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

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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MichelPM

Level 10

81,535 points

Posted on Jun 18, 2020 5:01 PM

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/

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MichelPM

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81,535 points

Jun 17, 2020 9:32 PM in response to lobsterghost1

lobsterghost1 wrote:

LOL.......simply WAAAAAYYYY too much time and effort to keep an old device running.

It is NO effort for me, at all!

I have kept all my older iPads up and runnjng for all of these years!

I backup this iPad everytime I backup all my other iOS devices.

Not an issue nor an “effort”, as you put it!

Nothing at all wrong with what I am doing and not any different with me keeping my 10 and 11 year old IMacs up and fully running!

MichelPM

Level 10

81,535 points

Jun 18, 2020 1:10 AM in response to Community User

Funny you should mention VHS tape and a player.

I purchased a brand new, never used VHS tape player from one of my wife’s friends for dirt cheap about two years ago, or so, and I have been able to watch a whole bunch of VHS videos that were ONLY released at that time and ONLY on VHS.

I have not ever found these VHS tape titles transferred to DVD or Blu-ray.

Now I own a machine to actually play and watch these videos, again.

Something to be said for still having functioning old technology around.

benmont86 Author

Level 1

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Jun 18, 2020 2:33 PM in response to Community User

It's definitely true electronics don't last forever but shouldn't the electronic itself stop turning on, explode (or us breaking it) and then decide to throw it away (or repair it if we have the intellectual capacity) as we have put our money to it and thus should have the entire right to do whatever we want with it, even if we make it last another 10 years if we can? As I mentioned, I do own a newer iPad, but that's not my point. My point is that somehow we have lost our right to do what we want with something we have invested in just because the manufacturer has decided to? I mean, my dad is driving a Toyota Land Cruiser from the 80's and it is just awesome, going up mountains and so on. The manufacturer has not found a way to have my dad stop using his car just because there are newer models. And btw, it would be great if you can send your VHS tape player over to Bolivia, I know remote villages where they would never be able to afford even a 1st gen iPad let alone a modern one so a VHS would provide more value to kids than a fancy tablet that is just useless.

benmont86 Author

Level 1

10 points

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.

benmont86 Author

Level 1

10 points

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 MichelPM

Just DON'T ever restore that device, like the OP did. Your 2010 iPad will then be as useless as it is now for them.

MichelPM

Level 10

81,535 points

Jun 17, 2020 4:56 PM in response to benmont86

I wouldn't even bother with this iPad, any longer!

When you did complete full reset the device ( Erase All Contents and Settings ) to a new device state now, and for these 8, 9and 10-year old iPads, this act of the complete device reset means a certain level of operational “death”to these very old iPads, for good, after the fact.

What should have happened is this iPad needed to be backed up to an older version of iTunes on a computer before you did the full reset.

Older versions of iTunes ( version 12.6.5 or earlier ) for Mac or Windows P still save the complete installed app/s to the computer as part of the backup process.

Something Apple eliminated in later versions of the iTunes application ( versions 12.7 and newer ) for Mac or Windows PC.

A 2010 1st, gen iPad is an over 10-year old device, now ( March/April 2010 )!

These older iPad models are too old, now, too underpowered and completely incompatible with any of the current and future versions of iOS/iPadOS.

It is what it is, today, in the year 2020!

These old iPad 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are, at least close tp 8 years old and even older,now.

The amount of older, compatible, available apps for these old iPad models has dwindled significantly since the beginning of 2020!

Getting older versions of apps for these old iPad models, initially from Apple’s iOS App Store is getting very difficult and very problematic and this issue is getting, painfully, much worse, now, in 2020!

As of the beginning of 2019, many, MANY third party app developers are all more quickly and completely permanently dropping older app support for all old 7, 8, 9 and 10-year iPads that are running 2-3 year old and earlier iOS versions ( iOS 10 and earlier ).

Third party app developers are removing all of their older, legacy versions of their apps from Apple's App Store servers, now.

Third party app developers no longer want to support these 8, 9 and 10-year old or older iOS devices, any longer!

Older versions of apps are, soon, going to be gone for good, now!

These old iPads are now reaching their complete end of life and support cycles.

So finding older versions apps for older iPads, while still possible, currently, will be a very tough challenge, now, in 2020.

Old iPads that can no longer be upgraded/updated will have NO MORE APPS AVAILABLE for initial download, at all, soon, from the Apple iOS App Store, for such old iOS devices in the very near future.

Older versions of apps for these older iPads will be completely gone, at some point, in the very foreseeable future.

Old 8, 9 and 10-year old iPads will be pretty much obsolete by the end of the 2020 year!

Again, it is what it is, today, in the year 2020!

You will never get any more older versions of popular apps for these old iPads, any longer.

MichelPM

Level 10

81,535 points

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.

MichelPM

Level 10

81,535 points

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.

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