Maybe I’ve been spoiled over the years by free software updates on the various iPods I’ve owned but when Apple charged £12.99 for their ‘January Software Update’ on my iPod Touch I was a bit ticked off. Since it included a few new applications I paid the money and subsequently haven’t used any of them at all – a stock ticker, note taker, email client, weather app and mapping application turned out to be completely useless to me as I use my iTouch for playing music 99.9% of the time. Don’t get me wrong though, I still love my iTouch as much as I did when I wrote this article saying how much I loved it.
There’s been a lot of furore over the new App Store where you can actually buy 3rd party applications for your iPhone and iTouch so I thought I’d go and have a look. I’m sure there are some fun games and other interesting things there, but when I plugged in my iTouch I was presented with the following message:
So if I want to even try out some of the free applications I actually have to purchase new software do I? And I’ll bet that if someone buys a brand new iTouch today they’ll get the 2.0 software included for free, just like those bought after the January software update I mentioned above did. No thanks Apple.
Out of curiosity I clicked the ‘Learn More’ button to see how much they were trying to squeeze out of us iTouch and iPhone owners but smiled when I was presented with the following:
Mwa ha ha – serves them right! I’m certain Apple will make a fortune from the myriad applications on the App Store that they’ll be getting a cut of the sale prices from, but it just seems a bit avaricious to me to charge for the software update to run them. So on general principle I won’t be upgrading my iTouch to the 2.0 software and as a result I won’t be trying out any of the no doubt wonderfully pointless applications. Sorry John, but sometimes I have to draw the line somewhere, even with Apple!
No need to apologise, John – I’d expect no less from a Scotsman! 😉
Seriously, Apple have always said that the small charge for the software upgrade is due to accounting differences between the iPod touch and the iPhone, but I have to agree it is pretty gauling. However, I shall be taking the hit and paying for the upgrade, at least when the servers have cooled off. The lure of the App Store is just too strong for me.
I was going to mention that I got V2.0 free, but at £35 a month, it;s far from free.
The apps are great though, those that use the Accelerometer are amazing, it’s what the iPhone iTouch were designed for.
How does that accelerometer work?
John: I’m just a Yorkshireman with all the generosity taken out! 😉
Paul: I’ll just have to admire videos of them on YouTube! I do wish it could be turned off though as it keeps flipping around to coverflow view when I hold the iTouch at an angle and don’t want it to.
Mercury switches are the traditional way of detecting motion and rotation in electronic devices so I’d expect it to be something like that.
The thing that ticks me off, i bought an ipod touch for more money than the iphone is now selling. If i knew the iphone would be a hell of a lot cheaper in a couple of months i would have bought that. And to add insult to injury, Apple is going to charge me for an upgrade, after i already gave you a hundred more dollars of my money for a device with three features less. Nice Apple, real nice
I am trying to buy the 2.0 upgrade for my iTouch and everytime I hit buy it opens iTunes, but then nothing happens. Has anyone else been able to download 2.0
Pat, I was able to download it and install it from the UK this morning.
You fool John, that’s exactly what they want you to do! 😉
You know me, John – I’m a sucker for anything new! Hmmm, shiny…
Hello everybody peeps!
Ally here, I bought the upgrade eventually onces the Apple servers had cooled down to a simmer. I must admit I am glad I did, some of the games are awesome. Yes some of the apps are about as much use as a choclate fire guard. Once the programers get to grips with how the whole thing works the useless apps will drop off, and the good ones will just keep getting better.
Lets be honest every platform has its useless programs.
My advice would be if you really want the apps, then bite the bullet and swallow some pride and just go ahead and buy it. For the sake of a few bucks as much as it might stick in your throat, you will not be dissapointed. Unless of course you have no intention of using your ipod touch for anything else other than playing music then probably best stay as you are.
For me it’s a point of principle really – I must be getting stubborn in my old age! 😉
Sadly I think you’re right, I’m only really interested in using the iTouch to play music so the thought of playing games on it doesn’t appeal. I must also be getting boring in my old age!
Had the same messages on Friday, so waited until Saturday to upgrade.
I upgraded as I’ll jailbreaking my touch at some point, prior to getting iPhone’s for the technical guys I work with, they spend enough time from their desks fixing problems around the office that something like this *should* make them more productive, if nothing else with a shiny toy like an iPhone there is a better chance it won’t be left on the desk
😉
And of course the fact I’d quite like an iPhone has nothing to do with it
I really am becoming a Luddite – I actually prefer the form factor and feel of my Motorola PEBL, which is about as low-tech a phone as you can get these days!
iPhones are pretty cool though to be fair, and if they were on Vodaphone they’d be even cooler!
Please can anyone tell me if you can get games for a ipod touch, and if so were please?. I do have the new 2.0.
I am sorry to say I dont like the ipod website, I found not user friendly….
Fire up iTunes, go to the iTunes Store then you’ll see the ‘App Store’ link.
Hi John, just letting you know i’ve featured your background switcher on my blog, love it.
Cool, thanks Brett! 🙂
FYI, I just got my brand spanking new iTouch in the mail today and it DID NOT come with the 2.0. So, i have to go and spend another $10 US, to get it to do all of the cool stuff that helped sell me on it in the first place. That is crappy!
That is indeed crappy Gwen. It’s very sneaky of them to sell you a new one that you then have to pay to upgrade to do all the stuff they advertise on it. More negative points to Apple I reckon!
Just bought an ipod touch 8GB from Comet in the UK, after spending 2 days chasing around Comets in the Midlands which advertised them as “In stock”, but weren’t.
There website says “APPLE IPOD TOUCH 8GB V2 – Revolutionary multi-touch interface – watch your movies, TV shows, and slideshows on the 3.5″ widescreen display and surf the web with Wi-Fi. Now with the updated V2 software.”
Plugged it in – V1.1.4 software, do I want to buy V2? Phoned the store “Apple says V2 is 1.1.4. V2.0 is Version “!!!!!!!!!! Pretty box, rubbish and deliberately misleading service.
Mot particularly impressed!!
Surely that goes against the trades description act since it clearly states that the V2 software is included and it’s not. Damn you Apple!!