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iPod touch (2G): OS 3.0 upgrade question about a second iPod touch.


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iPod touch (2G): OS 3.0 upgrade question about a second iPod touch.
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iMac430
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2009-06-16, 12:38

Hey everyone, quick question.

My girlfriend has a 1st gen iPod touch with the 2.2.1 OS version on it. She is planning on buying the OS 3.0 upgrade tomorrow for $9.95.

In July she is going to buy her first Mac and get the free 8GB iPod touch (second gen) because she is a college student just as I am.

Question: If she buys OS 3.0 tomorrow and gets the 2G iPod touch in July, can she upgrade the 2G iPod touch to OS 3.0 for free since she already bought the upgrade? This of course is if the iPod touch 2G doesn't come with OS 3.0 already on it. Isn't the OS "upgrade" just stored inside of iTunes (upgrade / restore buttons)? Or does she have to buy the upgrade again for a second iPod touch? Thanks you.
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ghoti
owner for sale by house
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
 
2009-06-16, 12:42

The new iPod touch will definitely come with 3.0 preinstalled. I guess iTunes knows which iPod you buy the update for (don't know though, have never done it). But it won't be an issue in her case.
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Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2009-06-16, 13:13

Actually, it's likely that the firmware will be different for the first- and second-gen iPod touches. Whether they'd make you pay for it again is a different issue, but the firmware must be different because the hardware is different. Each iPhone has a different firmware bundle as well.
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ghoti
owner for sale by house
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
 
2009-06-16, 13:17

True, I forgot about that. But it won't be an issue either way.
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iMac430
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2009-06-16, 20:48

Ok, thanks. I didn't know if there would be iPod touches shipping with 3.0 on them that soon so I figured she could just use her already paid for / downloaded OS 3.0 which is inside of iTunes on her computer.
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Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2009-06-24, 17:24

Do we know yet if the iPod touch is shipping with 3.0 on it yet? We just bought a MacBook for my wife today, and I'm getting the free iPod touch (I'm giving her my first-gen 16 GB).
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2009-06-24, 17:36

I'm not sure how quickly they do the changeover. If an iPod has been sitting at Best Buy for 2-3 weeks, do they give you a disk or voucher to save the $9.95?



I have no idea.

I know with OS X they've tossed in disk-only (no fancy packaging, just a disk in a little sleeve/booklet) for Leopard or Tiger (or the employees gave it directly to a buying customer). When I bought my PowerBook in October 2003, it was during the "Night of Panther" rollout, and they handed me the brand new Panther install disk with my PowerBook purchase.

Not sure if they do something similar with the iPod/iPhone OS.

But yeah...that would suck to buy one after June 17, expecting it to have 3.0 pre-installed, and you get home and it's 2.2.1 and then you're shelling out an unexpected $10.

No, not the end of the world. But slightly aggravating...

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CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2009-06-25, 05:03

I think it's strictly buyer beware on whether or not an off the shelf touch comes with 3.0. You just have to be aware and look at the box before buying. I even think that for a while Apple was selling refurbished 1st gen. touches with an older firmware. I was helping my Nephew pick one out and we decided it'd be better to just spend the extra to get a 2nd gen. since he'd immediately have to pay to upgrade it. That plus the extra features, but the firmware did take a chunk out of what he might have been able to save and was at least a month or two after the then most recent paid update.

Also, I don't think they'll allow two iPods to be updated with only one payment. I mean, you could look around a little bit and find the firmware link right off of Apple's site, and you could then update it. From what I understand, it will let you. But I've read that YouTube won't work for some reason, leading me to believe it's tied to your serial number and account in some way.
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Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2009-06-25, 06:50

Quote:
Originally Posted by CitizenTony View Post
Also, I don't think they'll allow two iPods to be updated with only one payment. I mean, you could look around a little bit and find the firmware link right off of Apple's site, and you could then update it. From what I understand, it will let you. But I've read that YouTube won't work for some reason, leading me to believe it's tied to your serial number and account in some way.
Actually, no, you can't directly download the 3.0 firmware for the iPod. That only works for the iPhone. The iPod firmware isn't served over standard HTTP. The YouTube issue you're thinking of is on jailbroken iPods and iPhones.

We bought our MacBook and iPod online, anyway, so we can't just look at the box to figure it out or anything.

Is the box different for iPods with 3.0 installed? I could probably try to exchange it at the local Apple store if I got one without 3.0 preinstalled.
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CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2009-06-25, 22:23

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyatt View Post
Actually, no, you can't directly download the 3.0 firmware for the iPod. That only works for the iPhone. The iPod firmware isn't served over standard HTTP. The YouTube issue you're thinking of is on jailbroken iPods and iPhones.

We bought our MacBook and iPod online, anyway, so we can't just look at the box to figure it out or anything.

Is the box different for iPods with 3.0 installed? I could probably try to exchange it at the local Apple store if I got one without 3.0 preinstalled.
Just going by what I read. I dug through my reader again and found where I read it. People in the comments talk about the youtube issue. I've read this in comments on torrent sites as well, but who knows? I don't have an iPod touch to test it on.

Crunch Gear - Need to upgrade your iPod Touch? Don’t have $10?

In the past the box has been different to reflect the changed icons. Just look at the picture of the device and if it has 3.0 icons you should be good to go. Edit: Do the icons on the touch change? The ugly stripe icons are iPhone only I just realized. Still, the little looking glass will be there in the row of dots if it's 3.0.

Looking at the Apple Store site, I can't believe they aren't making this more clear. There's a box explaining the update but it says it's $9.95 and the pictures in the gallery still show 2.0. So I think new touches still come with the old firmware?

