Apple adds five apps to the iPod touch -- for a price
By Nilay Patel 
posted Jan 15th 2008 11:47AM
posted Jan 15th 2008 11:47AM
posted Jan 15th 2008 11:47AM
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Companies add new functionality to hardware all the time. $20 is just a money grab to help them further subsidize their foray into the cell phone business.
What's really unbelievable is that you can return an iPod Touch purchased 30 days ago for a full refund and buy a new one at the same price with these "$20 apps".
Get ready for an avalanche off refurbs Apple.
P.S., up your ass Steve Jobs. If MS did this there would be a lynch mob outside of their headquarters.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to go "BULLSHIT!!!"
I got my iPod Touch last Christmas. I jailbroke the first 3 days I had it. The first few apps I downloaded?
Maps, Mail, Stocks, Weather, Notes & Calendar
..So I'm checking my Mail, and just tapped through Stocks, and saw that from last night that all my stocks were up. I don't actually do Stocks, but I add them for fun such as Google, Apple, Yahoo etc. So I look at apple..and they dropped 9.74. Hmm okay, I think to myself "must not have been a good MacWorld". I close out of that. I go through my Notes to find out what I need to do today before reading Engadget's coverage of MacWorld. Check the weather..sunny all week here in Southern California. I go delete that event I added by mistake this morning from Calendar, and I tap on Maps just to browse around the globe for fun. I also access my other third-party apps for a quick game but that's beside the point. So I get back on my desktop instead of launching Safari to read the coverage and I see this bullsh*t and just go "What The Hell". Apple...this is my very first iPod that you've convinced me to enjoy, and now they go and pull this bullcr*p. I think I'll pass....kind of makes me appreciate the Zune a little bit more and more...
Torrent these apps.
This is stupid, and on top of it, that stainless steel looking dock isn't all the great either.
I quit, how do I get back to 1.1.2?
so........i get screwed for FINALLY suporting an iPOD (which ive hated since their release) gr8
i cant even get an itunes store cause i cant create an account since theres no iTunes store in JAMAICA
so even if i wanted to buy this Shitty bullshit "Upgrade" (read: ripoff)
i F#%&ing CANT!!!
wow
.....i hate u right now steve
I'm downloading the update from within iTunes right now, (181MB) and it's not costing me anything.. All I did was plug in the iPod and go to software. I am in Canada. I'm not sure if that makes the difference..
I am so angry, I bought a touch for $400. $400 wasn't a good bargain in the first place, and now they expect us to buy the extra applications? I wouldn't mind if they didn't add these application for free on the new touches.
I also totally can't believe the request for a $20 dollar upgrade.. I think I became totally enraged in the middle of the keynote. Absolutely can't believe that a company would make me pay $20 dollars for upgrades to a device I purchased less than 30 days ago - even worse, as Jobs underscored himself, for a device that they've ONLY been SELLING for 200 DAYS!
I instantly mailed product feedback for the ipod touch at apple. http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html
...and to think, I was expecting copy and paste with 3rd party application support... a silly, idealistic dofus am i.
So, all the other Apple product users get to have great, free updates that add a plethora of functionality to their otherwise drap devices - except us, the idiots that fell into that 'early adopters are beloved' trap.
I just got my Touch 9 DAYS ago. Had I waited 9 days, I would have had a far better device. To charge $20 for some crappy code that unlocks the apps that ARE ALREADY ON THE UNIT is just crappy...you can not go much lower.
I called Apple Customer Support about this - first time, she said sure, just call and get them to remove the charge after you buy. Oh, sure, like I was going to just give them $20 with no guarantee at all that I would get my money back. Sure enough, I call again to be positive - I don't feel like getting shafted, right? - and the second time, lady puts me on hold for 15 minutes, claims that she had to call someone who had to call someone, and then states that there is nothing she can do for me.
I just do not understand. The stuff is already on the stupid device. It is just RIDICULOUS to charge for it, Apple. Why do you hate the current iPod Touch owners? What did we do to you? We PAYED you $300 or $400, and you shaft us? I think that this might be the first, and last, Apple product that I buy.
SCREW APPLE!!!!!
