iPod touch has an identity crisis

Okay, we can understand how a few units slipped out of the factory without the OS installed, but come on Team Cupertino, what's up with forgetting to change the re-hashed iPhone code on the touch's password lockout screen? Don't people trying to break into our iPods deserve the same great Apple experience that paying customers get?

[Via digg]

[tc @ Sep 16th 2007 11:23AM]

Where can you get that clear plastic cover? Ive been looking for one but none are out yet.

[Herman @ Sep 16th 2007 11:28AM]

Judging from the cover's tab on the bottom, it's probably the packaging.

[Josh @ Sep 16th 2007 11:34AM]

Ummmm you must have not been looking very hard, it comes that way right out of the box.

[Gabe @ Sep 16th 2007 1:04PM]

you guys don't sense the sarcasm? wow!!!

[mgold @ Sep 16th 2007 8:20PM]

um, yeah, new iPod. My iPhone had the same plastic protector.

[Kris S. @ Sep 16th 2007 11:25AM]

LOL.

iPods = FAIL.

[Paul @ Sep 16th 2007 12:02PM]

A-freaking-men

[bruckwine @ Sep 16th 2007 11:28AM]

Hmm seems Apple has been scrimping on the staff side of things! Too little staff too many projects - trying to make the profit margin even greater but leading to shoddy results. First they delay Leopard for the iPhone which still wasn't perfect, now they bring the touch but scrimp on the quality control (probably as they keep the focus on leopard). Also recent product releases are now followed by bug fixes almost instantaneously. Seems to me they just need to hire a few more ppl adn take their time!

[Ireland @ Sep 16th 2007 1:17PM]

Anyone can make up a jpeg image to say anything, sounds like a good game. It should have read I am an iPhone cross-dresser though ;)

[Con @ Oct 14th 2007 3:18PM]

Hmmm, rushing products out with software bugs, then patching them later with annoying updates. Maybe Apple should change their name to Microsoft.

[Andrew @ Sep 13th 2008 11:30AM]

Obviously, none of you have published software before.

When you create software, you spend only a fraction of your time writing code. The rest is planning and bug fixing. Home users can be better bug finders than any one programmer searching for them, so there is no way that there could have been NO bugs. You're just nitpicking.

[Chris Aubeck @ Sep 16th 2007 11:29AM]

Maybe the rush job that went into the iPod Touch left a few cracks the software hackers can exploit further down the line.

Meanwhile my thoughts on bluetooth in this device have matured. I now suspect Apple has done its utmost to prevent the easy exchange of music between users, hence the lack of bluetooth and expansion slots. Therefore I doubt they'd have secretly included bluetooth even with an aim to switch it on for us in the distant future.

[Rik Feilden @ Sep 16th 2007 12:56PM]

Yet they left in the wifi?

[Chris Aubeck @ Sep 16th 2007 1:02PM]

Wifi connects to iTunes, it's the least (and most) they could do. The devices won't download from Torrent sites, I expect recording from live radio is out of the question, and there's no mike to infringe on iPhone profits, iGuess.

[Mitch @ Sep 16th 2007 11:29AM]

I don't understand - what exactly is this post about?

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 16th 2007 11:51AM]

from Digg:

"Apparently apple takes the time to remove functional code like allowing you to input calendar events but doesn't bother to change the "iPhone is disabled" text shown when you lock your iPod and fail to type in the right password."

[Cal @ Sep 16th 2007 11:30AM]

I was at the mac store yesterday, people were getting confused by that messege

[Bambino @ Sep 16th 2007 2:03PM]

Apple Store, you were at the Apple Store.

[Cal @ Sep 16th 2007 5:29PM]

Oh right sorry, I'm bad with name changes

["Bob" @ Sep 17th 2007 12:40AM]

It's never been called a "Mac store"... WTF name change are you talking about?

[Cal @ Sep 17th 2007 10:59PM]

ah f**k it

[Jeremay 2177 @ Sep 22nd 2007 10:35PM]

It's Apple store , idiot!

[Cal @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:22PM]

Wow people are still commenting on this!

[lex @ Nov 13th 2007 3:27PM]

There are actually stores in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. called "The Mac Store". I was at the Mac Store the other day, even though the OP was probably at the Apple Store.

[FireFox @ Sep 16th 2007 11:30AM]

This is GREAT !! , this means that all those ihpone hacks out there probaly will work 'out of the box'

[xxdesmus @ Sep 16th 2007 11:52AM]

not even remotely close.

Go read this... The State of the iPod Touch jailbreak
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/15/the-state-of-the-itouch-jailbreak/

They apparently changed a fair number of things to make the jailbreak difficult (to say the least)

[liu_perry @ Sep 16th 2007 11:34AM]

Look at that, a major flaw in an ipod and Engadget stays on the positive side of it (again). I wonder what happens if this was a non-apple product (look back at their articles for major flaws). I don't get how engadget does it. Do they get paid by Apple to put a positive spin on everything?

