Apple Announces iPod Touch Software Update

[HackBook]

Sheesh - what is your problem Apple? Screwing around with the early adopters is NOT a good idea - it was those guys that helped promote your products to friends and colleagues!

On the subject of the 1.1.3 Touch update - why charge for the iPhone apps? You've just shot yourselves in the foot and, if anything, made MORE people jailbreak their Touches! So far as I can see, the only so called "benefits" of the 1.1.3 update over 1.1.2 is the ability to add shortcuts on the home screen. Yee ha - that's a feature we've all been crying out for, isnt it? Lyrics is a good idea in theory, but it's also a bit pointless.

I jailbroke my iPod touch and wll probably keep it at 1.1.1 for the whole time I own it, unless Apple releases some new features that the end user will actually use, rather than marketing gimmicks.

It seems to me like Apple took a leaf out of Archos' book - that was one helluva bad move!

[/rant]

 

[triceretops]

I just called the Apple sales number listed on their website and spoke with a sales dude. He said that anyone who purchased a Touch after Dec 27 would be eligible to get the upgrades for free.

I just ordered mine today as soon as I heard about the new apps---thought others might be interested to know. I'll post more when I get my Touch tomorrow and figure out how to get the apps w/o paying 20 bucks. Otherwise, it goes right back to Amazon.

Well, since I bought mine on December 28th and the software won't load, I guess I should get my money back.

 

[chubad]

What a money grub Apple. Sheesh. You could throw a bone to the folks who supported you once in a while. I guess with only 15 billion in the bank the coffers needed some additional filling. Bad move. Look at the negative votes on this one!!

 

[mrzippy]

Yeah. Angry. Like having to fork out an extra $5.52 for the privilege of living in the UK its not like there's import taxes to pay for

God those sort of price comparisons really annoy me.

We do pay tax on it, VAT. So with the exchange rate and VAT (17.5% sales tax) the £13 would be almost spot on, Ok about 50p ($1ish) out.

Which I'm sure is to make the price a around number.

US items do not include sales tax like in europe!

 

[Cloudane]

Well well, even without the paid update we now get the iPhone style dock haha...

They just need to do the same thing with Leopard and everyone will be happy

 

[ImNoSuperMan]

Comment accepted. But now, how can I download it? I don't have an iTunes Store in my country. I do have an Apple Online Store though, why can't they sell it trough there?

now thats one point to really whine about(if true). Apple is selling iPT globally. Now you cant get updates for the touch just coz your country doesn't have any iTunes store. Those people can't get the new apps even if they wanted to pay. This is something which should be complained about. Not 20 dollars.

Btw Roco, can you not buy an itunes gift voucher(off ebay) and use that to buy these apps. I've never tried it but it seems like an okay workaround. Not the best solution though. This is how i was hoping I'd buy apps for my iPhone if I find something worth paying for(hopefully those apps will run on an unlocked iPhone)

 

[tutubibi]

$20 for apps that ship FREE on the iPhone AND required ZERO porting effort is unbelievably greedy.

Between this and Time Capsule screwing over AEBS + airdisk owners I am seriously starting to questions Apples motivation.

Apple is just another greedy corporation trying to make money
At least they had some class before

 

[Picks]

Arrrrrgggghhhh

Ok...

I downloaded this update again and again because it simply didn't do anything. Stupidly assuming that I wasn't going to get charged again and again... How wrong was I!

Turns out I have no software update and have a bill over a £100!

I'm so annoyed about this - having to pay £12 in the first place for software that should have already been on the iPod Touch right from the start is just ridiculous. Then after you pay for it it doesn't work... Not happy at all.

Thanks Apple.

 

[realgenius]

YEAH, i paid, and synced and nothing happened... anyone else?

Me too. I paid, sync'ed and still same-old, same-old.

The "Report a Problem" link in the iTunes store takes you to a generic itunes FAQ page.

 

[nintendojones]

For those of us who still can't buy the iPhone because ATT doesn't have coverage in our area, the touch is the best answer. And this is a screw-job, at least right now, because if you don't pay for the upgrade you not only don't get the iPhone apps but you don't get an editable home screen or web clipping. So the 1.1.3 firmware is useless without paying $20. Wait I guess you get a different looking dock.

 

[hampy]

Where did I imply 20 bucks is insignificant. Read my posts. I said if you justify the price than buy the apps. Or else don't. A 300+ iPod is fine with you but a 20$ software upgrade ain't. You think apple is wrong. I also think exactly the same in this case. But all this whining bout 20$ bucks is really immature and childish.

