I have an iPad 1. I barely used it when it was given to me and then it more or less sat unused apart from the occasional booting to see if it still works every few years.

I’m fairly sure it would still work today though I haven’t tried for about 3 years. Trouble is, it never got much use because when I got it from my Mum in 2012 it was already becoming obsolete and after about a year I couldn’t do basic web browsing because almost every site just crashed whatever browser I ran, none of the apps in the app store would work anymore and the bookshelf app (think that’s what it was called. Came with the tablet) I tried to use to make it basically an e-reader device stopped working. There were many similar issue I forget the specifics about but basically amounted to the hardware working fine but being mostly unusable even for old software.

I wondered if there were any good ways to make use of or generally rehabilitate this device. I had hoped there’d be a lot Linux options for something like this but it looks like the earliest model anyone made.any progress with was iPad 2.

Any suggestions besides picture frame?

  • Kafanzi Max. Praetor
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    1 year ago

    depending on your technical aptitude, you could wipe iOS and install linux, I’m sure there are projects allowing that.

    then it can become a simple graphic terminal for smart home

    home assistant is full similar pet project, with old kindles and tablet to control the server

    • JimmycrackcrackOP
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      1 year ago

      Actually, that’s a good point, someone did mention this Home Assistant thing once before. That could be interesting. Trouble is I’m yet to find a Linux project that’s supposed to work on iPads quite this old. Makes sense, but it’s a shame. I think I’d have just about the ability and patience to install OS and roll with the punches when it inevitably requires some kind of finessing and fixing, but k definitely don’t have the ability to personally figure out how to make a kernel or distro that would work on this hardware. I’m guessing it’s not an iOS app or if it was, one that work on such on old iOS