By Staff | Published: January 17, 2008

Sign the iPod Touch petition!

The folks over at onlinepetition.com have put up a simple page calling on Apple to free the new iPod Touch apps from their $20 shackles. We aren’t quite sure what effect this will have, even if a large number of people sign the petition it is unlikely that Apple will change their plans at this point. Apple does have a long history of expecting users to pay for significant upgrades to previously released products, so this may be just one more in a long line of for-pay product upgrades.

So what do you think? Is this petition going to change anything? Is Apple going to release these applications to previous iPod Touch owners for free?

To see the petition and sign it, click here


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  • Zorro

    Did the paid update include VPN support, or was that the free one?

  • http://my2cents4theday.blogspot.com Don

    $20 is really not that much, but then again, $20 in my pocket is better than $20 in Apple’s pocket!

    If it was $50 or more I would complain, but since I don’t own an iPod Touch, but hope to soon, that is easy for me to say, I guess?

  • http://www.heff.info Heff

    The petition is a bit misguided. Apple has no choice in the matter. It’s a federal accounting law that forces them to charge for the new features. (Sarbannes Oxley, remember?!)

  • Kevin

    Nothing to do with “expecting users to pay for significant upgrades to previously released products” — everything to do with US accounting rules.

    When you bought your iPod touch, Apple recognized as revenue the amount you paid. If they were to add “significant” functionality for no additional cost after the sale, US accounting regulations say that Apple should not have recognized your payment as revenue until the additional functionality was delivered. If Apple delivered the update for free, they would have to restate their financial earnings. Instead, they treat the update as its own sale, and therefore its own revenue event.

    iPhone revenue is not recognized in full upon sale, but instead is recognized in equal increments over the 2-year contract period. Under this form of “subscription” or “accrual” accounting, major feature updates can be offered at any time during the 2-year period with no impact on revenue recognition.

    As to whether or not its “fair” that current iPod touches have more features at the same price point than when you bought yours… well, that’s technology! The fact that you can catch up in functionality with a simple software update rather than buying anew should be considered a benefit!

  • http://preachersfriend.com Alan Trewin

    People shell out $400 for an iPod Touch then complain that Apple charges $19.99 for new features – this is ridiculous! Who else will give you this package of apps for such a low price? We all want Apple to prosper, but at the same time, we want freebies. Grow up!

  • http://macosrumors.com steve

    Hey i don’t even have an iTouch :D

    I would agree that the accounting explanation is plausible given their history of charging for other updates, but it may also be that Apple wants (And probably deserves in many cases) additional revenue for significant upgrades. Both may be true.

  • Mark

    Hmmm, I must get back in touch with Audi and get the free DSG gearbox and 265bhp engine that I didn’t have when I purchased the car originally.

  • Russ

    That is why I will not buy any product until it has absolutely everything that I want already included. Non of this ‘future’ availability. No thanks – Apple this is lame. Accounting requirement is a pile of crap. If you can make the backdated stock fiasco work for the ‘shirts and suits’ you can spring for the ‘rest of the story’ on the Pods.

  • Joe

    Its all about greed. Apple greed.

  • Rot’n Apple

    Or greedy consumers! Just depends upon which side of the cash register you are standing on.

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