Upgrade iPad iOS 5.1.1 to iOS 6

Where do I find apps for the iPad 1st generation iOS 5.1.1. I purchased a used one but can't locate apps for this 5.1.1?

the ipad 1 came out 2 months after the iphone3 it was rushed out to the puplic.

But my ipad has 22gb left so why cant i update it

Phil0124 wrote:

You'll need to first download the incompatible App version to a compatible device or a computer running iTunes so that the App is registered to your Apple ID under Purchased.

Once that is done, you can go back into the App Store in the older iPad and attempt to download it again. This should then prompt you to download the compatible version if one is available. Not all App developers have compatible versions of their Apps.

I actually gave this "workaround" (not solution) a while back on this same thread...

"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."

BTW, contrary to what Phil and others say, this is not something anyone "needs to do". This logic should be implemented into the appstore app so that users (paying customers) don't have to jump through hoops just to download apps. Keep speaking up guys / gals and Apple will have to heed our calling.

Submit your feedback directly to Apple using the appropriate link on the Feedback page:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Ur answer to Step4now helped me put Kindle app on my iPad 1st gen. This.

It is unfortunate that the best Apple can do is design products with a four year life expectancy! I remember the days when Apple OS's would make older machines faster and last longer...you could count on an Apple for twice as long as a PC.

My first gen IPad works fine, it runs well, and now it is unusable because of iOS upgrade constraints.?..it is planned obsolesence and is driven more by desires for corporate growth than based on engineering limitations in the HW.

Granted some new apps will rely on faster HW configurations, more available memory, etc....but I can't even upgrade a simple Kindle or PDF reader....What a waste of raw materials! There should be a bare bones iOS 6 upgrade for first gen machines that allow you to run upgraded versions of simple apps.

Very frustrated long time Apple user!

Phil0124, I beg to differ with you. No, most apps available now WILL NOT run on ios 5, and in fact the Apple Pages that I got in 2010 for the iPad 1 will no longer work, and can't be replaced with a legacy version of Pages from the App Store becasue the oldest ios Pages 2 will run on is ios 6, and there simply are no Legacy versions available. So yes, the iPad is still useable, as an e-reader, and for some of the apps I bought at first, but I can't upgrade those, and some, e.g., Pages, have become completely useless.

Me again: I wanted to add that I was given a Kindle Fire HDX for Xmas and although it has clearly stolen ideas from the iPad, It works fine with Android apps and it cost less than half what an iPad would. So am I going to buy another iPad for $400-500 bucks? I don't think so. I'll keep my old iPad 1 as an e-reader because it has a larger screen (and weighs about 3X as much), but I won't be buying another one.

alfredfromhialeah wrote:

Phil0124 wrote:

You'll need to first download the incompatible App version to a compatible device or a computer running iTunes so that the App is registered to your Apple ID under Purchased.

Once that is done, you can go back into the App Store in the older iPad and attempt to download it again. This should then prompt you to download the compatible version if one is available. Not all App developers have compatible versions of their Apps.

BTW, contrary to what Phil and others say, this is not something anyone "needs to do". This logic should be implemented into the appstore app so that users (paying customers) don't have to jump through hoops just to download apps. Keep speaking up guys / gals and Apple will have to heed our calling.

I never said it was a good way to do it. Yes it would be better if you got offered the compatible version right off the bat, but its not the case sadly. The App neeeds to be bopight by the Apple ID to get the compatible version option. Which kind of defeats the purpose, since unless you have a computer running with iTunes or a device that can download the newer incompatible version you are out of luck.

In any case this is what Apple has provided for older devices. Its not the best solution but it is a solution provided by Apple. Its not some workaround or trick to get it to work Its the way its desinged to function by Apple. You can complain about it in their feddback page.

wrote:

Phil0124, I beg to differ with you. No, most apps available now WILL NOT run on ios 5, and in fact the Apple Pages that I got in 2010 for the iPad 1 will no longer work,

Curious. My Pages App works fine on my first generation iPad, as do most others I have on there. Heck I just downloaded the new CBS news App onto it and it works just fine. As has been repeated you can get the last compatible version for your device. If you choose not to try to get it as has been outlined several times that is your issue not mine. Most Apps now have a legacy version available. Try it and see for yourself.

Name an App, And I bet I can download a legacy version on my first generation iPad.

I see I'm arriving to this terrible reality and discussion quite late.

