Any iPad 2 users still out there?

[carlvi]

Hey guys,

Been a regular reader here for some time, though this is my first actual post

I'm just curious to see: how many of you are still using an iPad 2 as your primary iPad? Personally, I have a black 16 GB Wi-Fi model which I bought in October 2011 - I use it just about every day for watching Netflix/Youtube/etc., controlling my Sonos speaker system and reading news articles. Obviously, its performance is nowhere near that of the newer gen iPads but it does the job for me; apps sometimes load a bit slowly, but overall performance is perfectly fine.

My iPad is running iOS 9.3.5 with about 30 apps installed and I get decent performance out of it - I've seen countless posts and videos stating that the performance is absolutely dreadful on iOS 9. Since I'm quite fond of the device and intend to continue using it daily, I spent some time tweaking its settings after finally upgrading from 6.1.3 earlier this fall; so here are a few tips from a daily iPad 2 user on how to maximize the device's performance:

• Start off by doing a clean install of 9.3.5 through iTunes. Do not restore from a backup, since I found this had a major impact on performance coming from an iOS 6 installation that had been in use for a couple of years.
• Enable "Reduce Motion" under Settings>General>Accessibility. Quite a few people swear by enabling "Reduce Transparency" as well, though personally I didn't find it to make much of a difference aside from turning the Dock into a ugly one-colored mess.
• Disable "Background App Refresh" under Settings>General.
• Next, go into Spotlight settings and disable Spotlight for all apps. I haven't done a side by side comparison, but this is another tip that's widespread throughout forums and Youtube channels - and it kinda makes sense, because enabling Spotlight for all apps would cause the device to run indexing on its internal storage which in turn should have some degree of negative impact on performance.
• Disable automatic app updates.
• Disable any Notification Center widgets that may be enabled on your device, including the stock iOS ones
• I also disabled iCloud services that I don't use, such as iCloud Photo Library, Game Center etc.

As I got used to running iOS 9 on my venerable iPad 2, I found that the Safari web browser was absolutely horrible performance-wise. If you're using the iPad 2 for browsing the web, go ahead and download Puffin from the App Store right away - the difference in performance vs Safari is huge! I found that using Puffin along with applying the tweaks listed above made for a perfectly fine iPad experience, especially considering that this tablet was originally released in early 2011. This truly is a testament to the overall longevity of Apple hardware - I can't for the life of me imagine a 2011 Android tablet such as the original Galaxy Tab being of any use whatsoever in late 2017.

All in all, I'd have to say that my beloved iPad 2 is one of the best tech purchases I've ever made. Mine is almost 7 yo now and still works great - the battery, amazingly, still gives me about 10 hrs of use and the iPad still looks like new due to the fact that I've been using a transparent case, Smart Cover and screen protector (currently a tempered glass one) since the day I bought it. I intend to use it for as long as it still works. When it finally throws in the towel, it'll probably be replaced with an iPad Pro 10.5 (love the high screen refresh rate!)

It'd be interesting to know how many of you still use the iPad 2 on a daily basis. For me, it turned out to be a great return on investment. What are your thoughts?

 

[akash.nu]

There are people like you who understand that older hardware won’t run newer versions of software optimally and do something about it and there are others who just come here to moan and kick off various conspiracy theories about Apple.

 

[northernbaldy]

I’ve only just boxed up my iPad 1
I was using it for Netflix, but decided it was time to retire it
Great piece of kit

 

[carlvi]

There are people like you who understand that older hardware won’t run newer versions of software optimally and do something about it and there are others who just come here to moan and kick off various conspiracy theories about Apple.

Totally agree. You can't expect 2017 performance standards from a 2011 iPad, but the fact that it's still fully functional and compatible with modern versions of every single app I use is nothing short of incredible!

 

[bensisko]

I have my iPad 2 on mounted on my desk, used for watching YouTube, music (connected to a bluetooth speaker), and reference while using my Macbook.

I love finding new uses for old computers!

 

[loby]

I have my iPad 2 on mounted on my desk, used for watching YouTube, music (connected to a bluetooth speaker), and reference while using my Macbook.

I love finding new uses for old computers!

I like doing the same. My wife uses it in her English classes. Still has a few games and on occasion internet or YouTube.

 

[sracer]

It'd be interesting to know how many of you still use the iPad 2 on a daily basis. For me, it turned out to be a great return on investment. What are your thoughts?

