Q: Upgrade iPad iOS 5.1.1 to iOS 6

I so agree about the IOS needing to work better. I DO realize it isn't just an apple issue but they charge way more than the others so you think that you would get what you pay for. We live in a throw away time. Maybe apple could come up with a way to update the IPad with just replacing a part. That way they would still make money(isn't that what this is all about?) and we could keep from filling dump sites.

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Doesn't hurt to ask...is there a way to download a previous/older version of an individual App onto 5.1.1?

My long time friend incurred some financial struggles a few weeks ago, and I purchased her per-owned, gently used, iPad 1 (in excellent condition) from her to help her out. Of course she restored the device, so now that I finally got around to setting it up, I realize that I cannot download even the most basic Apps, such as Google Maps, much less my Family Monitoring Software that monitors my kids.

I understand the explanations and reasons why I cannot download a software update for my iPad 1, but is it possible to download previous versions of essential Apps?

Btw, I just took my new iMac out of the box, am in the process of setting it up/transferring my old Dell desktop dinosaur files, docs, photos, etc.  I LOVE this new MAC. I've patiently waited for years to go entirely MAC (as in all my devices - laptop & desktop have been PC after PC), and I am loving it just as much as I thought I would. Coincidentally, I've had to download countless updates since I first powered it on, but I expected to. Took some time, but during the process I was able to read the "what's new" articles and familiarize myself.

Soooooo, anywho, any advice on older Apps?

Yes there is a way to download apps. I was in a similar situation as you (i gave iPad 1 to my son since I just went Android) and the way I was able to do it is by downloading the apps using itunes on my Windows 8 PC first. then all I had to do was go to the app store on the iPad 1 and download the same app. It still shows you a popup that says something to the effect of "...this app requires iOS 6...but you can get the latest compatible version..." just click ok and you're off to the races.

Hope that helps.

BTW, there is no reason why there is no reason why iOS 7 shouldn't have worked on an iPad 1 other than Apple trying to force you to "upgrade" your hw, which translates to "spend more money" + "create more waste" + "kill the environment". This is the main reason why I went with Android.

Its called Android lets be honest Apple is good with GUI graphic user interface and strong with consumer sales the iPhone was a stand out product from apple but now that Samsung has caught up and we all no the Galaxy family is such abetted phone... I would not purchase not Another iPad nor iPhone I've switched completely to Android. They have caught up to Apple ..the corporation is surviving solely off it's brand name. The issue with the IOS 5 and 6 that is sad especially since technology changed faster each year so every6 months to a year consumers will buy a new 64GB $800 iPad. Really?  People waking stop buying this stuff make them conform to the market. I bet they wish Steve Jobs was still around. I remember it was such a big deal when iPhones were released when the iPhone 5s dropped I had no clue. To be honest because I am not bias I have the iPad 1 and you can find Android tablets which do the same thing and much much cheaper ...let's not play the fool here.

Another one!

So this iPad I bought TWO and a half years ago, I should just dump and pay out for a new Android?

I spent a lot of money on this iPad and now it's un-updatable!

Yes perhaps NOW Android products are better but then they were hardly heard of. We buy Apple products because they're all singing, all dancing things of the future but it seems they were only for two years into the future.

spooki wrote:

 

Another one!

So this iPad I bought TWO and a half years ago, I should just dump and pay out for a new Android?

I spent a lot of money on this iPad and now it's un-updatable!

2 and a half years ago Apple introduced the iPad 2 is that what you have?

Why would you need to dump it?  It still does what it did the day you bought it. and will continue to do it.

It just got a software update. Its up to date.  The fact it will likely not get another major iOS update does not mean its immediately obsolete. 

The iPad will not self destruct, it will not stop functioning, and you will still be able to download all the newer apps and updates for a long time still.  I can still download Apps for my Generation 1 iPad every day and still get a few updates to apps here and there.

If you wan to go to android fine go buy an android tablet, just don't come back crying when your Android tablet stops getting updates in less than year.

And stop with the melodrama.  A lack of software update does not render a product obsolete.  Time and advances in technology do. Tell the Tech industry to stop coming out with new features every 6 months.

Phil0124 wrote:

 

And stop with the melodrama.  A lack of software update does not render a product obsolete.  Time and advances in technology do. Tell the Tech industry to stop coming out with new features every 6 months.

I understand all of us are not E.E.'s (i am one) but, That is totally NOT true Phil. What are you basing this theory on? What Apple tells you? I suggest you check out a basic engineering principle called Backwards Compatibility; in fact here is a handy wikipedia page for you to read (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_compatibility).

What you say can be true of HW (i.e. upgrading the hardware) but not for SW. The fact that the iPad 1 does not support iOS6+ was a business decision that Apple made NOT a technical one. Thats just what they tell you.

We don't need to tell "technology to stop advancing". We have to keep in mind the technology we are replacing while advancing.

And as far as the iPad 1 stopping work you are correct, it wont, BUT (and there is always a but) if you just acquired one of these iPad 1's and have never had an itunes account or downloaded apps, you will be surprised by the "this app requires iOS6 or greater you cannot download it" messages for nearly all of the useful apps.

Now luckily there is a workaround for downloading and installing apps (not the OS), you can download the app using itunes first and then send it over to your ipad1 by either downloading it from the app store (you'll get a different message this time, one that says "this app is for iOS6 or greater but here is the latest compatible one for you to download") or you can also, after downloading it via iTunes just connect via usb cable and transfer it over (sync).

Ok 2 nd a half years ago they brought out the iPad 2 which is when I bought my iPad 1, which, if you'd have read back, this started with.

The difference seemed to be a camera which I didn't need so I bought a 32gb 1 for the same price as a 16gb 2.

