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iPhone will require iTunes account to set up

macworld.co.uk — Apple will require iPhone customers to have an active iTunes Store account, in order to set-up their device, the company has revealed.

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  • paulmike3, on 10/11/2007, -55/+84Who drops $500 on the latest Apple gadget and doesn't have an iTunes account?
    • sishgupta, on 10/11/2007, -34/+96Regardless, I would prefer to be able to own for that $500 dollars without being locked down to anything extra.
      The iPhone becomes less appealing every day. This "feature" is rather small but it is just adding to pretty tall mountain of reasons not to buy the phone.

    • SpanishBrowne, on 10/11/2007, -16/+115I'd have to agree - if Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola pulled something like this, we'd all be screaming bloody murder. Hell, I've got a Mac Mini and a 5g iPod, but I don't have an iTunes account - nor do I want one (and I certainly don't want to "have to need" one).
    • rauz, on 10/11/2007, -26/+13@SpanishBrowne: Nowadays you more or less have to get an account at Nokias website and use their software in order to upgrade the firmware of your phone...different situation but nothing unusual.
    • andydumi, on 10/11/2007, -12/+50Its one thing to need an account for firmware, its another to need it to set up the phone to begin with. Many people buy the phone and never change the firmware, it should be rock solid day one.

      I have an inkling that Itunes will be "required" for most functions of this phone, including media transfer. Which will only make Itunes even more bloated, and even slower for everyone.
    • omgomgomg, on 10/11/2007, -28/+16Apple is the new Microsoft
    • epyon180, on 10/11/2007, -35/+15What is the big deal, setting up an iTunes account is free and its easy. People are coming down too hard on the iPhone it went from being exremely over-hyped to being the worst product ever.

      By the way it requires fingers to operate so I am not going to buy it.
    • MioTheGreat, on 10/11/2007, -15/+71"Apple is the new Microsoft"

      I do believe that every Microsoft phone OS we've seen has had a really really good SDK, and embraced 3rd party support.
    • rauz, on 10/11/2007, -12/+4andyumi: should be rock solid but they never are, especially if you buy a newer model with mp3 player, camera etc.
    • rebrad, on 10/11/2007, -10/+32I can hear the giant sucking sound now. An expensive money pit that constantly needs a recharge. Apple is the new AT&T.
    • anchorman, on 10/11/2007, -8/+37I think this is a mistake on Apple's part. Many people may want the nice mobile phone but may not have a computer or want to install itunes. While I have a computer... I do not use iTunes... nor do I want to.

      The other issue is people who use Linux. What are they supposed to do?

      Apple should rethink this or come out with an 'online version' of iTunes... that does not need installation.
    • zdiggler, on 10/11/2007, -13/+4I use and love Google but I only log my self in to check email. I think loggin to Google to do searches is not a good idea. Especially you searches are string to your username, ;(
    • prisoner24601, on 10/11/2007, -13/+30@ paulmike3
      "Who drops $500 on the latest Apple gadget and doesn't have an iTunes account?"

      Me. I love my Nano and hate iTunes with a passion. I only use SharePod and I don't care what feature the iPhone has, there's NO way I'm using that bloated program on my desktop. Windows Media Player 11 does everything I need (which is just one single thing: play mp3's) so why should I install another media player to do what my desktop already does without it? Just to make Steve Jobs happy?

      I'm glad that iTunes is a good solution for many of you. Honestly, no sarcasm there. But it's fairly bizarre that there are so many iTunes users who think the rest of us should "convert" to your choice when we are perfectly happy without it.
    • phantom_mullet, on 10/11/2007, -2/+21Am I the only one who sees the iPhone (at least initially) as a huge "bandwagon" sort of deal. I mean it seems that "everyone" wants one, and Apple can essentially force eager consumers to jump through all these hoops just to get this prized product. I see it as a HUGE marketing campaign capitalizing on the loyalty of many regular Apple customers and cashing in on this loyalty. For one, Apple can make a boatload from at&t just from their new customers and, while it seems the whole iTunes account may not be a huge deal, Apple will eventually allow customers to purchase iTunes tracks easily from their iPhones and iTunes Store will become an even bigger cash cow.

