As an iOS developer, I'm often forced by my development tools to make support decisions. Xcode running on OS X 10.9 no longer allows me to run the iOS 5.1 simulator. Nor will it build an iOS app that simultaneously generates 64-bit instructions and supports iOS 5.1. Therefore, the version of TV Towers USA I just submitted for review (1.6.2) will be the last thing I'm likely to ever write which will run on the original iPad which maxed out at iOS 5.1.1.
I think the decision to limit the original model to 256 MB of RAM turned out to be a poor one on Apple's part as it shortened its usable lifespan hugely. If it had shipped with 512 MB, it would likely have gotten at least to iOS 6. As it is, the last time I touched an original iPad, I was struck by how unresponsive it was compared even to my iPad Mini. Giving customers such a poor experience is not something Apple usually does, and I hope they've learned their lesson.
