Thursday, September 20, 2012

2 Years & Obsolete

Well, it's official. What I already knew but now it's real. With the release of IOS 6, Apple has decided it won't work on original iPads. Yeah, I've had mine for two years this month and it's obsolete, at least it won't be updated anymore and apps will eventually pass it by.

Fortunately that will be some time since most app developers are still on version of IOS 5, some even IOS 4. I have IOS 5.1.1 on it so it will be like that until I decide to replace, which will be awhile since it works for what I want, my photography folio, USGS maps and documents, lots of documents.

I love the fact I can create or download PDF versions of almost any document for the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide and history projects. The limitation was finding the PDF readers which could handle large map and document files and lots of files.

For that I found GoodReader to be the best followed by Adobe's Reader, PDF Mate and PDF Reader Pro. There is another one, Stanza, which I have but it's as good. I'm not enamored with file format specific readers but I've had load and use two, Barnes and Noble's Nook and Googles' Playbooks.

Good has pissed me by scanning old books and documents, which they got or bought rights to for public distribution and while initially offering them in PDF version, they have gone to their own reader requiring an account. After getting a few documents I stopped out of protest for this tactic.

Anyway, that's away from the point, which is now it's just time before some of the app only work with IOS 6 and then I'll be forced to replace the iPad with another one. Maybe. At least not until Adobe and the other major players force me because of apps.

With that I give my iPhone 4G about another year, it's only a year and a half old, before it's obsolete  when Apple release IOS 7 for the iPhone 5 and later models. Poor iPhone 4GS owners who'll have to join the club of planned obsolescence.

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