Bend Over, We’ve Got a $20 Firmware Upgrade For You
In what can hardly be called a customer-friendly move, Apple has decided to charge current iPod Touch owners for the latest firmware upgrade to version 1.1.3. Truth be told, this was probably the only completely unexpected announcement in the whole of Jobs’ keynote. Version 1.1.3 adds five apps from the iPhone catalog; Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes. It also adds some of the new functionality covered in the million iPhone write-ups you’ve already read. The most important note in a business sense, however, is that the update enables the iPod Touch to view iTunes rentals on the device. In other words, Apple is charging their customers $20 for the ability to go and spend more money to watch iTunes rentals on the Touch. This is very peculiar indeed. New iPod Touch units shipped with 1.1.3 won’t be $20 more expensive; only existing users are penalized. We would think that Apple would do everything in its power to make the upgrade as accessible as possible to encourage iTunes movie rental experimentation, but apparently not. At any rate, if you’re too lazy to jailbreak your Touch or too excited to pass on viewing iTunes rentals on your 3.5" display, the 1.1.3 firmware is now available for purchase in iTunes.
I think you have it wrong. I believe 1.1.3 is a free upgrade and that is what enables iTunes Video rentans, customizing the home screen, and web clips on the ipod touch. If you want to add the apps you alredy have to be at 1.1.3 and then you pay just for the apps.
No, Gregg. At the keynote yesterday, it was clearly stated that existing iPod Touch owners would need to bay $20 to update to 1.1.3.
Wonder how long before iPhone owners pay for their updates?
I still think im right. Look at the page in itunes where you buy the update. It says 1.1.3 is required to purchase/install the January update. “Sync your ipod touch and click ‘Check for Update’ to get up to date BEFORE buying the january software upgrade. – ipod touch software version 1.1.3 is required to install the ipod touch january software upgrade. Anybody with one of these devices care to chime in?
Actually you can update to the 1.1.3 for free but you do not get the apps … I did this last night and basically broke down and paid the $20 … after I updated to 1.1.3
I was a little pissed off that I have to pay an extra $20 for the apps since I was an early adopter of the device. You would think that it would be free but I understand its a business. I’m not going to cry over $20 for a few apps that I will use a lot.
I am not a iPod Touch user, I’m an iPhone user. However, I was really incensed at this move and it really pissed me off, considering it’s free if you get a new Touch. I remember watching agape at the rest of the keynote, wondering why the crowd didn’t boo him off stage for that move. Real classless, Steve.
Does the free 1.1.3 Update include the ability to customize the home screen and create webclips?
I think if you get a new touch all you get is 1.1.3 free – not the apps. These are totally OPTIONAL apps that an ipod user may never want/need.
this is such garbage. all new ipod touchs will get these new apps and the people that bought it early get fucked! steve lick my balls.
@Gregg
All new iPod touch sold from yesterday and on will include the apps for free, anyone who got the touch before the keynote will have to pay $20 for the apps.
I read that Apple is charging because they do not necesarilly make a profit on it when they update the apps on the touch, since the iphone is a subscription based device. Sounds kinda greedy to me as I see no reason why not to add the apps.
It was stated in the keynote and on all websites covering the after-events about the price and conditions. I wonder if Apple will change their mind like they did with the $200 price cut for the iphone last year and offer refunds at a later time.
It won’t be long before touch users can get these apps for free. Next week they will be posted on some hacker website.
I loaded the “free” 1.1.3 on my Touch yesterday which contained “bug fixes” and the “ability to rent movies via iTunes”.
No apps.
Guys, this has to do with accounting rules…Apple TVs & iPhones are booked as subscription revenues over a 24 month period or so while iPods etc. are booked immediately; if they could have, they would have. Blame the execs at Enron et al for giving birth to these changes.
Come on guys, we all know in a month or two the apps will be available for free. It’s Apple. They see what they can get up front, and then cut the cost once they got all the fanboy money. For example, the iPhone.
It’s ONLY $20! I could see if it was $50 but come on!!! You’ll probably blow $20 at the bar this weekend anyways. lol
I dont understand the problem, 5 new applications for $20, sounds like a great deal!
I can’t account for all the money I have spent over the years for add-on applications for my Blackberries, Palms and Windows Mobile devices.
Its new functionality that didn’t exist when you bought the device, so I don’t understand the gripe.
come on people its $20 get over it.
Yeah, it sucks that pre-keynote iPod Touch buyers have to pay $20 to get more software, and the post-keynote buyers don’t. The fact remains that the “early adopters” willingly paid $300-400 for a device that didn’t have those programs. Now Apple is offering more software to make it even more iPhone-like, and those same people who shelled out up to $400 don’t want to pay another $20 to make their iPod even better. Would this be more acceptable if Apple simply dropped the iPod $20 in price and still didn’t offer these apps for the iPod? And to claim that iPhone users aren’t paying for these programs is a lie – they pay well over $20 every month to use these programs, and are stuck with AT&T for two years.
The $20 feels better in my bank account than in Apple’s.
it is not the money that bothers me. it is the principle. if new touch owners had to pay $20 for the apps, i would be fine with paying for the apps. these apps have already been on the iphone for months, so no new resources must be exhausted to develop them and place them on the touch. as far as i can tell, the phone and touch have the same os and architecture. easy port there.
on top of this insult, apple refuses to release a phone for CDMA. arrrgggghhhh! i am in purgatory. unable to buy the iphone (i despise att), unable to upgrade the touch to integrate it further into my life, penalized for being an early adopter of the touch (obtained before release date and returned initially for the black-screen issues. totally happy with current units performance), unable to buy the new apps (my conscience won’t allow me), still carrying around phone/ipod/pda!
steve, do the right thing. this smacks of the old iphone price drop. how much money do you need. seriously. apple is an 800 pound gorilla in the tech world. it ain’t like you guys are hurtin! i just bought two friggin macbooks and ipods within the last 4 months. throw us a bone!
Like Igor Jablokov, this is all about about accounting rules. I’m having to pay for the apps as well, but it’s not Apple’s fault. Remember the WiFi upgrade?
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39285560,00.htm
Jobs is using some special type of lube that makes many to keep coming back for more.
JOBS can kiss my ass……I spend $400 on an itouch and now he wants to rip me off for more ?….last apple product I’ll ever buy
Is that an upcoming product leak @NuShrike? iLube?
Never buy the first hot thing from Apple!!
I think the $20 price tag is bull since you pay $300 or $400 in the first place. It comes with the new ones so you should get it too. It’s not like your Touch is old, they’re all the same so that’s total bull.