In all the brouhaha over the announcement and sacking of the iPhone 1.1.3 software update , the universe of the same - total update for the iPod touch and the $ 20 package of app update for the iPod was somewhat overleap . As I packed my mite for the week in San Francisco , I ’ve been able to put the update through its paces . Here ’s what I ascertain :
Installation
My iPod touch poses some unique upgrade change since it ’s “ jailbroken”—altered in such a way so that I could install third - political party app on it . Before attempting to upgrade the spot , I wanted to restore it to its pre - jailbroken state with the hope that this would make the update go smoothly . This was easy done by tie it to my MacBook Pro , take it in iTunes ’ Source inclination , and clicking Restore in the Summary tab . In shortish order of magnitude , the iPod touch was restitute to its near - virgin 1.1.2 state of matter .
I then give notice up Software Update and download and establish iTunes 7.6 and QuickTime 7.4 . QuickTime take a restart of the Mac . Once restarted , I again jack the iPod touch into the Mac . iTunes asked that I concur to its permit arrangement and I was soon back to a conversant iTunes sieve where the program inform me that a new edition of the iPod software was available . “ Go get it , ” I said , and the 165 MiB iPod 1.1.3 software update download and , eventually installed on the iPod .
The procedure was n’t whole seamless . doubly the iPod speck expose the “ Connect to iTunes ” icon . After disconnect the iPod a duo of meter and then pull it to restart by holding down the Sleep / Wake and Home buttons for about 10 second gear , iTunes finally installed the update successfully .
Is this a sign of things to come when third-party apps arrive?
iPod touch January Software Update
My jailbroken telephone set already let in transcript of the iPhone ’s Mail , Maps , Weather , stock , and Notes applications , and I was nervous to have them back . Currently the most painless direction for that to fall out is to purchase Apple ’s $ 20 iPod touch January Software Update . To locate the update , I opened the iTunes Store , and clicked the image you see to the right .
The resulting information sieve told me what to expect — the software I listed above as well as the power to add Web Clips on the iPod ’s Home filmdom and lyric to the iPod .
Like the iPhone running game software adaptation 1.1.3 , I could also have multiple habitation silver screen . To proceed I clicked Go to Software Upgrade .
Is this a sign of matter to come when third - company apps arrive ?
Though Apple has n’t stated so specifically , it ’s probable that the next cover gives us a hint of how the iTunes Store will handle third - political party applications when the iPhone SDK is released in February . On this concealment you see a nice illustration of what the upgrade will do to your iPod touch , the statute title of the climb , who it ’s from , its year of press release , its terms , and at long last a Buy Software button . Click the button and it ’s very much like come home any other iTunes Buy button . You confirm your Apple ID and password in a dialogue box and the software download to your Mac and the update is applied .
Again , not unlined . It appear that the updated downloaded but the iPod failed to show the unexampled icons . I attempted to download the software again , and iTunes kindly tell me that I ’d already buy it but that it had failed to download . As suggested , I clicked OK but nothing happen . I then chose Check For Purchases from the Store menu . Again , no dice . I last just let iTunes model for for a while and unplugged the iPod and then secure it in again . This sentence the package downloaded and installed .
Is this a sign of things to come when third-party apps arrive?
Like an iPhone
The update made my iPod touch even more like an iPhone . put the iPhone and update iPod spot side by side , run each equipment ’s Mail , Maps , Weather , Stocks , and Notes coating and you ’ll line up them identical ( not surprising count they are exactly the same applications ) .
The options screen of the two gadget are a short different as the iPhone has to conciliate setting for the iPhone telephone functionality ( Airplane Mode , Usage , and Sounds — for assigning ringtones ) . link options realise their own entry on the iPod pinch while they ’re contained within the earpiece options on the iPhone . The iPod touch has separate Music and Video options whereas the iPhone puts these options within the iPod entry . The General place on the iPod touch miss a Bluetooth entry as , obviously , the iPod does n’t have Bluetooth capabilities .
Move to the dwelling screen and tap and harbor on an icon and all the icons on the screen begin shimmying . To move an icon just drag the icon to a raw positioning — to the dock at the bottom of the sieve , to a fresh location in the main collection of image within the main window , or to the right , off the CRT screen , to move the icon to a separate page . To stop the shimmy effect , just weigh the Home release .
To move to another page , you’re able to either sneak your finger horizontally across the iPod ’s screen or tap the dot just above the dwelling house screen ’s Dock row that exemplify the additional pageboy you require to move to . ( Jailbroken phones running theSummerboard applicationhave a interchangeable multi - page flicking system , but tapping Summerboard ’s dots do n’t move you to another page . )
The applications behave just as they do on the iPhone running 1.1.3 package . All the new capabilities of the Maps software are here too — Location , hybrid mathematical function view , the power to grade a pin and bookmark it , and the coolheaded pageboy curl effect that exposes alternative behind the current map . Mobile Safari ’s fresh - found ability to save bookmark as Web Clips on the home plate screen is there too .
The result
The iPod touch fly the coop the 1.1.3 software with the iPod touch January Software Update is essentially an iPhone that ca n’t make or take in calls and lacks a speaker and camera . And it ’s a gracious thing to see .
Many masses found the lack of some of the iPhone ’s features and app on the touch more than a bit arbitrary . It seem that Apple now believe so too — or , at least , is unforced to believe so if you ’re willing to pay an extra $ 20 to add those things to the iPod .
[ Senior editor program Christopher Breen tracks iPod development for the Playlist assembly . ]
