You Want Me To Pay For What?!
As most geeks are already aware, Apple held their annual MacWorld Keynote speech yesterday, which they traditionally use to announce new products. On this year's agenda was the MacBook Air, an upgrade to Apple TV, and an upgrade to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Finally, after being hamstrung for no apparent reason since it's release with no mail, notes, or Google maps (despite having wireless internet), the iPod Touch was going to get five new applications.
So last night, I did the mandatory upgrade to iTunes 7.6, then the mandatory reboot (why, Apple, why?) and plug in the Touch. Of course, it fails to do the firmware upgrade until this morning. No big deal. Start the firmware upgrade. Wait half an hour for it to download. Wait for it to install. Ok, done! Check to see new apps...no new apps. Huh? Back to iTunes, "Go to Software Upgrade". Wha....??!
"iPod Touch January Software Upgrade: $20" Apparently I wasn't paying very close attention to the live blog feed I was watching of the keynote yesterday. It turns out that all existing iPod Touch users have to pay $20 for the January Upgrade, which includes the five new apps. New iPod Touches, however, will come with the software already installed, for free.
I have to be honest, I'm pissed. This is the equivalent of Microsoft making Windows users pay for Service Packs. But they didn't. And those Service Packs were much bigger upgrades.
Apple is, once again, screwing the early adopters. Like the iPhone fiasco a few months back, they're trying to milk more money out of the people who gave them their first dollars. Being an early adopter is not a privilege that one should pay for. Having early adopters is a privilege. But Apple has been using them as an extra revenue source, charging iPhone users $200 more to get the phone when it first comes out, and only giving $100 back when they drop the price. Or this.
Sure, it's not a lot of money, it's $20. It's the principal that matters. Apple released a product that was lacking in functionality, seemingly for no reason. I mean, if a device has Wifi, then Mail and Google Maps shouldn't be removed from it. And I damn well shouldn't have to pay extra to get them now.
As a result, I am removing myself from Apple's early adopter pool. I will not be buying products until they have received at least one update. There's no reason for me to pay extra to beta test their products for them. If anyone needs me, I'll be jailbreaking my iPod...
Update: Evidence that Apple is already losing its early adopters due to screwing them over with the iPhone.
I should note that my iPod Touch was a holiday gift from my company. I'd be even more pissed if I'd shelled out a few Benjamins just to have to lay down another Jackson.
At 9:15 AM on January 16, 2008, Kiefer said,
How do you like the iPod Touch? I'm looking to get a new iPod, as my 4th gen hard drive #2 keeps failing. I'm torn between the iPod Classic and the Touch. One key is the new Mail app. Does it sync your Mail with your Mail program on OS X?
At 8:10 AM on January 17, 2008, Tyler said,
Not sure about Mail since I don't have it on my Touch.
I love the iPod Touch for videos and internet. It's great to have when traveling. I'm not as thrilled with it for music, though. The lack of tactile feedback makes it much harder to do the usual things you do when listening to music, like skipping tracks and changing the volume.
At 1:39 AM on February 26, 2008, Jason Breitwieser said,
You've just made my quote of the day, "I'd be even more pissed if I'd shelled out a few Benjamins just to have to lay down another Jackson" - Nothing better than reducing a problem to it's roots. In this case, a few benjies and a dead president!