      It really is genius on Apple's part, but for now, I'm not buying it. (no pun intended)
    • andydumi, on 10/11/2007, -3/+14@rauz
      There are plenty of great phones out there that have modern features that dont ever need any sort of explicit software base.
      I have had now 3 Sony Ericsson such phones (with MP3 and pictures capabilities) and my wife is on her third Samsung with the same capabilities. At no point in time have we needed to upgrade the firmware, nor install any software (we could have, but we didnt have to). I believe the same ought to be applicable here. Let me connect it to the computer and have it recognized as a standard memory card/hard drive and let me do what I want with it and use whatever software i want for media or themes, ringtones, backgrounds...

      As to firmware, if its a really big deal, I can always go into the ATT store and have them do it for me. But the point is that there ought not to be any firmware upgrades that are necessary, it should be rock solid day one and if its not, then delay its release until it is. Otherwise we slowly get suckered into this whole closed system where you need the latest patch, so you need internet access, so you need to pay for a data plan you may not otherwise use.

      Why force a data plan for Iphone? I am perfectly content with just using its Phone, MP3 playing and PDA features without paying ATT more money for a service I dont want. Or I can always sync webpages before I leave via RSS and a USB dock and read the news and email on the train/bus. I am not saying woreless internet is not good, its just that its not necessary and ought not to be forced upon us.

      The more we give up control, the worse it gets for us as consumers, as we get stuck in a few very closed systems.
    • mal1964, on 10/11/2007, -12/+2@IIDA "This is the last straw, Apple! I'm definitely not buying one now"

      Apple! is definitely not excepting straw now.



    • ibis, on 10/11/2007, -3/+12I updated the firmware on my Nokia, but I don't remember having to get an account or anything. You just download the Nokia software updater from the web site.
    • understudy, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14

      I love Apple, but I won't buy an iPhone as long as it requires AT&T to be the carrier. As we've all learned, AT&T has ZERO RESPECT for the privacy of its (and others') users. I would encourage a boycott of the iPhone for this "singular" reason.

      An email to Apple about this would be a good thing too.

      _

    • jbhannah, on 10/11/2007, -13/+4@mio:

      And other than that, has sucked horribly. Even Palm OS is better than WinCE.

      To the article itself, I think this deserves an "O RLY?" And plus, what's the big freaking deal about making an iTunes account if you don't have one already? Sure, you need to give them a credit card number to create an account, but (1) presumably that's what you used to buy the phone and service to begin with, and (2) you can just as easily go in and delete it afterward, unless of course that's how Apple has you pay for the service, which is unlikely IMHO.

      It's like saying "OMFG digg makes you sign up to post comments therefore it SUCKS". Basically...shut up.
    • omgomgomg, on 10/11/2007, -11/+5lol, at my comment above being dugg down.. fanboys....... ATTAAACCCCKK!
    • twit987, on 10/11/2007, -11/+3I'll have to download iTunes?

      OH NOES.
    • Nocterminus, on 10/11/2007, -1/+17If it doesn't work out of the box without alot of BS hidden catches, I don't want it. There are plenty of other products out there.
    • KingLukas, on 10/11/2007, -8/+3yeah seriously whoever thinks about getting an iphone without having a mac of some form is walking into an extremely dangerous place.
    • KingLukas, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2how exactly would you plan to get all of your stuff onto your iphone anyway?!
      I highly doubt it will be compatible with any other form of music down loader and i also doubt that someone would go out and buy all their crap from wall-mart or target or wherever you guys shop!
    • kutateli, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12I swear.. one more iPhone article that reaches the home page and I'm gonna go ***** on something.
    • cozinator, on 10/11/2007, -8/+13@prisoner24601

      You're concerned about bloatware, but run Windows Media Player just to play mp3s?
    • Experiment626, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6If Apple will be requiring iTunes accounts from all iPhone users what happens to people who aren't from iTunes store-friendly places (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom or the United States)? Or will it mean that the iPhone will only be launched in these countries?
    • Aggaman, on 10/11/2007, -7/+7New Zealand has an iTunes store.

