What can I do with a 1st Gen iPad?
August 25, 2015 9:29 AM Subscribe
Is there anything I can do with my shiny, nearly useless 1st gen ipad? As far as I can tell, the hardware is still perfectly functional, but it is woefully out of date on IOS, which means that apps can't be updated. This also means that even things like browsing the internet cause it to crash, and doing anything more complex is out of the question.
I did ask the apple store as they had a "trade in" deal, but was told it was worthless to them too, as there was nothing they could reuse. The shop guy recommended I keep it a couple of years, then donate it to a museum...
I have a nine-year-old daughter who could hopefully find some useful things to do with it, if it is possible!
I did ask the apple store as they had a "trade in" deal, but was told it was worthless to them too, as there was nothing they could reuse. The shop guy recommended I keep it a couple of years, then donate it to a museum...
I have a nine-year-old daughter who could hopefully find some useful things to do with it, if it is possible!
Once my tablet got old and useless, I basically used it to play a couple games that the tablet could still handle -- a tower defense game and a word puzzle game. Then eventually I just threw it out. If you do toss it, take it to an electronic recycling center (your town probably has one) so it doesn't go to complete waste.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:35 AM on August 25, 2015
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:35 AM on August 25, 2015
Copy movies to it to watch on airplanes, etc?
posted by dcjd at 9:36 AM on August 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by dcjd at 9:36 AM on August 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
My kids use ours to watch videos with the VLC app. I download them on my laptop and transfer them over using iTunes. My wife also uses it to listen to audio books.
posted by Emanuel at 9:37 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Emanuel at 9:37 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Mount it in the kitchen as a dedicated recipe viewer (or shopping list generator, etc). Lots of recipe websites out there that don't require special apps!
posted by chrisamiller at 9:38 AM on August 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by chrisamiller at 9:38 AM on August 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
I know someone who used one as a very overpowered digital picture frame.
posted by lownote at 9:39 AM on August 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by lownote at 9:39 AM on August 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
I still have a 1st gen iPad and it works perfectly adequately as an e-reader. I also still use it to watch Netflix and YouTube (although the version of the app is outdated). Sure the resolution doesn't compete with current devices but it's still fine.
posted by Wretch729 at 9:47 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Wretch729 at 9:47 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you have another iPad (or a desktop machine) keep in mind that you can put older versions of newer apps on it by following these steps. I got some nice drawing apps for mine and use it as a sketching tablet. You could put some cool kid apps in it for your daughter.
posted by jessamyn at 10:17 AM on August 25, 2015 [13 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 10:17 AM on August 25, 2015 [13 favorites]
Portable desk. Seriously, they are as solid as rocks and just the right size to put under a pad of paper that you're taking notes on.
posted by Mogur at 10:20 AM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mogur at 10:20 AM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you have a chromecast you could use it as a remote. We have a cheap tablet for this purpose.
posted by rubster at 11:05 AM on August 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by rubster at 11:05 AM on August 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm still using mine as an ereader and to view recipes in the kitchen.
posted by 26.2 at 11:23 AM on August 25, 2015
posted by 26.2 at 11:23 AM on August 25, 2015
Nth e-reader. I used to have a pile of magazines on top of my toilet tank now I just have my 1st gen iPad.
posted by Rob Rockets at 11:51 AM on August 25, 2015
posted by Rob Rockets at 11:51 AM on August 25, 2015
Sell it. It's still worth something like $75 on eBay.
Amazing that a five year old device that was $500 or more to buy is now almost worthless.
posted by cnc at 12:04 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Amazing that a five year old device that was $500 or more to buy is now almost worthless.
posted by cnc at 12:04 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I use mine at the gym. Most websites don't actually crash it, and it's nice to not care much if something bad happens to it. It's actually my second, my first died and I bought this one for like 50-100 six months ago.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 12:08 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 12:08 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I use my 1st gen iPad as an e-reader and occasional web browser (though an awful lot of sites crash Safari on it). I also use it to answer emails on the couch, using a spare wireless small keyboard. I take notes in work meetings the same way (keyboard + iPad).
I'm going to try jessamyn's older-versions-of-apps solution, though; that might help with my YouTube woes.
posted by culfinglin at 1:10 PM on August 25, 2015
I'm going to try jessamyn's older-versions-of-apps solution, though; that might help with my YouTube woes.
posted by culfinglin at 1:10 PM on August 25, 2015
Best answer: We have two first-gen iPads at home and use them for the kids--we've loaded older games on them and lots of ebooks and digital comics and they love them. Pretty much any game/app that will work on ios 5 will work on it, including a lot of great kids games like the ones from Toca Boca and Sago Mini.
If it's crashing a ton, I'd recommend plugging it into iTunes and doing a restore, then setting it up as a new device.
posted by sleeping bear at 1:15 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
If it's crashing a ton, I'd recommend plugging it into iTunes and doing a restore, then setting it up as a new device.
posted by sleeping bear at 1:15 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I repurposed mine to play music to a Bluetooth speaker. Much easier to use than a small MP3 player. The old iTunes interface was far from perfect, but it is OK.
posted by yclipse at 2:05 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by yclipse at 2:05 PM on August 25, 2015
I was just about to post the same question! Mine works fine for metafilter, though nearly any other web site (even wikipedia!) makes it crash. The kindle e-reader app works great too, and the obsolete version of kindle that runs on ios 5 often forgets to delete library books when they expire, so I can reread them months later without checking them out again.
