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What am I supposed to do with my iPad 1st gen?

Hi

I own a 1st generation iPad running iOS 5.1.1.

I know that it is not supported anymore and it's not even possible to upgrade more than this version.

However, until not long ago I could at least copy my pdf documents, read my Kindle books and watch Netflix using their old app versions. Today after restoring, I tried to do all of that and iTunes does not even let me copy my own home videos nor install adobe pdf. In short, it seems like the iPad is of no use whatsoever (even though battery and screen are in perfect condition) so should I just throw it away?. But it doesn't feel right because it cost me a lot of money when it first launched proving that I am an Apple fan. But is this the way Apple treats its early customers? What use can I give to my iPad other than an ornament in my living room? Any ideas will be appreciated. Thanks

Posted on Jun 17, 2020 4:29 PM

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Posted on Jun 17, 2020 7:40 PM

Thanks for your input. I do understand your point but I should have mentioned that I’m nowhere near the US (I’m in Bolivia, South America actually) so recycling it with Apple or Best Buy is not an option for me. In addition, as I mentioned, all I would want it to do is to display PDFs, books, docs, etc, which we all know does not require great computing power. This may sound alien to you but where I’m from, just discarding a functioning computer as old as it may be, is just a big waste and just something that “first” world countries can afford to do. I mean, instead of discarding it, I could just give it to some kid of the many I know in Andean villages and it would literally change his life to be able to read books! I’ve had an iPad Pro for a while myself but the 1st generation should be at least useful for the most basic of computing tasks.

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Jun 17, 2020 7:40 PM in response to lobsterghost1

Thanks for your input. I do understand your point but I should have mentioned that I’m nowhere near the US (I’m in Bolivia, South America actually) so recycling it with Apple or Best Buy is not an option for me. In addition, as I mentioned, all I would want it to do is to display PDFs, books, docs, etc, which we all know does not require great computing power. This may sound alien to you but where I’m from, just discarding a functioning computer as old as it may be, is just a big waste and just something that “first” world countries can afford to do. I mean, instead of discarding it, I could just give it to some kid of the many I know in Andean villages and it would literally change his life to be able to read books! I’ve had an iPad Pro for a while myself but the 1st generation should be at least useful for the most basic of computing tasks.

Jun 17, 2020 7:48 PM in response to Demo

Thanks for your points, they’re interesting. But this iPad has not stopped working per se. I didn’t put any money into it, just took good care of it as we do here in Bolivia or any country where we don’t have the easiness to upgrade a device every year. I would like to believe that Steve Jobs would have preferred to have his first iPad to go to a poor kid in the Andes so he can learn to read than having a capable device sit there doing nothing just because app developers and Apple itself don’t want to just keep older versions of their software available out there. I bought an iPad Pro a long time ago but the older one could be as useful for a kid or anyone who has never had an iPad here

Jun 17, 2020 4:34 PM in response to benmont86

You have an outdated device.


I have a bunch of VHS/DVD/VCR/DVD player that I can't use anymore because it is outdated. Not sure if I can hook it up to my tv.


I bought one of the first flat screen tv that had the bottom piece and was heavy, those are obsolete now.


You should get my point now. if you want to use those apps buy a new ipad.

Jun 18, 2020 2:39 PM in response to Michael Black

I am fine with third party developers removing their older versions, not Apple's fault. But what about simply transferring a PDF document or watching a regular, old MP4 video for educational purposes? I can't even transfer those onto this iPad and those do not/should not require a third party app developer to run on any device (Android devices don't). My iPad was always able to handle those two simple tasks but now not even. So it is Apple blocking its own device (even if it had been made 20 years ago) from doing something that can educate a child or an illiterate person. Why? Just so that we purchase a newer model to get access to apps I may not even need or want to use (think Netflix). Well, not all of us are as fortunate as walking into an Apple store and splash on a new one as we live in the other side of the world.

Jun 20, 2020 7:45 PM in response to MichelPM

Hi. Yes, you're right, it is just that no one was really offering any helpful suggestions other than buying a newer iPad which is fine, and I already mentioned that I already did - but I was really hoping to get helpful answers as to how my old iPad could be useful just for anything at all. I really regret not having made a backup to recover the helpful apps after restoring it but your suggestions do help to put my iPad to some good use. Thank you and everyone for their contributions. Best of luck!