      But...

      I don't see what the big deal is. When you buy an Xbox 360 you have to sign up for an Xbox Live account, whether you want to or not. Otherwise you can't download updates. And in some cases, you have to have an Xbox Live gold account (damn you EA sports) to receive some updates (NHL 07 roster updates).

      The iPhone is not a traditional phone. It's designed to be used with a computer as its "home base" for syncing. To that end, until someone comes up with an alternative, it will need iTunes.

      Why are you buying an iPhone if you don't want music or movies on it anyway?
    • prisoner24601, on 10/11/2007, -3/+15@ cozinator
      "You're concerned about bloatware, but run Windows Media Player just to play mp3s?"

      Uh, if you are on Windows XP, you get WMP "like it or not." As much as some people will bash Microsoft for no reason at all, personally I try to bash them only when they actually do something particularly stupid. You might hate WMP, and you are free to. But it's already there on the system. And anyone trying to make an argument that WMP can't adequately play an mp3 is just trolling.

      Even if we accept your premise that WMP is bloatware, then solving that problem by installing more bloatware (iTunes) only buries my system in twice as much bloatware. I'm glad you like iTunes or WinAmp or whatever. I'm glad you find it "worth the clock cycles" to add it and make it your default. Honestly, good for you. To each his own. I'm not being sarcastic. There could even be some really good reasons why you did that, quicktime or divx or whatever. That's fine. But the Apple fanboys here only hurt their own argument by bashing WMP to people like me who only ask it to do ONE thing: play mp3's. When you guys try to argue that I need iTunes when I'm perfectly satisfied you just come off like a fanatical zealot.
    • brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -5/+6iTunes does not work well on many Windows based systems. My fiancee has a cheapo Dell desktop that is only a few years old. iTunes slows it to a crawl and then crashes every time she connects her iPod. At least on the WinPC side of things, iTunes is terrible.
    • noahhoward, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1"iTunes does not work well on many Windows based systems. My fiancee has a cheapo Dell desktop that is only a few years old. iTunes slows it to a crawl and then crashes every time she connects her iPod. At least on the WinPC side of things, iTunes is terrible."

      No actually that would show you that cheapo Dell desktops are terrible. iTunes is not the cause of your fiancee's problems.
    • Omicron, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6funny how two really big announcements have come post-WWDC regarding the iPhone. First was no flash support, and now this. I'm surprised that in the Jobsnote, he didn't try to sell these as:

      NO FLASH SUPPORT NECESSARY!!!!
      and
      YOU GET A FREE ITUNES ACCOUNT WITH YOUR NEW IPHONE!!!!

      that might have tricked people the same way as the whole "No SDK necessary" did.
    • snapcase, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Just chalk up one more reason I won't buy an iphone.
    • brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@noahhoward
      You're dancing around the point.

      iTunes is a bloated hunk of crapware. It brings nothing to the table and degrades the usability of otherwise good products.
  • MikeOSX, on 10/11/2007, -23/+5Well...duh?
  • lordtyros, on 10/11/2007, -54/+25BREAKING: iPhone will require computer to set up

    Any more non-news you want to report?

