Trying to make three old iPads useful & Made a old-internet styled version of my site

Hi! We meet again :)

A few days ago, I dug up three iPad 2s from my old electronics box. The three iPads are:

1. White A1395 iPad 2 (Wi-Fi only)
2. Black A1395 iPad 2 (Wi-Fi only)
3. White A1396 iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + Cellular)

They were bought by my parents a long, long time ago (I checked the dates, and according to Apple, they were activated around 2012). Amazingly, one out of the three is still usable! Unfortunately, the other two had some pretty serious issues that made them unusable.

The black A1395 iPad 2 had a cracked screen and would continuously boot-loop, even after being plugged in for an entire day. I suspect this was caused by a dead battery (a rather common issue with old iPads).

The white A1396 iPad, however, had an even MORE infuriating issue. When I tried sliding to unlock it, the iPad suddenly displayed an Activation Lock screen asking for an Apple Account that I hadn't used in over five years.

So, naturally, I tried resetting the password through email. No luck. After contacting Apple Support, I was told that the account was permanently inaccessible, meaning I could no longer log in or reset its password.

Then Apple Support proceeded to tell me that the ONLY way to remove Activation Lock from my iPad was to provide proof of purchase. A receipt from around 2012. 😭😭😭

Like, WHO the HECK keeps a receipt for that long? I was TWO YEARS OLD back then, lmfao...

I mean... I get it. Apple takes security and privacy seriously, but this is definitely a HUGE problem with older accounts and devices. There really should be a better way to handle situations like this. (Apple pls fix)

Anyways, I don't plan on fixing the old black iPad 2. The repair cost simply isn't worth it, considering the hardware's age and how much I'd actually use it.

So that leaves me with one working iPad 2, and honestly, it's pretty good!

I remember using this very iPad when I was around six years old, before I got my 2016 iPad Pro. Apparently, Owl City was my favorite artist back then, judging by the 20 or so screenshots I found on the device, haha.

Even more surprisingly, the battery still holds a decent charge! A full charge lasts around 3–4 hours, which is pretty respectable considering the battery is roughly 14 years old.

Transferring local ALAC/AAC music files to the iPad is also pretty straightforward, and the audio sounds great through a speaker connected via the 3.5 mm headphone jack. AirPlay works great with my speaker, too!

That got me thinking: why not repurpose this iPad as a web browser and a music player?

So I tried browsing the modern web on the iPad 2.

Spoiler alert: not a good idea.

Most modern websites rely on technologies that the ancient version of Safari on iOS 9.3.5 simply can't handle. Modern JavaScript, newer web APIs, and websites built using frameworks like React or Vue can all cause compatibility issues.

The result? YouTube, Google, and even my own website either barely worked or looked like something straight out of a CERN website from 1999.

And here's the worst part: iOS 9.3.5 is the ABSOLUTE latest version my iPad 2 can run.

THIS OPERATING SYSTEM IS TEN YEARS OLD.

The WebKit engine bundled with it is similarly ancient, so I eventually gave up on the idea of using the iPad as a proper modern web browser.

But then an idea popped into my head (yes, again, this time a good one lol).

Why not make my own website compatible with older devices?

And that's exactly what I did!

I ended up creating a retro version of my website using just plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with no modern web frameworks or fancy dependencies. I also made sure to avoid newer browser features that wouldn't work on ancient versions of Safari.

Codex and GPT-6.1 Sol helped me along the way, and I can honestly say it turned out great!

It displays nicely on the iPad 2 and absolutely fits my vision of a mid-2000s personal website, just with a few modern touches, like a Now Playing modal and a /tokens page.

Not bad for a 14-year-old iPad that spent most of its life collecting dust in a box, huh? :)

Visit the Old Site
Some screenshots of the old site: