Messages Beta (for Lion 10.7) expires Dec. 14th

[eddieaus]

what a terrible Christmas present for those Lion users

[jbstew32]

seems like they should require you to either replace your iMessage beta with iChat or 'upgrade' to a final release version through the app store for $1.99.

[Kaibelf]

Originally Posted by dead_smed

I also find it annoying that it's soon going to expire. I have an old Mac Mini that isn't capable of running 10.8 and can't justify buying new hardware just for desktop iMessaging.

Then do without. Problem solved.

[proline]

There's no "fake boundary" here- iMessages was meant to showcase the new notification centre in ML as well as the phone number / email address linking present in iOS and ML. Without these features you aren't getting a very good experience and are liable to complain a lot. Well, you say, why not make it available and let the user decide? Apple tried that with iOS 4 on the iPhone 3G, and people are still whining about how the update "ruined" their phone two years later even though it was an optional upgrade.

It was a beta, it was very clear that it would expire, and it is beta quality, which means you should have deleted it a long time ago. The upgrade is $20 and runs on almost all Macs sold in the last 4 years.

[carlemil]

It's for the same reason facetime has to be bought for Snow Leopard. It uses some patents etc. that they are required to take payment for in a finished project.

You could argue that Apple should sell the Messages to Lion users, but it's simpler just having it as part of a paid OS.

They are simply not allowed to maintain the app for free. So either charge for it or include it in the new OS.

[Mackan]

Originally Posted by t22design

Yep it's annoying. I'm a MacBook user that can't upgrade to Mountain Lion and these constant fake limitations drive me mad. At least I can do Photo stream sharing on my Windows machine.

Apple in a nutshell. They constantly force their users to upgrade software and hardware on baseless reasons. It's part of their philosophy. You want to be part of this, always have the $$ ready.

[hamkor04]

Originally Posted by t22design

Yep it's annoying. I'm a MacBook user that can't upgrade to Mountain Lion and these constant fake limitations drive me mad. At least I can do Photo stream sharing on my Windows machine.

Apple helping it's customers out, to ship (completely) ship to back windows

[3bs]

I can't upgrade to 10.8 because I can't connect to my college wifi on 10.8 so this sucks.

[tomhut]

Originally Posted by Mackan

Apple in a nutshell. They constantly force their users to upgrade software and hardware on baseless reasons. It's part of their philosophy. You want to be part of this, always have the $$ ready.

Apple are not forcing you to do anything. Back porting the final version of Messages would have taken a fair amount of work and there is no incentive for Apple to do so. People need to stop their sense of self entitlement.

[stepmuel]

Don't be naive. Of course there are technical reasons. They need to maintain a separate version that links to all the old frameworks and can't use the new system features.

Of course you can argue that Apple should take the effort for a probably very small amount of users. Or that Apple thinks it is somehow smart to push a couple of users to a new system version. But the technical argument makes just much more sense.

[3bs]

Originally Posted by carlemil

It's for the same reason facetime has to be bought for Snow Leopard. It uses some patents etc. that they are required to take payment for in a finished project.

You could argue that Apple should sell the Messages to Lion users, but it's simpler just having it as part of a paid OS.

They are simply not allowed to maintain the app for free. So either charge for it or include it in the new OS.

Sure, I'll pay for it but Apple aren't giving us that option and I can't upgrade to 10.8 unfortunately. I've already bought it and tried but had to revert back to 10.7.

[overanalyzer]

For those saying something along the lines of "there's no reason for Apple to do this", you seem to assume that Messages won't continue to be developed and have new functionality added over time that uses features of Mountain Lion. Supporting both Lion and Mountain Lion, as well as whatever OS comes next, is extra work. And considering Apple charges minimally for OS upgrades these days, it's not surprising that they don't want to spend the time and money to continue developing for older OSs endlessly.

[ipure]

This is a lot like the way they took Siri out for iphone 4 users. If you don't buy their new ****, then say goodbye to your app.
****** Apple !

[maxwelltech]

Typical Apple move. I think Apple is already being generous enough, they have at least given a time to try it out before buying the new OS. This is no different than the Windows 8 previews which will expire on March of next year.

[Matthew Yohe]

Originally Posted by ipure

This is a lot like the way they took Siri out for iphone 4 users. If you don't buy their new ****, then say goodbye to your app.
****** Apple !

Took Siri out? Actually it never existed on iPhone 4.

Chill.

[linuxcooldude]

Originally Posted by Mackan

Apple in a nutshell. They constantly force their users to upgrade software and hardware on baseless reasons. It's part of their philosophy. You want to be part of this, always have the $$ ready.

I'm sure Apple wrenched his arm behind his back to download and install it. Apples not forcing you to do anything, only previewing a new upcoming app. Watching trailers at the movie theater does not force you to watch those movies too, or prevent you from enjoying the one your watching now.

[theinsider]

How is this any different from every other OS that introduces new features but requires to you upgrade to the most recent version?

[stevenlangley1]

Originally Posted by Matthew Yohe

Took Siri out? Actually it never existed on iPhone 4.

Chill.

Sure it did. At least in app form. http://www.google.com/url?q=http://t...4LvP4H_O7eOJ8A

[theinsider]

Originally Posted by stevenlangley1

Sure it did. At least in app form. http://www.google.com/url?q=http://t...4LvP4H_O7eOJ8A

That is nothing like the SIRI that was implemented on iOS 5.

[jroz]

Originally Posted by Steve.P.JobsFan

FYI: Software Update DOES reinstall iChat when the Messages Beta is uninstalled. Stop saying it doesn't.

This. I used the beta version of Messages on my '06 mbp earlier this year and uninstalled it because I didn't like it. It went right back to iChat.

[Nermal]

Originally Posted by theinsider

That is nothing like the SIRI that was implemented on iOS 5.

He never claimed that it was. The complaint is that the existing Siri service was discontinued when Apple introduced new hardware.

[Hawkeye411]

I can't believe that Messages isn't supported on my Newton!! Come on Apple!! What's up with that??!!

[faroZ06]

Sorry Apple, screw iMessage if you're going to do that. It's extremely pathetic that neither Apple nor Google can make anything better than AOL's AIM. What a joke.

I'd gladly update to Mountain Lion if they didn't decide to screw a bunch of users over by removing Rosetta. Don't give me BS about how I don't need it because I DO NEED IT. Some of my apps use it. There aren't any updates to them or any new alternatives. The developer of one of them died in 2011. Also, there are a few minor things they removed in Lion / Mtn Lion for no good reason. It's still a better OS overall, but that one Rosetta problem just kills it.

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Originally Posted by carlemil

It's for the same reason facetime has to be bought for Snow Leopard. It uses some patents etc. that they are required to take payment for in a finished project.

You could argue that Apple should sell the Messages to Lion users, but it's simpler just having it as part of a paid OS.

They are simply not allowed to maintain the app for free. So either charge for it or include it in the new OS.

Yeah, that's not the way to gain iMessage users when every other messaging system out there is completely FREE. I really want iMessage to do well because it would kill SMS, which should die, but the way Apple's doing things, neither I nor anyone I know use it.

Giving out iMessage for free would put people in the Apple ecosystem and make them recognize Apple more. Google does this sort of thing constantly with its free, ad-free services.

[Pakaku]

Originally Posted by cclloyd9785

I feel like it should allow you to use it forever if its an older model that can't install 10.8.

Apple... supporting older models?

LMAO

[katewes]