Sorry old Apple TV - no iOS4 update for you!

Friday September 3rd, 2010

By Adam TURNER

Apple spits in the eye of the faithful by abandoning owners of the original Apple TV.

Say what you will about Apple, it's pretty good at offering updates for old devices. For example, the iPhone was one of the first smartphones where the release of a new model saw the old model automatically receive most of the new features via a software update. Even MacOS does a pretty good job of supporting old Apple machines where possible. With a few glaring exceptions, it's generally only hardware limitations that stop old Apple devices inheriting the latest software features.

Apple TV owners have enjoyed the same kind of love from Apple - until now. I've got the very first 40GB model Apple TV, an ex-display unit I picked up from an electronics store last year in order to hack for a magazine feature. After sitting on the display stand for several years, it was still running the 1.0 firmware release. It happily updated to 2.x and later 3.x without any hassles. But now if I want to enjoy any of the new software features, I need to buy the new hard drive-less Apple TV - an upgrade I'm not keen to make.

I'm yet to hear a good technical explanation as to why the old Apple TV won't get the new OS update. The old Apple TV ran a variant of MacOS 10.4 on Intel hardware. The new Apple TV is believed to run the iOS4 mobile operating system and contains iPhone/iPad's new A4 chip. Apple doesn't like to talk about the man behind the curtain, so we'll need to wait for people to pull the new Apple TV apart before we know exactly what's happening under the bonnet.

When changing hardware, Apple generally releases at least one overlapping version of the software. MacOS 10.5 ran on both Intel and the old PowerPC hardware, while Mac iOS4 runs on both the current iPhone/iPad's A4 processor and the old ARM processor in the early iPhones. I find it hard to believe Apple couldn't find a way to support old Apple TVs for at least one more firmware release, providing at least some of the new features of the new models. To be honest there doesn't seem to be many new features in the new Apple TV, apart from those which compensate for the lack of onboard storage.

Steve Jobs has fired up the reality distortion field and is trying to convince us that having onboard storage in the Apple TV is a pain and we're better off without it. What a load of rubbish. To me, the Apple TV is all but useless without the hard drive. Apart from size and price, there's no actual advantage to the end user in stripping out the hard drive. Apple could have kept the original Apple TV and dubbed the new model the Apple TV mini. Instead Apple is killing off the old units because they don't fit with Cupertino's business model. The truth is that Apple is the only one better off without a hard drive in the Apple TV - as my colleague @neerav put it "they've made a classic box to hoover money from your wallet for transient content".

What's really annoying is that it seems the new Apple TV includes considerable onboard storage - Apple Australia's Fiona Martin tells me you'll be able to rent several movies at once without the need to re-download them every time you want to watch them. So it's a fair assumption there's at least 10GB of flash memory buffer storage onboard - Apple just doesn't want us to use it. How very Apple.

The new hard drive-less Apple TV marks Apple's great leap forward into the cloud, but it's a great leap backwards for end users.


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18 comments

Comment from: jsk [Visitor]
You have to understand Steve Jobs' definition of the word "customer." To him, a customer isn't someone who owns one of his products. A customer is someone standing in line waiting to buy something at an Apple Store. Pony up for all new gear every year or get lost.

Loyalty is a one-way street for Jobs.

P.S. For the nut jobs out there: No, I'm not a "hater" or Windoze guy. I've been a Mac (that's Mac, NOT iOS) user, exclusively, since 1987 (Dual-floppy SE. Still have it. Still works).
04/09/10 @ 07:02
Comment from: Bob Sluyter [Visitor]
I am very disappointed in Apple. I have been a fan for years. I own 2 computers. Apple t.v. and I phone 4. 5 i pods. I love Apple products. However I am blown out of the water by this. No update This is a kick in the teeth to all of us. I am selling my stock!
05/09/10 @ 11:13
Comment from: OS11 [Visitor]
Everyone needs to know that the new AppleTV is running an A4 processor, the old one runs an Intel Atom, so it's not like you can just recompile the code.

The older AppleTVs had 3 big updates, so it's not like Apple ever left it hanging. And last time I looked, they will still run for years without an update. They aren't like $1000 "computers" that need new printer drivers, security updates, etc. it's an embedded device, so people need to quit whining.
06/09/10 @ 10:49
Comment from: Ted Landry [Visitor]
The author needs to realize that Apple also announced that you can now play content from any of your Macs into the new AppleTV without syncing.nSo, essentially it now has unlimited "local" storage.
06/09/10 @ 14:57
Comment from: Adam TURNER [Member] Email
I realise you can stream content from a computer, but why can't they offer that to the old devices? Why do I need to sacrifice the hard drive to get the new features?
06/09/10 @ 15:57
Comment from: Ted Landry [Visitor]
Removing the drive is mainly about cost, power consumption and size. Plus I think most people found they rarely used the drive.

Another angle is... who is to say this is the "final" AppleTV? this could just be the nano version, with a pro version coming out next year. So ponder that.

I sense there will be wireless drives that tap into the new model, something like the pogoplug... so it's just a matter of time.