Rip-off. These were not even new. They were on original iPhone. no more apple-anything.
Shame on you, Apple. The apps have been available on the iPhone since day 1 yet you charge iPod Touch users. I bought an iPod Touch literally two days ago and even though I want to buy the apps, I can't anyway because I'm an international user. So not only are you telling your users not to adopt early products, but you're also cutting off the international community from future updates.
I'm seriously disappointed at you, Apple. Didn't you learn anything from the iPhone price rebate? I'd expect this from Microsoft, but not from you.
I wonder if bought on Sunday counts as early adopter D': Will a two day difference mean I have to cough up $20? I knew I should've waited until AFTER MacExpo to buy my Touch :(
For fuck sake apple.....seriously who do you think you are Microsoft. There is a reason people think Gates is a tosser.....
This is one of the reasons i dont like apple. Awsome company, Great Ideas, piss consumers off.
Let's see some luvin.
For those of you who are wondering how to tell if the version sold in stores is the original Touch or the new "updated" version with the new "apps", the original version has Macy Gray on the box, while the new version has John Lennon on it. If you don't know who Lennon is, he was in a small band called The Beatles. They had a few hits. ;)
Seriously, for those of you who are outraged, and purchased your iTouch within the last 30 days, simply return it to the store, get yourself a store credit or a refund, and then either buy the new version (I know, I should not call it a "new" version) or wait the week or so until this "revised" version is in stores. The price is the same, $299 and $399....and then you have the latest and greatest, without paying the extra money.
Actually disregard my comment about the outside of the box and being able to tell the new revised version from the old. The artist pictured has nothing to do with it, I was going on misinformation a friend gave me, who was clearly wrong. I am sure the correct information will be posted soon how to tell the new version from the original one, perhaps a different box design or something stating it comes with the new applications.
So what happens to those of us in non-iTunes Store countries when we plug in to update? Guess I'll find out tonight.
How are you getting screwed by having to pay $20? The iPhone costs considerably more than a touch if you factor in the fact that you are bound to AT&T for three years and $10 of your monthly bill goes directly to Apple (don't believe me? It's true.)
iPhone users get MINIMAL updates... geolocation? An addition to an already existing app. More text message storing? Multiple recipients? Hardly a significant update.
iPod Touch users get more. WAY more.
Hey, at least you guys can plug any headphones you want, I have to use a freakin adapter - now that's daylight robbery!
You mean iPod Touch users who happen to live in a country served by iTunes. For the rest of the world, this update is not available at all for any amount of money. I'd gladly pay 20 bucks for this; it's not that much money. But Apple won't allow me because I live in a country where, ironically, many of these things are made.
Here's a story. I bought the iPod Touch on Monday, Jan 14th. No kidding. (Receipt to prove it) And the NEXT day they announce this!
Come on Apple. Don't be a dick. Let us download the new apps for free!
iPhone comes out. iPhone users advertise/evangelise about the product for free. iPhone reduced in price significantly. iPhone users irate and get press coverage. Everyone hears about iPhone price reduction. More iPhones sold. Apple makes more money. Users feel bitter but keep buying apple products because brand faith is strong. Classic PR stunt. Is this happening again with iPod Touch users? Possibly. Would it work again? Probably. But it's slowly eroding the Apple User Experience in a way that no amount of clever packaging can win back. So it wont work for ever.
Apple are real genius, first they screw early iPhone adopters, now they screw us early touch adopters. You know what? Another stroke of genius is coming up. If at some point they make the update free, guess who they're screwing again? The early adopters who bought the update, so the same people actually get screwed twice.
Nice move, Steve ;)
My points of view:
From Apple’s point of view: Lets face it; the number one purpose of a big business is to maximize profits (as it is a legal requirement of the company to its shareholders). This is not a bad strategy for Apple because it allows them the potential to make more money on products already sold, give new customers more of a reason to buy the touch, and keeping interest/innovation high in the touch by offering new features. Christmas season just went by meaning that many people got a touch from Santa. Keeping that in mind, there are many people who will pay money to upgrade their touch.
