Looking Before You Leap
My iPad (first generation) has been more or less disabled by Apple. How? Because I upgraded to iOS 5, thinking that because I had not heard any horror stories about the upgrade on various sites, it must be OK.
Huge mistake. If you have a first-generation iPad, DO NOT upgrade to iOS 5.
Apple should be ashamed of itself for allowing iOS 5 to be approved for the iPad 1, considering how they will easily disallow upgrades on devices whenever they feel the user experience is not supportable with new software. How they felt that the iPad 1 could work under iOS 5 is completely beyond me.
It’s mostly a matter of RAM memory. Using iOS 4, I could count on about half of the iPad’s 256 MB of RAM to be free upon a restart. This would often dwindle, especially when I used memory-intensive apps like Civilization Revolution. I noted that if free memory got down to below 10 MB, any app I used would be likely to crash.
After “upgrading” to iOS 5, primarily because I wanted to use iCloud with all my other devices (Apple’s syncing with all prior software sucked big-time), I started installing stuff–and began to notice that apps would start crashing all the time. I checked the free memory and found it to be below 10 MB. I tried restarting, and it jumped to about 30 MB–only to fall to 15 MB in a few seconds, and fluctuated below 10 MB regularly.
I tried a new restore–same problem. I restored again, this time as a new iPad–same problem. I checked out various web sites and Apple discussions, and people claimed it was just the restore that would fix it. But then I stumbled across the correct answer, finding the culprit which was causing most of the grief.
iCloud. Yep, the app which was pretty much the only reason I upgraded was the one which essentially wiped out the iPad’s memory and made the device completely unusable. This was not something wrong with my iPad or mys settings. This was Apple’s recommended basic setup.
15 MB of free RAM after a basic startup is ludicrous. What the fuck was Apple thinking?
So I restored once again and this time didn’t activate iCloud, and sure enough, memory cleared up–somewhat. Now I’ll have as much as 60 MB of memory free upon startup–only half of what there was before–but now the damned thing at least will not crash all the time. I suspect that I won’t be able to use many of the apps I took for granted before, and as such will have a half-lobotomized iPad.
I intend to complain, loudly, to Apple and insist they do more than tell me that I’m screwed. Not that it will get me anywhere, but customers have to give companies grief if they pull crap like this.
OK, I found a method that may allow me to downgrade the OS. I am trying various other things before doing that, however.
Would like to know how you down grade.
I have an ipod-touch 4. I downloaded iOS5 and the thing runs ten times worse than it did before. Personally I’m looking at it the way I look at Microsoft products: every other version is good. They introduce one version to generate revenue or whatever, but it’s bad… then they have to introduce another version that works to salvage their reputation.
IOS5 seems like Windows Millennium right now or vista at best. A real disappointment, I just wanted to believe Apple was at just a higher standard than Microjunk. I still think they are, but they have slipped, in my opinion.
Okay, I’ve watched it. And he says how to do it with ipad-touch, too. I’m intrigued. But my desk top is running windows. So that means I could possibly screw up, which means, I probably would screw up. So reluctant.
Most of my apps have been updated for iOS5 – so I’m wondering about the affect on that as well. I’d rather have a limping machine than one that didn’t work at all.