Since the introduction of iPod touch and the 1.1.3 January Software Update, it’s apparent Apple will now slap a charge on any software which includes new features. Ok – I get that, the work goes in, something has to come out – you may disagree – I went through a spell of doing just that, but the recent 2.1 update was free for iPod touch users, and it included a pretty huge feature addition.
Genius …
Ok, I know what your going to say – People who updated from 1.1.X got charged for 2.1 right? – Of course (Well I did with actually owning 2.0 – but the charge has now been refunded and that’s for another post ..), but according to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Apple ‘has to’ by law, charge for feature additions to a product which originally shipped without those features. The act also states that Apple can indeed charge for new software additions due to the iPod touch being accounted for differently to that of iPhone. When you own an iPhone, you do so only because you are giving money over each month to a mobile operator of which Apple take a cut. Owning an iPod touch, and you basically pay a one off fee for the features advertised, and that’s it. No charge for Wifi usage, no charge for data, nothing. So Apple, marginally understandably, have to re-coop some of that lost revenue, and they do so by using Sarbanes-Oxley.
So, if Apple are so very much ‘tied’ to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding iPod touch software updates, as they seem to portray, then can anyone explain to me how 2.1 was not a charged update for 2.0 owners? – Am I missing something here? – At the Let’s Rock Event, Apple announced 2.1 with a few new features, and one huge one, Genius.
Is Apple now choosing what features are classed as ‘major’ and ‘minor’?
As Engadget put it:
“that’s definitely a little odd — care to explain, Steve?”
My Opinion
It obviously doesn’t affect me as much as I’d want it to, as although I own an iPod touch (G1), I don’t seem to use it that often. It is updated to 2.1, after being charged $9.95 (now refunded) by Apple, while still owning 2.0 .. but I just find it a bit weird they seem to be picking and choosing when to charge. I don’t know about you, but I think, if your going to start something Apple, continue it. My way of looking at it is, you chose to buy iPod touch over iPhone – You get niceties like not having to pay a subscription fee per month, but in return you should pay for new feature additions – and this is me saying this while actually owning one.
Even updating from 1.1.X, the charging system is still not right. The 2.0 update was charged at $9.95, and the 2.1 update includes all the previous features of 2.0 and 1.1.3. So effectively those users updating for 1.1.X are only paying a one off charge of $9.95 for all of the ‘new features’ included in 1.1.3 and 2.0.
I’m sure you all have your own opinion to give on Apple’s methodology, so please do feel free to leave me a comment below …
Leave a Reply