Anyone (in UK) with an iPad-2 ...

After some urging by our Daughter .. I bought an iPad2 for my wife - brand new.. genuine Apple sourced and with UK plug/Warranty etc...all seemed fine.  Got it setup to suit most of the initial needs including adding all the probable Contacts to the list under the 'Contacts' icon on the Home Screen..

Now to the trials..  Her likely contact needs are firstly Family plus a few others by way of friends etc.. but includes ONE old School friend she still keeps in touch with - now in Canada and of course with an email .. in this case....@shaw.ca.

Now you'll all know that by clicking on Contacts icon you get your list of personal friends etc - just pick one out and then click on "Send a message" and it takes you right to a set-out Mailiing page with the chosen name already set..you just add the message...  For EVERY one else it is fine..you go to the Mail page and the "Send" button is lit in Blue and ready to Send when you've finished..  BUT with this friend in Canada it just does not do that..it sends the name to the Mail page but the Send button is NOT Blue-d at all and will not do so.  Click on the NAME and it  gives a pop-up note that you cannot send as the recipient is not recognised by iMessage. 
Now I wondered what the Heck is iMessage.. but a search on Google made it more mysteriuous.  iMessage it seems is some  other way of emailing but different to the norm..and it SEEMS that above all..the people included..HAVE to have an Apple ID so they are "accepted"..
Now a Google does tell you a few other things like the fact that if iMessage is not needed you CAN elect to send it by SMS instead.. and if you want this you can set in the "Messages" item in General Settings, that IF needed when using iMessage you can elect to SET it to use SMS instead.  I checked on my iPhone and in the Messages section it DOES on the PHONE have an item to "set SMS as an alternative" if iMessage fails....  but on the iPad2 there is NO item of this nature to set the use of SMS in iMessage that way...

How then can she send a darned message from the iPad2 to her friend in Canada..who will likely never have an Applle ID.. when the iPad gives no item to set the use of SMS instead ?

After more than 40 years or so using computers I've never had so much frustration in setting up as with this iPad !

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/eric
Staffordshire, UK