BTW Mods please lock this thread. There is nothing but rubbish going on here All the whiners please go and register ur complaint at apple and beg for 20$.

No wonder you want the thread locked, the logic here won't stand up to scrutiny. So because the iPod cost $300-$400, the people who paid all that cash -- in my case, as a present for my wife this Christmas -- should feel OK about paying a mere $20 to get Mail? Do you know what the profit margin is on an iPod? I don't think it would hurt Apple to add these apps, which should have been on the Touch in the first place, without fleecing customers who've already paid a big sum which has comfortably lined Apple's pockets. We're not talking about Sony and the PS3 here, no-one's arguing that Apple sold the Touch (or the Phone) at a loss to build the customer base. Apple made a ton of money from these products, now they're trying to take down customers for an app like Mail that they've always given away free in OS X. For a corporation sitting on $15bn of cash, at least some of it generated by the pricey iPod Touch, it's very poor indeed.

$1.99, like the n update, maybe... if you can come up with some crazy Sarbannes-Oxley rationale. But $20 is just insulting.

 

[stoutboy1]

It's more like making you pay for the 10.6 update for your iMac.

Which they will do. Even though people who buy the same iMac you have will get it for free.

Are you serious? Its not the same at all... It's like buying an imac then the next day they sale that same imac with apeture included at the same price. The ipod touch owners are getting screwed. It's not a promotion, they're giving it away, its not an upgrade its new software. To save face they should charge everyone or no one.

you touch owners got screwed by

 

[dreamworks21]

help??

Hey my name is Sean -

I just downloaded the apple software upgrade for the iPod Touch (the $20 upgrade) and i connected my iPod, followed the directions (which said to sync it with iTunes) and the apps still are not on the touch. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Sean

 

[CompUSAMacNerd]

Starting to be annoyed.

OK, So.. I decided to pay the 20 bucks because I really don't care about the money, and I'd love the apps.

So, I get the new iTunes update, I get the new ipod 1.1.3 update. Then I buy the program.

Nothing, so I synch it like 10 times and still nothing.

I call Apple Care. Guy #1 says: Restore your iPod and after you do that, everything should pop up. OK, so I restore it. Nothing happened. No new icons. No way to figure out how to play with it.

Call again.

Guy #2 says, "Watch the video on the iPod touch website and it will walk you through it." "OK, what video?" I watch the original video just for laughs and it's not updated or anything. I also get hung up on during the 'please hold' phase. He didn't sound like he spoke good english either, which was frustrating.

So, do I call a third time or call in the morning? Is ANYONE actually getting this to WORK and if so , what did you do? Email me at: JasonAisling@mac.com I would love to hear how you did it. Maybe I"m doing something wrong, I dunno.

Thanks for your time.

 

[booshtukka]

It reminds me of my 2 year old SPOILED kid. He has to have everything. No matter what. If he thinks he should have it then he has to get it there and then. Or else he`ll start crying. Crying and crying until he gets what he wants even if it makes no sense. I cant expect my 2year old to grow up and start thinking logically but for the rest of us............... I can atleast hope.

Very off-topic, but, dude - that's your son you're talking about. If he's spoilt, it's because someone spoiled him... My one year old doesn't behave like that, and neither does my three year old.

Okay. Back to apple.

 

[ALoLA]

If Apple was really out to screw everyone, they'd charge for every *new* feature added. They don't in some cases because they are not required to. In this case, I'm fairly certain that regulatory requirements compel them to charge something and it has to be appropriate for what is being added (i.e. it can't be just $2, like the 802.11n update, because it adds more functionality). We need someone to quote the actual requirement from the law to finally put this one to rest.

Anyway, the bottom line is that early adopters bought their devices, whether it be iPhone, iPod, or iMac, at the time for the features that were present on the device at the time. If you're going to be an early adopter, you run the risk of missing out on later functionality for the privilege of having/using the device first. If you don't want to take that chance, don't be an early adopter and wait for revision B. No one is forcing you to buy in early. No one is forcing you to buy the new functionality now. I have been caught in the early adopter conundrum myself, but I accepted the consequences because I accepted the risk.

 

[vwDavid]

Sdk?

YAh, so as asked previously, what precedent does this set for SDK? Are we going to have to buy a $65 app just to load 3rd party developed apps on our iPhones?

Well if SDK is free then I should be able to load iPhone apps onto my ipod touch w/o jailbreaking right? That would really cause the $20 spenders some consternation.

I bet apple will be charging for the app to load 3rd party apps. Looks like iPod touch does not promote subscription or rental income for Apple. I wonder if this is a precedent for OS updates etc....

