Apple adds five apps to the iPod touch -- for a price

It's not all love for the iPhone today -- Apple just announced that Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes and Weather are all coming to the iPod touch. New touch owners get 'em all for free, but all of you early adopters will have to cough up: the bundle is going to set you back a whopping $20. The new Maps app can't use cell-based location-finding like on the iPhone, but it can still figure out where it is using SkyHook's WiFi hotspot database. The touch also supports webclips and the reconfigurable home screen now, but we're a little unsure why all this has to cost $20 -- why no love, Apple?

[manaphylover @ Feb 6th 2008 10:57PM]

I hate this shit 4$ for a freakin app. AND you dont even get to save the pages as an app or view lyrics. I still wonder though what was in the 1.93 mb upgrade

[Jackson @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:19PM]

Personally speaking, I am outraged that Apple is charging early buyers of the iPod Touch $20 for a system update that ought to be free.

While I understand Apple’s decision to charge money for the new applications the new $20 “application pack” also includes a SYSTEM UPDATE in the form of the home page editing, web clips, and lyrics features. All of these are updates to the currently existing iPod Touch software and NOT new applications, which means that they ought to be free to all users of the iPod Touch.

Adding insult to injury these applications are all hidden in the 1.1.3 system update, a whopping 104.4mb file that all users must download if they want to fix bugs in the system. These applications can only be used when you pay Apple $20 to “unlock” them, but even if you decide not to buy them they stay on your iPod taking up precious space that could be used for songs, videos, or photos.

Apple is normally wonderful when it comes to providing system support and updates, but having them shaft early adopters and loyal fans like this is offensive and shows that Apple has absolutely no regard for the iPod Touch community.

You can leave Apple direct feedback here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html

You can also sign this petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/.....ition.html

[Jackson @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:12PM]

Whoops, the petition link got truncated.
Here's the correct address:

http://www.petitiononline.com/freeappi/petition.html

[Valveman @ Mar 4th 2008 6:13PM]

This is just like Archos and their nickel and diming to unlock downloads so you can use different codecs and browser.
Without them, you have limited functionality.

[imacmatt09 @ Jan 15th 2008 12:38PM]

Wow thats some messed up sh*t.

[jamma @ Jan 15th 2008 2:27PM]

I know! I actually want to un-digg this post. does anyone know how to break an iPod touch but not knacker the warranty, so I can buy a new one for free?

BTW if this happens again with the SDK i'm boycotting Apple stuff, except maybe the air (sorry but it's so nice!)

[Mike D @ Jan 15th 2008 2:50PM]

bullshit.. I hope they realize they fucked up and change their minds. $20 for a few apps they wrote for the iPhone already is such a rip off.

[Mike D @ Jan 15th 2008 3:04PM]

Leave Apple feedback regarding this fee at http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html .. maybe it'll help.

[jamma @ Jan 15th 2008 3:32PM]

I take that back, I'm boycotting Apple now! The Air is a complete rip off, and it would not surprise me if an update is released for it in a few months, screwing the early adopters.

It's a no win situation with tech companies, either Sony with the PSP and are releasing free but useless updates, or Apple with good updates that cost £12.99 in the UK!!!



FAIL

[Russell @ Jan 15th 2008 6:23PM]

Especially seeing as I was one of the people that is helping apple preordering there products and waiting a month for them to come. WTF. I alrady payed 400 for a "giant" 16gb ssd.

[Eh @ Jan 15th 2008 7:20PM]

They pulled the same crap with one of the laptops awhile back, I cant remember what it was exactly but it was some wireless chip that was deactivated but they later charged money to have it be enabled and usable.

It backfired, just like this surely will. Idiots.

[arahk @ Jan 15th 2008 7:29PM]

planned obsolescence and APPLE IS THE F***ING KING!!!!! ...take your 20 bucks and shove it!!!!

[Russell @ Jan 15th 2008 9:09PM]

But they only charged like 1.99 to activate it so it wasn't like 20 or anything.

[Jakob @ Jan 16th 2008 3:37AM]

For once it's cheaper in Denmark. YEES!! £12 ;)

[klll @ Jan 17th 2008 6:24AM]

There's a petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/freeappi/petition.html

(I can see $10 apologetic coupons coming ;)

[Andrew McLean @ Jan 18th 2008 5:55AM]

think different?