06/09/10 @ 18:14
Comment from: Ken Woodward [Visitor]
I may have missed the point, but I have 2x old AppleTV's and I do stream 720P content from my mac mini. These are eyeTV recorded programs (that I have converted to the mpeg4 video type). It all works fine. We do have some TV show's on the AppleTV HDD, but all movies are streamed. Takes approx 30 seconds to start up, but I have no issue with that. I also stream iTunes purchases/rentals, but I realise these are SD not HD.
08/09/10 @ 08:56
Comment from: Bill [Visitor]
Well, I JUST got the now 'old' version of apple tv - yeah, almost $300.00 on something that is now (a couple of weeks later) outdated! Nice!

I love apple - imac, iphone 4, ipad, appletv, (my wife and daughter also have iphones and ipods - this does suck however!
09/09/10 @ 04:50
Comment from: Bryan [Visitor]
@ least they made it affordable to replace your old one, it would have been a real kick in the teeth if it was the same price, have 3 Apple TVs right now will only cost the price of one old one to replace all 3, if your going to complain about apple selling you new stuff than better stop buying stuff all together cause there is nothing in this world you don't throw away and buy more of eventually
09/09/10 @ 10:39
Comment from: Dale [Visitor]
I've had the old AppleTv for about 12 months, and love it. Is that really old?

It has a hard disk, but do I really notice it, the appletv sync works really well with my itunes library. I never have to manage it.

I was looking forward to the new version thinking it would be a great upgrade, but is it?

The new version doesnt seem to me to be technically or functionaly superior. I actually like being about to buy content, like music on the AppleTV, and I think the podcasts gone. I think I would buy less content, if it means a walk to my computer room.

The main advantage is being able to watch rentable TV shows, but it seems that "feature" will be restricted to the new AppleTV. I find it really hard to believe that the old version cant technically rent TV shows, since it can rent Movies.

I am disappointed, but maybe I should expect it, my iPhone is being deprecated also.
I'm soooo sure that syncing my mobileme Notes on an iPhone 2 is beyond its ability.

It also seems that the new mobileme requires iOS4.0, so time for a new phone?

Im ok with a 4 or maybe 3yr lifetime for products, but it seems like apple is running with 2yrs.

:(
09/09/10 @ 14:00
Comment from: Finn Kraemer [Visitor]
I cant believe that Steve Jobs isn't rewarding customers who put up with the limited content and high price of the old Apple TV with at least an update. I was equally upset that I payed over 300 dollars for a 160 GB hard drive, couldn't even use it as an external hard drive, and now its being used as an excuse to not provide an update that will add features. I mean lets face it, the old Apple TV was just a fancy and expensive on demand service that provided few services that a cable running from my MAC to my TV couldn't. I still love Apple's products and have been a loyal customer for a long time but this is just wrong.
23/09/10 @ 02:54
Comment from: alleycatpt2 [Visitor]
This is complete bull..it. Just another way for Mr. Jobs to suck another $100 dollars out of you.
28/09/10 @ 05:30
Comment from: Don Smith [Visitor] Email
Well, Apple is a business after all. Its not a public utility. The entire computer business is built on the concept of making you dissatisfied with your current equipment. It has worked that way since day one. I suppose if you checked people must have been bellyaching about the Apple IIe coming out after Apple II owners had just made their purchase. How is this different? If you aren't used to this by now you haven't been a computer user very long.
02/10/10 @ 05:54
Comment from: Aric [Visitor]
I'm with everyone else in the disappointment category. I bought the 160gb Apple TV a few months back. I was pretty excited about the new one until I saw how they were implementing it. Personally I don't want to keep a computer running somewhere just so I can play my content on the TV. Apple had the opportunity to have a media system, but they screwed it up. If they were smart they would have the hard drive models that sync your library, and the smaller units would stream from the larger ones. But I agree, Apple just wants your money. I love their stuff, but this is the second time I've gotten screwed by Apple. First after buying my 3rd Gen ipod that you couldn't move rented movies to, now the Apple TV.

So glad loyalty is rewarded. The least they could do is give a decent trade in value...
02/10/10 @ 05:57
Comment from: Beni [Visitor]
I have the apple tv with 160gb and the new apple tv can stream movies from any computer connected to the same wifi, which is actually the way I use mine since I changed computer and didn't want to go through the trouble of changing the host computer.
This means that you don't have to buy stuff from apple to be able to used the new apple tv.
03/10/10 @ 10:02
Comment from: Papichopn [Visitor]
Apple - Why are you guys so mean and leave us with a old apple tv that is only good now to rent movies and to see pictures - sucks...
Will sell stock and will not give you one more cent
Cabrones
08/11/10 @ 09:19
Comment from: Reynaldo Yanga [Visitor]
Apple sucks!! I just realized now the greediness of Apple. They try to hook loyal customers to pay for their Apple Executives fat salaries..... Sorry I'm still using Mobileme email. Don't you think it's time to change? But I am not rich enough to junk all my Apple gadgets.....................
Steve Jobs at least you owe the Old Apple TV owners a reasonable explanation of not upgrading the unit. Apple customers I think are civilized people to understand your "whatever reason you may have"....
26/11/10 @ 03:17
Comment from: Happy [Visitor]
Install XBMC and Boxee on the OLD Apple TV. Well worth the coin you can get one for now.
The new one is worthless to owners with just a mac book. Who wants to make sure their book is around, charged/plugged in, before they look at pics or listen to some tunes. Weak Apple...

26/11/10 @ 13:29