our home Wi-Fi, so using my iPad on 3G when I have to, does seem a little slow to me at times). When I get a 4G phone and use that as my "hot spot" though, it shouldn't really matter. Not sure how much diff the A5X chip/quad core processor will make vs the A5 chip in the iPad 2, though the demo at the big unveiling yesterday supposedly showed a big diff in speed. Would love to compare the screen resolutions (iPad 2 vs new iPad) side-by-side, to see how visible the difference really is to my eyes. Would not be happy with the increase in weight and thickness, so all in all, I don't feel too bad about getting an iPad 2 instead of waiting for the new one. Mine's 32 GB, which won't be available in the iPad 2 with the release of the new one, so I guess mine will be a collector's item soon! LOL

I have a Kindle, which I love. Just a regular Kindle. At the moment I have 10 "pages" of samples saved on it. I love that I can hear about a book somewhere, grab a free sample on my Kindle, and just have it saved there so when I'm ready to read a new book, I have a huge selection of choices. Of course, usually by the time I get to a book, I can't remember WHY I saved it (where did I hear about this book? from a friend, book review, what?) but then I can just click on the description to remind myself. I also have an Ipad. DH does too, and that's where he does all his reading. I seem to have ADD brought on by perimenopause, so I'm afraid if I read books on my iPad, I'd be constantly stopping to go check my email, pop into this forum, check the weather, etc. So I don't read books on my iPad. Also, I take my Kindle to the beach, in its leather cover, slipped into a gallon size ziplock bag (sounds weird, but I can read through the bag!). I think I'd be worried about doing the same with the iPad because it seems more delicate, and also more expensive to replace if something goes wrong.

Ha!, no teen in that gals house, I was sure I was doing things right, then, I just told her this would be the last I would do, cuz I had eliminated everything else, and she told me she was home and on the regular computer, I could have reached thru the screen and strangled her. she also commented she only knew gmail, and I told her I used FF, chrome, and IE as browsers, and then she "discovered" Ff on the machine! I felt I got suckered into a dilemma, and hope I never run across something like that again. As you said, I do not believe she knows how to operate her device, only the simplest things maybe?, and also that she doesn't know the capabilities of it either. I am not a geek, but I have done a few attachments, etc., in my life. I hope with all of this, she now can work her devices as a regular person. Thank you so much for listening to my vent, and first off, thank you for your words, I appreciate that you took the time to read, and decipher what I was trying to accomplish. so nice to have folks that are genuine, and I do not think this one was, only somewhat selfish it seems to me. Have a great day, and know that you calmed my jitters, cuz I was afraid I was doing the wrong thing, and it never occurred to me it probably most likely was someone who didn't know how to work with the device. I know I am just happy with a trac phone, call and receive, old habits die hard!