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.
On Jan 16, 2008 @ 8:36 pm, secretasianman Said:
Well I’m convinced… Apple IS as bad (if not worse) than Microsoft.
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On Jan 16, 2008 @ 9:10 pm, Mark Said:
Do these apps come in the standard 1.1.3 download? I saw the upgrade was 165 megs when I downloaded it last night.
If so, and I decide not to purchase the applications for $20, then I’m carrying around “dead weight” in my iPod Touch. Memory would be dedicated to store these applications I chose not to purchase but because they would occupy memory that otherwise I could use to store music, podcasts or photos.
If that is the case, then this “upgrade” is bull. Sure hope Jobs doesn’t decide to eat up a couple of gigs offering me an “upgrade” of applications that I can’t use unless I pony up to the Apple Bar.
Cheap Steve!
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 10:01 am, Jeff Said:
I upgraded my iPod Touch the same evening of the keynote…$19.99 (plus tax, since Apple has physical stores in my state) was really not too much to spend for the greatly increased “iPhone-like” functionaliy of the “push” Mail application! I now have five or six email accounts configured to automatically “push” emails every 15 minutes to me via WiFi at home and work, this saves me tons of time and is very convenient. The Mail App HTML-rich viewing experience is awesome. looks great on the Touch’s screen and blows away the competition.
I love the web clippings feature, plus the capability of having NINE home screens containing icon shortcuts to pretty much any website or third party app (when they become available) that I want to access! Being able to move any icon in any order onto any home screen is very cool! The Weather widget is also useful, Stocks and Notes I can take or leave. The new GPS-like location-finder function in Maps, along with the ability to get nearby Points of Interest and directions to destinations is also a valuable new feature.
Having the capability to transfer a movie rental from iTunes is all right, though I don’t think I’ll use this feature at all, since this requires having several gigs of space available on the device for just one movie. I can “rip” multiple movies onto the iPod Touch using the same disk space without the constraint of having to watch them within 24 hours. I will never ever rent a movie from iTunes, I already have way too many other options to get movies (Comcast Premium channels and On-Demand, NetFlix, Blockbuster, or DVD purchase of movies).
So basically I now have a “WiFi” version of the iPhone, WITHOUT the insanely expensive AT&T monthly costs (well over $2,400 over two years!).
Overall, the iPod Touch would be a perfect device if it was Adobe Flash-enabled (come on Apple, how HARD could that be?) and if you could save files to the internal drive. Still, to me the upgraded iPod Touch’s new functionality is well worth the $20!
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 12:14 pm, RS Said:
Just wanted to applaud your title. Gave me a good chuckle.
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 12:52 pm, Sqube Said:
I’m amused at the apologists here. The accounting rule only says that Apple has to charge a nominal fee. If they weren’t interested in cackling all the way to the bank as iFanboys bent over and asked for more like Oliver Twist, they would have charged $0.01 (or whatever the equivalent is in your country).
But they didn’t. They charged you $20. In my eyes, that means that this was just as much about getting money as it was fulfilling the requirements of an obscure rule that was created in the wake of Enron et al.
But you go ahead and keep on believing that Jesus — I’m sorry, Stevie J — only charged you because he had to, if that’ll help you get to sleep tonight.
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 1:38 pm, Seabass Said:
THIS BLOWS
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 1:46 pm, Seabass Said:
I just registered a new Itouch was a gift and tried to update and it asked me for $19.99.
Not sure when it was purchased but the box was unopened. I hate apple!!
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 11:18 pm, Shaun Said:
Um, no. It’s the flippant attitude of “it’s only $20″ that bleeds the community of the power to push back at crap like this. I have pride and I will not be treated this way. It’s not the money. Boy Genius is a good example of this - he says he broke down (morally?) and decided, “what the hay, I’ll try being buggered”. Apple counts on this divided mentality. I’m off to sign a petition - you know there’s one out there somewhere. *few minutes later* Yup, there sure is. 7800+ as I write this (petitionOnline).
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 11:23 pm, Shaun Said:
Hi Jeff - how are the benefits over there at Apple? And Do they make you haunt forums on your spare time or do you get to pet Steve’s pet Llama’s at company picnics as payment?
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On Jan 17, 2008 @ 11:54 pm, dee Said:
Go ahead. You know you like it my sheep…
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On Jan 18, 2008 @ 8:17 am, Jeff Said:
Hi Shaun - No I do not work for Apple, I am definitely a Mac user as opposed to Winblows. I choose Apple’s superior user interface and high quality products over the poorly designed mediocre Microsoft products favored by the proletariat lemming masses.
I am just stating my opinion, Shaun, which I have every right to do, and am expressing satisfaction with my own experience with my iPod Touch’s newly expanded functionality, well worth the money. If Apple decides to make this free in the future, I’ll get a refund.
Nobody is being forced to pay the $20, anyone can upgrade to 1.1.3 for free, only the five new widgets incur the additional cost.
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On Jan 20, 2008 @ 4:33 pm, Shaun Said:
I’m a Mac user too, although I’m not about to enter into a classist flame war about OSs. If you game - Windows has it’s place. In your previous post, you were much too willing to act the apologist for Apple. Hense my admittedly sarcastic response.
I am aware you’re allowed your opinion. Why begrudge me mine?
The issue is not about the quality of the apps - we all know they’re good. That’s why we wanted them on iPod initially (and Apple refused). They’ve been around awhile. That’s the problem - they’re not new and they’re free to new Touch buyer’s, but $20 for 3-week ones. If we all refused to be mistreated maybe we’d get the refund you mention. It’s the ones that willingly give in, like you, that allows this BS to continue.
You are willing to allow Apple to sell you what is free to others - you essentially allow Apple to put you into a lower class of customer. Who’s the lemming?
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On Feb 12, 2008 @ 2:34 am, Ariobarzan Makoui Said:
No idiot, don’t talk out of your ass, gregg is right, you DON’T have to pay to UPGRADE to 1.1.3, i did upgrade for free, it’s only the apps that you pay $20 for!
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