Filed under: iPod Family, Rumors
Macworld: iPod touch gets January apps with 2.0 update
Macworld's Christopher Breen speculates that Mail, Stocks, Maps, Weather and Notes will be available for older iPod touch models as part of the 2.0 update coming on July 11. The apps are no longer available via the January Software Upgrade through iTunes. (Try clicking the link on this page to see what happens: nada.)
If you recall, The Stevinator said during the WWDC keynote that the 2.0 update will be available to iPod touch users for $9.99: half the cost of the January Software Upgrade that brought those apps (officially) to the iPod touch.
This move is sure to perturb the users who already bought the apps, who could be nearly $30 in the hole for something that will cost others (me, for example) a slim Hamilton.
I can think of a worse situation for iPod touch owners: Apple offering the apps individually via the app store, at some undetermined cost for each one. I have no reason at all to believe that will happen, and I really hope that it won't.
Update: Speculation alert! Christopher Breen (himself!) said in comments that his source for this information is a little shakier than he thought. He's updated the original article, and this post's been placed in the Rumors category. So add a few more grains o' salt to this one.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
cyclingplatypus said 3:45PM on 7-01-2008
WOW...that's going to cause a few ripples.
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JB said 3:46PM on 7-01-2008
Stop with all the complaining. All early adopters run the risks that come with being first - sometimes that means paying more.
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brian said 4:32PM on 7-01-2008
i paid the $20 for the january apps, and recently restored my ipod. i now miss out on the apps until 2.0 because apple barely recognizes that the upgrade exists anymore. yes, i am logged into itunes on my computer and ipod touch, and it shows up in my purchase history.
Martyn said 5:22PM on 7-01-2008
I too got bitten by the 'restore your iPod Touch but we won't restore it with the January Upgrade' issue.
If you buy the upgrade you should be able to restore it as part of the restore process. Sure if you buy music and delete it then it's gone, but the whole notion of the restore is that it should 'restore' your iPod to the latest version you subscribed to.
They won't let me have the upgrade even though they can see that I bought it, it's just plain meanness on their part.
Shame on you Apple.
Here's the 'icing sugar coated hammer on the head' response I got from their robot:
"I understand that you restored your iPod touch and lost your "January Software Upgrade". I know how upsetting it can be to lose your purchases. My name is Robot, and I am more then happy to help. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am unable to add "January Software Upgrade" back to your account. The iTunes Store is not responsible for the loss of purchases and encourages customers to back up their hard disks regularly. If an item needs to be replaced, you can restore your purchases from the backup and avoid the need to purchase replacement copies of titles from your collection. Additionally, please make back up copies of your new purchases on a regular basis."
What about giving me a pop up warning before I restore to say what I am about to risk? And what was this Back Up nonsense that iTunes got me to do just before it wiped my purchase? Why didn't that suffice? What a load of rubbish.
brentt said 6:33PM on 7-01-2008
i moved from a pc to mac then restored my ipod touch and lost the update i purchased on the pc. after talking to apple i was able to get them to allow me to re-download it, under the condition that i would not be able to re-download any lost purchases again (apparently they WILL allow you to re-download lost music/purchases 1 time in the case of a HDD failure,etc... something they probably don't want well-known)...
JB said 8:13PM on 7-01-2008
Not being able to retrieve your purchased items is pretty shitty. I do backup my iTunes purchases, but I've always wondered why I couldn't re-download items that I've already bought. Perhaps a simple product-key system like they use for quicktime pro would work better...?
Anyway, my comment was directed towards the original post. Let the commentators do the complaining. Either report the news or write a fleshed out opinion piece. I don't care which one, but please avoid blurring the line. That's why I quit reading Gizmodo.
Brandon Martinez said 3:49PM on 7-01-2008
Even though I'm low on the monies, I don't mind dropping a few dollars here and there for upgrades. I am well aware of the "early-adopter syndrome", and am willing to accept it.
Although, in heart, it is still disappointing.
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ChillyWilly said 12:40PM on 7-02-2008
I waited on paying $20 for the apps. Didn't need them on my wife's 16gb touch. But will spend the $10 to upgrade it to 2.0 and get the apps.
James Donevan said 3:53PM on 7-01-2008
"I can think of a worse situation for iPod touch owners: Apple offering the apps individually via the app store, at some undetermined cost for each one. I have no reason at all to believe that will happen, and I really hope that it won't."
Huh? Apple has already stated how these apps will be available to Touch users who wish to add these new apps (via iTunes at $9.99). Why create confusion by writing this nonsense?
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Drew Green said 3:56PM on 7-01-2008
I'm one of those users out $30. It'd be nice if Apple gave the Touch users who paid for the January upgrade an upgrade to 2.0 firmware for free.
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dbcn said 4:01PM on 7-01-2008
huh? I got an iPod touch in February that has all of these apps.
am i missing something?
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Robert Palmer said 4:03PM on 7-01-2008
People who bought an iPod touch before January 2008 didn't get those apps pre-loaded, and they had to buy them separately for $20.
Peter said 4:03PM on 7-01-2008
Why would anyone, especially TUAW readers, pay for the app upgrades or firmware 2.0? Just jailbreak and get them for free like they should be.
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dominic said 11:28AM on 7-10-2008
go ahead and do that but realize that when u sync it up again it might turn into a brick. but whatever. and most of the apps excluding games and music things are free
Peter said 2:10AM on 7-14-2008
I am not referring to Pirating the apps themselves, I am just referring to getting the 2.0 upgrade for free like it should be for all iPod touch owners.
ZeroCorpse said 4:06PM on 7-01-2008
Early adopters always pay more.
It's the rule of tech. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
New iPod touches come with those programs preloaded; This pricing only affects people who bought their iPod touch LAST YEAR, or bought one of last year's models (which SHOULD have been cheaper if you bought it this year).
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Kwahnoom said 4:23PM on 7-01-2008
Some vendors are still selling pre-Jan update IPTs as well as the post-Jan update ones. Interestingly, at some of those places, the price of IPTs w/o Jan update is higher than that of IPTs w Jan update…
Tyler Woodfin said 4:12PM on 7-01-2008
I bet if you buy an iPod Touch in August it will be pre-loaded with apps from 2.0. I'm glad I got my iPod Touch in March! It came with the January upgrade.
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NutMac said 4:14PM on 7-01-2008
Apple is sending a strong message by charging iPod touch users for such incremental upgrades -- buy iPhone. At speculated $525 revenue for each 3G iPhone (8GB black) sold, it is in Apple's best interest to encourage potential iPod touch buyers opt iPhone instead.
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Austin said 4:32PM on 7-01-2008
Wouldn't that be so cool if the JSU buyers got refunded the $20? I'd use it all on new shiny apps! =D I know, it would absolutely never happen though.
BTW, 2.0 is $9.95, jeez, you guys were 4 cents off! =O
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