Last edited by CitizenTony : 2009-06-25 at 22:41.
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Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2009-06-30, 14:13

I just got my second-gen, and it shipped with 2.2.1. However, when I plugged it in, it offered to update to 3.0, without charging me for it. I'm not sure if this happened because of when I bought the iPod or because I already bought the update for my first-gen (which I'm giving to my wife today).

[Update]

It did have to completely re-download the update, so it is indeed different firmware. It's installing now.

Last edited by Wyatt : 2009-06-30 at 14:30.
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2009-06-30, 14:31

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyatt View Post
I just got my second-gen, and it shipped with 2.2.1. However, when I plugged it in, it offered to update to 3.0, without charging me for it. I'm not sure if this happened because of when I bought the iPod or because I already bought the update for my first-gen (which I'm giving to my wife today).
Maybe iTouches have a built-in 'up to date?' checking mechanism to bring the firmware to the most current release free of charge during it's first connection to the internet? I know when I bought my wife a GPS it came with a code good for one free map update to make sure the latest and greatest maps were installed on the GPS.
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ghoti
owner for sale by house
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
 
2009-06-30, 14:37

I'm pretty sure they know exactly which serial number was sold when and where. They might just use that information to offer you the free update when iTunes phones home to register the device.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2009-06-30, 14:51

That would actually be cool. Then you wouldn't have to worry about how long a box has sat on a store shelf in relation to when I major software update was released.

That's a nice "everyone wins" idea...when you buy an iPod touch within a few days of the 3.0 release, you get a one-time "gimme" access to the 3.0 if your sale date/serial number can somehow match up to their "freebie" criteria?

That would cover the time it might take for new stock to arrive in stores (with 3.0 preinstalled).

In a few more weeks, I guess this won't be much of an issue...
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Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2009-06-30, 15:38

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghoti View Post
I'm pretty sure they know exactly which serial number was sold when and where. They might just use that information to offer you the free update when iTunes phones home to register the device.
I've been thinking about it, and I bet this is how it works if you buy it from Apple. How do they do it if you buy it from another retailer, though? I bought mine from the Apple Online Store, so it's not a big deal, but I wonder if it would work if I'd bought it from Best Buy.

I suppose it could be based on the first time the serial number is registered, since that only happens once, even if you restore the device.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2009-07-02, 11:46

Here's an interesting - and timely - little story from AppleInsider that talks about this very thing: Apple developing "active packaging" for iPods and iPhones

A pretty neat read.

Quote:
Known for thinking outside the box, electronics maker Apple Inc. is now apparently working on an in-the-box concept that could provide power to iPods, iPhones and other electronics devices still inside their retail packaging, allowing them to display demo videos and receive firmware updates while hanging unopened on a shelf in a retail store.


Quote:
...Apple proposes what it calls "active packaging," or retail packaging that provides "power, data, or both power and data to one or more electronic media devices housed within the packaging. The power may be provided by a direct power connection to an external power supply or by one or more wireless power techniques. A data signal may be provided by one or more direct data lines to the electronic media device within the packaging, or the electronic media device may enable an integrated wireless network interface to receive a data stream while housed in the packaging."

Such data streams could take the form of promotional information (e.g., advertising) or media content (e.g., digital audio or video content) for presentation on the electronic media device while inside the active packaging, the company explains. The data signal may also include firmware or software updates, bug fixes, or application customizations to be applied to the electronic media device.
Quite ambitious. Not sure if it'll ever take flight, but you never know. It would certainly solve the issue of "I bought an iPod touch at Best Buy the day after the 4.0 software was released...do I have spend an additional $9.95?". Anything you buy would have the latest OS/firmware placed on it the day Apple releases it. You bring home your 4.0-enabled device without having to lift a finger (or pay a dime).

I never would've thought of that approach...in-packaging updating.



It would be cool, in theory, to see the iPods, in their boxes, all running onscreen demos (although most stores - Target, Best Buy, certainly the Apple retail stores, etc. tend to have unboxed, functioning demo units customers can try out and see for themselves). So I guess I'm not fully grasping how an entire shelf of boxed iPods running video and game demos is somehow "better". Might be a lot of work and effort for minimal impact.

Also, I'm not sure how that might eat into overall battery life and performance...does anyone want to buy a product that's been in constant "demo mode" for 18-24 days? After all, one man's "broken in" is another's "used all to hell".



That might create a bit of concern or doubt among certain types of customers.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2009-07-02 at 11:57.
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ghoti
owner for sale by house
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
 
2009-07-02, 12:08

I don't think they'll have them run 24/7 while waiting for a buyer. First of all, it's going to use battery recharge cycles, which decreases the useful life of the device after it's been sold. Also, most packaging is pretty much airtight, so anything demanding that the device does in there could easily overheat it, warp the shell, etc.

Loading them up with the newest OS, and maybe media would make some sense. That way, you could give a pre-loaded iPod/iPhone to somebody while leaving the case intact. It's like the engraving, only for the non-physical parts (imagine it showing "Will You Marry Me?" and playing your tune when she first turns on her new iPhone ).
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2009-07-02, 12:14

Exactly. I can see the benefit for that.

But on the "demo" side of things, not so much. I brought up the battery life/performance issue above, and how playing a demo, day in and day out, could affect that over time. Seems like it would.

But to be able to load the latest OS and updates, or custom content (give a Beatle fan an...oh, wait... ). Well, you get the idea...give a Black Eyed Peas fan (how many can there possibly be in the big scheme of things?) an iPod pre-loaded with their entire library (joy!).



That would be a neat way to set up a gift-giving scenario. But I don't know if it's worth all that hassle and engineering. I guess we'll see in a year or two.
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