Customizing iPad firmware

[danielooo]

Hi! I am wondering if it is possible to customize the firmware of an iPad so that after a hard reset, the iPad will still have the apps/photos/movies I installed previously installed on it. What I am looking for is a way to do this without the use of a computer or iTunes. Is this possible in any way? Thank you in advance! Best regards /Daniel

 

[f4780y]

No, I'm afraid not.
It's just not possible to restore without using a computer and iTunes and likely never will be.
Apples security would have to be completely circumvented for a start, and even then the development effort to build a custom firmware which could save and restore media and was also self restoring "on device" would far outweigh any potential benefits and the limitations you would have to enforce would be ridiculous.
Sorry, but no.

 

[danielooo]

Not even with jailbreak?

Ok, thanks for that. Not even a solution with jailbreak? That's too bad... So lets say I have 20 iPads for education/class and the students play around with them, installing apps and messing around. Then I will have to go all the way around with iTunes and restore them with the backup made for each iPad? That means 20 iTunes accounts and 20 computers?

 

[Kricke]

Daniel,

I do not know whether this will work but ...
Let's assume you have those 20 iPads and you sync them with just 1 iTunes account (Is there a limitation for synced devices?) - so all of the 20 iPads should be alike.

On the iPads you have another iTunes account which the students can use over wifi.
At the end of the day you sync/restore the pads with the wired iTunes account and you are done. Does this make sense or is it totally wrong?
If it is way too far from reality then sorry.

Knut

 

[f4780y]

Ok, thanks for that. Not even a solution with jailbreak? That's too bad... So lets say I have 20 iPads for education/class and the students play around with them, installing apps and messing around. Then I will have to go all the way around with iTunes and restore them with the backup made for each iPad? That means 20 iTunes accounts and 20 computers?

No, in that use case, you could build all 20 iPads with the same computer. You are not limited to one pad per computer. And that would have nothing to do with jail breaking. But you must use a computer and iTunes. And it would take a while!

 

[Hasty]

This guy has concurrently sync'ed eight iPads at a time using a belkin multi usb hub. Most of his posts are about deloying iPads throughout a small school.
Fraser Speirs - Blog - App Management andSync

 

[freddie4c]

Hi. Sorry I could not get the question box. How possible is it for me to purchase ipads with customized inbuilt applications for my organization?

 

[Redneck_Randy]

Hi. Sorry I could not get the question box. How possible is it for me to purchase ipads with customized inbuilt applications for my organization?

You would probably need to call Apple for those answers.

 

[sjleworthy]

Yes, you just restore all iPads using the 1 computer to the same restore file. If the students then go ahead and 'bastardise' the iPad, well, other than a restore or individual delete, there's nothing you can do.

It will be great when one day the iOS is updated to allow user accounts and user permissions.