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Upgrade iPad iOS 5.1.1 to iOS 6

My iPad is the original first generation. The OS is iOS 5.1.1. How can I get it upgraded to iOS 6?

Posted on Jul 8, 2013 6:32 AM

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204 replies

May 11, 2018 7:16 PM in response to dbuchter

The only problem I have so far is that I can't annotate books in the iBooks app. For what little I use it for -- mainly reading e-mail, books, newspapers, it works just fine.


But not being able to highlight iBooks is very limiting and disappointing. Apple could probably solve this with an update to iBooks 1, but I doubt that it will.

Mar 29, 2017 7:58 PM in response to tytang

I tend to agree that this is a major hang up for the American poor.... I JUST got my ipad 1st generation only to find out that I can't down load a single application I NEED and the apps I do have the ability to use are VERY limited and now I might just have to use it as an oversized camera because I can't upgrade from one operating system to another?.... Only because I don't want to pull the wool over someone else's eyes to sell it.... Apple has yet again given me cause to go back to android....

Mar 30, 2017 5:28 AM in response to Azzamitejuggla

Azzamitejuggla wrote:


I tend to agree that this is a major hang up for the American poor.... I JUST got my ipad 1st generation only to find out that I can't down load a single application I NEED and the apps I do have the ability to use are VERY limited and now I might just have to use it as an oversized camera because I can't upgrade from one operating system to another?.... Only because I don't want to pull the wool over someone else's eyes to sell it.... Apple has yet again given me cause to go back to android....

If it has a camera, it is not a first generation iPad. Therefore, it can be upgraded to at least iOS 9.3.5.

Jul 26, 2013 8:15 AM in response to tytang

Oh, I see. So those of us who were quick to buy an iPad were the real suckers, stupidly paying through the nose for Apple's usual planned obsolescence, and now, in order to take advantage of newer apps, we will need to put out another 5 or six hundred bucks to replace a perfectly good iPad? Maybe it's time to switch to Android.

Lose the attitude, guys.

Jul 26, 2013 8:22 AM in response to Birck Cox

What attitude, thye are just pointing out facts. The only one with an attitude is you. The Original iPad is 4 years old now Exactly how long do you suppose its life should be considering newer Apps require more resources than it has.


Technology evolves fast these days.


As for Adnoird tablets good luck getting updates past their frist year of life if at all. Android is notorious for leaving devices obsolete even while they are still being sold.

Aug 19, 2013 10:38 AM in response to Phil0124

that's unfair. Are we owners of first generation Ipad;s supposed to just put the still operating pads in the trash??? Besides what a waste of world resourses!!!! thats despicable!!! yes we all know that tech develops real fast but I cant see why the firt gen Ipad cant have this upgrade when my Iphone 4 is compatilble with ios6. based on your opinion all apple users had better be prepared to purchase new hardware on a yearly to 18 monthly basis to stay "uptodate". Should we all be prepared to buy at least 3 ipads in every decade of production. well that only suits apple fine but not the masses in the real world.

Aug 19, 2013 2:01 PM in response to belldez

People don't seem to understand that newer tech requires more resouces. The Original iPad just does not have enough physical ram and processor speed to run the newer operating system satisfactorily. It just can't do it.


belldez wrote:


... but I cant see why the firt gen Ipad cant have this upgrade when my Iphone 4 is compatilble with ios6.


Your iPhone 4 happens to have more ram memory then your first gen iPad. so it can run iOS6.


i'm sure Apple could release iOS to first gen iPads but the lack of resources would make the iPad inoperable.


Then you would be complaining about how Apple broke your iPad and you can no longer use it.


With that said, there's nothing preventing you from continuing to use the first Generation iPad.


If it still does what you need it to do then it still works and there is no reason to toss it out. I have a first gen iPad I still use just fine, to watch the news in the morning, a few shows off of PBS, Some games, browsing, email etc... But I know its limitations and don't expect it to keep running newer software after 3.5 years of life.

I also don't think that just becasue it can't get an update, its immediately obsolete. It is not. Its still very functional to me.


belldez wrote:


based on your opinion all apple users had better be prepared to purchase new hardware on a yearly to 18 monthly basis to stay "uptodate".

When did I say that?


Nobody said you need to buy a new iPad every 18 months. The First Gen hardware is over 4 years old.


After 3.5 years of functional life, and likely one more year with still plenty of apps supporting iOS 5 in the store I think its going to have a pretty decent run at 4 .5 or 5 years.


Most people change their desktop computers more often than that.

Aug 23, 2013 7:37 AM in response to Birck Cox

Technology always becomes obsolete at SOME point, and early adopters do suffer from obsolescence earlier than others. That said, the iPad 1 is still (in 2013!) a valid device, and MOST apps run from iOS 5.x and up. If you look back at your old Android devices after a few years, they are usually gathering dust, while your old iOS devices are doing what they did when you bought them. I have an old iPod touch that just plays music in my kitchen and runs some old apps. Fun.


My developement company very much supports the iPad 1 still now in 2013, and even while iOS 7 is coming out.


It's kind of true that obsolescence is more considered on the Apple platform than others. However, if you're thinking of throwing our iPad 1's, I've got tons of users all over the world that would LOVE to run MIDI Designer on your old device. Please get in touch via midiDR.com/contact if you want to donate.


Thanks!

Sep 2, 2013 3:31 PM in response to saharaengel

Actually no. Officially the orignal; Samsung Galaxy S i9000 can only be upgraded to Gingerbread.



Android 4.0 and later

An official update to Android 4.0 was never released, as Samsung felt that the Galaxy S did not have enough memory (RAM) to run the TouchWiz interface on top of Android 4.0.[33] In lieu of Android 4.0, Samsung released a "Value Pack" update for the Galaxy S in March 2012 in South Korea, which maintains the 2.3 (Gingerbread) -based operating system, but includes new features from TouchWiz 4.0 (some of which backported from 4.0) such as face unlock, improvements to the launcher, the ability to take still photographs while recording video, and a redesigned photo editor.[34]

However, unaffiliated developers associated with Cyanogenmod produced unofficial updates based on Android 4.1 and 4.2 for the Galaxy S and its variants. These updates are developed from Android Open Source Projectcode.[35]



There are alternative ways not supported by Samsung to update yes but that's akin to jailbreaking the iPad and of course is not valid when comparing lifespans


With that said, There are still thousands of applications in the App store perfectly capable of running on an original iPad.


I've also owned an Android Samsung Galaxy Young, which was unupdateable past 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the box.

Upgrade iPad iOS 5.1.1 to iOS 6

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