    • NJPENSO, on 10/11/2007, -24/+83lordtyros
      Technically it shouldn't REQUIRE anything...it's supposed to be a ***** phone, remember?
    • rauz, on 10/11/2007, -32/+15@njpenso: Do you even know what the iPhone is?
      Regardless of what people might think of the iPhone it's not just a "***** phone", if you need one of those you buy an entry-level model from Nokia, SE or whatever.
    • NJPENSO, on 10/11/2007, -17/+54When I dish out 500$ and sign a contract with AT&T (I think that's the company?) I'm buying a phone, yes it's a phone with an assload of features, but it's still a phone. Why do I NEED to plug it into my computer at all? If I don't want to use the 'ipod' part of the product (hell, even if i DO want to use it), then i shouldn't I have to sign up for itunes; there's just no reason for it.
    • windwaker, on 10/11/2007, -17/+7word @ rauz
    • ocellnuri, on 10/11/2007, -6/+37You're not buying a phone with an iPod in it... it's really an iPod with a phone in it. Apple's just marketing it backwards.
    • bking, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8"You've never seen an iPod that can do this...... or this...... or this....."

      Yep. Sounds like they're marketing an iPod that works as a phone..
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7@rauz :
      Crowd : The iPhone cannot run native third party application!
      Fanboys : Relax people, its just a phone, and it will be an amazing one! Who need applications?
      Crowd : The iPhone need a computer to create a iTunes account to be used.
      Fanboys : Your stupid asses, what did you think? The iPhone is not just a ***** phone!
    • dgp1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1@njpenso: then WHY the hell would you buy an iPhone if you "just want a phone."

      and to ALL OF YOU:

      WHAT THE HELL. You'll give AT&***** T all your information and payment details and all that, because you understand that they provide a lot of services to you on an ONGOING BASIS. And they're probably the worst (as in most evil) of the US carriers (I certainly haven't heard of worse). And yet you won't set up a FREE goddamn account on iTunes, even though you KNOW YOU WILL NEVER PAY A CENT IF YOU DON'T BUY ANYTHING! If you don't think some of the services you will receive on this phone will partially come from Apple you're kidding yourself.

      A. If you want an iPhone, but hate Apple and never plan on using its main non-phone features, then save yourself like 1000 bucks and BUY A DIFFERENT PHONE! Better yet, go over to Verizon and get one that actually, you know, CAN MAKE CALLS TOO.

      B. If you want an iPhone, but have a moral objection to ever buying anything from iTunes, or of Apple even knowing your name, just put in a friend's iTunes login who's NOT such a paranoid Luddite. Or create a fake one.

      IF this rumor is even true, Apple probably wants your info so they can alert you to firmware updates, etc. This is not a simple little appliance, people, it's a small computer. If you want "just a phone" you shouldn't be spending 5-7 bills for one, m'kay?
  • phractured, on 10/11/2007, -8/+40poor future windows 98 iphone owners

    edit: poor windows 98 owners in general
    • razrielle, on 10/11/2007, -13/+5Windows 98 was the best.....it time was short but well remembered
  • mgkwho, on 10/11/2007, -31/+15who really cares...?

    The overwhelming amount of non-news Digg has been presenting--especially Apple non-news--is tearing apart Digg's credibility.