As many of the regulars here know, my iPad 1 is still being used daily as a digital "picture tube" for my vintage TV. My iPad 2 is still regularly used weekly for our church's services for projecting worship lyrics. It continues to be a reliable workhorse.

 

[s2mikey]

My youngest daughter still uses hers daily. Seems to work fine. Sure, she has a newer phone but the trusty iPad 2 still eats up media & content just fine.

Spoiled brat kids. Ugh.

 

[mazdamiata210]

Use one here strictly for youtube

 

[Sunshoopa]

I’d probably still have mine, but I’m a little spoiled wanting new hardware once in a while. I had an Air in between and now a 10.5 haha.

I think the iPad 2 is a bit better than the iPod Touch 5G (higher clock speeds), but my sister complains on how slow it is. I ended up downgrading it (dual booting) to 7.1.2, and it’s a speedy little device again (also use a jailbreak tweak called no slow animations to skip animations entirely). I’ll take some of your suggestions though and see if I can get it faster yet!

 

[eyeseeyou]

I use mine for piano lessons.

I imagine it’s as slow as people’s phones that are being throttled then throttled again.

 

[Beelzbub]

Wife uses hers daily, reading books, Facebook, web surfing (she’ll have 4 or 5 tabs open at once in safari). I told her I wanted to buy her a new iPad, she said there’s nothing wrong with hers. She’ll find a recipe online with it and print it out. She also streams pandora from it to her Bose Bluetooth speaker. Guess as along as she’s happy with it, I’ll hold off and buy her one when it finally croaks. But her 16 GB black iPad 2 gets used every single day.

 

[Kal-037]

My brother’s and sister’s work (last I checked.) And my first gen still chugs along like a pro. Just the speakers are no longer as loud.

Hey guys,

Been a regular reader here for some time, though this is my first actual post

I'm just curious to see: how many of you are still using an iPad 2 as your primary iPad? Personally, I have a black 16 GB Wi-Fi model which I bought in October 2011 - I use it just about every day for watching Netflix/Youtube/etc., controlling my Sonos speaker system and reading news articles. Obviously, its performance is nowhere near that of the newer gen iPads but it does the job for me; apps sometimes load a bit slowly, but overall performance is perfectly fine.

My iPad is running iOS 9.3.5 with about 30 apps installed and I get decent performance out of it - I've seen countless posts and videos stating that the performance is absolutely dreadful on iOS 9. Since I'm quite fond of the device and intend to continue using it daily, I spent some time tweaking its settings after finally upgrading from 6.1.3 earlier this fall; so here are a few tips from a daily iPad 2 user on how to maximize the device's performance:

• Start off by doing a clean install of 9.3.5 through iTunes. Do not restore from a backup, since I found this had a major impact on performance coming from an iOS 6 installation that had been in use for a couple of years.
• Enable "Reduce Motion" under Settings>General>Accessibility. Quite a few people swear by enabling "Reduce Transparency" as well, though personally I didn't find it to make much of a difference aside from turning the Dock into a ugly one-colored mess.
• Disable "Background App Refresh" under Settings>General.
• Next, go into Spotlight settings and disable Spotlight for all apps. I haven't done a side by side comparison, but this is another tip that's widespread throughout forums and Youtube channels - and it kinda makes sense, because enabling Spotlight for all apps would cause the device to run indexing on its internal storage which in turn should have some degree of negative impact on performance.
• Disable automatic app updates.
• I also disabled iCloud services that I don't use, such as iCloud Photo Library, Game Center etc.

As I got used to running iOS 9 on my venerable iPad 2, I found that the Safari web browser was absolutely horrible performance-wise. If you're using the iPad 2 for browsing the web, go ahead and download Puffin from the App Store right away - the difference in performance vs Safari is huge! I found that using Puffin along with applying the tweaks listed above made for a perfectly fine iPad experience, especially considering that this tablet was originally released in early 2011. This truly is a testament to the overall longevity of Apple hardware - I can't for the life of me imagine a 2011 Android tablet such as the original Galaxy Tab being of any use whatsoever in late 2017.

