All iPads Just found my 'ancient" iPad 2 (2011) hiddenin my closet. Was only used for 2 months and it went missing for 9 years. Is it still usable in 2020?

[Tsepz]

(please excuse this lengthy post... I'm just very excited about find this ipad after so long )


Back in 2011(edit), I ordered the iPad 2 from Apple's website. It's a Wifi/cellular model, so it has GPS. I used it for about 2 months. Then I misplaced when my house was being remodeled. I remember looking for it all over the house. Pretty much turning the house upside-down and opened almost every box. Finally gave up looking.

This morning, while looking for my winter coat to prepare for next week's possible snow event, I found that iPad 2 in a box with my other winter gears. It basically just sat in there untouched for about 9 years. It looks brand new, obviously.

I plugged it in and let it charge to 100%. It turned on with no issue. I allowed it update this and that. Now it's at 9.3.5 and says that's the most newest update available. (not surprisingly, since it is a 6-year-old iPad)

Most apps are still usable... even the photos that I took in 2011 are still on it. but everything runs slowly. But it's now 2020, so everything from 2011 obviously feels slow.

I won't really have time to play with it this weekend because I'm picking up my new iPhone 12 Pro tomorrow. However, I'm just wondering how usable the iPad 2 is? Is there no way to update the firmware beyond 9.3.5?

Thanks!

Keep it around, one day a collector will be looking for it in the next 10 years.

 

[BlueMoose]

First, where do you live that you didn't need winter gear for 9 years!

Second, while I have a 2018 iPad Pro, we also have and still use a first generation iPad Air. Mainly for streaming music and podcasts, but occasionally for other tasks if it is the one I have at the time.

Have fun with yours.

Global warming?

in 2008, I got tired of shoving my really long driveway with a shovel. (driveway was about 100 yards long) I said "f*** it, I'm getting a self-propelled Honda snowblower" and off I went to the nearest Honda power equipment place. I spent almsot $20

Keep it around, one day a collector will be looking for it in the next 10 years.

I should not have gotten rid of my old Apple IIe, still in its original box.

 

[Jack Neill]

As a cigarette dangles out of your mouth in your profile pic. ?

Everyone hating on Hunter these days..

 

[I7guy]

my condolences, I felt sad reading that story.



I will never understand how this happens, when a product is released everything works fine some years in the future it barely moves. I understand if its new technology like playing 3D games or 4K video, but watching YouTube and browsing was an iPad 1 feature.

64 bit processors have much more headroom than 32 bit processors, which could explain why the 5s worked pretty much the same way from ios7 through ios12.

 

[ericwn]

I just threw my iPad 2 in the trash. I only kept it for videos I had stored and finally got around to exporting everything to a laptop via Mediatrans.

I have 4 iPad Pros and a couple Airs of various generations and it was only out of laziness that I waited this long to take off the content and trash it.

Didn’t you recycle it?

 

[ericwn]

We actually have one that's icloud locked to my wife's grandmother's apple ID. She just recently passed so I suspect we'll never be able to use it again. Off to the electronics recycler with it unfortunately.

I’d contact Apple. They might need some proof of the change of ownership but may be able to help you further.

 

[ericwn]

As a cigarette dangles out of your mouth in your profile pic.

Your point?

 

[BlueMoose]

I’d contact Apple. They might need some proof of the change of ownership but may be able to help you further.

interestingly enough, I picked up my new iPhone 12 Pro yesterday from the Apple Store. When trying to activate it using my Apple ID, the verification pop-up showed up on the 9-year-old iPad 2. (since that Apple ID is not currently associated with my other Apple devices)

 

[ericwn]

interestingly enough, I picked up my new iPhone 12 Pro yesterday from the Apple Store. When trying to activate it using my Apple ID, the verification pop-up showed up on the 9-year-old iPad 2. (since that Apple ID is not currently associated with my other Apple devices)

That is interesting for sure. If you don’t mind, please update the thread when you had a chance to talk to Apple.

Best success!

 

[MacBH928]

You have to remember that websites have become much more complex since 2011, with way more going on in the background, which require much heavier processing.

is that "processing" done better by faster CPU, GPU, or more RAM? I am always looking for a smoother web experience.

 

[BlueMoose]

That is interesting for sure. If you don’t mind, please update the thread when you had a chance to talk to Apple.

Best success!

wait... was I supposed to talk to Apple about this?

they already saw it.. at least the Apple Store employees did. they offered to recycle it for me.

 

[ericwn]

wait... was I supposed to talk to Apple about this?

they already saw it.. at least the Apple Store employees did. they offered to recycle it for me.

I believe a few forum members got the iPads unlocked when the owners in the family passed away.

 

[adrianlondon]

I have the first gen Mini. iOS 9.3.5 is the latest it'll go. However, yours has GPS and I thought they released a bugfix (9.3.6) for those.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

is that "processing" done better by faster CPU, GPU, or more RAM? I am always looking for a smoother web experience.

CPU and RAM mainly. Processing is done by the CPU, but the more content on the page, the more RAM you'll need. The GPU is never the bottleneck anymore for web browsing.