I can sometimes get streaming video events on ustream or nasa tv to run on it, though that seems to be less reliable in the last few months.
I put it in a ziplock freezer bag and read e-books in the bathtub.
posted by moonmilk at 2:20 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I can sometimes get streaming video events on ustream or nasa tv to run on it, though that seems to be less reliable in the last few months.
I put it in a ziplock freezer bag and read e-books in the bathtub.
posted by moonmilk at 2:20 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you really don't want it, please consider calling your local elementary school, learning disabilities association, special needs association or other centre for children (or persons) with disabilities. Many children who struggle with learning can benefit from using a tablet - for levelled reading, guided math, handwriting, videos and more. Support workers and special needs teachers can also use the apps. If they can't use it, ask them if they have a child who could use it at home.
You may be able to request a tax receipt for an in-kind donation (in the USA, as I understand it).).
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2015
You may be able to request a tax receipt for an in-kind donation (in the USA, as I understand it).).
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2015
Best answer: Jailbreak and install kodi and a good addon pack, then stream every tvshow and movie ever made.
Add a 30 pin to hdmi, and now you have a media streamer to watch anything you want in any hotel room, grandmas house, etc when traveling.
You may need to do a little research to figure out exactly what versions of kodi are supported by that ios version/hardware, but there is one that's still current enough to work with everything that runs on it. The youtube plugin for kodi also allows youtube to work again, even though google blocked youtube playback on the original ipad!
I've seen more than one used as that + basically an in-car video player for kids. They had excellent battery life, and still should unless they were extremely heavily used because they're rated at 1000 full discharge cycles with 80% of battery life still available, and no one runs it to 0% every single time.
On preview, it was a good point that these were useful as assistive devices(say, to replace those icon-to-speech systems that normally cost thousands), but a lot of that software no longer supports the original ipad and it's impossible to get the old versions that do i've heard.
These things are basically media players or bricks at this point, and it's fairly stupid.
On a lighter note, if you sell it for ~$75 you can probably pick up an ipad 2 for $100, which is still supported and likely has at least another year of mostly fully useful life left.
posted by emptythought at 2:49 PM on August 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Add a 30 pin to hdmi, and now you have a media streamer to watch anything you want in any hotel room, grandmas house, etc when traveling.
You may need to do a little research to figure out exactly what versions of kodi are supported by that ios version/hardware, but there is one that's still current enough to work with everything that runs on it. The youtube plugin for kodi also allows youtube to work again, even though google blocked youtube playback on the original ipad!
I've seen more than one used as that + basically an in-car video player for kids. They had excellent battery life, and still should unless they were extremely heavily used because they're rated at 1000 full discharge cycles with 80% of battery life still available, and no one runs it to 0% every single time.
On preview, it was a good point that these were useful as assistive devices(say, to replace those icon-to-speech systems that normally cost thousands), but a lot of that software no longer supports the original ipad and it's impossible to get the old versions that do i've heard.
These things are basically media players or bricks at this point, and it's fairly stupid.
On a lighter note, if you sell it for ~$75 you can probably pick up an ipad 2 for $100, which is still supported and likely has at least another year of mostly fully useful life left.
posted by emptythought at 2:49 PM on August 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: If you are ever vaguely interested in making or just noodling on your own music, even as a complete amateur, then Apple GarageBand for the iPad is a really fascinating little instrument in it's own way.
posted by ovvl at 3:06 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by ovvl at 3:06 PM on August 25, 2015
I put it in a ziplock freezer bag and read e-books in the bathtub.
OMG how have I never thought of that?! Genius!
posted by culfinglin at 3:09 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
OMG how have I never thought of that?! Genius!
posted by culfinglin at 3:09 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Send it to meeee!
I will use it for streaming movies via Plex, and reading e-books, and displaying recipes in the kitchen.
posted by wenestvedt at 3:45 PM on August 25, 2015
I will use it for streaming movies via Plex, and reading e-books, and displaying recipes in the kitchen.
posted by wenestvedt at 3:45 PM on August 25, 2015
I just sold mine for ~$70 on eBay. Amazon buys them too.
posted by trixie119 at 4:01 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by trixie119 at 4:01 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I use mine to stream Netflix and YouTube onto a monitor with a Chromecast.
posted by bendy at 7:36 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bendy at 7:36 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You could download a flashcard app and make vocabulary or math flash cards for your daughter. You could also use it for language learning by adding a foreign language CD to your music library.
posted by 1smartcookie at 8:07 PM on August 25, 2015
posted by 1smartcookie at 8:07 PM on August 25, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks all, to be clear, I do really want to keep it and use it if possible! (sorry wenestvedt)
Particularly thanks Jessamyn and emptythought.
Any recommendations of specific (good) apps that will work on ios5 would also be welcome.
I think setting it up as a new device is probably necessary, though, as the app store often crashes too...
posted by fizban at 7:56 AM on August 27, 2015
Particularly thanks Jessamyn and emptythought.
Any recommendations of specific (good) apps that will work on ios5 would also be welcome.
I think setting it up as a new device is probably necessary, though, as the app store often crashes too...
posted by fizban at 7:56 AM on August 27, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:33 AM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]