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Apple Drops AirPrint Compatibility for Second-Generation iPod Touch

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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100446-airprint_info.jpg


As noted by 9 to 5 Mac, Apple appears to have dropped support for AirPrint in iOS 4.2 on the second-generation iPod touch. When Apple initially announced the feature on September 15th, the second-generation iPod touch was listed as a compatible device for the service, but as soon as two days later the press release had been modified to note support for only the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.

- Original text: "AirPrint will work with iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (second generation and later)."

- Revised text: "AirPrint will work with iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (third generation and later)."

The second-generation iPod touch and iPhone 3G have always been on the edge of compatibility with iOS 4, with Apple making some features unavailable on one or both devices as it seeks to maintain acceptable performance within the devices' hardware limitations. This also does not mark the first time that Apple has shifted device compatibility mid-stream, as Game Center support was dropped at one point for both the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod touch, only to be restored for the second-generation iPod touch (but not the iPhone 3G) for the public launch of iOS 4.1.

Article Link: Apple Drops AirPrint Compatibility for Second-Generation iPod Touch
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/10/04/apple-drops-airprint-compatibility-for-second-generation-ipod-touch/
shartypants

shartypants

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
922
60
Better they be honest with how it performs on the iPod Touch 2nd gen than have it come out for it and crash a lot. But does printing really take up that many resources? Possibly I guess.
 
A

amusiccale

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2007
310
0
Disappointing a bit for me, as a second-gen owner, but more disappointing for those who purchased the 8gb model more recently while the third generation was out.
 
B

BigTRQ

macrumors regular
May 30, 2007
146
49
The jailbreak community will find a way to add it back to the 2nd generation iPod touch. They were able to give us home screen wallpapers and multi-tasking. AirPrint would be nice as well. I have confidence in them! :p
 
T

The 801

macrumors newbie
Sep 27, 2010
13
0
It is inevitable that they will someday be saying this about the 1st generation Ipad.
 
T

toolioiep

macrumors member
Oct 29, 2009
32
1
The 801 said:
It is inevitable that they will someday be saying this about the 1st generation Ipad.
Click to expand...

This is a bit of an absurd statement, as its inevitable that they will someday be saying this about every Apple device out there.....
 
talkingfuture

talkingfuture

macrumors 65816
Dec 4, 2008
1,216
0
The back of beyond.
Can't say I'm too bothered about this. I only see myself using this on the iPad let alone my iPhone or old iPod Touch. I suppose there may have been a few people looking forward to using it with touches though.
 
E

err404

macrumors 68030
Mar 4, 2007
2,525
623
ouimetnick said:
Im sure it because they want you to upgrade. Multitasking works fine on jailbroken iPhone 3G and 2nd Gen touch.
Click to expand...
No, it really doesn't. Not enough RAM for efficient task switching, and not enough CPU for live backgrounding GPS/Streaming music.
Sure it can be done, but for most users, it's not worth further compromising the already slow performance on these devices. Remember that the iPhone 3G only has about 20-30 MB free for third party apps.

BigTRQ said:
The jailbreak community will find a way to add it back to the 2nd generation iPod touch. They were able to give us home screen wallpapers and multi-tasking. AirPrint would be nice as well. I have confidence in them! :p
Click to expand...
This is a good solution. If knowledgeable people want to take the performance hit, they can.
 
roratus

roratus

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2010
64
0
NAZI Occupied Florida
How many people actually use the ipod touch to print anyhow? If you're looking at web pages you need to print you're probably not doing it on an ipod touch.
 
Xavier

Xavier

macrumors demi-god
Mar 23, 2006
2,800
1,544
Columbus
So now the 2nd gen is pretty much dead in the water now. And I thought my 1st gen iPod Touch was old.
 
HLdan

HLdan

macrumors 603
Aug 22, 2007
6,383
0
BigTRQ said:
The jailbreak community will find a way to add it back to the 2nd generation iPod touch. They were able to give us home screen wallpapers and multi-tasking. AirPrint would be nice as well. I have confidence in them! :p
Click to expand...

For goodness sake, here we go again, "If Apple won't give it to us the Jailbrake community will". If the performance isn't any good then there's no point in doing it and I certainly don't recall anyone on the internet saying the iPod Touch 2nd gen ran exceptionally well with the Home Screen wallpapers, that must be the reason why Apple didn't include it on the 2nd iPod Touch.
At least they are explaining why instead of just giving us the feature and it ruining the experience like the 3GS just went through.
 