All in all, I'd have to say that my beloved iPad 2 is one of the best tech purchases I've ever made. Mine is almost 7 yo now and still works great - the battery, amazingly, still gives me about 10 hrs of use and the iPad still looks like new due to the fact that I've been using a transparent case, Smart Cover and screen protector (currently a tempered glass one) since the day I bought it. I intend to use it for as long as it still works. When it finally throws in the towel, it'll probably be replaced with an iPad Pro 10.5 (love the high screen refresh rate!)

It'd be interesting to know how many of you still use the iPad 2 on a daily basis. For me, it turned out to be a great return on investment. What are your thoughts?

 

[bensisko]

I’d probably still have mine, but I’m a little spoiled wanting new hardware once in a while. I had an Air in between and now a 10.5 haha.

Nothing wrong with wanting new hardware!

I just find there are so many ways to make an old device useful (while still using the new hardware). If absolutely nothing else, they make excellent picture frames!

I once had so many tablets (acquired in various ways for various purposes) I created an "art installation" using them to display artwork as one large screen! It was pretty sweet! Most of those tablets have since found good homes but there are a few that I use for single purposes. For instance, I have an iPad Mini 2 that acts as an Apple TV Remote/web browser/text message/phone answer (via continuity) machine.

 

[gordman54]

Hey guys,

Been a regular reader here for some time, though this is my first actual post

I'm just curious to see: how many of you are still using an iPad 2 as your primary iPad? Personally, I have a black 16 GB Wi-Fi model which I bought in October 2011 - I use it just about every day for watching Netflix/Youtube/etc., controlling my Sonos speaker system and reading news articles. Obviously, its performance is nowhere near that of the newer gen iPads but it does the job for me; apps sometimes load a bit slowly, but overall performance is perfectly fine.

My iPad is running iOS 9.3.5 with about 30 apps installed and I get decent performance out of it - I've seen countless posts and videos stating that the performance is absolutely dreadful on iOS 9. Since I'm quite fond of the device and intend to continue using it daily, I spent some time tweaking its settings after finally upgrading from 6.1.3 earlier this fall; so here are a few tips from a daily iPad 2 user on how to maximize the device's performance:

• Start off by doing a clean install of 9.3.5 through iTunes. Do not restore from a backup, since I found this had a major impact on performance coming from an iOS 6 installation that had been in use for a couple of years.
• Enable "Reduce Motion" under Settings>General>Accessibility. Quite a few people swear by enabling "Reduce Transparency" as well, though personally I didn't find it to make much of a difference aside from turning the Dock into a ugly one-colored mess.
• Disable "Background App Refresh" under Settings>General.
• Next, go into Spotlight settings and disable Spotlight for all apps. I haven't done a side by side comparison, but this is another tip that's widespread throughout forums and Youtube channels - and it kinda makes sense, because enabling Spotlight for all apps would cause the device to run indexing on its internal storage which in turn should have some degree of negative impact on performance.
• Disable automatic app updates.
• I also disabled iCloud services that I don't use, such as iCloud Photo Library, Game Center etc.

As I got used to running iOS 9 on my venerable iPad 2, I found that the Safari web browser was absolutely horrible performance-wise. If you're using the iPad 2 for browsing the web, go ahead and download Puffin from the App Store right away - the difference in performance vs Safari is huge! I found that using Puffin along with applying the tweaks listed above made for a perfectly fine iPad experience, especially considering that this tablet was originally released in early 2011. This truly is a testament to the overall longevity of Apple hardware - I can't for the life of me imagine a 2011 Android tablet such as the original Galaxy Tab being of any use whatsoever in late 2017.

All in all, I'd have to say that my beloved iPad 2 is one of the best tech purchases I've ever made. Mine is almost 7 yo now and still works great - the battery, amazingly, still gives me about 10 hrs of use and the iPad still looks like new due to the fact that I've been using a transparent case, Smart Cover and screen protector (currently a tempered glass one) since the day I bought it. I intend to use it for as long as it still works. When it finally throws in the towel, it'll probably be replaced with an iPad Pro 10.5 (love the high screen refresh rate!)

It'd be interesting to know how many of you still use the iPad 2 on a daily basis. For me, it turned out to be a great return on investment. What are your thoughts?

