No iOS 6 for my original iPad? Now, I'm an Angry Bird.

To say that I'm unhappy with Apple about the fact that I can't install iOS 6 on my iPad 1, is an understatement. It's not like the thing is seven or eight years old. I bought it just before the iPad 2 came out. And, now I'm angry. I'm very angry. I'm an Angry Bird who wants to have myself flung at the fortified pigs who made this very, very bad decision. You can install iOS 6 on the iPhone 3GS and on the iPhone 4, so why not the iPad 1?

So, now what?

Either I'm stuck with iOS 5.1.1 forever or I jailbreak the damn thing and possibly ruin it.

That's what.

When will Apple stop allowing my iPad 1 access to the App Store or iTunes?

Come on, Apple, how long do I have on this very expensive device that is less than two years old (for me)? How long does anyone have for a device launched in April 2010?

Bad move, Apple. Bad move.

I don't see any compelling features in iOS 6 that would preclude me from using it on my iPad 1. Sure, I don't have a camera or cellular connectivity (My choice) but what I do have is an official iPad and I want it supported. To drop support for it so soon after launch is just short of device homicide. And, it could prevent me from ever buying another Apple anything again.

I had finally convinced myself to like Apple after drooling over the original Macintosh and never getting one. I had come over to the "Dark Side" and even decided that the next computer that I purchase would be a Macbook Air.

But, not anymore.

You want to know why?

Because I don't know how long Apple would continue to support it.

And, guess what else? When my damn contract on my iPhone 4 is up, I'm not renewing it nor am I going to buy a new iPhone. $600 might not be a lot of money for Apple's decision makers but it is for me and I don't have it to waste. $600 would clothe my daughter for an entire school year plus extra left over for activities.

In my opinion, dropping iOS support for the iPad 1 means that Apple no longer cares about its customers and frankly, I'm shocked. It makes me want to take back all of the good things I ever said about Apple, my iPad and my iPhone. Sure, Apple probably doesn't give two hoots in hell about me, my opinion or my unsupported iPad 1, because Apple is going to be the world's first trillion dollar company. My $600 wasted investment means squat to them.

Apple, I have some sage advice for you: Stay focused on the customer or you won't have any. I don't think I'm alone in that feeling now that you've abandoned us.

I wonder if the other 15 million+ buyers of the original iPad would agree?

Do you really want to alienate 15 million customers?

There was a time in your past, Apple, when you were about 90 days from bankruptcy and now you're worth more than $600 billion. But, remember when the US had a $3 trillion surplus when Bill Clinton left office and now we have a $10 trillion deficit? You do the math and take a hint.

15 million is a lot of customers.

It's a lot of unsupported iPads.

It's a lot of pissed off individuals.

At $100 profit per customer, that's $1.5 billion. Small change to you?

It could be opportunity for another company who wants to offer something you don't: Support for your two year old unsupported devices. Sort of an opportunity for someone who wants to make a business out of supporting jailbroken devices with an App Store, new OS releases and updates that will continue the life of this computing platform.

By the way, for all of you who have anything but an iPhone 5, get ready for this: Your devices won't be supported very soon because Apple has changed the interface on the iPhone 5. So, the next generation of iPod and iPad will have the news ones too. And, my friends, that leaves your old devices in an incompatible format.

Awesome.

Think Different.

Planned obsolescence doesn't mean two years. Get a clue, Apple.

Consider me, "Unconverted."

What do you think of Apple's decision to not offer iOS 6 for a two-year-old device? Talk back and let (and Apple) know how you feel.