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Print 62 comment(s) - last by T2k.. on Apr 7 at 11:57 AM
Upgrades will likely bring new features, security fixes, and bug fixes

Apple, Inc. is a master at getting its customers to give it plenty of revenue when it comes to operating systems.  On desktops it follows a more frequent release schedule than competitor Microsoft, which means that even with cheaper licenses, it still typically ends up making as much or more money.

In the mobile sphere, Apple has become one of the first vendors to charge customers money for major updates to some of its mobile devices.  While the iPhone still enjoys free updates, major OS updates for the iPod Touch must be purchased via Apple's iTunes.  The iPod Touch is built on similar hardware and can browse the internet via Wi-Fi, .

Now it looks like the iPad will become Apple's latest OS cash cow.

The news that iPad users will have to purchase some OS updates aired with the release of the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK, a software development kit compatible with Apple's new tablet-cum-ebook reader.  The documentation file, which can be found here [IPD file], contained this juicy tidbit:

Apple will provide you any iPad OS software updates that it may release from time to time, up to and including the next major iPad OS software release following the version of iPad OS software that originally shipped from Apple on your iPad, for free. For example, if your iPad originally shipped with iPad 3.x software, Apple would provide you with any iPad OS software updates it might release up to and including the iPad 4.x software release. Such updates and releases may not necessarily include all of the new software features that Apple releases for newer iPad models. 

In other words, with the iPad, Apple is following a rather unique approach.  It will be giving users one freebie -- a single major OS upgrade.  After that users will be on their own and will be forced to pay to upgrade the OS.  Upgrades will likely be priced similar to those on the iPod Touch, at about $10.

Apple claims that the upgrade fees are just a necessity due to accounting difficulties with giving away free upgrades to its loyal customers.  Nonetheless, if the iPad proves a commercial success as some are predicting, those upgrades could eventually sum to a nice revenue stream for Apple.

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Well
By Abrahmm on 3/30/2010 10:01:07 AM , Rating: 5
Android is free. I'll wait for an Android tablet.




RE: Well
By HrilL on 3/30/2010 10:07:34 AM , Rating: 3
Maybe one that supports multitasking. The iPad is nothing more than a big iPod touch with all the same limitations. Sure it saves battery life but maybe we the consumer should decide for ourselves how we want to use a device.


RE: Well
By reader1 on 3/30/10, Rating: -1
RE: Well
By PrinceGaz on 3/30/2010 10:55:30 AM , Rating: 3
I have to disagree with you on every point. The iPod touch is the perfect size for a pocket-sized device for everyday carry everywhere use. It's not meant to replace a laptop or netbook or anything else; it is something intended more for viewing or playing content rather than creating it, and provided you can deal with the 3.5" screen and on-screen keyboard, does a damn fine job of everything it sets out to do. I found the keyboard frustrating at first, but now having owned an iTouch for nearly a year can type pretty quickly on it even in portrait view. For me the most important thing with the keyboard was to turn OFF all auto-correction as they just got in the way of learning to tap in the correct place quickly and consistently.

The iPad is just an over-sized iTouch which by definition loses the main selling-point of the iTouch-- its small-size allowing you to take it with you everywhere. It also loses the physical keyboard which is the main selling-point of larger devices like netbooks and laptops that allows them to be used for serious document editing and creation. If all the netbooks you looked at were junk, you didn't look hard enough, or you started your search assuming they would all be rubbish and that the upcoming iPad would be better than them (despite your never having used an iPad).

To me the iPad is a novelty product that fills a non-existent gap in the market between a netbook and a touch-screen PDA. It will no doubt be very pretty and stylish, but in terms of usefulness, it seems to fall short on every count compared with alternative devices.

Anyone who thinks an iPad is more impressive than a PC (a very general term covering a wide range of devices) has to be seriously deluded or a total Apple-nut.


