To Jailbreak or Not to Jailbreak

There's been a lot of talk about jailbreaking your iDevices in the media as of late. In fact, there is currently a way to jailbreak an iOS device using Mobile Safari. Could it get any easier? Although we're sure Apple will fix the problem sooner rather than later, the ease with which you can accomplish this task is almost begging you to do it. The question remains, though: should you?

I've never been one to skirt the law. Sure, I might have used some pirated software back in my younger days when the Internet was an unorganized mess, but I know better now. As a professional, I fully understand the amount of work that goes into creating products; I respect people's work and the right to enforce using it as intended. People should respect intellectual property.

But now it appears to be perfectly legal to jailbreak an iOS device. It voids your warranty (as almost all tinkering does), but if you're willing to accept the inherent risks associated with using a device in unintended ways and it's legal to do so, then go for it. In going against Apple's desires, though, don't expect them to be sympathetic if you inadvertently screw up your hardware by dismantling the software that runs it.

I consider myself an Apple convert in that I didn't grow up using Apple. My first Mac computer was the iMac with the swivel stand, and that was accompanied by a first generation iPod. I've used Mac products ever since (as well as Windows machines, mind you), but only the products that truly interest me. In other words, I won't buy it just because Apple makes it. That being said, I consider myself a bit more liberal with their products than a diehard Apple loyalist.

Having upgraded to an iPhone 4, I now had an iPhone 3G just sitting there collecting dust. I might as well tinker with it, right? And so, last night, I let out my wild side and jailbroke the phone. Will I do this with my iPad? No way, not right now. Perhaps when the next one gets released, and my original starts to collect dust.

And here's why: jailbreaking an iDevice, in my mind, defeats the whole purpose of using one. One of the best arguments for using Apple hardware and software is how friendly it is. I don't mean aesthetically; it's just easy to use. Techies want (or even need) to have free run of their hardware and software; the average computer user does not. They want it clean and simple. They want things to "just work."

Does my jailbroken iPhone 3G work? Yes. Is it simple? No. The jailbreaking process was easy enough for someone who frequently delves into technological tinkering, but once that is done, achieving worthwhile results is a downright scary process. While I'm sure after years of working on it, the Cydia store (the app store for jailbreak apps) probably looks a lot better than it did in the early days, but it's still a mess.

Not only is the store unattractive and slow to load, but it's a technological novice's worst nightmare. It essentially boils down to an information overload. Why would the average user need to know every time it's downloading packages? Why does the app need to freeze every time it does so? Why is it so hard to browse through apps (probably because of the odd naming employed)? What's the difference between and package and a source? How do I know what's good? Even when I know of a patch to give new functionality to the iPhone, how do I install it?

Now, granted, I was able to figure most of this stuff out and install some interesting apps and patches that allow features Apple is unwilling to, but I also can't help but feel I'm jeopardizing my device. If I were on my PC, I'd have no problem with this. There's no telling how much crazy software I've loaded on that thing over the years. But when dealing with an iPhone or iPad, I keep questioning why I'm doing this.

Does the iPad do everything I want it to? No, surely not. I don't even have multitasking on the thing yet, much less Apple's version of multitasking. But perhaps in a somewhat twisted way, I feel like I trust them more than ever to shield me from this stuff.

If one day I blow up my PC, I won't be shocked. I'll rebuild and start over. But the iDevices are much more precious than my PC. Given the choice, I'm going to surf the web or play a game on my iPad rather than sitting down at my PC desk. If I want to tinker, I'll download potentially dangerous software on my PC. I'm much less willing to do that on my iPad.

Am I forgoing some manner of freedom for stability? Absolutely. Isn't that what civilized people do? I don't always agree with the government, but I'm not about to cry anarchy and do whatever I please. I don't enjoy paying taxes every two weeks, but I do enjoy the paved road that takes me to work. In the same way, I like multitasking, but I don't want it to kill my excellent battery life.

As my iPhone 3G sits collecting dust, I'm okay with throwing caution to the wind and seeing what kind of underground genius is at work with these unapproved apps. But for my current Apple products, I'm willing to concede to Apple's timetable for bringing in the new features that I want, because I know (for the most part), when they do update iOS next, it will be a stable platform that delivers reliable results. And I think this is the reason why most people enjoy iOS so much. It just works.

The App Store may be a walled garden, and iOS might not be ahead of the curve in all areas, but it doesn't have to be. If Apple can eventually deliver it in a safe, easy-to-use, and simple fashion, I'll take that over immediate access. My life is busy; I don't have the time I did when I was young to make things work through brute force. I'm happy to let my iPad be what Apple intends it to be. If I don't really like the iPad for what it is, then why would I buy one in the first place?

I bought it because I love what it is.

What about you? If you've jailbroken your iPad, has it been worthwhile?