1st gen iPad and iOS 6

There have been mixed messages on this. A few months ago many users swore Apple only signs the newest version of the iOS. Yesterday, a user stated that in his experience that older iOS devices can indeed be updated to the latest version of iOS that will function on them. It seems fair and logical, but I have no expedience with a deprecated device.

Yes, that works fine. What you cannot do is keep multiple versions of apps in iTunes so that newer devices get updated apps and older devices get the older versions of the apps. You would have to maintain your own repository of outdated apps, because iTunes doesn't appear to be able to do this.

True, but logically you should be doing this anyway as part of your personal backup scheme. Apple does not guarantee that an app will always be available through either the iTunes App Store or the Mac App Store and states that it is our responcibility to maintain archival copies.

My favorite video app is VLC. It was only in the App Store a few weeks and then a meltdown amongst the developers and the type of copyright the developers used ended when a developer demanded that Apple stop distributing the app, so it was removed from the App Store. Through some mishaps I found that I lost the app on my iPad and it wasn't in my iTunes content library. Thankfully it was in my Time Machine backup and I could restore the app to both iTunes and my iPad.

<99% of users>

Backup?

</99% of users>

🙂

True, true. But I think when they get chinged a few times too many in the age of downloads-only-no more-physical-media with missing apps that they paid for, perhaps things will change. Some believe that things backed up to iCloud are safe, well, "It ain't necessarily so!"*

* ♫Porgy & Bess♫

Dah•veed wrote:

True, but logically you should be doing this anyway as part of your personal backup scheme. Apple does not guarantee that an app will always be available through either the iTunes App Store or the Mac App Store and states that it is our responcibility to maintain archival copies.

My favorite video app is VLC. It was only in the App Store a few weeks and then a meltdown amongst the developers and the type of copyright the developers used ended when a developer demanded that Apple stop distributing the app, so it was removed from the App Store. Through some mishaps I found that I lost the app on my iPad and it wasn't in my iTunes content library. Thankfully it was in my Time Machine backup and I could restore the app to both iTunes and my iPad.

I backup everything, but that being the solution for app management is a poor implementation. Apple knows they are phasing out various devices here and there and allowing for version management within iTunes (their self-made application for managing the syncing of these devices) would certainly be a helpful feature for the users. Instead of saying that you will have to spend time restoring apps back into iTunes if you ever need to reset an older device. That is a workaround, not a built-in solution.

The issue with VLC was Apple adding DRM to it, which violated the license.

Tekneek wrote:

If you sync multiple devices in the same iTunes, some of which get is 6 and others that do not, is your only choice to hold all of them back from updates? Something about this doesn't seem well thought out by Apple. I have to spur off multiple iTunes installations in order to well maintain different generations of devices?

How were you able to determine that that's how iTunes will function after IOS-6 is released?

Philly_Phan wrote:

How were you able to determine that that's how iTunes will function after IOS-6 is released?

It has worked that way up to this point. Apple didn't say they were going to change it. Why would you expect them to?

Tekneek wrote:

It has worked that way up to this point.

Examples, please.

When ios 5.1 came out and pages was updated... the new updated required 5.1 to be installed on the ios device. I had upgraded by ipad but not my iphone 4... the app was automatically removed from my iphone 4 on the next itunes sync, because it was not compatible with that system software version (the newer app on the mac couldn't send down to the iphone). So if you have multiple devices and only some get the updates, then you risk losing the ability to install apps on those older devices unless you keep a separate library for those older devices.

fkick1 wrote:

I had upgraded by ipad but not my iphone 4...

Was that your choice or was it not possible to update your iPhone?

Philly_Phan wrote:

Tekneek wrote:

It has worked that way up to this point.

Examples, please.

The current version of iTunes and every version prior to that.

My choice at the time. However, that's how itunes works.

fkick1 wrote:

My choice at the time.

So it's not the same scenario.

fkick1 wrote:

However, that's how itunes works.

How do you know that? You have no experience with the upcoming scenario.

My bottom line is that you are getting all bent out of shape over something that may not occur. I don't claim to know how Apple will handle the situation with IOS-6 and neither do you. Why spend your time worrying about what might happen? Why not wait and see just what does happen?