RE: Well
By StevoLincolnite on 3/30/2010 10:58:49 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
"iPad suppliers forecast shipments of 8 - 10 million for calendar year 2010" http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/29/ipad-suppliers-fore...


That number looks tiny compared to the worlds total population of 6.8 Billion people, or over 1 Billion PC's sold all up (70 million in the last 3 months), or Netbooks with 30+ Million sold last year.

Yep, the iPad, which hasn't been released yet has already sold.... 0 units, Great stuff!

Keep working on that Crystal ball Reader1!


RE: Well
By StevoLincolnite on 3/30/2010 11:02:10 AM , Rating: 2
That should be 1 Billion PC's currently in use* not sold, sold should be significantly higher than that.


RE: Well
By QueBert on 3/30/2010 4:19:36 PM , Rating: 2
Actually pre-orders should count towards sold numbers as people have already paid for them. With that said the iPad has sold more before it's even came out than a lot of Netbooks have which have been out for a year.

Pretty impressive when a piece of technology that isn't out can still have 200k+ people dropping $500+ to pre order one.


RE: Well
By okashira on 3/30/2010 11:12:09 AM , Rating: 2
"The iPad is a more impressive device than the PC. It's a huge leap forward."

I'm sorry. I can't help but confused, amazed... and finally amused by your comment. Do you even know what a "PC" is?


RE: Well
By jonmcc33 on 3/30/2010 12:53:23 PM , Rating: 5
He knows from what he sees on Mac "Switch" commercials. That's about it.


RE: Well
By themaster08 on 3/30/2010 1:07:53 PM , Rating: 2
I much prefer this one to be honest -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayx2mzm1QVw


RE: Well
By brshoemak on 3/30/2010 8:40:55 PM , Rating: 2
Well a PC is certainly not "magical" like the iPad is. So that's +1 for the iPad. I'm waiting for an updated iPad feature list showing "Now with Magic!!"


RE: Well
By wiz220 on 3/30/2010 1:49:11 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
It's a huge leap forward


Are you trollin'?


RE: Well
By bodar on 3/30/2010 7:22:59 PM , Rating: 5
To ask whether reader1 is trolling is akin to asking if the Earth is revolving around the sun; it's assumed.


RE: Well
By T2k on 4/7/2010 11:57:00 AM , Rating: 2
QFT


RE: Well
By chick0n on 3/30/2010 10:15:16 PM , Rating: 1
if u talk about being huge rip off then yeah, iPad is better than my PC.

why bother ? ... its reader1 afterall ... the well known moron on DT ...


RE: Well
By damianrobertjones on 3/31/2010 4:24:50 AM , Rating: 2
Then why not look on Ebay for the devices that are around the same damn size and far cheaper?


RE: Well
By cochy on 3/30/2010 12:40:08 PM , Rating: 2
Those already exist. Search under Entourage.


RE: Well
By Abrahmm on 3/30/2010 3:22:08 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah I know there are a couple out there already, but I'm waiting to see what ASUS brings to the table, along with the Adam and the Marvell $99 tablet before I make a decision and purchase.


What's Next?
By Flunk on 3/30/2010 10:02:08 AM , Rating: 2
Maybe we'll be charged for firmware updates to stop our televisions crashing in the middle of programs, or for game patches that improve latency in multiplayer. Maybe Apple will just charge us for all software updates, even security fixes.




RE: What's Next?
By reader1 on 3/30/10, Rating: -1
RE: What's Next?
By themaster08 on 3/30/2010 11:22:37 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
New bug fixes justify a fee, just like with OSX.


RE: What's Next?
By tastyratz on 3/30/2010 3:54:34 PM , Rating: 2
hes just bitter because he gets screwed out of things like service packs and ANY AT ALL backwards compatibility with newer hardware.

but reader1 what bug fixes could you be referencing, surely apple is incapable of making mistakes.


