Macworld 2008: $20 Upgrade Fee for iPod Touch Firmware

Too late, already have them on my iPod Touch. Apple keeps hacking off their early adopters, you would think they would like to retain those people.

Totally lame, just gives us another reason to jailbreak, i already have the apps on mine because I’ve done it already, i suppose some people might pay it

LAME? this is just a rippoff, I didt want to jailbreak my touch but i guess i’ll have to, I mean, why is he charging me $20 for a software upgrade that all the new ipod touchs to come will have for free? I think this is a really bad decision, really bad. Actually, it ripped my cheers for all the other cool anounces made today… Besides, even if I have the money I cant get the damn upgrade, since here in latinamerica we don’t have and active itunes store… Really bad Appple, it’s really sad Steve…

I would care, but I have an iPhone….

Really though, they should have been standard.

I don’t know why they would make you pay for what SHOULD to be a free firmware update. Hmmm..

I can’t fathom that they actually believe people will pay for this firmware update. When they first started announcing the new apps for the iPod Touch I started thinking that I might have to un-jailbreak mine . . . then he said $20 for the update. I agree with both Michael and Curtis, the apps should have been standard, and the firmware update should be free. Charging for it is ridiculous.

I won’t be upgrading. Moving apps around easily is nice, but not worth $20. I can do that now with Customize.app and I have Mail for free. They should have been standard in the first place. Now if Apple decides that they will charge new buyers the $20 as well, I’d be less dissapointed. But charging early adopters $20 for software? Reminds me of the iPhone price drop. Just not smart business.

If you bought the iPod Touch, then you got what you paid for. Apple has zero responsibility to give you anything other than what originally came with the device, other than bug fixes. You don’t deserve anything. If Apple offers it for free, then great! But if they don’t, you have no right to complain, because you didn’t pay for the extra software in the first place? Remember, this is after all an iPod we’re talking about, not an iPhone, they are two different devices with two different purposes. If you wanted to functionality of a communications device, then you should have bought one!

If a third party were releasing this software, you wouldn’t be complaining. Why is it different just because the manufacturer of the device wrote it?Since they make money off hardware, then they can’t make money off software as well? I didn’t hear you complaining when you had to pay for Leopard?

Treo users pay for software. Blackberry users pay for software. And those are both phones. What makes you think an MP3 player (with video) should include an e-mail client and widgets to get stock and weather info?

Unbelievable. I buy one early, and I get shafted. Maybe I should find a way to return it and get a new one, eh?

that will just make more people hack the Touch for these apps. I did, and it was……….. FREE!

If you called this “software” instead of “firmware” I dont think you would get may complaints. This isnt a printer driver udpate, its a functionality change to a pretty nice device.

I think Im ok with them charging for a new version when the whole point is to add a significant chunk of new functionality that was never part of the original sales pitch. “You” bought the iPod touch for the functionality it had at the time, so if “you” dont want to pay the $20, dont, and just enjoy the cool hardware you wanted, purchased, and received.

I am outraged! Service improvements are something I *expect* when I purchase a product for almost $500. And the thing that tips this into crazyville is that jailbreaking the iPod touch is so very easy. “Have all this and more for free or pay for a couple crappy apps…hmmm.”

Marketing suicide.

There’s no way to pay $20 for software upgrade already in use in iphone. iPhone and Apple TV users dont have to pay for their really major updates.

$20 certainly isn’t a lot, but it’s frustrating that Apple PURPOSELY crippled the Touch to start with and is now charging to “upgrade” to what the original functionality should have been anyway. Argh. I really like Apple, but this is very, very uncool. It seriously shakes (if not ruins) my trust in them.

People who purchased the Ipod Touch before the update will have to pay $20 if they want the apps while people who purchased the Ipod Touch after the update will get these apps for free. Umm…It doesn’t seem to be fair, does it?

There is no way I am paying $20 for this update… I will jailbreak my ipod touch… Had not done it till date as I thought Apple will provide an update free of cost…

I don’t like being shafted for being an early buyer !!!!

I could not believe my eyes after iTunes updated my touch firmware, I was greeted with a message asking for money.

I didn’t like this so I boxed up my touch and returned it.

There you go Steve, I voted with my pocketbook. BTW Steve, I came back from the store with a Zune. Good bye Apple….

I thought apple was a really dope company way better then greedy old microsoft but I started to laugh when I saw it cost $20 bills to get the upgrade… I thought mac was different but I guess there just like everyother large company in the world still fucking over the little people who buy there products.. This is a asshole move i hope apple looses more money on the anysim iPhone then they do on tlthis bullshit upgrade

Everyone call apple costemer servies tommorrow and complain!!!

I am outraged that Apple is charging early buyers of the iPod Touch $20 for a system update that ought to be free.

While I understand Apple’s decision to charge money for the new applications the new $20 “application pack” also includes a SYSTEM UPDATE in the form of the home page editing, web clips, and lyrics features. All of these are updates to the currently existing iPod Touch software and NOT new applications, which means that they ought to be free to all users of the iPod Touch.

Adding insult to injury these applications are all hidden in the 1.1.3 system update, a whopping 104.4mb file that all users must download if they want to fix bugs in the system. These applications can only be used when you pay Apple $20 to “unlock” them, but even if you decide not to buy them they stay on your iPod taking up precious space that could be used for songs, videos, or photos.

Apple is normally wonderful when it comes to providing system support and updates, but having them shaft early adopters and loyal fans like this is offensive and shows that Apple has absolutely no regard for the iPod Touch community.

I was not planning on jailbreaking my iPod Touch, but after this outrageous behavior on the part of Apple I probably will.

As you all know, there are “ways” of getting 2.0, without paying and without jailbreaking.