I've never fallen for Apple, tbh. Always thought it was only trendy and a more expensive way to buy technology.
But the buzz is clearly audible, and when such a technological advance like the iPad was made, my dear husband decided to make a crazy purchase and spend the equivalent to a reasonable laptop on an iPad (it was Xmas, and iPad 2 was pretty close but we didn't knew, so he spent 600€ in the end of 2010 for an iPad 1... imagine how we felt when 3 months later the same money would have bought a superior device... but ok, that's a risk we all know we are taking in these situations).

It was fun in the beginning. I was perfectly aware it's not a computer and was trying to figure out its utility on my daily routine, with little sucess. Not too impressed (either with its capabilities or its performance), I only used it seldom, and kept it in pristine shape - isn't it a very beautiful object?!

Then, my sister asked me to borrow it, since she was needing a device where she could see pdfs but didn't want to use the small phone nor carry the big laptop. Well, the iPad was great for it, true. Reading pdfs. That's it. This is why I'm arriving late: I've been apart from my iPad for a few months.

And when she returned it to me, and I try to adopt it again, to implement in my life, and tried to download simple apps like Google Drive... then my flickering faith in Apple went out. I simply can't download important and basic apps like this.

The arguments I read here are valid, true. I understand the theory of why this happens.

But I can't have it. I can't spend 600€ in something that is only complementary to my technological needs and have it obsolete (actually not working) in such a short time. I mean, I'm not bothered I can't get the latest version, but I need some version, any version, that makes my device work at least at a basic level!

If I turn on my 12 year old XP Windows PC, it still works, and I'm sure I can still download basic stuff for it to run. There will be a compatible Office Suite, or even Adobe Suite! I might even be able to play some modern games!

My iPad was bought 3 months later after the desktop PC I'm using right now, which still runs perfectly, and I'm sure will run for another 3 years.

My iPad is terribly sick, close to his death, since I can't work with it, not because it's broken but because it lost the little utility it had.
If some people think this is reasonable, that's lucky for Apple.
I don't think it's reasonable. I don't think this is the future at all.

Sorry, Apple, we tried.

Having been a programmer for over 35 years, you are all mostly blaming the problem on Apple, and you might only be partly right in doing that, but the larger portion of the blame for this issue is the current folks calling themselves "programmers" blindly go forward without reguard to the past ... they haven't the capacity or the intellegence to put themselves in the "users" seat... they just program. Most applications can be written so they support the iPad 1 but you have to give some extra brain power to making sure your application is useable by everyone, not just the latest and greatest OS with all its new abilities... put the blame where it mostly belongs, the person or person's writing the software that runs on the iPad... something doesn't work on the iPad one and will only install on something with OS6 or above... write them a nasty gram and post your displeasure everywhere that app exists and is talked about, including feedback... no need to be vulgar, just to the point... if a new feature won't work on the older iPad, find... disable it and detect the iPad the software is running on... I've done it for years... stick it to the programmer... And, as an aside to Apple, you guys are supposed to be better, more informed and in touch thinkers than the general population of morons writing Windows junk... you waste memory and write more sloppy code than in the old days... I'm not buying a newer iPad ... until mine breaks or is totally useless... which might be some time as it is in perfect working order.

Thanks for getting that answer for all of us iPad first generation owners. I've been wondering about it as well, although I was afraid of the answer. I'm frustrated at not being able to install apps which require an operating system newer than iOS 5.1, but I guess the limited amount of RAM makes sense. It just seems that when you spend $600 for a device, its operating system should not become outdated in two years.

Phil0124: I have tried it, both ways, and it doesn't work. There may be a problem with the iPad itself, but most of the other apps and features I installed early still work-iTunes, Mail, Safari, Kindle, etc. but Pages is dead in the water, and the oldest version I can find is for ios 6. Plus, I did call Apple to inquire about the issue and was told that it would not work under any circumstances. So you tell me- what is going on here? Regarding compatibility-OK, OK, I did find some WP apps that are listed as running on ios 4 or 5. I'll try them, but I prefer Pages.

Phil, what I am trying to say is that you stole my "workaround", made it a solution and posted it as your own!

You did not even know about downloading the apps via iTunes (as a workaround) until I posted this workaround further up in the thread. As evident by you not stating it until after I did!

That is all. Just give credit where credit is due... Do not pirate others solutions. Thanks.