B

BigTRQ

macrumors regular
May 30, 2007
146
49
HLdan said:
For goodness sake, here we go again, "If Apple won't give it to us the Jailbrake community will". If the performance isn't any good then there's no point in doing it and I certainly don't recall anyone on the internet saying the iPod Touch 2nd gen ran exceptionally well with the Home Screen wallpapers, that must be the reason why Apple didn't include it on the 2nd iPod Touch.
At least they are explaining why instead of just giving us the feature and it ruining the experience like the 3GS just went through.
Click to expand...
Put down the hate stick, please. Why do you care what anyone does with his/her device? If one decides to use the Home Screen wallpaper and Multi-tasking, and the potential performance issues, then isn't that up to the individual user to decide? Why not get more out of a device if you can? Just because Apple says it might not be the "best user experience," I still want to be able to try it!
 
ChazUK

ChazUK

macrumors 603
Feb 3, 2008
5,393
25
Essex (UK)
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.1-update1; en-gb; Dell Streak Build/ERE27) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17)

mr.steevo said:
Well there goes my plan of using my 2nd Gen iPod as a desktop replacement.
Click to expand...

The sarcasm is strong in this one! :D
 
Stridder44

Stridder44

macrumors 68040
Mar 24, 2003
3,973
198
California
roratus said:
How many people actually use the ipod touch to print anyhow? If you're looking at web pages you need to print you're probably not doing it on an ipod touch.
Click to expand...

+1. This will not really affect anyone, and even then, for those it does really bother, they'll already have a means to make it work (through jail breaking most likely).
 
K

KALLT

macrumors 603
Sep 23, 2008
5,361
3,378
HLdan said:
For goodness sake, here we go again, "If Apple won't give it to us the Jailbrake community will". If the performance isn't any good then there's no point in doing it and I certainly don't recall anyone on the internet saying the iPod Touch 2nd gen ran exceptionally well with the Home Screen wallpapers, that must be the reason why Apple didn't include it on the 2nd iPod Touch.
Click to expand...

As if weak performance is the only reason Apple would exclude particular features. I believe that Apple is also interested in persuading its customers to upgrade their products. You shouldn't buy all arguments that a business such as Apple presents.

I'm actually quite interested if AirPrint does decrease performance to an unacceptable level for iPod touch and iPhone 3G, because I couldn't imagine it.
 
A

adamwhiteley

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2010
5
0
the big issue

Aren't we all missing the big issue here, that original be benefits of iphone/itouch over competitors like Nokia's symbian was a unified OS in the form of iphoneOS, four product generations down the line apple now has products in the wilderness running anything between iphone OS/ios 1 to 4.2 creating a fractured marketplace on the app store for devices either not being upgraded to run ios 4 or unable to do , iprint, imovie ibooks etc all from apple,
Apple will end being the software equivalent of nokia having many different devices in the market issuing, like it has done, compatibility notices and an increasingly bloated itunes.
 
M

markm49uk

macrumors regular
Mar 12, 2008
217
20
Kingston Upon Hull, UK
adamwhiteley said:
Aren't we all missing the big issue here, that original be benefits of iphone/itouch over competitors like Nokia's symbian was a unified OS in the form of iphoneOS, four product generations down the line apple now has products in the wilderness running anything between iphone OS/ios 1 to 4.2 creating a fractured marketplace on the app store for devices either not being upgraded to run ios 4 or unable to do , iprint, imovie ibooks etc all from apple,
Apple will end being the software equivalent of nokia having many different devices in the market issuing, like it has done, compatibility notices and an increasingly bloated itunes.
Click to expand...

So they should only bring enhancements to the entire platform or not at all???

How do you think they should do it then?
 
A

anti-microsoft

macrumors 68000
Dec 15, 2006
1,665
6
Edinburgh, Scotland
Is it because the AirPrint "app" is a background app on iOS Devices? Since the iPod touch 2G does not multi-task, then it cannot print. Same reason the iPhone 3G is not supported.

Ams.
 
kiljoy616

kiljoy616

macrumors 68000
Apr 17, 2008
1,795
0
USA
I wonder

I wonder how many things will be dropped off the Ipad when the Ipad 2 comes out. No mater if the hardware can handle it Apple seems to drop for no reason than just to get people to buy newer hardware. :(
 
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