    -=|Mgkwho
    • gdgi, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14you mean digg had credibility to start with?
    • corporalclegg24, on 10/11/2007, -5/+15There you are again with your gay ass signature. Go Away!
    • noahhoward, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1Yeah, actually it did.
  • Butterbean, on 10/11/2007, -19/+12srsly? how is this news, one should automatically assume this. i mean it is an ipod after all.
    • consonance, on 10/11/2007, -10/+7Oh, right. And all iPods have SIM cards, right? Now I see why it needs an iTunes account!
  • noahhoward, on 10/11/2007, -24/+38Jesus christ! You people bitched and bitched and bitched about the ***** iPhone rumors then when the damned thing comes out you bitch and bitch about every single aspect of it. If you don't want it shut the hell up and quit bitching about it. Go buy whatever damned phone you want and shut the hell up! It is pathetic for you all to obsess over percieved flaws with a device you don't want anyway.
    • kheldorin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+23People can't help it. The iPhone is the Paris Hilton of the geek world.
    • Beerduck, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6You're taking it wrong. You see, I (among others) really do want it because of all the nice features, but Apple is seriously screwing it up day by day. This is a very good example. Everything I've seen about the iPhone makes me want it, but I don't use iTunes and I'm not going to install it just to set up my phone. Another good example that someone pointed out earlier, what about Linux users? It's a very nice phone, but oh bummer, no iTunes there. These kind of things put Apple in a very bad light.
  • andrewcsayer, on 10/11/2007, -10/+1OMG! iPhone rumourmongering on Digg??
    Surely ye jest!
  • deansfurniture5, on 10/11/2007, -8/+11I really don't get why Apple is throwing all this extra junk under iTunes--it just doesn't make sense. Your photos, videos, contacts, etc. should not be managed by a program with "tunes" in its name--maybe Apple is planning on renaming it sometime soon?
    • noahhoward, on 10/11/2007, -10/+7The have a software solution for transferring media to thier portable devices that is already proven to work. Why reinvent the wheel?
    • kc0re, on 10/11/2007, -8/+4What is the one piece of software that everyone who owns an iPod (windows or mac OS) knows how to use? iTunes. Duh. That's why it's going under iTunes, because everyone already knows how to use it! That's why leopard's finder was redesigned to look like iTunes. Easy of switching!
    • wastern, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7If they kept it all Mac only that would work. The reason its all ending up in iTunes is so they can offer it to Windows users without requiring them to download and use 5 more apps and have a whole Apple suite of apps on their PC that they may not want. They think everyone already knows and uses iTunes so they might as well stick with it.

      I would like if that was a Windows only thing and they'd spread it out more on the Mac seeing as most people already use the whole iLife suite vs. 3rd party applications
    • bjornski, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Safari
    • jwdav, on 10/11/2007, -9/+6I figure Microsoft would have gone with a piece of separate crapware for each of the following functions:

      -Windows Digital Music Player
      -Windows Media Player
      -Windows "NetCast" Manager
      -Windows PhoneManager
      -Windows MediaCenter Manager
      -Windows PhotoSync
      -Windows Online Market Place
      -Windows DocuSync
      -Windows ContactManager

      Trust Apple to handle all this with a single app so you don't have to manage and copy all your media files all over the place, using completely different interfaces. What a pack of assholes.
    • Septimus, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5jwdav: WMP11 handles all of that if you want it to, see one app. Dick,
    • FuzzyCat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1
      iCantBelieveItsNotItunes ?

  • CanceledCzech, on 10/11/2007, -11/+6iTunes is a virus.
    http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant
  • Dalatejc, on 10/11/2007, -7/+10At least there letting us down slowly..

    Bit by bit..
  • slantyeyed, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8am I going to have to tell the AT&T / Cingular guy my itunes username and password or will I be able to enter in myself at the store? I don't trust people at the retail level with that info.
    • dgp1, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@slanteyed:

      Dude, listen to yourself. Not even ATT would be that lame. Can you REALLY picture them asking you that in a store??

      I'm sure all this means is, if you choose to come home and plug it into your computer, it will offer you to sign in or create an iTunes account. They'll probably waive the CC requirement just like they do for prepaid card redeemers.
  • skidme, on 10/11/2007, -7/+10So what did you flipping expect? It's a music player made by Apple!
    • ibis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Eh? I've got a music player made by Apple, but I don't have an iTunes account. It's hardly mandatory.
  • >mark, on 10/11/2007, -11/+9What?! you're going to need iTunes?! Shocker!!
  • MikeMGM, on 10/11/2007, -10/+17who gives a rats ass
    • cadrass, on 10/11/2007, -6/+8I read this article and the whole time was thinking... So?

      in other news tomorrow morning the sun is going to rise in the east.
    • msgyrd, on 10/11/2007, -9/+8I agree, non-news. iTunes accounts are free. Deal with it.
  • bovox, on 10/11/2007, -8/+14Jeebus Crispy. So what. A Sidekick requires you to setup a t-mobile.com account.
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Errr no. The t-mobile.com account is created automatically when you register a username on the phone. No computer ever need to be used, in fact many sidekick user don't have/never had a computer. Many users don't ever log to their online portal.
  • astrosmash, on 10/11/2007, -10/+8One of the iPhone's three main selling points is iTunes! Specifically, that the iPhone is an iPod that syncs nicely with your iTunes media. If you don't live in iTunes you'd have no reason to purchase an iPhone or iPod. Period.

