The reaction to Apple’s package of five new “native” applications for the iPod touch, at a cost of $19.99 USD or about 12 euros/pounds sterling, has been mixed to say the very least.
It will take time to see what the sales numbers are like, but as with last year’s decision by Apple to charge a nominal fee for the “802.11n Enabler” for Core 2 Macs that already had the supported hardware yet shipped with 802.11g-only firmware, we expect that a great many people will be tempted to pirate this package rather than pay for it.
As part of a strategy to mitigate that tendency, Apple has made the package an iTunes Store purchase and there is undoubtedly at least some degree of “digital rights management”-type protection to ensure that piracy is not a widespread problem.
Along with the five apps included in the software update — Mail, Google Maps, Weather, Notes and Stocks — (sound familiar?) — there are a number of system tweaks and improvements that come with the “January Upgrade” as well. But we think a lot of existing, and potential, iPod Touch owners are going to have a thing or two to say about the fact that virtually all of this is just cross-over from iPhone v1.1.3, a free update.
Is this an “iPod Touch tax”?! Is this a fair price for what consumers will be getting?! Sound off in our new moderated comments! (Don’t bother submitting trolling, flaming/flame-baiting, duplicate or unduly negative/off-topic content; our new Comments are moderated-only for a reason; we aspire to a much better signal-to-noise ratio than that seen on most other sites’ comment pages, and our advertisers expect nothing less. At least half of our “comments” will be coming from members of the Rumors staff, and the rest will be picked from the top 1% or so of submissions. Just because there aren’t any comments yet displayed, obviously doesn’t mean there haven’t been any submitted.)
26 responses so far ↓
1 Dr Herzl Goldin // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:51 pm
It seems that Apple is strengthening the image of a greedy company that does not care for anything but profits. And iPhone update (v.1.1.3) is free…
2 Allen Gaspers // Jan 15, 2008 at 9:15 pm
The reason the iPhone update is “free” is because the iPhone user is paying Apple $10.00 per month through their phone bill to get these “free” updates.
3 wonky // Jan 15, 2008 at 9:20 pm
jailbreak time.
4 steve // Jan 15, 2008 at 9:22 pm
This may be more of the same problem Apple had when they released the firmware update to enable 802.11n on macs. At the time the theory was that they could be hit with some kind of government action for releasing functionality at a later date without charging for it. Though many people have now said this is unnecessary.
It may just be that Apple had to spend significant development time on those additions to the iTouch.
5 VirtualTaoist // Jan 15, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I wonder if they have any choice though? They had to charge for the iMac/Macbook update because of some law stating you can’t update something to give it a feature that it didn’t previously have… here’s an article
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/01/19/80211n.update.199/
I think its called the Sarbanes-Oxlet Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes-Oxley_Act
They probably have to do it for the iPod toch as it is a one payment device (You buy it, its yours), but can give it for free on the iPhone because of the running payment system (Line rental etc..) don’t quote me on this though, I’m not an accountant
6 Robin // Jan 15, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I think VirtualTaoist is right. SOX would dictate that Apple has a responsibility to it’s shareholders to charge for new features. It’s a business, not a charity. iPod Touch owners should be happy it’s only $20!
7 MacBandit // Jan 15, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Then how did Microsux get away with the Zune update?
8 David // Jan 16, 2008 at 7:40 am
I bought it last night and went from my hacked Touch back to the Apple fold easily enough. I have no problem paying $20 for an upgrade to get the features I want. Seems reasonable to me.
I run a business myself. I think most of the griping about this and the 802.11n upgrade are from people who do not understand (or want to consider) the business issues.
9 Scott // Jan 16, 2008 at 9:26 am
$20 seems reasonable to me as well. You’re essentially buying software for your computer. 5 apps for $4 a piece isn’t bad. Obviously, you could go to any number of web sites to get most of the functionality provided by this update, but it would lack Apple’s polish and ease of use.
10 Peter Singer // Jan 16, 2008 at 10:51 am
HI
WHen will they allow appointments to be added to the Touch’s calendar function ?
