iAmdissapointed - First time apple product owner.

[Zyraz]

South Africa has come a long way when it comes to hardware and gadgets availability.
A lot of the stuff is available from local stores and if that fails , online shopping came to the rescue (at a price).

Having never personaly owned an Apple product, I was always intriqued about the products thats available from them.
So when FNB came with options to get an iPad through them , i jumped at the chance.
My iPad arrived a couple of days later and I admired my brand new iPad 3 .
I was delighted with it , I downloaded a couple of usefull applications and utilities, even my drifta got connected so that i dont miss those all important live sporting events wherever i go.
I enjoyed having the ease of browsing the web and mails without having to pull out my laptop.
Then i wanted more ... Games!

No problem i thought and i proceeded do do a google search on the top rated games I could get for my Ipad.
I was overloaded with options , so back to the iStore with some titles in mind.
Being an RPG fan , games like Infinity Blade and Dungeon Hunter were on top of the priority list.
So I do a search ... no results.
So i do a general search on all games ... no result .

Back to google and as always google had the answer, sadly this time it was an answer i did not want to find.
The ZA store has only a fraction of software available for purchase and download.

I am hoping that MBB could at some stage maybe ask uncle Apple ZA some questions and get some answers.
Will this always be the situation that South Africans will such a limited experience in their iStore ?
What is preventing us from having full access to the software thats available ?
Is their any way that we can still (legally) on an AD-HOC basis purchase apps from the US , UK and other stores ?

As an Apple owner , I think that maybe the Android fanboys might have been on to something when they said that Android is not alternative choice ... Its the only choice , especially in South Africa.

[OGroteKoning]

As an Apple owner , I think that maybe the Android fanboys might have been on to something when they said that Android is not alternative choice ... Its the only choice , especially in South Africa.

Not only in SA ...

But I am also looking for an answer- how to get full access? Even if legality is slightly bent

[fish_man]

These are the people you should be mad at
http://www.fpb.gov.za/
that is why I-tunes don't offer music and movies and games in SA

Just rather get a US or Kenya app store account

[ChocolateBadger]

Theres a thingy thing you have to do with regards to registering in the USA and then just buying vouchers. I don't own crapple products so I can't say fine details.

[Zyraz]

These are the people you should be mad at
http://www.fpb.gov.za/
that is why I-tunes don't offer music and movies and games in SA

Just rather get a US or Kenya app store account

Maybe uncle RPM should get them and Apple ZA in a room and discuss ?
It would definately make for some interesting conversation.

Care to explain the details of how to go about that?

Legal implications/risks?

If its that easy to circumvent the restrictions , why do they put the restrictions there in the first place ?

[undesign]

iSnip

solution

[ChocolateBadger]

Care to explain the details of how to go about that?

Legal implications/risks?

If its that easy to circumvent the restrictions , why do they put the restrictions there in the first place ?

No legal risks. Almost everyone I know with an iPad has done it. Just Register your account in the US using some random address.

[ChocolateBadger]

solution

Thats rude

[Nerfherder]

By far the easiest is creating a Kenyan account and then linking a South African credit card to it.

Bizzare how its the best way but such is life.

After setting up my wife's iPad and a few of her friends I will never get an apple product in SA, too many hoops to jump.

[Zyraz]

By far the easiest is creating a Kenyan account and then linking a South African credit card to it.

Bizzare how its the best way but such is life.

After setting up my wife's iPad and a few of her friends I will never get an apple product in SA, too many hoops to jump.

Thats exactly my point ! If its that easy to circumvent the restriction with no complications , why put it there in the first place ?

[OGroteKoning]

Thats exactly my point ! If its that easy to circumvent the restriction with no complications , why put it there in the first place ?

... for honest people.

/ looks around and runs

[greg0205]

No legal risks. Almost everyone I know with an iPad has done it. Just Register your account in the US using some random address.

Google is your friend... Google the street address and telephone number of a hotel in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire or Oregon (no sales taxes) and use a .com e-mail address when you register the account. Takes 5 minutes and you're done.
Plenty of threads on MyBB discussing the best place to buy vouchers... My go-to site right now is buyfrompowerseller.com, but that's just me.
PS. Watch those in-app purchases in some games... They add up really, really quickly.

[Nerfherder]

Thats exactly my point ! If its that easy to circumvent the restriction with no complications , why put it there in the first place ?

Trust me... they really don't want you to bypass those restrictions.

Its just that people are very persistent in trying to get around them.

I'm pretty sure that eventually they are going to start blocking IP's like they do with a lot of other services

[MaximusZA]

Trust me... they really don't want you to bypass those restrictions.

Its just that people are very persistent in trying to get around them.

I'm pretty sure that eventually they are going to start blocking IP's like they do with a lot of other services

this is what i am nervous about. My iDevices really came alive when i got the US account and i love them but if they block IP's I will be going Android

[undesign]

I'm pretty sure that eventually they are going to start blocking IP's like they do with a lot of other services

What incentive is there for Apple to police it? With movies/books etc I can understand, as the local distributors will apply the pressure and provide the incentive. But for apps? There's no one.