Here's a different question, but it's a serious one that I couldn't get a solution from the guys at the Apple store... and I'm sure it's much more common than you'd think. It's almost poetic to come to the "hackers" to solve this... 
I originally come from a very strict, religious background, where I was homeschooled and where a lot of things were off limits, like TV, computer, radio, and advanced education. There are a lot of people that grow up like this, but if you figure in those who can have TV but not computer, or internet but not TV, etc... this encompases a MUCH larger group, that crosses over into a LOT of different religions. I had a girlfriend for a while who also came from a strict background, but from a COMPLETELY different religion and part of the world, and it's amazing how many things were extremely similar, especially in the area of what you get limited access to as a youngster growing up. In a way, I can see the value in it, and in a way I can see the limiting factors.
Instead of trying to change all of this, I'm trying to work within the rules, and make something available to a (much younger) little sister who is still kinda where I was at her age, growing up with the same limits but a hunger for information and learning. And as you can imagine, for someone growing up with very limited TV, and no internet, whatever you DO get, you make the most of it. She has an old Dell laptop and a digital camera, and has gotten far better than I thought possible with organizing files and altering pictures in simple old Microsoft Paint (remember- no internet... this makes the laptop like a big calculator).
Anyway, as you can imagine, an iPad, even one that only had medical iBooks and Solar Walk and Math and Flashcards would be insanely facinating to someone like this, and she'd have an ability to learn from the carefully selected programs that I would buy and put on it, that most kids growing up with unlimited TV, internet, and video games would never have.
The part that keeps an iPad from being allowed in this particular home, and maybe (probably) a lot of others are the other apps, even though they are worthless without internet connection. I want to present the iPad2 with just 4-8 apps on the home screen, of things I know will be allowed, and NOTHING ELSE. Just the presence of apps like "Videos" or "App store" or "photo booth" and especially something that even SAYS "game center" will immediately get the iPad veto'd. I'm uniquely qualified to know both what she will find interesting and benefit from later on in life, and also exactly the apps/appearance/other stuff that will give the whole "iPad idea" a bad first impression to her parents that would keep it from being OK'd for her to have....
Anyone have any suggestions to completely control the iPad home screen and remove these things, without making the iPad less stable (It will get mailed to her and there's nobody with iTunes who can reset it and so on for months at a time...) then let me know, I'd very much appreciate it, and I'm sure my little sister will to. Cost, time, and effort are not factors I'm concerned with.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
I originally come from a very strict, religious background, where I was homeschooled and where a lot of things were off limits, like TV, computer, radio, and advanced education. There are a lot of people that grow up like this, but if you figure in those who can have TV but not computer, or internet but not TV, etc... this encompases a MUCH larger group, that crosses over into a LOT of different religions. I had a girlfriend for a while who also came from a strict background, but from a COMPLETELY different religion and part of the world, and it's amazing how many things were extremely similar, especially in the area of what you get limited access to as a youngster growing up. In a way, I can see the value in it, and in a way I can see the limiting factors.
Instead of trying to change all of this, I'm trying to work within the rules, and make something available to a (much younger) little sister who is still kinda where I was at her age, growing up with the same limits but a hunger for information and learning. And as you can imagine, for someone growing up with very limited TV, and no internet, whatever you DO get, you make the most of it. She has an old Dell laptop and a digital camera, and has gotten far better than I thought possible with organizing files and altering pictures in simple old Microsoft Paint (remember- no internet... this makes the laptop like a big calculator).
Anyway, as you can imagine, an iPad, even one that only had medical iBooks and Solar Walk and Math and Flashcards would be insanely facinating to someone like this, and she'd have an ability to learn from the carefully selected programs that I would buy and put on it, that most kids growing up with unlimited TV, internet, and video games would never have.
The part that keeps an iPad from being allowed in this particular home, and maybe (probably) a lot of others are the other apps, even though they are worthless without internet connection. I want to present the iPad2 with just 4-8 apps on the home screen, of things I know will be allowed, and NOTHING ELSE. Just the presence of apps like "Videos" or "App store" or "photo booth" and especially something that even SAYS "game center" will immediately get the iPad veto'd. I'm uniquely qualified to know both what she will find interesting and benefit from later on in life, and also exactly the apps/appearance/other stuff that will give the whole "iPad idea" a bad first impression to her parents that would keep it from being OK'd for her to have....
Anyone have any suggestions to completely control the iPad home screen and remove these things, without making the iPad less stable (It will get mailed to her and there's nobody with iTunes who can reset it and so on for months at a time...) then let me know, I'd very much appreciate it, and I'm sure my little sister will to. Cost, time, and effort are not factors I'm concerned with.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
