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patdude

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#18607 16-Jan-2008 09:34
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It looks like greed has got the better of Steve Jobs. Apple in their infinite wisdom have decided to charge US$20 for the latest iPod Touch software update which gives the UI an overhaul and 5 apps. Apps similar to these are avialable elsewhere for other platforms as free downloads (e.g. Google Maps)...

Even more galling is the fact that all new iPod touch's are getting the upgrade and apps pre-installed for free whilst loyal early adopters get smacked down and forced to subsidise yet another black skivvy for his royal jobness

Is it just me or does this really blow goats? If Microsoft decided do the same thing as Apple and charge for software updates there'd be hell to pay - why should Apple get away with this? I reckon we should all e-mail apple to tell them how sucky this really is

Here's a copy of the Apple press release:
Apple Announces Major Software Upgrade for iPod touch

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today
announced a major software upgrade for the iPod(R) touch, making the best iPod
into even more -- the world's best Wi-Fi mobile device. iPod touch customers
already have the most advanced mobile web browser in the world with
Safari(TM), and now Apple is adding five more great mobile applications --
Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes. The iPod touch software upgrade also
includes new features such as Web Clips, a customizable home screen and
beginning today, the ability to watch iTunes(R) Movie Rentals. New iPod touch
products shipping from the factory will include the software upgrade and
existing iPod touch customers can get the software upgrade for $19.99 by
purchasing and downloading it from iTunes (http://www.itunes.com).
"These amazing new mobile applications make iPod touch not only the best
iPod, but the best Wi-Fi mobile device in the world," said Steve Jobs, Apple's
CEO. "With its revolutionary touch interface and software, plus its stunning
3.5 inch screen, iPod touch is evolving into the first mainstream Wi-Fi mobile
platform of the 21st century."
Mail on iPod touch is a rich HTML email client that fetches email in the
background from most POP3 or IMAP mail services and displays photos and
graphics along with the text of the email. Users can configure Mail for
Google's Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, .Mac Mail or most POP or IMAP based mail services
with just a few clicks.
Maps on iPod touch features the ability to automatically find your current
location using nearby Wi-Fi base stations*, and use it as a starting or ending
point for directions or to find local points of interest. Users can get
real-time traffic conditions, and view maps in map or satellite view, or a
hybrid view which combines map and satellite views so you can see major street
names overlaid on satellite imagery.
Stocks and Weather allow users to access live stock and weather reports at
their fingertips, and Notes lets you jot down information on-the-go using the
intelligent keyboard.
The iPod touch home screen can now be customized, allowing users to
reorder and add new icons, with support for up to nine different home screens
which they can easily flick between. With the new Web Clips feature, you can
even create custom icons on your home screen for your favorite websites. Web
Clips are a great way to easily track web sites that you frequently check such
as news, blogs, sports sites, movie listings and more.
With Apple's new iTunes Movie Rentals, movie fans can rent movies on their
computer, easily and quickly transfer them to their iPod touch, and watch them
anywhere on iPod touch's gorgeous 3.5 inch screen. Users can also now navigate
forward or backward through their movies by chapters, select alternate
language tracks and view subtitles, if available.

Pricing & Availability
The software upgrade for iPod touch is available immediately. New iPod
touch products shipping from the factory will include the software upgrade and
existing iPod touch customers can get the software upgrade for $19.99 by
purchasing and downloading it from iTunes (http://www.itunes.com). iTunes
Movie Rentals are available in the US only. Further information for iPod touch
can be found at http://www.apple.com/ipod.

*Availability and precision of Maps positioning features will vary
depending on actual location.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-
winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional
applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its
iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered
the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

(C) 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac
OS, Macintosh, iPod, Safari and iTunes are trademarks of Apple. Other company
and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.


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Fossie
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  #105176 16-Jan-2008 12:06
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manhinli
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  #105177 16-Jan-2008 12:09
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Although I'm very sad I lost $28, I'm still happy.




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Fossie
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  #105178 16-Jan-2008 12:11
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I already had all of those features :o mmm jailbreak FTW



gehenna
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  #109094 7-Feb-2008 15:43
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...screwed even harder now that the 32Gb version has been released!

manhinli
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  #109095 7-Feb-2008 15:47
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So, let's go over:
  • Free built in "5 apps" and other features for future iPod touches from the factory
  • Discounted iPod touches (it seems like it's only for the NZ market)
  • Surprising 32GB iPod touch for $100 more than the original price for the 16GB ($649)
Hmm...




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spazz
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  #110281 12-Feb-2008 23:49
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How is this any different to upgrading your computer's OS to the latest version? If I bought a new Mac prior to Leopard's release, I'd obviously have to pay to upgrade. If I bought it after Leopard's release, I would get it free. Why is it so disgusting that the same concept be applied to a mobile OS?

Furthermore, think of how pissed all the iPhone owners are that bought an iPhone primarily for the apps that the Touch didn't (at the time, anyway) have? I imagine the $20 is, for some, a 'justice tax'; after all, he/she may have spent the extra $100 for the iPhone purely for the Maps/Mail apps alone...




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