Now when I use Safafri to look at news feed or individual Facebook pages, online newspapers, anything with a lot of images or adverts it crashes. Go to use the App Store app? Crashes. I don't use the Facebook app as it's slow and doesn't show things in date/time order.

A 'Genius' said it was a hardware issue. Which to me means, it's us, not you, but you're stuck with it. He did offer me a refurbished iPad 1 for £200.

This is not what I/we paid for! We are now on the highest possible update of OS 5.1.1.

Obviously, I know it won't self destruct! It does not do what we expected it to do. We CAN run our apps (free or paid for) but only to a certain standard up to the highest iOS.

I don't think it's 'melodramatic' to expect to be able to use my iPad for the purpose I bought it for without having to go back to my FOUR year old Windows laptop to view some things.

(Btw I wouldn't actually dump the iPad 1, I'm going to recycle it)

alfredfromhialeah wrote:

 

Phil0124 wrote:

 

And stop with the melodrama.  A lack of software update does not render a product obsolete.  Time and advances in technology do. Tell the Tech industry to stop coming out with new features every 6 months.

I understand all of us are not E.E.'s (i am one) but, That is totally NOT true Phil. What are you basing this theory on? What Apple tells you? I suggest you check out a basic engineering principle called Backwards Compatibility; in fact here is a handy wikipedia page for you to read (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_compatibility).

1.  You seem to be the one that does not undertstand backwards compatibility. Backwards compatibility means that a newer piece of technology can operate and run software and understand input fom older pieces of technology.  In this case the new iPad Air can run apps designed for older iOS versions.   And can connect to devices designed for older iPads.   

It does not mean that you can make an older device run newer things.

2. If you think It was a business decision, you clearly have no understanding of how computers function.  The newer iOSs require more memory and processor speed than the iPad 1 has. That is a fact: 256MB and a 1Ghz single core processor cannot do what 1GB memory and a 1.4ghz dual core can.  The newer iOSes need these resources to function correctly. 

I'm sure you could install iOS 6 or 7 on a first Generation iPad but the slowdown would probably make it unusable. Like trying to install Windows 7 on an old Pentium 4 machine wth 512MB ram. Can you do it sure, can irn function correctly? Probably not.

3. Apps. There are still many apps that work on iOS 5.  Heck I just downloaded the new CBS news App, and  the same App works fine on my Second Generation iPad and my First Generation iPad.

Tell me an App you need that can't be run on iOS5 and I can probably find a replacement that does and is probably free.

4.  Finally tell me exactly what mobile tech company offers you updates for 3 years straight on their devices. Just name 1.

Yes the first generation iPad got 2 major updates iOS updates. And quite a few minor ones. At this point its been a year and a half since it got its last update, and its still functional. Clearly the lack of an upate has not been that important to its life span.

Ohh, and for the record I still use my first generation iPad everyday. It can run Apps fine. I can load most websites I visit without issue. And it doesn't crash.  at least no more than my newer 2.  Heck up until a couple weeks ago, it played videos from certain sites like CBS news better than my iPad 2 with iOS7 could because for some reaosn on iOS7 the videos loaded tiny while in iOS 5.1.1 they loaded fine.

Phil, you are not understanding backwards compatibility, I'm sorry to say. This principle is something that engineers should keep in mind when designing new stuff. In other words before you design a new operating system (or an upgrade to it) you have to sit there and think about the impact it will have on existing hardware and mitigate any issues.

And yes of course it means you can "make older devices run newer things"!!! How do you do that you ask? well you think about this before you start; for example: "hmm, how can I get this flashy new iOS 6 to run on the older platform?" or "can it be configurable so that in one mode it supports the older platform and in another the newer platform? or ... well you get the point. These are all activities that engineers take on when designing "new stuff". This is why it leads to believe that it was a business decision. In other words apple engineers probably presented apple business with all options (including pros and cons - from a technical perspective) and then they decided.

And for the record, are you not understanding that the issue is that:

IF (you have never had an Apple ID) && (you somehow aquire an iPad1)

THEN you cannot download apps*

*Unless you download them using iTunes on a PC first.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Oh and by the way:

Phil0124 wrote:

 

4.  Finally tell me exactly what mobile tech company offers you updates for 3 years straight on their devices. Just name 1.

 

I am not bashing apple nor do I have a "favorite" piece of technology. If you heed your own advice (i.e. technology is always changing) then it would be smart to not tie yourself down to one provider. As if you do you'll be bound to this one providers "technology changes / evolutions".

Thanks again.

At least Apple needs to fix Safari. As many have reported it crashes constantly, and Chrome isn't any better as it probably uses the WebKit-SDK too (in other words, the same web-renderer as Safari).

The iPad 1 quickly diminish to a web-reader for news etc as more and more apps don't follow, and therefore Safari MUST work. It is THE most important app on IPad 1.

Unfortunately I don't even thing Apple reads this, or even WANT to read it.... Sad but true!

"Like trying to install Windows 7 on an old Pentium 4 machine wth 512MB ram. Can you do it sure, can irn function correctly? Probably not".

The diffrence is it CAN be done, i had a P4 @3GHZ with win 7 and t ran fine, also, you said the ipad 1 cannot surport IOS 6, lemme ask you this, why does the iphone 3GS have 256MB of RAM and a 600mhz CPU?, the ipad 1 has the same memory as the 3GS and a 1ghz CPU, and you say it cannot run it?, yet the 3GS can?

Unfortunatly its not us the users who claims this, its Apple! We are just the people who bought this product in good faith yet it doesnt do what its supposed to without crashing. One of their so called "Genius" said himself that its a hardware issue which means to me that its their fault/problem and not ours.

If I go to the diagnostics & usage data in my settings, the ipads software/update seems to think its an IPHONE running 5.1.1.