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Apple iPhone

Apple iPod touch
Apple plays nice with iPhone users, gives iPod touch users the cold shoulder

For months following the release of Apple's revolutionary iPhone, the news came fast and furiously. In recent times, however, news on the iPhone has been pretty spotty at best (likely to the jubilation of many).

Steve Jobs put an end to the lull in iPhone news today with the introduction of the new 1.1.3 software update. The new update, which is available for free for all iPhone users, adds an upgraded Maps application (which can now triangulate your position using Wi-Fi or cell towers), the ability to text message multiple people at once, Web Clips support, the ability to customize the home screen, and lyrics support within iTunes.

"iPhone doesn’t stand still -- we’re making it better and better all the time," said Jobs, Apple’s fearless leader. "We’ve delighted millions of users with this revolutionary and magical product and it’s great to share these improvements with them."

iPod touch owners will be glad to know that the 1.1.3 software update is also available for them as well. Another big plus is the addition of Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes applications from the iPhone.

Users may not be glad, however, when they learn that Apple is charging $19.95 in order to download the application update (separate from the 1.1.3 firmware update). Some contend that these five features should have never been stripped from the iPod touch in the first place, but Apple is now adding in the functionality -- albeit at a price.

All currently shipping iPod touch music players will have the five new apps already installed with no bump in price.

"These amazing new mobile applications make iPod touch not only the best iPod, but the best Wi-Fi mobile device in the world," continued Jobs. "With its revolutionary touch interface and software, plus its stunning 3.5 inch screen, iPod touch is evolving into the first mainstream Wi-Fi mobile platform of the 21st century."

The 1.1.3 update for the iPhone and iPod touch can be downloaded from within iTunes. iPod touch users wishing to receive the new apps, however, will have to get through a payment screen first before proceeding with the software update.

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Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By Bonrock on 1/15/2008 7:23:28 PM , Rating: 6
Seems like Steve Jobs saw how Microsoft gave all first-generation Zune owners a free upgrade with new features and decided to do something nice for Apple's customers. Then he remembered who he was and decided to charge his customers $20 instead.




RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By xsilver on 1/15/2008 9:04:42 PM , Rating: 5
maybe if enough people bitched about it you'll get a $2 giftcard for the itunes store.

or NOT


By Proteusza on 1/16/2008 5:08:13 AM , Rating: 5
The conditions of use for said $2 voucher would be that you have to spend $100 or more at an Apple store.

Thanks Apple, this is why I dont own any Apple products. Everyone complains about MS and loves Apple, but Apple is even more greedy than Microsoft is.


By Ryanman on 1/16/2008 3:14:47 PM , Rating: 2
The best part is I bet none of them even care. The anti-mac guys are always blown away by their buisness model, and these people that buy their hardware just keep swallowing it at astonishing rates.
It's evolution baby.


RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By mondo1234 on 1/15/08, Rating: -1
RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By Bioniccrackmonk on 1/16/2008 9:16:08 AM , Rating: 2
Awww, I know, lets cry some more about Live services being down sporadically over the christmas holidays because crying back then just wasn't enough. Get over yourself. I do know for a fact that it wasn't down the entire time because I played mine during the christmas holidays when it worked, and when it didn't, GASP, I found something else to do.


By T4RTER S4UCE on 1/16/2008 10:06:03 AM , Rating: 1
Yeah, live was down for almost every game I own excluding TF2... Interesting the most lag inflicted game is the best running.


RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By Polynikes on 1/16/2008 12:24:46 PM , Rating: 2
I guess you missed the news, MS DID apologize, and even promised a free game. Also, not all Live subscribers are paying, only the Gold ones are.


By mondo1234 on 1/17/2008 11:04:59 AM , Rating: 2
Oh, we're sorry we screwed you.
I guess you missed the class action lawsuit.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080107-clas...

So not all is well...


RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By helios220 on 1/15/2008 9:57:18 PM , Rating: 2
I don't really own all too many Apple products, but I have owned a few over the years and I personally don't remember enough events that would lead me to believe Jobs has a long history of charging people for patches. Then again I don't own enough Apple stuff to really know I guess.

That being said, that sounds awfully lame considering the iPod touch is not a cheap product in it's own right. If I owned a Touch I think I'd be much more inclined to say eff that and turn to the homebrew community / wait for the SDK if it ever makes it out.


RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By MrDiSante on 1/15/08, Rating: 0
By WileCoyote on 1/16/2008 3:07:16 AM , Rating: 2
ok, neither one of those are patches. those are upgrades. patch = fix something. upgrade = add features. basic stuff here folks.


RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By psychobriggsy on 1/16/2008 7:12:40 AM , Rating: 2
Leopard came out 30 months after Tiger. "Just under once every year" ... yeah, really, what solar system are you from?

This $20 fee is clearly for additional functionality to what the iPod Touch is sold as, and besides being an avenue for revenue for Apple, would be required by S.O. Like the 802.11n patch you mentioned. Not that I think that they would have given the applications away otherwise.


RE: Kinda like Microsoft, but not quite...
By ShiverSlick on 1/16/2008 9:16:03 AM , Rating: 3
$20 since it's additional functionality than what the iTouch was sold as??? The article says that all new ones will come with the apps already installed. If I had purchased an iTouch recently, I'd be quite hacked off that the new ones, that are identical to the one I bought, don't have to pay while I do. Guess it's a good thing that I went with a Zune and got my updates and added functions for free when they came out with a new model.


By Oregonian2 on 1/16/2008 1:55:40 PM , Rating: 2
That is standard early adopter risk. Cant' see that as a problem especially as the upgrades are made available without having to buy a new iTouch.

Compare with the Archos 605 wifi (one I've been considering as an alternative to the touch as my "now gone" 60G iPod replacement). That unit's feature list, screen size and screen resolution blows away the iTouch by a mile (or many kilometers, it being a French company). Not even close. iTouch has a spiffier UI (Archos is a touch screen though) and is a LOT smaller/thinner/lighter and says Apple on it. But the Archos has the same sort of chicken-feed features. One needs to buy a handful of $20 feature keys to make it fully featured. Mind you, even without those it's more highly featured than the itouch -- but still. Maybe Apple is copying Archos to get those $20 feature bonus monies? Maybe to become more EU friendly? :-)


magical!?!?!
By JoshuaBuss on 1/15/2008 6:38:59 PM , Rating: 5
sometimes i really just want to punch jobs so hard his geeky glasses fly off

that is all :)




RE: magical!?!?!
By enlil242 on 1/15/2008 10:29:41 PM , Rating: 2
I'm glad I jailbroke mine. I'll be playing iBlackjack while you all SMS multiple friends! HAHAHAHAHA!


RE: magical!?!?!
By gramboh on 1/16/2008 12:58:17 PM , Rating: 2
I don't get it, could the iPhone not send the same SMS to multiple receipients before? Free entry level phones from 2003 have this capability.


RE: magical!?!?!
By Snuffalufagus on 1/16/2008 1:39:45 PM , Rating: 2
That's was my first question too. Seems like pretty basic functionality that you'd assume was there without asking about it prior to a $400+ purchase.


RE: magical!?!?!
By dcalfine on 1/17/2008 12:36:15 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, he does wear geeky glasses.
The hell is the matter with you.

As for the SMS issue, it wasn't software so much as firmware.
AT&T's infrastructure wasn't really ready for the data demands (nor, for that matter, Visual Voicemail) that the iPhone brought along. As for those entry-level 2003 phones, well, they didn't have visual voicemail, did they?