Consumers point of view: Being a person who bought the touch in late December, I’m kind of angry. The sole reason I did not buy the iphone is because being a Realtor, I needed software that would only work on a pocket PC but I still loved every other feature about the iphone. This recent software upgrade makes the touch almost seem like the iphone and I’m outraged that Apple would force me to pay for these features that people are now getting for free when they buy a new touch. I don’t care if Apple says it cannot offer free upgrades due to accounting purposes; there is a way to do it! Many other companies offer free upgrades; why can’t Apple? I see this as clearly (though legal) taking advantage of the customer.
Is there a petition to ask for a free upgrade?
Oh well, just as its Apple's choice to release new apps for $20, I can make a choice not to purchase an Apple product.
I purchased an ipod Touch for my fiancee for Christmas, so she's had her touch for 3 weeks. She's been an Apple fan for a long time - has had Mac's, etc. If she really liked her ipod Touch, I was thinking about purchasing an ipod nano.
With this latest bit of news, I guess I'll be spending my money elsewhere for another mp3 player. Even Microsoft doesn't charge for service pack updates with new functionality to Windows, which is what this update is.
Apple just lost a potential customer in me, and possibly another current one if my fiancee remains mad about this update.
I am sure you have received many emails pertaining to the subject, and I'm not even sure this will get read, but I can't help but try. I would like to point out before I start that I have owned an iPod Touch for many months now, and I have actually conceded (against my better judgment)and paid for the unlocking of the apps (which you forced on me in the 1.1.3 update).
I am disgusted with the way that apple has decided to treat the early adopters of the iPod touch, and there consumers in general. There has been no development time or even time spent porting the apps, because the iPhone and iPod Touch both use the same OS. There are no cost needed to recover, and there is no new functionality. What is even more of a kick in the teeth is that new buyers will get the functionality for free.
Do you not realise that thousands of people will now not buy the Touch, because they won't know if they get the new apps or not? I thought maybe you would have taken a note from you biggest rival (Microsoft and the addition of HDMI debacle) but you seam to have screwed yourself out of so many sales. If you had supplied this as free, you may have won over a large portion of the users that have hacked their iPods; instead you have managed to force several thousand more into illegally hacking the OS to get the apps for free, because you felt like you need to drain some more money out of us.
It's not just the apps we have to pay for either. Basic functionality like rearranging the front page is withheld from the consumer, and only included in the paid for update. I can almost understand you forcing money out of us for the apps (I don't agree with it, but I can almost understand it), but functionality of existing software? That is more disgusting than any of it. Withholding functionality because we were guinea pigs for your product is no better than disabling the iPod and making us pay to have it work again.
What is even more frustrating is those that have already bought and iPod Touch, but don't want the apps or aren’t willing to pay for them, are still forced into downloading them. I, as many others have, have noticed that after the 1.1.3 update, the apps are already installed. They are just locked away so they can't be used. You are taking up the precious little space that the iPod Touch has with functionality that can't be used.
I'm not even sure if this is worth sending, because I doubt it will be read, and even if you do see sense and deliver a refund I have no doubt it will be in the form of store credit and you will still get the money out of me somehow.
Yours sincerely,
Just another disgusted loyal consumer
I'd just like to add another comment to this post, hopefully if we create enough noise Apple will do something about it. It's a disgrace that a software update like this comes out midway through the product's life, and customers (particularly if they go to a UK store to buy an iPod Touch today; no idea about elsewhere) end up facing a lottery situation as to whether they get these applets or not.
For me, they're not all that useful, but as with everyone else here, it's the precedent thats being set. It's also absolutely cynical to do this so soon after christmas. Customers don't buy a product like this expecting the interface on it to be upgraded on the unit. If they'd bought out new hardware, fair enough, thats life, but it's just an insult that early adopters have to pay for this.
I'm not entirely sure why Apple can't offer free software updates due to accounting rules. The profit on an iPhone might be ammortized over the life of the product, but even so, I'm not sure why they couldn't just write off a relatively small notional loss to their accounts in the case of the iPod Touch... Alternatively if they really are constrained by SarbOx, offer all those who purchase the software update £12.99 in credit for the Apple store, which then must count as a promotional gift and be permissible. At the very least this might provide some consolation for the many disgruntled Touch users.
