Over the past few weeks I've noticed some apps appearing on the App Store (on my iPod Touch) that have no price or download button. I originally thought it was because they needed to be downloaded through iTunes itself but I've just been looking on the main iTunes App Store and have noticed that these apps are only compatible with second generation iPod Touches!!!

I thought the second generation touches only had a few minor additions such as the volume button and speaker, I didn't think there was any major hardware differences so why should certain apps only work on second generation touches?

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, I don't mind a few apps not being available to me, but after only buying my Touch in May, I don't want it to be obsolete too soon!

they will probably be apps that actually use the new additions such as the speaker.

But that doesn't really make any sense, you can use headphones on the 1st generation Touch (which is better actually because you're not disturbing anyone else!)

As far as I know the only additions to the 2nd generation are the volume button (which I am sure Apple won't allow to be used for anything but volume) and the speaker.

What are the apps?

I've listed a few of the apps below, I know I wouldn't be interested in some of them, but I am really curious as to why they need the 2nd generation Touch. Especially the Funny Picture apps, I have a few similar apps on my Touch already so I don't see why those two require anything different.

'Funny Picture of the Day'
'Space Picture of the Day'
'Halloween Box'
'RPS'
'Bee Revenge'
'Refill'
'Einstein Memory'

I'm completely with you on this one, I only got my touch in June and im peeved off if this is what they are going to do. its pure greed thats what it is, they want us to all upgrade to their new products every year.. its disgusting it really is.

Ah well.. stuff the appstore, Jailbreaking is the way =)

The 2nd generation also has audio input via the headphone socket and some apps make use of that, which is why they're compatible with the 2nd gen only. It's not apple's decision what developers write their app for. If they allowed them to be installed on devices that might not support certain functions they'd get slaughtered for it when people bought things they couldn't use.

Who said it was Apple doing it?

It's probably the developers. They'll have the option as to what devices their software is marked compatible for. For the cases above where it's not obvious why, I'd say it's tardy development.

Apple could have happily left 1st gen ipod touch owners behind if they wanted, but they continue to update the firmware (albeit at a price) to add new features.

One of the apps in question is actually an audio recorder and I fully understand why this requires either an iPhone or 2nd Gen Touch, however the majority of other apps have no reasons listed in the description as to why they won't work on the 1st Gen Touches and this is what is annoying, especially as most of the apps in question don't look like they use any new features. And I bet on some of them like 'Funny Picture of the Day' and 'RPS', only use the new features as a gimmick anyway and could easily be available to 1st Gen Touch owners.

all apps will install and run on 1st and 2nd generation ipods touches, its weird how apple put compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch (2nd generation) in the description as it will work on both generations of iPod Touches

How can you do that?

All the apps in question don't have an install button on the App Store on the Touch itself and if you try to install the apps through iTunes you get an error saying "This app isn't compatible with your model of iPod"

Don't know if anyone noticed but Namco released Pac Man on the App Store and for no reason what so ever, it would only work on iPhones and 2nd Gen Touches. It got a lot of bad reviews on the App Store complaining about it not working on 1st Gen Touches (even someone with an iPhone 3G complained).

However when I looked today it actually seems Namco have listened to the complaints and now Pac Man works on the 1st Touches!! I just hope other developers follow suit as very few of the apps in question really need the 2nd Gen Touch, as someone put it in a review of Pac Man, "it is just lazy programmers" which I agree with.

It's got nothing to do with Apple, the developer can choose which version of the Operating System they want to app to work with.

Blame the developers not Apple for this.

The developers are very silly then in my opinion.. surely having them available on both generations would gain them some more money? considering the app isnt free.

Yeah, I understand it is the developers fault and I just cannot understand why they do it...


It would make more sense if they made all apps available to all users, especially as those apps that only work on 2nd Gen Touchs are hardly getting any reviews which makes me think hardly anyone is downloading them and all I can say is "It serves the developers right!"