Jun 17, 2020 5:06 PM in response to benmont86

So, this is REALLY NOW the time to seriously consider a new or discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple or other Apple authorised resellers.


You need to purchase a new iPad from Apple or a discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple’s Refurbished & Clearance section of Apple’s Website or a new or refurbished iPad from an Apple authorised, third party retail or online reseller OR other trusted sources for new or used Apple products.


A lot has happened with iPad and iOS in 7-9 years and in the past 2 to 3-1/2 years since iOS 9 and 10.


FYI,

iPads are much cheaper and so much more powerful, now.


As an example and compared to that over 10-years old iPad 1st generation model,

The cheapest, baseline 2019, 10.2 inch screen 7th gen Apple iPads have a 1/2 inch larger retina screen, it is overall lighter, in weight, newer, more powerful and approx. 2-1/2 times faster 2.3 Ghz, A10 Fusion processor ( CPU ), AT LEAST 3-4 times the internal RAM, with the 2019, 7th gen iPad having 3 GBs of internal RAM, iPadOS 13 support, with much better and improved multitasking features and much fuller support for externally connected data drives, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart keyboard cover support and have better audio speakers and better/improved built-in cameras.


In addition, if you search online and look at various, reputable online Apple device resellers, you can usually find this 2019, 7th gen iPad at even more and various discounts, depending on storage size and whether it is a WiFi ONLY model or a WiFi/cellular data model.


I purchase my wife's iPad 7th gen iPad, a WiFi ONLY, 128 GBs data storage model ( practical, usable storage space of 114/115 GBs ) for less than $400 with tax and paid AppleCare+ warranty.


Compare this to the highest capacity, 64 GBs 2010 iPad which originally sold, in 2010, for $700 before tax and paid AppleCare+.


This is the harsh reality for these 8 and 9-year old, OR OLDER, iOS devices, now!


Time to recycle this iPad and purchase something that is much more up to dste.

If you cannot afford a new iPad, look at used iPads from a reputable seller of used Apple devices and only look at iPads from 2013 or newer as these older iPads can, at least, run iOS 12.4.7 OR the latest iPadOS 13.5.



Sorry & Best of Luck to You

Jun 17, 2020 7:55 PM in response to razmee209

Hi, thanks for your reply. Do you mean you CAN’T use them or you DON’T want to use them because it is just so much easier to plug a HDMI cable or Bluetooth device? I know people in my country and others that have become educated watching VHS tapes not long ago and you can still watch an outdated but educational DVD (DVD manufacturers haven’t just decided their players should stop working because there are technological advancements nowadays). I think it should be a personal decision rather than an imposed one, especially coming from a company that hails from the most freeing/democratic country in the world.

Jun 18, 2020 5:01 PM in response to benmont86

While I perfectly understand and sympathise with your point of view and arguments, we all just users here to.

So, you are just debating/arguing this point with your fellow users.

None of us controls what companies like Apple do and how they choose to do business and how they control their products.

Like I stated, it is what is



There are still some basic apps left on that iPad as part of iOS, specifically the iOS Notes app and the iPhotos app that maybe still useful.

If you own a full featured computer with an older version of the iTunes application, you can still sync and transfer some data back and forth from iTunes on a computer to your iPad and vice versa.

if you wish to access YouTube videos, for any reason, from within the Safari Web browser, I recently found this Website that acts as a thin client front end to the Google YouTube Website that will allow that old iPad to play and stream YouTube videos, once again. on that old iPad.

You cannot leave any type of feedback about the videos, but, at least, this Website allows your iPad to stream and play YouTube video again!


https://www.invidio.us/


Jun 17, 2020 5:04 PM in response to Demo

My 2010 iPad is STILL chugging along after 10 year!

Still have all of my older apps on this and a “fairly” recent Web Browser on it.

The developer of the iCab Web Browser kept this Web Browser updated for iOS 5.1.1 devices up tp the end of 2018 when the developer moved up to to supporting only iOS 8 and later iOS devices at the beginning of 2019.

Everything is still working on this iPad and I still keep it and all the older apps on it backed up on my iMac.

I even just got to play videos from YouTube, once again.

Jun 17, 2020 10:02 PM in response to benmont86

Yes.

Michael Black has stated the same things I have stated.