[tech @ Jan 15th 2008 12:42PM]

what $20

[Will @ Jan 15th 2008 11:39PM]

The $20 that I blew on an upgrade that
DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING
Never buying anything from iTunes again, I'm pissed.
Has this happened to anyone else???

[dave @ Jan 15th 2008 12:55PM]

it should be free

[Matt @ Jan 15th 2008 12:39PM]

That is sooo rediculously weak... You have to pay for software updates?? Are we gonna have to pay for future updates to Leopard and Itunes too Uncle Stevie???

[Rabbit121 @ Jan 15th 2008 12:45PM]

A certain ACDC songs comes to mind... what was that now.. oh yeah, JAILBREAK!!

Thanks Apple but I'll Keep my $20.

[Brandon @ Jan 15th 2008 6:45PM]

Given the number of basic feature updates opposed to actual NEW features that occur in a new version of Mac OS X, if you think about it you already are paying $100 for a simple update. Unlike that other OS that gives free major service pack updates.

[Mark @ Jan 15th 2008 8:53PM]

Yes. When Steve decides that you need another service pack.

[MikeE @ Jun 21st 2008 2:17AM]

And the rich keeps getting richer...

[The General @ Jan 15th 2008 12:39PM]

This is fucking bullshit. The iPhone uses the same binaries, this should cost $0. This is worse than the $2 802.11n upgrade.

LAME.

[matthew @ Jan 15th 2008 12:41PM]

you damn right. i am p*ssed!

[Amanda @ Jan 15th 2008 12:41PM]

Yeah this is crap. They could have included them from the beginning but stripped them out, now they want to charge me to add them back in. Stupid.

[Kalen @ Jan 15th 2008 12:41PM]

Thats a bit ridiculous. I could see $10, maybe. But in all fairness Apps like Mail and Notes should be free.

[Aaron @ Jan 15th 2008 12:54PM]

That is super sad apple. Quite a low blow to all those folk who helped bring popularity to the ipod touch...

[Michaelm67 @ Jan 15th 2008 2:09PM]

This is a bit of a joke tbh! The fact that I'v went out a bought an ipod touch in september, we'r getting penilised for buying early, yet the people who have been reserved about the touch get this for free ?!? Apple, you may have just lost your way...(still want a macbook air though)

[computer.dude.28 @ Jan 15th 2008 9:31PM]

This reminds me of what Nintendo did, except it's the opposite. Nintendo offered a Beta version of the Opera browser on the Wii, and when the final version came out, the Beta versions upgraded for free, and the fresh installs cost like $5. Nintendo rewarded it's early adopters.
Apple.. LEARN!

[Josh Scoggins @ Jan 16th 2008 4:26PM]

My Itouch is Jailbroken with all of these Apps already installed. Apple for Hardware, Internet for software!

[MikeUF @ Jan 15th 2008 12:49PM]

Just like dropping the price on the iPhone...Jobs is screwing his early adopters (his biggest supporters) yet again.

[Abuzar @ Jan 15th 2008 2:20PM]

Yes, yet Microsoft gives their early adopters free games, and extended warranty(they kinda had to do this one), and and a free remote and people still ejaculate over Steve Jobs name.

The thing is Microsoft has pretty much become a "good" company, or at least they appreciate their customers more than the average corporate power and money hungry company.

[DonatoM3 @ Jan 15th 2008 2:44PM]

Yeah I seem to recall Microsoft upgrading Zune 1.0's to Zune 2.0 firmware for free. And we're talking completely different hardware.

[tekdemon @ Jan 21st 2008 6:36PM]

Microsoft has always stood behind their hardware even before extending the warranty on the 360 or updating the Zune. If you've ever owned a (retail) MS mouse or keyboard and it came down with a problem MS has always been very good about sending a new one right out. And even their older peripherals like routers and such get decent support.
IIRC, when MS made the decision to move into hardware they basically wanted to make sure their hardware reputation would go untainted. And while it would have been nice if they had made the 360 more reliable to begin with, at least they refunded for all repairs and took the warranty out to 3 years, which I honestly have never seen anybody else voluntarily do on a machine that likely costs them hundreds of dollars to replace.
Then again, pretty much only MS can afford such insane money-losing tactics to gain hardware marketshare ;)

[mattstl77 @ Jan 15th 2008 1:58PM]

That sucks. Apple suckers people into buying their mediocre products then they want them to pay to use their product to its fullest, yet mediocre, ability?

Up yours Jobs. Up yours.

