Is It Right? Charge Apple iPod Touch users for 2.0 update
By: Daniel Chubb | July 11, 2008
The users of the Apple iPod Touch have known for a while they will have to pay for the iPod Touch 2.0 firmware update, but is it really right to charge for this update, especially for what it includes.
Apple are charging iPod Touch users for an update that essentially allows users to buy Apps from the iTunes store, with that in mind do you think its right?
Although these iPod Touch owners will get a lot more than just support to buy applications from the new app store, it will still be in many Touch owners minds that this update could be made free.
Do you think that Apple should have made this iPod Touch firmware free?
Currently we do not have a time when this new firmware will be Official available, although as soon as the iPod Touch 2.0 update is available for download we will let you know so keep an eye on our homepage.
Last week some users had updated their firmware to version 2.0 but this was an unofficial update that we are led to believe was not finished.
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Now Available: iPod Touch and iPhone 2.0 update
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Apple has a link on their website to buy the update, unfortunately when clicking on said link it produces a message say “The store is temporarily unavailable.”
It’s a disgrace. The iPod Touch isn’t exactly cheap and charging for upgrades is a bad precedent. The upgrade is downloaded to the iPod, along with the standard security updates etc. with the user having to pay to unlock it. Considering the main purpose of the update is to allow the ability to add paid for apps to the iPod, it seems like Apple could be shooting themselves in the foot.
I’ve tried to update mine to 2.0 but it said the store was down. Tried it a few minutes later, and the iPod is apparently “up to date” again at 1.1.4… Looks like Apple fucked something up…
I don’t think it’s released yet.
Yeah, that’s what MacRumors says.
According to Mac rumours, update 2 buyers get the January update for free. Fine for them but what about those who paid for the Jan update, I assume they won’t get this one for free. Again, it’s a disgrace.
And the Jan update was $20 too.
It’s always nice to get something free, but how many other products do you get major improvements for for free? Be happy with your beautiful iPod Touch and if you want to enhance it, buy an upgrade. At least you don’t have to buy a whole new iPod, as in the past.
Does Apple do everything exactly as we’d like? No, but imagine a world where Apple didn’t exist. We’d still be using a command line interface. Remember, it’s a business, not a charity. Lucky for us, it produces some amazing products.
A pretty silly question, poorly phrased, if you ask me. The reason why this is happening isn’t even mentioned. Apple has already represented that (at least in their opinion) they must charge something for this update to avoid getting themselves into Sarbanes-Oxley accounting disclosure issues. Are their bean counters right or are they being too cautious? I don’t know, but I certainly haven’t heard anyone with any real knowledge of the law dispute this claim with anything approaching authority — just a whole lot of people griping that it’s “wrong,” as if charging for software is immoral or some such thing. This article seems to be designed to perpetuate this misconception.
I just paid for an update to my iPod Touch, just to get email and weather apps. Now another one? I always felt the ipod touch should have come with the email facility in the first place. The iPhone did, and it is virtually the same machine.
I really don’t like this precedent that Apple is setting. It seems everyone has their hand out for more and more of our hard earned money these days.