But of course that won't happen. It's a cynical move to make money off the backs of early adopters. I enjoy using my Touch, and I was really starting to get in to Apple gear- but I guess the only way Apple will listen is if I vote with my wallet and scrap plans to buy there achingly beautiful Macbook Air :(
Am I the only one happy to pay £12.99 for this. When I bought my touch I knew it did not have these apps and was happy to pay for it anyway - now £12.99 does not seem too bad for something I didn't think I was going to be able to get (I considered getting an iphone for mail)
I saw this on the apple website this morning and i thought GREAT! and i was happy enough to buy these apps.
However after reading that these apps are available FREE on new iPod touches, i'm very annoyed. I know it must seem like i'm repeating everyone else's comment here but its not fair to the people who have bought an iPod touch before this release, considering a high majority of people bought iPod touches at christmas too.
I got my iPod on the 4th january for my birthday and im not sure whether to send it back and get a new ipod touch with these apps preinstaled. But how can we tell if the ipod we're buying has the newer firmware?
I could be waiting days or even weeks for new batches to come into stores and i cannot live without my beloved ipod touch!!
Curtis
when jobs announced the fee for upgrade, you could just hear the dissappointment in the room! wat a money hungry twat! we bloody support him and all he can do to repay us is charge us for something the cheap people who 'waited' get free, those money stingy people. so typical!
£13 or $20 to be a BETA TESTER!!!
They just testing the iTunes stores for selling the iPhone and Touch apps for later this year...
Ripoff...
and i now go to buy the god damn apps and there isnt a 'buy' button on the itunes page wtf
Fill in the online petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ipodapps/petition.html
This time, is bad from every point of view.
1. Iphone, itunes and apple tv have free upgrades. ipod touch hasn't.
2. Mac os x tiger to leopard full upgrade (300 applications never used before) costs $10. ipod touch upgrade (only 5 applications, 4 already used by iphone) $20.
3. If apple dont want to develop software free, progammers from around the world like me want to do it, like hackers do it with jailbreak. Even though, i don't expect that sdk will be free.
4. New ipod touches have the 5 applications free, why do i have to pay for them if i bought the touch 3 weeks ago? what's the difference, the time?. Sorry for bought in christmas, i though it was a good gift.
5. The problem is not the money, sure we all can pay that. We support Apple when some bugs appear sending mails to the company so they can build better devices with software. This is the way of them to say thanks.
I can say 5 more but i think you get the idea. I was saving money for a macbook pro, maybe i'll wait a few years more or maybe it's the time to say goodbye to Apple. they took a bad direction the last 3 years, it seems that they dont want to change the course.
I think it stinks! Especially since I've had my touch for all of three weeks now. What about the poor bastards who just purchased one Monday?
I understand the argument that this is adding new features to the existing product but when those features were seemingly arbitrarily left out of the initial release it seems hard to justify charging for them now. Besides there is good precedent in the industry for providing free software upgrades for a given period of time after purchase as part of most general support agreements. As an IT guy, I get a fair amount of upgrade notifications to software I've purchased. Typically I am entitled to newer versions for a period of one year after purchase.
What's the deal Apple?
This is totally BS, I bought my iPod last month for $400 and now I need to pay an extra $20??? and if u buy today u don't need to pay that as the iphone users. lol
Apple u screwed on this one.... I hope people stop buy apple...for sure I will...
:(
I left my *extremely* negative feedback at: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html
Youre all fucking idiots you dont have to buy it
The moderators of Apple's iPod Touch support forum are deleting much of the negative feedback over the $20 charge for the apps. Its interesting to see how Apple behaves when they're the market leader in a category (MP3/PMP players) vs. when they're not (cell phone, computers). Maybe the iPod nano with video works well but otherwise its been a bad year for iPods. The iPod classic had many issues and the touch is the red headed stepchild of the product line. Or maybe its us original touch customers that Apple treats as the red headed step children.
So if I don't spend the $20, will I be able to install the potential 3rd party software after the SDK release? I did purchase an iPod touch in anticipation of 3rd party software. I upgraded the firmware, but didn't buy the applications. I'm worried that if I can't "customize my home page," then how would I be able to add non-apple apps.