    And of course, it's hardly an issue to almost everyone. iTunes has an active user base of 500 million, and there are 1 million iTunes downloads each day:
    http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2857
  • derekknight, on 10/11/2007, -6/+4OMG... everybody panic!

    While we are on the subject... is there any other nit picky horse ***** somebody wants to vent about regarding the iPhone? Don't want it? Don't buy it. But please shut up about it.
  • zdiggler, on 10/11/2007, -12/+6My computer is iTune and Qucktime FREE!
    • bovox, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7Oh how unique and original. +100 emo points for you.
  • letusburnone, on 10/11/2007, -8/+13if you don't want iTunes... don't buy an Apple product.

    simple as that.

    otherwise... it's a free program, get over it
    • bking, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7If anybody bought a Zune, they'd be required to use their Zune player and magic Zune points. With iPods/iPhones/Apple TV, you need iTunes. If you get a Sidekick, you need a T-Mobile account. Nobody bitches about that. As electronics get more integrated with other electronics and the web, this is going to become expected from everything.

      Things change. It's not 1995 anymore.
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1@bking : You give the Zune as an example. The Zune is a mp3 player, not a phone.

      Granted, the Sidekick is a phone, but your "t-mobile.com" account is created from the phone, transparently to the user, without the need to download any software or even have a computer. As I said before, many users don't even know that they have a mirror of their data with an online portal to access it.

      So your analogy here is flawed at best.

      The question here is : Will Apple do the right thing and allow for registration of the iTunes account from the phone, or will it require a PC? Any other comparison is pretty much useless until we know. If they don't allow it, it IS a big deal/oversight from Apple.
    • dgp1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1@Gutterpunk:

      "The Zune is a mp3 player, not a phone"

      THE IPHONE IS AN MP3 PLAYER TOO! So what's wrong with it having the same attribute (requiring a certain media program) as any other MP3 player?? Your argument is flawed.

      If anyone thinks, though, that you couldn't walk out of the "ATT" store with this phone and never touch a computer and be able to make calls without signing up on iTunes, they're SORELY mistaken.

      All that said, i wouldn't switch to Cingular even if this phone was free, ran for eternity on one tiny battery, allowed me to videoconference with distant galaxies for free, and turned cans of Spam into gold bricks.
  • Macattack15, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2I think everyone is missing the point here, most likely you will need iTunes because this is where you will choose your plan, setup and manage your phone bills and account settings and such instead of doing it when you buy the phone at an AT&T or Apple store.
    • dgp1, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1*****, no it's not. Att isn't going to hand all that crap over to apple. Billing? Plans? Are you nuts?! Why??
  • SPARTACVS, on 10/11/2007, -10/+5You are FORCED to create a FREE iTunes account? OH TEH NOES!
  • Antiproton, on 10/11/2007, -6/+16This wouldn't be a problem if iTunes weren't a steaming pile of Bullplop.
  • kyeetza, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6Coverflow. In order to have iTunes download album art automatically for all tracks (not just purchases from the iTS), you have to have an iTS account. Although I can't imagine it being the main reason, ensuring all iPhone users have an iTunes account will also ensure that their library will be complete with all album art and make coverflow much prettier and more importantly, practical for everyone who buys an iPhone.

  • chembro303, on 10/11/2007, -7/+8iPod requires iTunes, iPhone contains an iPod, therefore requires iTunes. How is this news?
    • astrosmash, on 10/11/2007, -7/+7It's news to pathological Apple haters who would never bring themselves to buy an iPod or iPhone.
    • ibis, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6iPod requires iTunes, not an account on the iTunes Music Store like the iPhone. There is a difference. (Not that I think it's a big deal either way, people willing to drop $500 on a phone aren't going to care, but about 70% of the posts here don't seem to see the difference).
    • FuzzyCat, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4I don't know where you've been but an Ipod does NOT require itunes. There are 1001 applications out there that allow you to load music onto an ipod.

