New iPad Jailbroken Already 255
An anonymous reader writes "Just hours after the new Apple iPad was released, it was jailbroken in three (how appropriate!) separate ways. This means that hackers have already found and exploited security holes to run custom code on the new iPad with iOS 5.1. The tools for jailbreaking your new iPad aren't yet available, but this first step means the software will be developed sooner rather than later."
I'm not going to make the tablet mistake again. (Score:4, Interesting)
I have to admit it, I got caught up in the hype and I bought an tablet. The novelty wore off after a couple of days. Since then, it has sat on my desk, almost completely unused. In fact, it's one of the worst purchases I've ever made.
Tablets in general are rather pointless devices. They're far bulkier than my smart phone, so they're not very good on the go. They're much less comfortable to use than my netbook or my laptop, especially when I have to do a lot of typing. They're so vastly underpowered relative to even an old desktop that they're not usable for anything computationally intensive. My Kindle is a much better e-book reader.
I learned the hard way that the usefulness of tablets is purely a marketing creation. They look like they have potential, but in practice they're just the combination of the worst of every other type of computer or computing device.
One at a Time (Score:5, Interesting)
Maybe Apple Intentionally "Allows" Jailbreaking (Score:4, Interesting)
I imagine there might be three areas of pressure to keep the OS closed:
1. I'd speculate the main pressure on Apple to keep the OS closed is to prevent the piracy of app store apps to keep application authors happily creating apps for the device and not having to worry about the general population being able to copy and install them. More applications = more iPad sales to the general public.
2. Since many iOS devices are enabled on mobile network not owned by Apple, I'm sure the networks "encourage" Apple to do their best to limit the ability of a user to use the network in unauthorized ways, such as tethering when not paying for the plan.
3. A tertiary focus on keeping the OS closed to keep support costs down. Limiting options = easier troubleshooting.
However, there is a contingent of users who will not buy the device unless they can do whatever they want with it / jailbreak it. Whether it's to load non-approved software or to pirate App Store applications or circumvent carrier restrictions in the mobile network enabled models. As far as I know, Apple doesn't take a loss on hardware sold, so Apple still wants their money and market share, so they leave these exploits available for them. This gives Apple the plausible deniability to the App Store application authors and the mobile network carriers ("Sorry, these dang HACKERS keep breaking through our security... we're doing our darndest but they keep getting around it... but don't worry, it's a pretty complex process and the average user doesn't bother.") and allows them to completely cut off support to people who have voided their warranty by performing the jailbreak.
It's genius if you think about it.
Re:What does jailbreaking an iPad do? (Score:5, Interesting)
The App Store offers many apps for free, and charges for others. Cydia offers many apps for free, and charges for others.
It's not the free software that makes jailbreaking attractive, but rather the ability to customize otherwise locked-down aspects of iOS and to evade Apple's regulations.
Re:I'm not going to make the tablet mistake again. (Score:0, Interesting)
I kinda thought that's what the post said. Looking up stuff / instant on = media consumption. Your first objection is an agreement. I don't need a second monitor for doing development on my laptop, because the screen is big enough, and nothing disappears when I'm on another window. Besides, looking stuff up is again, media consumption. Again you prove the truth of what you claim to be refuting. Musical input, yeah, that was also in the previous post... Great, the 2% of the world that care will be overjoyed that you didn't just read that and agree. OK, gaming. Guess you've finally got an original one. Didn't want to bring up editing short videos? It was in the post you were replying to, so naturally I figured you'd include it. Maybe it had scrolled off your iPad's screen. Take anywhere? Please. You do NOT take an iPad "anywhere". It doesn't fit in a pocket. I know, you're the kind of suave operator who carries one into a 5-star restaurant to monitor your cams while you're on a date, but nobody I would choose to hang out with even brings one to a bar. They probably do have an iPhone, or other smartphone, and would find the display quite sufficient for that use case. Oh, and an e-reader... Damn, that's one that wasn't covered as A MEDIA CONSUMPTION DEVICE. Go look up media, consumption, and device... I'll wait... Now I'll wait for you to reload this page because your iPad decided that it couldn't maintain the page because all of your memory is busy with LiveCams Pro and the new theme you're sound engineering... Yup, turns out an e-reader is a media consumption device. Who would have known?
Re:It's a joke, but it's pretty much spot on. (Score:5, Interesting)
In reality, I could give up my tablet, probably give up my laptop, and maybe give up my desktop - but you can have my smartphone when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Despite the horrendously expensive plans they require, even with minimal data or phone usage (I use about 200 minutes and 50-60MB of cell data in a typical month), it is indepensable and the most efficient use of space I own.