I’d pay for that as well !
Peter
11 Greg // Jan 16, 2008 at 11:02 am
J-A-I-L-B-R-E-A-K! Please look into it touch owners. Mine is fine and has been running these and many other amazing programs for months. This is a worthless update, that if you were smart…would already be on your touch. 20 more bucks for a device I just shelled out 400 for? Oh yeah and its not a phone to boot? Get out of here Apple, I love you…but this is retarded. Just keep trying to keep the jailbreak community on the hush hush….as you sit back and watch what they come up with, only to take that information and sell it to uninformed consumers in other “Monthly Updates”.
12 Roland // Jan 16, 2008 at 11:08 am
At first I recoiled at the paid upgrade path for these applications. However, that changed when I read that there are some differences between the iPhone and iPod software. For instance, the location services on the iPhone can use Google’s cellular triangulation information to give you your location, while the iPod has to use a service from Skyhook using wi-fi hotspots to generate this feature since it doesn’t have cellular service to support the Google implementation. Services like that cost money, folks. And at that point, a one time $20 fee is a bargain.
13 Ruscle // Jan 16, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Maybe this is a way for Apple to see how many people REALLY want this update… instead of just updating everyone’s for free and wondering if people will use these features. My BIG question is: Does this mean there are not more updates to the iPod Touch? It sure needs some tweaking still. (Like why does cover flow go into your library EVERY time you turn your iPod instead of reflecting the playlist you are viewing before you turn your iPod?) — Anybody know if that’s what this means? No more updates?
14 Dave // Jan 16, 2008 at 12:25 pm
In response to Peter Singer; The ability to add appointments to the calendar was part of the 1.1.2 firmware upgrade, which went out several months ago.
15 DaChief // Jan 16, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I support Apple in nearly all of their busness practices. I wasn’t home more than 30 minutes before running to my desktop to download ‘all’ the software updates (OS X, iPod, iTunes). There will be more updates and if you want ‘nice’ you have to pay ‘nice’. $19.99 isn’t a fortune - it’s a lunch at Appleby’s. Thank you Apple for adding the Apps. Please use my $20.00 for R&D to perfect 2010’s ‘One more Thing.’
16 Bwana // Jan 16, 2008 at 8:56 pm
It seems rather outrageous to expect me, who bought a touch last week, to pay this $20 when the person who buys a new one will not. With any advance warning I would have put off the purchase.
17 John Lilly // Jan 16, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I begrudgingly walked over to the Apple Store in SF with my iPod Touch to buy the $20 software. It turns out, not only are they charging for it, you have to use a credit card to buy it.
Despite cash registers and internet connections in the store, Apple would not accept CASH as a payment. It turns out, according to store manager Dillon Moffat, that Apple wants your credit card information in their iTunes Store System.
I’m considering taking back my iPod Touch (a Christmas gift still under warranty) and exchanging it for a new one with the software already installed.
What a stab in the back from a company I’ve stuck with for nearly 20 years. Hey Apple, some of us don’t live on debt. We save our money and despise the corporate banking scheme.
In these days of global corporatism run amok, and the world financial markets being rocked by incompetence and greed, I was hoping Apple would stick with the “Think Different” concept. Instead, they appear to be money-grubbing whores in bed with the credit card companies.
We just want the software - not a forced relationship with an immoral banking system.
18 Heff // Jan 16, 2008 at 10:19 pm
VT is correct. I spoke with the Apple reps at Macworld today. Current accounting laws force them to charge for the product. They can release bug fixes for free, but feature updates are treated as a “new” product. Another stupid Bush-era law with unintended consequences.
19 David // Jan 17, 2008 at 7:30 am
Heff - SOX is in place to protect investors and the public trust, ensure that financials are being accounted for properly and that management is performing due diligence. It is needed to help prevent situations such that happened at Enron, Worldcom, etc. FWIW… it is a PIA for businesses as much as it is for anyone else and has created a substantial amount of overhead and operational cost.