I don't think that some of the commenters understand that it's more of a principle issue vs. the $20 bucks. I could give a rats ass about weather and stock applications. Apple however is wasting space on my touch sending me software that I have to pay to unlock, and is giving me worries about functionality that I was expecting.
man i just sent 50 feedback messages to the iPod Touch team like i just got my iPod Touch today in the mail FOR MY BIRTHDAY and now they tell me that after today this new software comes for free. man i would love to take a baseball bat to steve right now, heres what i wrote them
i think you guys at apple have really screwed up tell me why should i after paying $350 for a 8gb Ipod touch do i have to pay 20 more dollars for an upgrade i've been an apple user all my life and well until today all my heart and soul believe that your company is all about forward thinking. i believe that this is just not right and is very corrupt of your company to rape every cent out of your customer and because of this decision i believe that now when i want to purchase a computer or media devise in the future i'll re think about always going with apple because who knows maybe in the future will you guys screw me out of any update i hope of fix this horrible hole you guys dug your self in.
This sucks.. there are lots of ipod touch users aournd the world where ITunes is not available, how in the heck these people can update the software on their ipod touch.
This is very unfair.. considering people had high regards to the product.
I have paid my £12.50 for the upgrade, this enabled me to upgrade my i pod touch and my wifes £6.25 each was worth every penny for these new features.
The e-mail, Google Maps, Share prices and weather are fantastic.
People are used to getting things for free, this is good value, yes I touch users have to pay, so what? if we can afford the i touch we can afford £12.50 for an upgrade.
Its not question of being able to afford it. This is such a wrong move by Apple for so many reasons that its hard to focus on any one while writing a post.
- People that can afford $400(USD) for an iPod Touch can afford an extra $20 for the upgrade. Why doesn't Apple raise the price of the Touch by "only $20" (to quote steve)? Steve's quote about it being 'only $20' for the upgrade for touch users was met with silence. Too bad nobody booed.
- Why doesn't Apple charge for iTunes upgrades? Why didn't we have to pay for coverflow?
- In the software marketplace, getting $20 out of people for the meager capabilities of this update happens when you have a captive audience. Taking advantage of us existing touch customers like this seems like a sleezy, monopolistic, practice. This goes against the image of themselves that Apple promotes.
- Apple supposedly makes high-end consumer electronics and those of us that buy choose to pay a premium for this. A company that sells such high end products shouldn't try to nickel and dime a captive subset of its customers. Obviously Apple can do whatever they want but if they disrespect customers like this then it will eventually come back to bite them.
If Apple was as smart as they think they'd treat iPod customers much better than this. I'm a relatively new Apple customer being that I'm on my second iPod and have yet to own a Mac. My perception of Apple is much, much, different than that of the long time Apple fans out there. For sure this will influence my future purchases. There must be very many people that fit a similar profile.
I really dont think its fair either to charge. I've created a video blog spoof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1VYDcI5P24
Isn't this the first time Apple has charged for functionality rather than products (iPods, music)? That's a pretty disturbing trend if true.
More here: http://onlinemarketer.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/steve-jobs-sucks/
I have no issues with issuing enhancements and the like, but I do have real issues with doing so right after a busy holiday season. Sell a ton of new units, then get all the new users to shell out another $20 a couple weeks later, while the iPhone users get it free, as do the new buyers? Nice way to clip your customers. I don't see $20 worth of enhancement there, so I will wait. $5? Maybe. Free? Obviously. Will they turn around a screw the new buyers in March?
Great point about the timing of this after the holiday season. Its amazing how such as simple move as this is so bad on so many levels.
I am outraged that Apple is penalizing early adopters of the touch by making them 'pay' for a software update they should be getting for free. Any reputable company that stands behinds its products gladly updates its software. When I made the decision to buy the touch early, despite the fact that it was light on available applications, I did so with the obviously misguided assumption that, as applications became available, they would be provided. The fact that current iPods will ship with the upgrade included is a complete slap in the face to existing Apple customers. I never would have expected something as sleazy and underhanded as this from Apple. I will not be 'buying' a software update for my touch - nor anything else from Apple unless they rectify this error in judgment.