Apple screws iPod Touch owners again!
I’m sure all of you remember back in January when Apple decided to screw existing iPod Touch owners with its “January Software Upgrade.” Apple charged iPod Touch owners $20 for applications that they specifically excluded from the device in the first place.
As an iPod Touch owner, I feel really insulted and annoyed that they wanted to get $20 more from me when I had spent $300 (for some $400) on the device already. I can understand paying for an OS update for a computer, but it’s getting rather ridiculous when you have to pay for a firmware update for a device like an iPod.
Today, Apple announced that their plans to release the iPhone SDK. The applications will be usable on the 2.0 firmware update released in June – free to iPhone users, but once again a paid upgrade for iPod Touch users. Why should we iPod Touch users get treated like crap compared to iPhone users? No doubt because Apple gets a constant source of revenue from AT&T for iPhone users, but IMO it is no excuse for a company like Apple that sells rather expensive products. And as with the “January Software Upgrade”, this functionality is something that should have never been excluded from the iPhone/iPod Touch in the first place.
I was considering purchasing a larger iPod Touch or maybe even an iPhone. However, Apple will be very, very lucky if they see another penny of my money. I have spent $1600 on Apple products in the past 3 months (the iPod Touch and a MacBook), before when I had never owned an Apple product. I love both my Touch and MacBook, but I don’t want to spend any more money with a company that treats its customers like crap. And yes, I know that Apple is not obligated to give those updates out for free, and that they are in business to make money. However, part of their business should be treating their customers well, especially when its customers are paying a premium for their products. As such, Apple has lost my business.