It is the third party iOS App developers who have decided to permanently remove all of their older iOS 10 and earlier iOS app versions from Apple's iOS App Store servers for good.

These apps will be gone forever, now.

Many popular, long time third party app developers simply do not want to maintain their older version, 32-bit coded apps, any longer.

Apple has done the same thing with their older apps, but third party app developers, since 2019 and now in 2020 are abandoning these older iOS devices and their older apps in droves, now!

So, all of the older Apple iOS devices in existence will all become dead, useless and obsolete devices to others ( and some original device owners ) at some near future point in time.

It is what it is and no one here has any control over what the final outcome will become.

The average user/consumer is not very technology savvy, so many, like you, will end up finding their older iOS devices totally useless when they perform a complete full erase and reset of their older iOS devices.


It dosen't help that Apple ended the feature of saving the actual apps and app file in iTunes on Mac and PCs after iTunes 12.7.

This feature removal all but assured at some point users of older Apple iOS devices would finally reach their end of useful life.

In this way, I feel Apple DID implement a forced obsolescence policy.


I suppose this IS Apple's way of finally forcing its user base to move on to more modern hardware.

Older iOS device users simply were NOT getting the message that once 64-bit coded devices and apps took over, this was the beginning “death knell” for all previous and older, 32-bit technology devices.

I have been telling users that come here with older iOS devices for the last nearly 4 years this message that these older iPads will reach their end of life in 2 to 3 years. My message to all of these older device users was ignored and I got constantly berrated and ridiculed here in these Apple iPad technical support communities for it!

Well, this year in 2020, all of these 8, 9 and 10 year old iOS devices will become obsolete very soon, now!

It is what it is and none of us has any way of stopping this fact!

Yet another way that Apple has implemented a forced obsolescence agenda.


Sorry, but there's nothing to be done at this point, but abandon this device and purchase a new, refurbished or much “newer” ( used ) iOS device.



Best of Luck to You!

Jun 21, 2020 6:47 AM in response to EmirDilekci

EmirDilekci wrote:

Hello,
But you can still watch videos on YouTube and Netflix on the browser just fine, it will be just slower than the app.

Have a good day!

On a 2010 iPad running in iOS 5.1.1 you CANNOT watch YouTube or ANY streaming video sites from that 9-year old Safari Web browser or ANY other third party, 5.1.1 compatible Web browser that once supported this iPad, any longer!

NONE!

I have tried for past 18 months. This is simply NO LONGER possible with any video streaming sites!


The ONLY way to watch YouTube videos, NOW, on that 10-year old iPad is through that Website link I referenced in my reply directly above yours.

YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu and any other streaming video sites NO LONGER work directly through a Web browser with an over 10-year old iPad.

Netflix has NEVER played through the mobile version of that old Safari Web browser, at all, or any other compatible third party Web browser!

I know because I have 3-4 other alternative Web browser on my 2010 iPad!

You can get to the Netflix contents page, but when you try to actually play a TV show or movie, it forces you to use the Netflix app which NO LONGER works on iOS 5.1.1.

Netflix just recently shutdown that old app version of Netflix sometime earlier this year!


Sorry, but none of what you state is possible.

Jun 17, 2020 4:34 PM in response to benmont86

You do understand you are asking about an iPad that is now 10 years old, which in technology terms is more like a dinosaur. There is just so much a 1st gen iPad can't do, that it really is not worth trying anymore. It's not even worth selling. The fact you got 10 years out of it is a testament to how well made these are, but technology has long passed it by and it's time for a newer iPad. Recycle the iPad responsibly is about the best anyone can advise you. Apple will take for recycle if you want to give it to them. Best Buy takes old electronics for recycle as well.

Jun 17, 2020 4:43 PM in response to benmont86

I owned the iPad 1st generation as well. I can’t even imagine that it would still be working after 10 years. If you got 10 years of good use out of yours, I think you got more than even Steve Jobs could have hoped for with a device that old.


Nothing is built to last forever. Our dishwasher, which by the way we paid big money for 6 years ago, had the motor fail when it was 15 months old. It was three months out of warranty and we had to replace the motor for a cost of approximately $175.00.


After the original purchase cost, how much money did you put into your 1st generation iPad to keep it running for 10 years?

What am I supposed to do with my iPad 1st gen?

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