RE: What's Next?
By QueBert on 3/30/10, Rating: 0
RE: What's Next?
By The0ne on 3/30/2010 10:19:46 AM , Rating: 1
Again, I'm not sure whether I should be concern or laugh. I think I'll laugh today, I need it :)


RE: What's Next?
By Omega215D on 3/30/2010 10:56:42 AM , Rating: 5
We can laugh because we won't be the ones buying it. >:D


RE: What's Next?
By okashira on 3/30/2010 11:14:29 AM , Rating: 2
quote:

Maybe we'll be charged for firmware updates to stop our televisions crashing in the middle of programs, or for game patches that improve latency in multiplayer. Maybe Apple will just charge us for all software updates, even security fixes.
quote:


"we'll" be charged? Mabye you will, but I won't.


Hmm...
By Anoxanmore on 3/30/2010 10:12:24 AM , Rating: 5
iPad is now an iPay? :)

Ah ha, I know a quote:

Loyalist: You never said anything about paying for updates.
Jobs: I've hired you to help me make more money. It's an prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition.
Loyalist: I just don't think it's right, paying for upgrades
Jobs: Am I going MAD, or did the word "think" escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass.
Consumer: I agree with the Loyalist.
Jobs: Oh, the sot has spoken. Why people pay is not truly your concern. They will pay. And remember this, never forget this: when I found you, you were so slobbering drunk, you couldn't buy Brandy!
[turning to the Loyalist]
Jobs: And you: friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Updating software for free?




RE: Hmm...
By johnsonx on 3/30/2010 12:16:32 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not sure whether to say "clever", or sick the quote-abuse police on you. I think it's the latter.


RE: Hmm...
By Anoxanmore on 3/30/2010 12:33:13 PM , Rating: 2
Ahh but you see...

quote:

Yes well, I filed the "Electronic distrobution of Princess Bride modified quotes on random tech news blog sites" Patent about fifteen years ago...

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=17811...


RE: Hmm...
By johnsonx on 3/31/2010 12:54:19 AM , Rating: 2
Inconceiveable!


RE: Hmm...
By Anoxanmore on 3/31/2010 12:41:38 PM , Rating: 2
You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.

; - )


So? Your point is?
By psychobriggsy on 3/30/10, Rating: 0
RE: So? Your point is?
By okashira on 3/30/2010 11:22:19 AM , Rating: 5
Well, to really be fair, the iPad will require 1,000 OS "upgrades" and updates to even approach the functionality and flexibility of a Windows 7 Tablet.

quote:
Does the same apply for Windows 7 based tablets? Will they come with a free upgrade to Windows 8 Tablet Edition?


RE: So? Your point is?
By themaster08 on 3/30/2010 11:27:37 AM , Rating: 4
Well the difference being is that Windows 7 is a full-fledged OS, and will receive all service packs free of charge, not just one.


RE: So? Your point is?
By mckinney on 3/30/2010 5:07:34 PM , Rating: 2
One guaranteed is better than none.

I have had multiple WinMo devices that I never had the option to even buy an update to my OS. In the past to update, you had to buy a new device.


RE: So? Your point is?
By NubWobble on 4/5/2010 5:33:01 AM , Rating: 2
That's because you have no idea where to look. I have updated the OS on my Omnia II (WinMo) so many times I got fed up with it.

Look on Modaco and see whether your phone has an updated OS nor not. Some phones don't need one, others were just made for customisation.


In other words...
By UrbanBard on 3/30/2010 11:20:03 AM , Rating: 1
Apple will be treating the iPad just like the iPod Touch. The reason that the Touch gets charged for upgrades is that it has no deferred earnings like for the iPhone. US laws and Generally Accepted Accounting Practices preclude the option of "Free" upgrades which include features.

This is true of Microsoft as well. The difference is that Apple upgrades more frequently than MS. Since Mac OSX 10.0 was released in 2001, there have been 7 upgrades to Microsoft Windows and 39 for Apple, but some Microsoft purists will dispute that.

