Could some kind soul please explain "Jail-breaking"?

[5teve]

Hi guys,
I understand it insofar as it means that a device is altered in some way that allows other types of software to be run on it. What I don't get is who would do such a thing, and why.
(No offence intended here, honest)
I can see that nerds and computer geeks would want to play around with the OS to see if they can make it do things that Apple never thought of or which they thought of but decided against for one reason or another. I think it's great that there are guys out there with the skill and knowledge base to be able to do things like make a new keyboard layout work or any of the other things that jail-breaking allows. What I don't get is why Joe Public would take that info and apply it to his/her own iPad, iPad2 or any other device that Jail-breaking works on.
Here's why.
My iPad 2, with accessories bought at the same time, cost me about £520 and it is now almost a year old. I love it to bits. Before I bought it I did a lot of research as to what it would do and what it wouldn't so I knew exactly what I was buying. Would I mess around with the internal stuff? No way, Jose. I understand that there is a way of deleting the jail-breaking so that your warranty is not voided by the Apple store but do I want to take the risk of my iPad breaking down and being unusable and therefore not able to take it back to an un jail-broken state? ... Not really.
Put it this way, if I spent £20,000 buying a new Ford Mondeo, would I take it home and rip out the computer and insert one from a Vauxhall just so I could get a HUD? No, I'd buy the Vauxhall in the first place.
I ain't dissing folk that HAVE jail-broken their iPad2. I hope you enjoy the changes. I think what it is is that having had to pay for my iPad 2 out of my own pocket I want to keep it working for as long as possible. Maybe if I started off by buying an "iPad 1" 3 or 4 years ago and was now looking at the idea of buying an iPad 3, I would look seriously into jail-breaking the iPad 1, mostly because I had got my money's worth out of it and jail-breaking it may negate the need to buy the iPad 3, at least for a while.

Like I said, just asking and not meaning any offence to anybody.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[TheRambler]

Hi Steve, great to see a local lad on here.

The reason we jailbreak is when we bought the Ford Mondeo and took it home, we chipped it and gave it an extra 100BHP. What I mean is, the jailbreak allows us do things with the iPad that Apple didn't make it to do.......all legal and above board.

I'm gonna move this to our JailBreaking section and see if it gets you more answers, also read all the stickies in there, lots to learn and do.

Chris
IPF Team 

 

[5teve]

The Rambler wrote (in part) ..... The reason we jailbreak is when we bought the Ford Mondeo and took it home, we chipped it and gave it an extra 100BHP. What I mean is, the jailbreak allows us do things with the iPad that Apple didn't make it to do.......all legal and above board.

As is buying a car with the extra 100 BHP already included.
Plus, you get a test drive before you buy it, complete with the added BHP and NOT a test drive before you start messing with it.
I know which I'd prefer on a new or even newish car (or iPad) .
Cheers,
Steve

 

[TheRambler]

I think I know what your saying, and each to there own, if your happy with what you have then leave it that way.

The iPad is a fantastic bit of technology whether Jailbroken or not, mine is used in conjunction with the AppleTV to give me music and films all around the house. I couldn't do that without JailBreaking it.

Enjoy your experience and I hope to see a lot more of your posts on the forum

Chris
IPF Team

 

[5teve]

OK Rambler, I know I'm old and senile but why do you need a jailbroken iPad to have music and movies all around the house?
Why not just show the movies and play the music on your iPad and take it round the house with you?
See? This was a part of my original thinking and question in the OP. What does jailbreaking allow you to do that you can't do with an un-jailbroken iPad?
You can change a few colours around, organise some new wallpaper styles and add a few keyboard strokes and that's all well and good for folk wanting individuality but what actual productive uses can an iPad 2 be put to when jailbroken compared to one that isn't?
Ta very much,
Steve

ps .... Not ignoring any answers but needs must and I have to disappear for a few hours.

 

[TheRambler]

Well, once Jailbroken, both the iPad and AppleTV had XBMC, this allows me to watch movies streamed all over my house using the iPad, it also allows music to be played anywhere through my wireless speakers and controlled using my iPad.

I suppose like I said previously, it really is what floats your boat, I like JailBreaking things, so that's the only reason I do it.