iPad What is the best version of iOS for original iPad? I am still running 3.2

klover · Jan 29, 2013

I have a first-gen running the original iOS (3.2) but I'm not sure I want to upgrade all the way to 5 due to reports of crashes and slowdown. What would be a good compromise?

The app store doesn't even work on 3.2 (fields are blank and buy buttons don't work) so I need to upgrade.

Thanks!

ucfgrad93 · Jan 29, 2013

If you are still running a 1st gen iPad, I'd suggest upgrading to a new iPad rather than a new OS.

From A Buick 8 · Jan 29, 2013

klover said:
I have a first-gen running the original iOS (3.2) but I'm not sure I want to upgrade all the way to 5 due to reports of crashes and slowdown. What would be a good compromise?

The app store doesn't even work on 3.2 (fields are blank and buy buttons don't work) so I need to upgrade.

Thanks!

We are running 5.1 on ours (i think that is what it is, not at home right now). I thought 4 ran the best.

We still use ours alot every day, for web browsing (wife loves pintrest). Also use it as an ATV remote. I think if you try and upgrade the OS your only choice is to take it to the highest iOS that will run on it (that is 5.1 or so)

klover · Jan 29, 2013

ucfgrad93 said:
If you are still running a 1st gen iPad, I'd suggest upgrading to a new iPad rather than a new OS.

Lol, I also have a 4th-gen.

From A Buick 8 said:
We are running 5.1 on ours (i think that is what it is, not at home right now). I thought 4 ran the best.

We still use ours alot every day, for web browsing (wife loves pintrest). Also use it as an ATV remote. I think if you try and upgrade the OS your only choice is to take it to the highest iOS that will run on it (that is 5.1 or so)

Oh...I thought that I could manually select any ISPW file from iTunes and install that version. Not possible?

Ratatapa · Jan 29, 2013

Nope if you dont have blobs you will have to update to the latest possible version

klover · Jan 29, 2013

Ratatapa said:
Nope if you dont have blobs you will have to update to the latest possible version

So holding ALT+clicking Restore and selecting a downloaded 4.X ISPW won't work?

Do you mean I need 4.X SHSH blobs from my device to do that (which I wouldn't have)?

Ratatapa · Jan 29, 2013

exactly

temna · Jan 29, 2013

I think now that 6.1 is out and you can upgrade the 3GS, it's time for Apple to release a version of 6 for the original iPad. They talk about the percentage of iOS devices running iOS 6, imaging how much higher that percentage would be if they just released 6 for the 1G iPad...

aneftp · Jan 29, 2013

temna said:
I think now that 6.1 is out and you can upgrade the 3GS, it's time for Apple to release a version of 6 for the original iPad. They talk about the percentage of iOS devices running iOS 6, imaging how much higher that percentage would be if they just released 6 for the 1G iPad...

The reason Apple still "supports" the 3GS at iOS6 is many of those users are still under contract to their cell phone companies. Remember the 3GS was still being sold as of September 2012 in many markets.

I suspect the 3GS will be supported with software updates until iOS7 is release. That way people who purchase the 3GS during 2012 feel like they gotten at least 1 year of software support.

The iPad 1 stopped being sold in March 2011. For the most part, there isn't a contract model cause iPad was full price purchase. Apple treated the original iPod Touch the same way (they actually charged $10) for software upgrades.

temna · Jan 29, 2013

aneftp said:
The reason Apple still "supports" the 3GS at iOS6 is many of those users are still under contract to their cell phone companies. Remember the 3GS was still being sold as of September 2012 in many markets.

I suspect the 3GS will be supported with software updates until iOS7 is release. That way people who purchase the 3GS during 2012 feel like they gotten at least 1 year of software support.

The iPad 1 stopped being sold in March 2011. For the most part, there isn't a contract model cause iPad was full price purchase. Apple treated the original iPod Touch the same way (they actually charged $10) for software upgrades.

I would be willing to pay for the upgrade.

darngooddesign · Jan 29, 2013

klover said:
So holding ALT+clicking Restore and selecting a downloaded 4.X ISPW won't work?

The reason is that your iPad will communicate with Apple's servers and Apple won't authorize an older OS.

However this might give some hope with Redsnow:

http://blog.iphone-dev.org/

"•if you don’t have the blobs locally, let redsn0w try to fetch them remotely (redsn0w always tries both Apple and Cydia). Any succesful remote fetch also saves a local copy too."

cruzmisl · Jan 29, 2013

5.1 was a bad upgrade for the original iPad. Safari crashes a lot more.

CoMoMacUser · Jan 29, 2013

From A Buick 8 said:
We are running 5.1 on ours (i think that is what it is, not at home right now). I thought 4 ran the best.

Same here: running 5.1 and missing 4.x. The additional features in 5 aren't worth the performance hit.

From A Buick 8 · Jan 29, 2013

cruzmisl said:
5.1 was a bad upgrade for the original iPad. Safari crashes a lot more.

^I agree.

What we have done is restore as new iPad and now all it is used for is Web browsing, Email and a remote for the AppleTV. We still get a crash in safari from time to time but nothing like before.

gekkota · Jan 29, 2013

I still have my iPad 1 and I agree with the others. 5.1 is constantly crashing due to low memory. It's not unusable, but is is not nearly as fun as it used to be! I think it ran best on OS 3.2 but it also ran alright on 4. Once I upgraded to 5, it was all downhill due to the memory required to run the OS efficiently.

I was planning to get an iPad 4, but may decide to suffer a while longer til the iPad 5 comes out. I am also kind of in a dilemma with what to do with my old iPad 1. I'd like to sell it, but I would feel guilty because it crashes so much!

WillFisher · Jan 29, 2013

My girlfriend is using an iPad on iOS5, and it does feel slower than it was on iOS4 but still usable.
Either way I would also say, maybe its time for an upgrade?

PBG4 Dude · Jan 30, 2013

iOS 4 definitely ran better than iOS 5 on my original iPad. Still, my son uses it mostly for Netflix video and some kid games which it handles without problems.

Other than some scratches on the screen from my son and his friends gaming a little too vigorously on it, it still works well and the battery still lasts a long time.

bmacir · Jan 30, 2013

klover said:
I have a first-gen running the original iOS (3.2) but I'm not sure I want to upgrade all the way to 5 due to reports of crashes and slowdown. What would be a good compromise?

The app store doesn't even work on 3.2 (fields are blank and buy buttons don't work) so I need to upgrade.

Thanks!

The latest possible. iOs 5.xx

cruzmisl said:
5.1 was a bad upgrade for the original iPad. Safari crashes a lot more.

My experience tells otherwise. Works like a charm. I still don't fell the need to upgrade to a newer iPad (except for the excessive weight of the device itself)

bufffilm · Jan 30, 2013

for the ipad1, my many accounts iOS 4.3.3 and 5.1.1 were the two most stable versions, the former especially so.

personally, i would go with those instead of v6.

From A Buick 8 · Jan 30, 2013

bufffilm said:
for the ipad1, my many accounts iOS 4.3.3 and 5.1.1 were the two most stable versions, the former especially so.

personally, i would go with those instead of v6.

iPad 1 will not run 6, so that choice is made for you.

iPad What is the best version of iOS for original iPad? I am still running 3.2

macrumors 6502a

macrumors Core

macrumors 68040

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 601

macrumors 6502a

macrumors P6

macrumors regular

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68040

macrumors member

macrumors 6502

macrumors 601

macrumors 6502

Suspended

macrumors 68040

Our Staff