According to support discussions and their own description pages, Apple has removed the ability to add events in the iPod touch’s calendar, even while it uses the same operating system and application frameworks as the iPhone [Updated after the jump]

After a lengthy discussion in Apple’s support boards about a screenshot published in iLounge’s Steve Jobs’ Beat event galleries, the company has removed the words “entering calendar events” from their US features page, as you can see in this screenshot:

However, the full text can still be read in other international pages (like Canada, United Kingdom, Spain or France), which still carry the original US english copy.

After apparently pulling Bluetooth functionality at the last second, it seems like Apple is trying to further create distinctions between the two devices, positioning the iPhone as a productivity platform and Touch as an entertainment device. Fortunately, if the move is confirmed in the final release of the product, the hackers will come later to the rescue.

[Update Sept. 10th 04:37AM]

A reader points out that Microsoft also does artificial product segmentation. Like with the Home edition of Windows: it includes the Internet Information Server component, which can’t be used unless you hack the OS. However, this doesn’t make artificial crippling right for the consumer.

I can fully understand Apple removing the CSR Bluetooth chip to make the iPod touch cheaper than the iPhone. It’s a cost saving measure and they owe to their shareholders to save money and increase profits. But taking a line of code out of a program to make some people buy the iPhone is a dodgy and surprising move by Apple. It may be normal for Redmond, but certainly not for Cupertino. As shareholders, they also owe their customers some respect.

And yes, it’s Apple’s choice and they can do whatever they want as a company. However, these practices are quite different from what Apple has been doing in the past with all their products, including Mac OS X vs Mac OS X Server. Segmentation is fine, but I think there’s a limit and the increasing uproar in Apple’s discussion pages demonstrates that people don’t get this kind of artificial crippling. And I agree. [Thanks Jason]

Image credit

Popularity: 1% [?]

Share This

This entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 4:43 am and is filed under Latest Tech News.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.