It is my media player, holding most of my 8000 audio files and a couple of audio (and print) books. It's my emergency communication line - my iMessage account is only shared between me, my daughter, and my wife. It is my business office - I have my business line as a Google Voice number, giving me access to call from my work number and get transcribed emails anywhere. It's my general notebook, with Evernote keeping all the stupid slips of paper I used to keep in my wallet. It's my personal phone, with a separate number from my work one. It's my contact book. It's my GPS. It's my general answer machine (Google, not Siri). It's my calendar - no, it's my planner for the entire family. See, we each have a Google calendar - and with Pocket Informant I can bring in all three, plus the calendars for the three boards I sit on - all in their own color. When I find out I might have to have a meeting in the evening or on a weekend, I know instantly if there's a conflict. Just as great, when I put that oddball meeting in, my wife knows I'm going to be late for dinner, or that I won't be around Saturday afternoon.
There are so many things, and so much efficiency, wrapped up in that little device which - since I don't jabber on the phone much - will last a solid three days between charging if needed.
Could I live without my smartphone? Yes, but I would have to replace it with 3-4x the devices or items, and I would be far less efficient. It's not something I would do voluntarily.
Re:I'm not going to make the tablet mistake again. (Score:3, Interesting)
The iPad is a wonderful "adjunct" to a computer. It is NOT a replacement therefore, and it was never intended as such.
Sort of agree.
Looking up stuff on the internet while sitting in your livingroom. (Coffee-table computing), where the "instant-on" puts nearly ZERO annoyance factor between desire for information and fulfilment.
Yes, this is where it excels. Someone says something on TV news or makes a reference to something, and you want to look up something more about it. "What is ganache?" or "What does a lavender point siamese cat look like?" or "What planet are Wookies from again?" or "What percentage of the GDP did the USA spend on the military vs healthcare?" ... whatever... And as long as you stop there a tablet is fine.
But I've got a 13" Macboo Pro in my livingroom that covers this role, and I'd NEVER be able to drop down to a tablet -- why? Because after i look up whatever it was on the tablet, I'll refresh the slashdot home page and look at the news... and if I decide to reply, then suddenly I reget being on a tablet.
And I'll send a message to a friend on steam, and reply to a few messages on skype. Now a lot of this is do able on a tablet, but its just so much better on a laptop.
Using as an auxiliary computer using Telnet and/or VNC-type connectivity while doing development (or do you carry a second display with your laptop?)
What now? I have a nice fast i7 based desktop with 2 large screens while doing "development". If I want to do something on the side... I've got a laptop, and yes, I can plug the laptop into a 2nd display as well if I want. Who does serious development on a laptop? And then needs an itoy as a 2ndary screen? -boggle-
Medium-scale gaming. Most games on a phone are a joke, due to screen size.
The 13" laptop beats tablets for "medium scale gaming". I mean unless you think fruit ninja and angry birds are pinnacles of gaming. And the amount of utterly ad-ridden shovelware that passes for games in the app stores is sick. No thanks. My laptop has steam, and plenty of much higher caliber games... games that i can play on my other computers as well if I'm so inclined. Plus I've got access to things like the humble bundles...
And if one wanted mobile gaming in a serious way, I'd suggest a 3DS or something.
"Take anywhere" home security display/control. (Insert advertisement for LiveCams Pro here). Again, phone screen is too small, and the laptop isn't with you in the garage.
You'll take your tablet into the garage but not your laptop? Why exactly?
Oh, and as an e-reader while working. I use mine to browse documentation while doing development on my work-laptop. No more pawing back and forth between windows... REALLY handy when trying to learn something new!
Um...if I was doing development with just a laptop screen sure ... I guess I'd appreciate a tablet... but the real question is why is my development platform so wholly inadequate for the job. Where am developing I that I'm carrying a laptop -and- a tablet around but can't have a proper multiscreen setup?
I mean sure, the last time i was on vacation, I had to hotfix something from a 13" laptop from a hotel room in the carribbean, and I'd have given anything for some more screen real-estate... even a tablet. But really... how often does this come up? And if it came up that often then I would carry 2 laptops or a secondary screen...
CAN you do these things with other devices? Sure; but that's not the point. The point is whether it's BETTER for the application; not whether the application is POSSIBLE using another device.
Exactly. And the answer is its POSSIBLE using a tablet, but its BETTER on a laptop, for all but the most trivial tasks.
Re:Maybe Apple Intentionally "Allows" Jailbreaking (Score:5, Interesting)
If that was true they wouldn't have fought against the EFF when the DMCA exemption was brought up. Had they won, you can guarantee they would have been firing DMCA takedowns at everyone and anyone who created a jailbreak.