iPad customers are eligible for free phone support from Apple for the first 90 days of ownership—US customers can call 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273). You can also reach Apple’s customer support web page at http://www.apple.com/support/. All new iPads come with a one-year limited warranty.

If you’re fortunate enough live near an Apple Store, take your iPad in and compare its behavior to the iPads in the store. Then ask for help from one of the geniuses at the Genius Bar, and let them worry about the strange behavior of your iPad.

Despite Apple’s reputation for producing quality products, there’s always the possibility that you could have gotten a defective unit. If possible, back up all your data from your iPad and get a replacement. Then you can restore all your data from your computer to your new iPad.