I updated my iPod Touch for Free

F! Apple. Why would they charge iPod Touch owners $10 to upgrade to the new 3.0 firmware but its free for iPhones. It's another example of their smarmyness. You can buy a brand new iPod Touch, get home and find out there's another $10 fee to get it to be current.

Regardless, I've been adamant about waiting until the price dropped to free before upgrading but circumstances required I upgrade. I started working with a developer who's targeting the new 3.0 and his app wouldn't install. I went to the internets for options.

I found many sites listing how to upgrade for free which sounds great but the comments are sprinkled with many fails. After a few fails of my own, and a restore or two later, I managed to get the 3.0 Firmware onto my iPod Touch 2G without shelling out $ to the man. Here's how:

1. Be sure you have iTune 8.2 or newer. This is one of the big problems I suspect since the 3.0 Firmware will not work in older iTunes and the error it gives is confusing.
2. Go here http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/ and download 3.0 firmware. If you have a 2G Touch, get the 2G ispw file.
3. Start up iTunes and plug in your iTouch.
4. Select it in the iTunes devices list.
5. Click on “check for update”. It will go to the sales pitch but just click cancel on the borrom left. It will return to the devices page and “check for update” should change to just "update".
6. Hold shift and click “update”
7. Select the ispw file you downloaded.
8. let it run its course like normal.

This should update the firmware and you wont lose any files.

I've only done this with my iPod Touch 2G. If you're wondering, the 2G Touch has physical volume control on the side and speakers, whereas the 1G has no physical volume control and requires headphones.