 

[slooksterPSV]

This is very insightful to read. Thank you for sharing. I just purchased my first iPad (32GB 5th Gen (2017)) and I always wonder about how long the devices will last or what they can be used for. I personally have a Nexus 7 (32GB) that stopped receiving updates and is just really slow. At the time, it was amazing! But slowly, it became a chore to even use YouTube or any other kind of media. It’s collecting dust, However, the iPad’s screen size is beautiful and makes it like a mini-tv =). I can see using mine way past the last update it receives. This post just proves a point of how older devices in the Apple realm are still very capable. I also have a used 2009 MacBook that I use for writing, school, sometimes YouTube, photo storage, and music. =) Again, thank you so much for sharing. I’m so happy to read this post. =D

 

[gordman54]

Good day sir. My name is gordon ward, retired here in PH. Had my ipad 2 version 9 3 years before moving here almost 4 years ago ! My daughter made me purchase it ! I lve it still . Im 70 now and am not tech savvy by any means. When they (mac) shut me down until i got 2 step Verification i was without access for months because i just could not follow the instructions, ....somehow i wormed my way through it by accident...
I sweat now as my ipad says: 200 GB storage-But it also states that i have Available stirage of 185 ! Then it keeps telling me im low on storage!? I tryed posting on forum but i dont seem to be getting into it yet haaha...
But i always thought that i was the only one left with this version....some dealers wont ebpven touch it here to work onit.....anyways i want to thank you for posting as you did....!!

 

[lympero]

My 2.5 year old daughter use it as her primary machine for watching peppa and Mickey (mainly YouTube) and also for drawing. At night we use it as baby monitor.
Still going strong.

 

[Sunshoopa]

Good day sir. My name is gordon ward, retired here in PH. Had my ipad 2 version 9 3 years before moving here almost 4 years ago ! My daughter made me purchase it ! I lve it still . Im 70 now and am not tech savvy by any means. When they (mac) shut me down until i got 2 step Verification i was without access for months because i just could not follow the instructions, ....somehow i wormed my way through it by accident...
I sweat now as my ipad says: 200 GB storage-But it also states that i have Available stirage of 185 ! Then it keeps telling me im low on storage!? I tryed posting on forum but i dont seem to be getting into it yet haaha...
But i always thought that i was the only one left with this version....some dealers wont ebpven touch it here to work onit.....anyways i want to thank you for posting as you did....!!

The iPad 2 only has 64 GB on the highest capacity device. I think you’re misunderstanding what the 200 GB is. Maybe you’re reading MB instead of GB or something? Which if it was 185 MB it would say storage is low. (MB = Megabyte and GB = Gigabyte).

 

[Woodstockie]

Not my daily driver anymore, but my daughter uses it. It still works fine and is also jailbroken, so am able to hide the system prefs and other apps she doesn't need yet.

 

[carlvi]

Thanks to everyone who replied! Nice to see that there are still a couple more iPad 2s out there
I just took mine out of its case in order to clean the case (a perk of having a plastic hardcase on the back of the tablet is that the case goes through the dishwasher just fine lol) and it just struck me how modern the design still looks - well done, Apple. Can't imagine this 2011 top of the line Samsung tablet either looking or working as good as the iPad 2 today: https://goo.gl/images/gYxBv6
[doublepost=1514486256][/doublepost]And for anyone who's interested in some benchmark data: let it be noted that the iPad still runs Angry Birds just as smoothly as it did back in 2011

 

[ZhenyaF]

My boss has one in the office - watches the News apps (Fox, CNN, etc) on it. It's ridiculously slow though.

My mom has one as her primary tablet - Facebook and some shopping websites - hers for some reason is faster.

 

[carlvi]

Another performance tip that might be of use to some -- make sure to reboot your iPad every once in a while. I do it maybe two times per month and it has kept the device going though heavy use without performance hiccups for months now.

I started doing this because I remembered that back in 2010 when I used iOS 4 on my iPhone 3G (just the thought of how slow it was makes me nauseous), the phone would become even more crappy than usual after a few days use. Rebooting the phone would then bring it back from a state of complete uselessness to its regular slow, warm and usable-but-barely state

 

[iapplelove]

I still own 2 iPad 2s. Don't use them but they still connect to the internet just fine, and perfect for watching Youtube or using the music app.

My original ipad air sill runs like a champ as well, epic battery life. Runs all the iOS 11 just fine. Its only a tad slower than my iPad pro.

 

[rui no onna]

We typically pass down our devices when we upgrade. The iPad 2 went: me -> mom -> grandma -> aunt

I personally wouldn't be able to tolerate its performance now (or lack thereof) but my aunt happily uses it for email, reading and photo viewing.