Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I want to preface my review by stating that the iPad is a remarkable product that is worthy of a five star rating. My one star valuation is specific to the new Verizon iPad which in my opinion contains a major flaw detrimental to all consumers unwary of Verizon's tactics. The Verizon iPad is equipped with a sim card that permits cell data usage by subscription. With my AT&T iPad 2 I am able to subscribe and unsubscribe at-will one month at a time. This is the way a cell data subscription should work. The Verizon iPad does not permit this type of usage. If you cancel a monthly subscription for cell data with Verizon that cancellation permanently inactivates the Verizon sim card. The only remedy is to go to the Verizon store to obtain a new card. I have had to do that twice since I purchased the Verizon iPad and each time it is a major time consuming inconvenience and problem. My first stop at the Verizon store took an hour while the customer service representative insisted that I could not replace the sim card without signing up then and there for a monthly plan. After some argument and consultation with others he recanted but insisted that he could not install the sim card without obtaining from me full personal identifying information (telephone number, e-mail address, home address). The next time I needed a sim card the Verizon store representative insisted she had to charge $10 for the card. She didn't require any personal information and she didn't make any effort to link the sim card with my iPad. She simply insisted on $10 for the sim card and handed it to me. It seems as if Verizon is using the expense and inconvenience of forced sim card inactivation in order to discourage a la carte usage of cell data and to encourage people to pay $20 or $30 dollars a month whether or not they need data service. Had I know about this policy I would never have purchased the Verizon iPad. The Apple Store saleswoman who sold me the iPad was not aware of this flaw and did not advise me that it was an issue. Surprisingly, none of the Apple Store sales persons I have spoken to since then were aware of this issue. Unless you enjoy spending time at the Verizon Store or unless you intend to use a cellular data plan without interruption, you should stay away from the Verizon iPad. Update on February 4, 2013: I just left my local AT&T store after speaking with the AT&T store manager about this issue. He confirmed that AT&T has adopted the Verizon policy and their new iPads also discourage a la carte usage by requiring the customer to purchase a new sim card if the customer cancels a la carte cell data service. It is clear that both major companies want to discourage at-will cell data usage and promote the more lucrative monthly subscription. What a shame and what a rip-off. They will probably continue to do this until the customers rebel and refuse to purchase the higher priced iPad and/or the monthly cell data service plan.