 

[Antares]

How the free applications work

The 5 applications are obviously not already loaded onto the iPod Touches that already packaged and sitting in stores. Here's my theory on how the free applications will work:

Remember when you first registered your Touch? .....You get a welcome screen in iTunes that offers you a free download of a tv show, a free music video and a free song. Well, when you register your iPod Touch now, you'll probably also be offered a download of the applications for free. That's the only way that this will work other than getting a code from Apple to enter into iTunes.

If they go the code route, it will work in the same way that the various other iTunes promo codes work...enter a code and songs tied to the code will automatically download into iTunes. Only now, the apps will download instead of songs.

 

[66217]

Btw Roco, can you not buy an itunes gift voucher(off ebay) and use that to buy these apps. I've never tried it but it seems like an okay workaround. Not the best solution though.

It should work. I have purchased from the iTunes Store with gift card I bought at the US. Problem is I don't have plan currently to go tot he US.

As for eBay, how does this works? They send you a key-code to get your iTunes credit?

Is it possible to buy gift cards from Amazon? Apple Store?

I'll see if I can find a gift card in my city, if not hopefully Apple would make the download available from Apple.com.

 

[HelixOmnimedia]

Ok...

I also gritted my teeth and grudged paying the £12.99... then now regret it.

Why?

Stocks - honestly but I don't care

Maps - USA Only! Have I missed something, do I need to touch something that makes it work in the UK? I tried searching, but nothing.

Weather - Ok, that's a nice feature to have.

Notes - now that's cool to have, but not worth £12.99.

Mail - I can't get it setup. I have a BT.com account, but its not recognising anything... anyone else have this problem or could someone let me know how to set it up.

The Wiggle and rearranging icons is cool.

 

[electronboy]

Hmm... $20 Upgrade fee to add applications to iPod touch that were likely developed and given free to iPhone owners. Makes me GLAD that I did NOT purchase any iPod for the holidays.

 

[Teddy's]

Hey my name is Sean -

I just downloaded the apple software upgrade for the iPod Touch (the $20 upgrade) and i connected my iPod, followed the directions (which said to sync it with iTunes) and the apps still are not on the touch. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Sean

OK, So.. I decided to pay the 20 bucks because I really don't care about the money, and I'd love the apps.

So, I get the new iTunes update, I get the new ipod 1.1.3 update. Then I buy the program.

Nothing, so I synch it like 10 times and still nothing.

Go Jailbreak! NOW!

 

[stoutboy1]

If Apple was really out to screw everyone, they'd charge for every *new* feature added. They don't in some cases because they are not required to. In this case, I'm fairly certain that regulatory requirements compel them to charge something and it has to be appropriate for what is being added (i.e. it can't be just $2, like the 802.11n update, because it adds more functionality). We need someone to quote the actual requirement from the law to finally put this one to rest.


Anyway, the bottom line is that early adopters bought their devices, whether it be iPhone, iPod, or iMac, at the time for the features that were present on the device at the time. If you're going to be an early adopter, you run the risk of missing out on later functionality for the privilege of having/using the device first. If you don't want to take that chance, don't be an early adopter and wait for revision B. No one is forcing you to buy in early. No one is forcing you to buy the new functionality now. I have been caught in the early adopter conundrum myself, but I accepted the consequences because I accepted the risk.

Why can Microsoft Update date the Zune at no cost?
Why did they update the iphone with new features at no cost?

It's not a legal issue.

 

[APPLENEWBIE]

I think it's odd that the Apple TV gets a s**tload of new features and that software upgrade is FREE. But iPod Touch gets features that aren't really new, and it costs $20? I guess the Apple TV updates are going to be subsidized by the movie rental costs.

Uh, the difference is that apple sells a s***load of ipod touch's and relatively few appleTV's. The market will bear a $20 upgrade to ipod touch. Apple is still trying to popularize the appleTV, so it is being careful about it's pricing... don't give people a new reason not to buy it. We're gonna buy all the ipod touch's they can make...

 

[jonathanjong]

Anyway, the bottom line is that early adopters bought their devices, whether it be iPhone, iPod, or iMac, at the time for the features that were present on the device at the time.

This is an empirical hypothesis, and I think it is false. It'll take a larger sample size to know for sure, but many people i know who bought the iPhone and iPodTouch didn't buy them "for the features that were present." They, or I should say "we", were buying these products for the potential. And again, Jobs fueled out expectations. The iPod Touch and iPhone are not like regular pieces of hardware; here the future was more open than ever before. I do worry that the post-SDK 3rd party apps will require this $20 pack...but hopefully it'll just require the free 1.1.3 update.