20 Richard // Jan 17, 2008 at 11:36 am
$20 would be a fair price for these features, if it were for ALL Touch owners. The part that is unfair is that new units will be shipped with these features for the same price I paid.
21 Larry // Jan 17, 2008 at 7:07 pm
what about free update for appletv owners? how is that legal?
22 Rot'n Apple // Jan 17, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I too noticed the dead pan silence and gasps at the MacWorld Keynote when, “how dare he” Steve Jobs announce a price requirement of the software update for these added features. But to me, the price seems fair. I doubt the iPod Touch model will change wildly any time soon, except maybe for higher storage capacity and a slightly lower price, so it’s only due to the software technology that can keep it “fresh” as well as allow earlier owners to get more out of their original purchase. Correct me if I am wrong but is this not the first iPod to be more than just a audio/visual device for music, music videos, tv shows, films and podcasts but a internet and now e-mail “communication” device. It seems that the iPod Touch is growing out of confines of the iPod family line of players and is creating a new genre. The “Touch Tablet”, said with a big grin! Like someone earlier said, Apple is a business for profit, not a charity, and I would have no problems, as a stock owner, paying a fair price for any software upgrades that gave me enhanced new features, not just bug fixes, to keep my purchase viable. Tis better to pay $20.00 for a software update that adds features versus having to purchase the latest and greatest next generation iPod Touch, Apple TV, or a new iPhone at a considerably higher price.
23 blah // Jan 18, 2008 at 3:17 pm
firstly, “Apple’s package of five new “native” applications for the iPod touch”, if this is the case,i donot understand how that would be new features
secondly for you guys in USA maybe thats just 20$ but for others like myself (i know,a small island),that mere 20$ could get you a nice meal (3 fried rice with some soft drinks),so its not some trivial sum
do you think they are exploiting that law abt new features for their own advantage(they did it with iphone,now ipod touch)..i mean common,you dont have to be a genuis to see through this,not to mention the credit card issue stated above
my last observation would be since they have the habit of doing such things,do you think that if ever their come up with a new gadget of the sort,people would buy right away or probably wait for the “new” features to come and then buy since it has come to the habit of apple to do so.
They dont realize that there are other means to take this money,rather than deceiving most of the apple/ipod fanatic out there
personally i still dont know if i want to buy it now,because we have the old version
and since we are a small island,its no where soon to get the new version,not to mention that now that people are aware of this,sales will not be good here as they would probably wait for the new which might never come(way of seeing things)….
24 Stefan S. // Jan 21, 2008 at 8:05 pm
For me, it’s just the opposite of a customer friendly behavoir to bill another 20$ (early adopters tax?) as the price has been set DOWN and there is a way bigger update on AppleTV for free. This is just a cheap way to get loyal customers money. Shame on you, Steve
I’m so disappointed…
25 Ron // Jan 23, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Apple also charges $20 for an MPEG-2 decoder for QuickTime, because if they didn’t, they would end up paying the required license fees themselves.
$20 - that’s what? 1/3 of a tank of gas?
From Macrumors:
USAToday profiles Skyhook Wireless who helps provide some of the technology behind Apple’s new GPS-like location features in the iPhone and iPod Touch’s Google Maps application.
…
Of interest, Skyhook generally receives a payment per device sold with the technology, and this fee may be built into the fee Apple is charging for the iPod touch software update.
26 Bobby V. // Jan 28, 2008 at 8:21 am
One and Half Cents a Month
The IPOD Touch update is an unbelievable bargain for consumers. It transforms the functions of a cute mp3 an video player into a full blown internet and email machine. With wi fi ubiquitous, this is a fabulous think and you don’t need an expensive cell phone contract to access the internet or email.
Assume you will have the Touch 40 months and amortize the $20 over that life and upgrade costs about 50 cents a month or 1.66 cents a day!!!!!!!
Bravo Apple for delivering fabulous value!!!
Leave a Comment