Apple's "bug fix".0x releases are free, but we are generally charged $129 for major upgrades -- any version which has its own big cat name. Apple is following the same pattern with the iPhone OS. It isn't better or worse than Microsoft, just different.




RE: In other words...
By BigLan on 3/30/2010 12:24:58 PM , Rating: 2
So shouldn't the 3g version of the ipad get updates for free? You're paying a monthly subscription like the iphone so apple could be deferring the earnings and making the updates free.


RE: In other words...
By UrbanBard on 3/30/2010 6:48:54 PM , Rating: 1
That depends on the contract and whether funds are being deferred for this purpose. I haven't seen the details, and, likely, neither have you.

Let's not assume anything. The fact that there is only one free upgrade, sold with the iPad, implies that the 3G contract has no deferred earnings. This would explain why the data plan is at a much lower price than expected.

The question is why people take such a harsh slant against Apple on this issue. The upgrade is at a trivial price; why be so cheap?

Free is usually a come-on for confidence men. Apple is not your sugar daddy.


Will This Be Bad PR?
By DtTall on 3/30/2010 10:30:56 AM , Rating: 2
I am just curious about what is included in these updates. It seems like it would be in the hardware maker's best interest to keep a single product on the cutting edge for as long as possible.

If your users don't pay for the updates I feel like you run the risk of having users complain about all the features it lacks. Sure, us at DT will know better, but the average consumer may just skip them and complain later. That could be a PR nightmare down the line.




Real motives?
By chrgeorgeson on 3/30/2010 10:40:01 AM , Rating: 2
I wonder if the reason they are doing this is because they are going to release version 4.0 in June/July, which is typical of the time that the new iPhone will be released.
By not giving people a free OS update to the iPad that is a new product would look bad on there part.

Just a thought.

-Chris




US$10? Isn't it free now?
By PrinceGaz on 3/30/2010 10:40:37 AM , Rating: 2
I was under the impression that the cost of upgrading iPod touch devices to OS 3.x has fallen steadily since the original US$10 cost. I'm certain it dropped to about US$5 at some point, and is now available for free for anyone still using OS 2.x (presumably to ensure everyone migrates to the newer version to avoid having to continue supporting the OS 2.x line with security fixes).

I don't know for sure what the cost of upgrading from OS 2.x to 3.x is as I upgraded early on (cough...factory-reset...cough), but I've read elsewhere that it is now free.




Just One More Reason...
By Ard on 3/30/2010 11:32:26 AM , Rating: 2
For Apple to go f*** itself. I'm not paying money for bug fixes on top of the $500 for the device (more than that if you go with the 3G model and also have to deal with AT&T's garbage). Let them start doing this with the iPhone and I'll dump it in a heartbeat.




Amazing!!
By bobny1 on 3/30/2010 11:49:21 AM , Rating: 2
So, let me get it right!!. Apple releases the ipad, but doesn't include some features and functionalities. Instead, they released them as a major upgrade like OX Snow Leopard and charges for the upgrade. On top of that the battery is purpously consealed in the unit so "after a year"( based o my experience with my imac)you have to pay another $100 bucks or so and send your unit back to apple for a replacement unit and perhaps no guaranty that the replacement comes with the upgrade you already paid for. I don't know about you guys!!. But smeal crap!!.




$10 update is petty
By Paula Wood on 4/6/2010 11:12:00 PM , Rating: 2
You pay $500-$700 for a device... and you are going to complain about many free updates... and then paying $10 for a MAJOR update?

Sheezesss. I sure wish my Windows 7 CD cost $10.




Passover
By hiscross on 3/30/10, Rating: -1
You Applebashers are idiots
By crystal clear on 3/30/10, Rating: -1
RE: You Applebashers are idiots
By StevoLincolnite on 3/30/2010 3:15:22 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
You should be riding on the wave of success that Apple is currently riding on & make your big buck !.


So how much have you made? I doubt anyone who is "Rich" would be sitting on dailytech telling everyone to go make allot of cash, yourself included.


