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Is there a physical reason that the original iPhone and iPod touch can't run 4.0?
- Thread starter Bat Commander
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Why would you want OS 4.0 when the main pie (Multitasking) will be missing if you're not a 3GS user? Seems to me like Apple just about managed to get OS running for the 3G to soften the blow and the lack of GPS (location API) 3G (reliable data stream) seemed like to much of a sacrifice for the 2G
...then its probably just the $$$ issue
...then its probably just the $$$ issue
iPhone and iPhone 3G are essentially the same phone but for some reason, the iPhone 3G isn't too slow to run 4.0, but the original iPhone can't handle it.
Just like Aggie said... It's all about money... Not about whether it's technically possible or not.
Just like Aggie said... It's all about money... Not about whether it's technically possible or not.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
can you imagine if every 3rd imac/macbook iteration Apple said, "nope sorry your current (3 iterations back) iMac is currently unable to run our new OS. Buy a new iMac or suffer the consequences!!! That would make my late 2007 macbook now obsolete!!
Phones and computers - 2 very different things.
People still don't understand this.
I understand the devices are becoming more and more similar... but it's obvious the two mediums aren't 100% the same.
You also can't buy just an OS for your phone. Or run another OS on your iPhone natively. Or upgrade the core components individually, just apps.
Really, people. Common sense here.
Are you willing to pay for the QA process to support your phone? Apple is not a charity. They can not spend money testing every software release on every version of hardware they have ever made that might potentially support something. If they released the software without testing it on your platform and it turned out to have problems, now you will be expecting them to support you. Just because many of the hardware specs on the device are the same, does not make them the same devices.
$200-$600 for a phone.
$1000-$3000 for a computer.
There's a difference. Plus, it seems on other forums (MBP one as an example) people have 2-3 year old MBPs and they are planning on upgrading. These are $2000 computers people are fine upgrading every few years.
Most people don't mind updating a $200 phone every 2-3 years.
Just my 2 cents.
To the whiners:
Seriously? It's pretty simple.
A: It costs Apple money to test against 2+ year old hardware.
B: They WANT you to buy the new version. If they add all the new features to the old phones, how would they sell the new version? Apple is a profit-driven business. Releasing new phones every year is no different than Adobe releasing a new version of Photoshop every year. Nobody is forcing you to buy it, and when you bought it, it was never implied that they would give you new functionality.
Seriously!
Seriously? It's pretty simple.
A: It costs Apple money to test against 2+ year old hardware.
B: They WANT you to buy the new version. If they add all the new features to the old phones, how would they sell the new version? Apple is a profit-driven business. Releasing new phones every year is no different than Adobe releasing a new version of Photoshop every year. Nobody is forcing you to buy it, and when you bought it, it was never implied that they would give you new functionality.
Seriously!
There are some quirky differences between the 1st gen iPhone and the iPhone 3G. The audio quality of the built-in mic/speaker circuitry is much much lower on the 1st gen phone. The battery charging circuitry is different in regards to firewire 12V pin support. Perhaps the baseband radio CPU (not the 400MHz application CPU) may also be more limited in boot memory or something.
Phones and computers - 2 very different things.
Lets see, my iPhone has:
A CPU
A GPU
RAM
Long term storage (flash memory)
A full-color LCD display
WIFI
Bluetooth
And a somewhat crippled USB interface
In other words, it is more a computer than a telephone.
I am, however, starting to get the feeling that Apple thinks the way you do. That's fine if that is the way they want to run their business, but it precludes me from buying into the iPad, or buying into another round with the iPhone. Call me a whiner if you want, but I refuse to spend what little income I have on products from a company that engages in planned obsolescence that is so completely obvious. I can just see myself dropping $1300+ on a pair of iPads only to be told two years from now "Sorry, but even though the model after yours is basically identical except for GPS, a camera, and a new skin, we just couldn't find the money to repackage the OS for your specific model. But if you like you can buy the new version for $225! No sale? Well thanks anyway for your previous contribution to the tens of billions of dollars in profit we have made in the last few years."
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...
Do you know how old of a computer officially supports Safari 4? A 12 year old B&W G3.
But your right, physically displaying folders on the screen would be too hard for a first generation iPhone. Unifying the inboxes in Mail would probably be too challenging as well.
Audio quality?
An extra charging circuit?
Baseband radio memory limitations?????
ARE YOU SERIOUS?????
You know, Steve Jobs is perfectly capable of spewing enough BS without your help.
I didn't say the difference are good reasons. But they do make the devices different enough that you can't just drop code from one onto the other. No OS 4.0 compatible sound driver for the old audio hardware would make it pretty difficult to use that device as a cell phone for instance. The baseband radio CPU differences could be far more serious.
They're called drivers. Basically every part of the phone needs them. The "quirks" worked out in the 3G means that there are parts of the 1G that aren't equivalent. It's not illegitimate for Apple to say it's not going to support updating and testing temperamental drivers for a device not even making it money anymore. The drivers in a phone aren't built like the drivers in a PC OS. They're usually very specifically targeted to a narrow range of hardware so that the system can use its resources most effectively.
Even if there aren't driver problems, the software would still need to be tested, which also costs money. Apple has no obligation to shell out money to support a minority of their userbase, most of whom likely will upgrade soon either way.