# Paying for future iPad updates?



## Eeyore (Jul 16, 2009)

From MacRumors article.

"The iPad licensing software provides the usual legal documentation for use of Apple's software, Google Maps and YouTube videos, but also reveals one interesting aspect of Apple's plans for iPad OS updates:

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.

Current iPod Touch owners have had to pay for each major OS software update, while iPhone owners have received their updates for free. The reasoning behind this policy has been blamed on legal accounting requirements.

It appears iPad owners will fall somewhere in the middle. iPad owners will receive the next major OS update (4.x in the case of new iPad owners) for free, but may have to pay for the next major upgrade (5.x)."

My Question: Are the software version updates like going from Windows XP to Vista to Windows 7, or are they much smaller in scope, such as Vista Service Pack 1 to Vista Service Pack 2? Does someone know since I have never owned an Apple product.

Thanks.
Best Wishes!


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

No surprises here. I have paid for at least one update on my iPod Touch, and several times over for other software.


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## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

I have some experience, though a little limited; but it depends, sometimes the upgrades are small and hardly noticeable; other times they make a big difference; e.g., one previous update allowed one to cut, copy, paste, as well as introduced Search capabilities; pretty big changes IMO; I have an iPod touch and think I paid maybe $5 for it, maybe nothing, I can't remember; that's the main update I remember that caught my attention; 
I hope this clarifies instead of confuses.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

IMHO the OS upgrades should be free for the life of the device. PC (and I suppose Mac) OS upgrades occur over a span of YEARS, and usually require a significant overhaul in the OS along with an entire new suite of programs. Portable electronics like the itouch, iphone, and the ipad are essentially disposible and should get the tweaks. They seem to get at least annual OS upgrades, if not monthly ones, so the differences between versions is much smaller.

But I can see why they want/can get the revenue stream. Folks investing in these types of cutting edge electronics are more than willing to pay to be on the leading wave of functionality. So while I disapprove of the practice, it is no surprise if they do it.

My guess is AT&T is somehow subsidizing iphone updates to keep the device competitive in the much more cutthroat smart phone market.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Yeah, this isn't anything new. When OS3 came out I paid for it on my daughters ipod touch which was about 10 bucks.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

jason10mm said:


> IMHO the OS upgrades should be free for the life of the device. PC (and I suppose Mac) OS upgrades occur over a span of YEARS, and usually require a significant overhaul in the OS along with an entire new suite of programs.


 And that, to me, is why I don't have a problem with paid updates for major upgrades; they do require a substantial investment by the company. I also seldom get upgrades for the sake of upgrading; the upgrade must do something for me that I require. And sometimes I have declined an upgrade because it took away a feature that I wanted.



> Portable electronics like the itouch, iphone, and the ipad are essentially disposible and should get the tweaks. They seem to get at least annual OS upgrades, if not monthly ones, so the differences between versions is much smaller.


 I do agree that minor upgrades should be free. However, any device that I pay over $100 for I don't consider disposable. 



> But I can see why they want/can get the revenue stream. Folks investing in these types of cutting edge electronics are more than willing to pay to be on the leading wave of functionality.


 Well, I'm not sure that I would say "more than willing."  Of course, this is the first time I've been an early adopter...

Betsy


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Not a big deal to me. The iPod Touch's have always been this way,and it's never very expensive at all.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Cribbed from Engadget:

"the generally accepted reasoning for the $20 iPod touch upgrade fee is the accounting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: IPhone and Apple TV updates are free since revenue from those products is realized as a subscription over a period of time, but iPod touch updates can't be free since Apple just records that revenue directly."

I don't remember any $20 upgrade for the iPod Touch, but that does not invalidate the explanation.

Mike


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

It was 10 bucks ( well 9 dollars and change from what I remember) not 20. If they can't even get that right, I'm not going to bother listening to the rest of their argument. If they want to be taken seriously they need to be credible.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Don't they make enough money from sales of the hardware?  They don't charge for ipod and itunes software updates.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Actually they do charge for major updates on ipod touch, which is an ipod. itunes is free software so no I wouldn't think you would be charge for an update for something that is already free to download.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Ipods that are not touches get free software updates.  I don't have a touch.


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## geko29 (Dec 23, 2008)

mlewis78 said:


> Ipods that are not touches get free software updates. I don't have a touch.


Those are minor revisions--move a menu here, make this function prettier, fix that bug. New "number prior to the dot" releases for the iPod Touch/iPad are fairly close to a ground-up rewrite. They include extensive new functionality, some developed in house at significant cost (see: redesigning the interface to support cut and paste, spotlight search and the indexing engine behind it), some purchased from outside vendors at significant cost (see: Microsoft Exchange support, Cisco VPN client).

It's giving away those new features that can run afoul of Sarbanes-Oxley. If the updates are free and add functionality to the device, they're effectively admitting that they sold the customer an incomplete product. Charge a nominal fee for the update (2.0 and 3.0 were $10 for iPod Touch users, they lowered this to $5 with 3.1) is in effect, selling a new "product" to the customer, and keeps them out of trouble.

Apple isn't getting rich off of OS upgrades. Between order processing and technical support, they probably break even or even lose money at $5/account for the upgrades, without even counting ill will from customers for being charged. It's purely an accounting move to protect themselves. And they don't really care if YOU pay, as long as they don't officially offer it for free. Once an iTunes account has purchased the new release, it can update as many devices as desired. At work we spent a grand total of $5 to upgrade our 30 Touches to 3.1...and did a few employees' devices for them as well.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

I can't even remember the last time my ipod classic got an upgrade. I can tell you that when the 6th generation ipods came out my 5th gen one did not get an upgrade to the new coverflow.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The coverflow is on ipods that came out only after Apple started using coverflow.  Existing ipods were not upgraded for it.

They used to upgrade the software more often, apparently because of certain problems that needed correcting for optimum use of the devices.


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