RE: You Applebashers are idiots
By crystal clear on 3/30/10, Rating: -1
RE: You Applebashers are idiots
By crystal clear on 3/30/2010 3:41:41 PM , Rating: 2
correction-should read

This is NO SECRET


RE: You Applebashers are idiots
By chick0n on 3/30/2010 10:25:26 PM , Rating: 1
instead of making shit up on DT

I think you should spend some time to perfect your EnGrish. oh I mean English.

Get lost troll.


By crystal clear on 4/2/2010 7:13:23 AM , Rating: 1
Your response is one of a loser & a frustrated person.

No wonder you come up this shit-

I think you should spend some time to perfect your EnGrish. oh I mean English.

Who cares ....what you think !


RE: You Applebashers are idiots
By chick0n on 3/30/2010 10:25:29 PM , Rating: 1
instead of making shit up on DT

I think you should spend some time to perfect your EnGrish. oh I mean English.

Get lost troll.


RE: You Applebashers are idiots
By StevoLincolnite on 3/30/2010 11:38:07 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I did not know Dailytech is exclusively for the poor & unemployed.


Your missing the point, if I was rich, I wouldn't be hanging around Dailytech, I would be traveling the world.

quote:
I know of start ups who exclusively work on apps for smartphones/iPods,Ipads/ etc for any App store .


So? I know how to program, but I do it for the enjoyment, not for making money, more to life than money!

quote:
The potential is huge enough for everybody to take their share.....this is the NO secret. So get to work...may be one day you would thank yourself for taking some FREE advice.


And here is my free advice.... *Sticks up middle finger*


By crystal clear on 4/2/2010 7:04:23 AM , Rating: 2
I would be traveling the world.


I do both travel & hang around Daily tech...whats so bad/shameful of hanging around D.T.- my macbook enables me to do just that.

more to life than money!


"There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning."

Money makes life even more sweeter....in my life,got to know how to manage both.

"Money never starts an idea; it is the idea that starts the money."- Thats how I became rich !.

As for your free advice....better applied to you.


By crystal clear on 4/2/2010 7:17:43 AM , Rating: 1
Yes as the title of this comment suggest-you are idiots !

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."


Video Tour of the iPad
By BubbaJoe TBoneMalone on 3/30/10, Rating: -1
RE: Video Tour of the iPad
By cmdrdredd on 3/30/2010 4:50:38 PM , Rating: 2
OMG a touch screen? That hasn't been done before :rolleyes:


RE: Video Tour of the iPad
By phenimation on 3/31/2010 5:11:12 AM , Rating: 2
Its a new line of apple defenders trying to make a name of themselves in a word dominated by Pirks and reader1. Keep on trying hiscross and crystal clear!


RE: Video Tour of the iPad
By themaster08 on 3/31/2010 10:39:41 AM , Rating: 2
They seem to have accumulated quite a little clan.

Jobs must have thought backup was needed.


RE: Video Tour of the iPad
By crystal clear on 4/4/2010 3:04:20 AM , Rating: 2
Jobs must have thought backup was needed

No, but accurate surgical airstrikes to destroy pockets of resistance.

Crystal clear is locked on target....hitting you with some hard core contents (with links provided),making it very crystal clear....the facts ofcourse.

Take the bashing for a change.....


RE: Video Tour of the iPad
By crystal clear on 4/4/2010 2:53:57 AM , Rating: 2
Pirks with some help of Reader1 could not manage the onslaught of the Apple bashers, so came in crystal clear to carry out some surgical airstrikes to destroy pockets of resistance + on a search & destroy mission.

So applebashers you have quite a force to reckon with...I will make some accurate hits on the target, with some hard core contents rather than the boring one liners & fanboysim.

Pirks & reader1 suffering from battle fatigue, can take a break to return again fresh for the next onslaught.


"Death Is Very Likely The Single Best Invention Of Life" -- Steve Jobs











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