[dave @ Jan 15th 2008 12:54PM]

FREE!! :(
it's like optional 5th gear... it's fucking there!

[robotfrog @ Jan 15th 2008 12:56PM]

Bites...

I fully expect them to backtrack on this one. Shafting the early adopters is wrong. And if they don't backtrack, someone else will figure out how to get those apps out to everyone.

[DT @ Jan 15th 2008 12:54PM]

I agree that this is a sucky move, but if all that jazz about "not being able to include free updates" due to accounting rules is actually true, then it makes sense. They said that they are accounting for the iPhone over several quarters to allow for free updates. I bet the touch was never meant to be part of this equation, but since it's apparent that Apple now wants the touch to be a phoneless iPhone (perhaps due to market demand), they now need to charge for the update to comply with accounting rules. From now forward, I'm sure Apple will account for the touch over several quarters, just like with the iPhone.

[Tim @ Jan 15th 2008 2:15PM]

They make money off iPhone service plans - so it makes sense to keep it free in that respect since they constantly are making money off iPhone users. Once you buy an iPod Touch, there's no room to generate more revenue.

Makes sense to me. If you bought an iPod Touch, you didn't HAVE to have the apps (and if you did, the iPhone was an option). It's new software, much like buying iLife upgrades for your Mac. $20 isn't that much for 5 apps.

[mark @ Jan 15th 2008 2:13PM]

please don't say you actually believed that bullsh^t. No other hardware company in the world does that.

[DT @ Jan 15th 2008 2:18PM]

I actually believe that bullshit. How much money can Apple be making from these little charges? A few million? That's not even a drop in the bucket for them. They can't seriously be pissing off ALL their customers for those crumbs. There has got to be a legitimate reason. I'm no accountant, but there's GOT to. Whatever you may think of these dick moves, the guys at Apple are smart cookies, and they wouldn't do this for no reason.

[uhmm @ Jan 15th 2008 2:46PM]

this is bull nonetheless. Even if they are not allowed to shift money (speaking very non-expert speak here^^) between the iphone and ipod line of business - which they would need to do by your explanation - they screwed themselves into that position by producing the ipod touch - a phoneless iphone - and calling it an ipod instead of creating a "OS X handheld" line or something which holds the ipod touch and the iphone. its the frickin same device, one just lacks the "phone" part. The software was developed for the line, not for the "specific" device.

"Yeah, we cut away the 802.11n ability on purpose and now you have to pay for that because.. uhm.. dunno. We screwed up our branching/branding decissions so uhm, yeah, that goes for suftwareupdates too. yes, that "you have to pay part" right."

I dont even own a touch and Im pissed..

[DT @ Jan 15th 2008 2:48PM]

I agree, it's a dumb move in retrospect, but it may well be what they have to do in order to comply with some esoteric accounting law. I'm sure Apple had no intention of making the touch and iPhone virtually the same product, just without the phone. It looks like the market demanded it, and they couldn't keep the artificial separation of the lines.

[Eric @ Jan 15th 2008 3:38PM]

Ok... there are accounting rules...

So why then do AppleTV users get a free major overhaul, but touch users have to pay?

[DT @ Jan 15th 2008 3:43PM]

Eric:

Likely because Apple intended for the AppleTV to be accounted for over several quarters (I think they actually announced that when the ATV was introduced). So they can add features for no cost. Which lends even more weight to my argument, as why would Apple do this unless they HAD to? Clearly they are OK with adding free features (ATV and iPhone), so I'm sure they would do it if they were legally allowed to.

[KenC @ Jan 15th 2008 12:56PM]

I was going to restore my jailbreaked ipod touch for this until I heard the $20 price. Thats fucking bullshit

Oh no but I could walk into a store today and get a new one with the new features and pay the same damn price. I think its time to have my ipod touch have fatal error since its still under warranty.

[Tim Abbott @ Jan 15th 2008 11:54PM]

to late for me... as soon as i heard i had restored it.....
i cant be bothered jailbraking it again.
BUT
It easy for apple to just refund us on itunes... so im going to buy the update hopeing that apple will realise their bad mistake and give me my AU$25 back

[Rollins @ Jan 15th 2008 12:59PM]

Will I pay? Absolutely and as quickly as possible. Will I be happy about it? Not especially. I'll be a bit more careful from now on. But the iPod Touch I paid for didn't have these apps, so it's not like I'm being completely screwed.