As a Mac hardware lover, I bought an old 64 GB iPad 1 with iOS 5.1.1 on it. Data wiped.
Nice hardware, but ended up stock with no new application not being iOS 6, iOS 7 or more in requirement.
Thought I would have to jaillbreak it to have new apps.
Is there any other way?
To install new apps really requiring iOS6+, I don't know.
But after a lot of search I found:
You install iTunes if you haven't already.
You pair your hardware with an Apple account, again if you haven't done already.
You find apps with older version of it existing and working on iOS 5.1.1.
You associate it (get it, download it) to your account on iTunes on Mac or PC.
You find the same app on the older hardware (iPad 1 iOS 5.1.1).
Instead of download, you will see Install. Select Install.
A popup will appear offering downloading older version of the app. Click Yes.
Enjoy your new old 5.1.1 compatible app.
Would love app update for older iOS by developers but don't expect it.
I purchased one a year ago. Ignore the requirements and go to the app store on your device and search for every app you want and install them. I would not recommend buying outdated apps. If the developer allows, it will automatically ask if you would like to install the version compatible with your iOS version. This is called "Legacy App Download Option"
Just remember the app will not have updated/current app features, You will be using old apps with an old operating system so there maybe bugs and performance issues.
App Store now lets you grab the last compatible app version on legacy devices
I would also recommend using the iPad as is for a while. If the performance is acceptable then jailbreak if you want to. This will make it easier to determine if jailbreaking your device caused any performance drops.