[Dave @ Sep 16th 2007 11:45AM]

You blow the doors off of the four-door sedan of logic.

[Modano @ Sep 16th 2007 11:45AM]

This is a "major flaw" in the product?
Why do you keep coming back if you hate Engadget's editorial positions?

[dj-kenpo @ Sep 16th 2007 11:46AM]

ya I know eh? where's the open letter.

I guess if they piss off apple, apple won't give them free stuff.

this is a part sign of good for hacking, it shows laziness, which means easier hacking.

[Xavier Gill @ Sep 16th 2007 11:47AM]

They certainly weren't as generous to Dell as they have been to Apple.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/23/mans-xps-m1330-arrives-sans-os-quality/

[xxdesmus @ Sep 16th 2007 11:57AM]

To be hones, I'd have to agree with you.

Engadget (and Gizmodo) always end up putting an idiotically positive spin on anything Apple does. Macbook's have mag safe problems? It was probably intentional. Laptop batteries bursting into flames? Consider it a heating unit for your lap. iMac screens looking like s**t? It must be the user's fault because Apple is infallible.

It really is sad that you can actually write an objective article about Apple. This is ignoring the absolute 180* spin you put on anything that happens to contain the word Microsoft. It's absolutely pathetic, and it severely hurts your credibility (or lack of).

[wade_reese @ Sep 16th 2007 6:40PM]

LOL! Major flaw! LOL!

It's just software. Jeeze.

Nice that Engaget's love for Apple is there. It helps offset your Apple hate.

[GoodGirl @ Sep 16th 2007 12:43PM]

Huh?
How the hell is this "a positive spin"?

This is a minor software glitch. That's all. Period.

But to Engadget, this is "BREAKING NEWS!"

All it does is fan the flames. The haters will criticize, and the fan boys will respond.

It's win - win for Engadget, but it's hardly news!

Every major piece of electronic equipment released in the past few years has shipped with a flaw.
If Engadget would report on nothing but these incidences, they would have room for little else.

However, the CHOOSE to "report" on Apple, Dell, Microsoft, ect., just to get readers (ie: suckers) to respond.

They neither hate or like these companies. They just exist to fan the flames of ignorance.

[Eric @ Sep 16th 2007 1:13PM]

Gotta be nice after one of your posts causes a fortune 100 company's stock to loose 10s of millions of dollars in market cap in a matter of minutes :)

[John @ Sep 16th 2007 7:26PM]

It's not a major flaw, but it is a flaw indicative of problems at Apple, where the Touch is becoming so obviously a product forced to be inferior to the iPhone in as many ways as possible.

[Teren @ Sep 16th 2007 11:41AM]

Well well well.. guess that pretty much confirms that the iPod Touch is indeed and iPhone without the phone. Using the same code for 2 devices..

[Modano @ Sep 16th 2007 11:47AM]

This is an incredible revelation! Now that you mention it, they sort of look alike too. Shocking that they didn't rewrite the code from the ground up, like they do with different Mac models.

[Teren @ Sep 16th 2007 11:53AM]

Hey, what I'm trying to say is that they are marketing this as an "iPod" when everyone knows it's an iPhone.

[Mike Jenkins @ Sep 16th 2007 12:12PM]

Yeah, and they marketed the iPhone as "the best iPod ever", so by your logic they're marketing the iPod Touch as the best iPod ever without a phone.

[wade_reese @ Sep 16th 2007 6:40PM]

Who is "everyone", Teren?

I think most astute people (who are interested in things like iPods) know that the iPod Touch is NOT a phone.

(Hint for Teren: Do not buy one of these if you want to take to folks who are not in the same room as you).

;-)

[Gabriel @ Sep 16th 2007 1:07PM]

So you propose they name it "ipod without a phone"...idiot

[JC @ Sep 16th 2007 11:43AM]

Thats alota apples.........

[Jonathan @ Sep 16th 2007 5:55PM]

Those are lemons, as are all the iPod Touches, apparently. :)

[trumpton @ Sep 16th 2007 11:46AM]

What happens after 14 minutes? Do the Apples all fly out of the truck in an amusing manner?

[kirby @ Sep 16th 2007 12:53PM]

You're incorrect. The Dell Laptop had a OS and Bios installed, the LCD cable was not properly installed.

And As well, STFU apple fanboy, we have enough of you schmucks running around.

[Mike Jenkins @ Sep 16th 2007 12:13PM]

Dude those are oranges. Don't go comparing apples to oranges.

[Dano @ Sep 16th 2007 11:49AM]

That was a $2000 laptop with no OS and no BIOS. This is a $300 music player with what amounts to a spelling error. You don't see the difference?

[onin @ Sep 16th 2007 11:58AM]

the picture freaked me out at first, I thought it was an Unlocked iPhone thats been updated. *whew*

[rento @ Sep 16th 2007 12:18PM]

iBored