Is my iPad useless now?

[Paper Roses]

Three years ago I loaned my iPad to my granddaughter . I rarely used it and she had no $$ to buy one for herself. She recently gave it back to me after deleting her info.After I signed in and tried to update it, I could not. It seems that updated are not available. Although I use my desktop..very old and slow...I'd like to try again with the iPad. Useless?

This old timer has a slow desktop, a laptop with a dead battery(and Win 7) and now this problem w/iPad.
It sure stinks when you have no $$ to buy a new computer.

My computer guy is coming next week to give me a tutorial and install whatever I need to use my iPhone so I can post household items I'd like to sell. Boy, it stinks to be old and have missed all this technology. I don't even know what I an reading half the time.

Heck, I remember using a Comptometer at my first job after college and the only computers were at the bank where they used the paper tags. Yikes.
Well, you know my situation, what do you think about the iPad? I'd appreciate any guidance.

[Arne]

1. The best and worst tutorials are all on Youtube.

Use it just like a search engine, that's what it is.

[Big Blue Marble]

2. Which model of iPad do you have? N/T

[Skittles]

3. my iPad became "unupdatable"

it seems like a ruse to make people buy a new one? F that; I replaced it with a Samsung tablet

[CincyDem]

4. If you know that there's nothing on the iPad you want to keep, consider a hard reset.

Not sure that this will do the trick but if it's a brick now, this should load it back to the most recent update that iPad will accept. Then you can start over as if it were new out of the box.

[s-cubed]

5. Do you have an Apple store you can go to?

I’ve found them incredibly helpful with difficult problems, including recovering data from a MacBook with a cracked screen. Make an appointment online with the Genius Bar. Help may be free, depends.

[LuvLoogie]

6. Apple's update servers verify the model iPad you have.

If there is an update available for your model, you will get the prompt. Otherwise you might be maxed out for that model.

In Settings in the General section check your model number and see if your current iOS version is maxed out for your model.

[HuskyOffset]

10. LuvLoogie is correct

I'll just add that once you have your iPad model/version, check this chart to see what version of iOS it supports. Your iPad will tell what model it is and what version of iOS it is currently running in Settings->General->About.

[mr_lebowski]

7. Could be useful ...

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/wipe-ipad-factory-settings-passcode-55572.html

[TomDaisy]

8. if you don't mind changing brands, cost for a new one can be very reasonable

$99 in this case

https://www.hsn.com/products/amazon-fire-8-hd-32gb-tablet/10083180

[Blues Heron]

9. Call Apple, see what they say

You should be able to get that ipad going.

[LuvLoogie]

11. Back to your desktop. A few questions.

What make and model?
What OS and version?
How much RAM do you have installed.

You may be able to refresh that computer to Windows 10 for free if it is running a licensed version of Windows 7. The process is a little time consuming and involves several steps, but that and a boost of RAM can really help your PC.

That said, you might find a decent refurbished Windows 10 Pro machine and a nice sized monitor for around $300 all in.

I recommend running Windows 10 on at least 8GB of RAM. My main home PC is a circa 2010 HP Pro 6005 running WIN 10 Pro on 8 GB of RAM. It runs just fine.

I also have a 2009 Mac Mini running Sierra. No need to buy new. But get something that will run the latest Mac OS if you go that route, although you'll likely pay closer to 600 to 800 for a refurbished iMac.

That Kindle price is nice, but I'd like a bit more RAM for a tablet. I'm not as concerned with storage, as that is generally expandable in a tablet.

[woodsprite]

12. My iPad aged out like that.

You “may” be able to work around it by downloading a third party browser, at least for awhile.

Just last night I priced out refurbished Win 10 CPUs from Best Buy for hubby. You can get one for less than $200.