  • Holocaust, on 10/11/2007, -5/+5One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't...
    http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant
    • MacParrot, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Oddly enough, that's also the same thing that idiots like you can't stop doing as well. It's almost...karma.
  • pr5owner, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2really, think diffrent lmfao, you can think anyway you like as long as its OUR WAY, INSTALL ITUNES AND SIGN OVER YOUR SOUL TO US!!!

    ***** off apple, if i wanted your bloated ***** i would ask for it, the reason why my laptop starts in less than 1 minute (power off to windows desktop with ZERO HDD activity) is because i dont have bloated ***** like itunes, quicktime, etc in the startup cfg, all my services are tweaked so useless ones dont start, they arent even enabled or set to manuel. im not a n00b, and according to all these posts, apple fanboys are happy to bend over and take it without lube.

    have fun doing apples bidding and taking AT&T's anal rape fees

    with a wM phone you dont have to install anyting you dont want too, you dont have to pay manditory fees (i dont even have a data plan with my TyTN, just regular voice for $45 mo incl taxes and sys access fees.

    hell you dont even need a ***** wireless plan!!! you can use your WM5 purely as a PDA
  • peestandingup, on 10/11/2007, -4/+4God, I REALLY wanna like this phone, but their making it harder & harder everyday to justify the cost + having to deal with AT&T.
    • mpeters13, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5amen on the dealing with AT&T part
  • mpeters13, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3HOLY CRAP!!! THE iPhone is an IPOD????
    • peestandingup, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4And iPod doesn't require you to have an iTunes Store account.
  • PiMPSP, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2Buried for being inaccurate as the article is seeminly indicating that NO features will work unless you use iTunes which is just Dumb thinking!!, the only thing you'll need to SETUP on the iTunes front is the accessability for the device to use iTunes, this in NO WAY will have anything to do with activating the phone for Internet usage, voice calls etc..etc..think abt it that would mean that iTunes would need to have a direct contact to att's billing systems and network etc..etc..not gonna happen like that .
    • Avalontor, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Well then Apple should change their web page that says just that.

      "To set up your iPhone, you’ll need an account with Apple’s iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don’t have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you’re ready to go."

      Seems to me a lot of peolple in the world thinkk differently then youo and if you are right and there all wrong mabye Apple should rectify that soon before it's spread all over the world, eh? Why don't you google the news using iphone and itunes and see if YOU are the voice of reason. It's leaving a taint either way.

  • sekou, on 10/11/2007, -8/+3You've got to be kidding me. Why are people complaining about signing up for a FREE music jukebox to so they can use a $500.00 Apple phone? It's always bugged my how folks in the PC community have no problem using a mac product like the iPod yet still rail against it's manufacturer whenever they can. Just sees a little hypocritical to me. I get it, you're not crazy about iTunes, but dude...that's Apple's default player... sorry. No one's asking you to "sign over your soul", here. If you don't like Apple, perhaps the answer's to not buy ANOTHER Apple product? Just sayin'.
  • lordigor, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3who cares? it takes 10 seconds and its free.
  • chrisutley, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1Here we go ... the latest iPhone *****-storm.
  • reverb, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8Um, "iTunes Account"? Don't they mean an Apple ID? That's the authentication system Apple uses for pretty much everything -- the iTunes Store, developer memberships, etc. I'm not sure how you could do the iPhone *without* some kind of network authentication. Especially if you want to play your DRM-protected iTunes purchases on the phone.

    I can't believe anyone's making a big deal out of this.
    • diggsilva, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3It's basically like registering your product for the extended warranty...except WAY easier than a lot of mail-in registrations. If you don't want them to send you email, they won't.
    • sleggat, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4I know when I signed up for an iTunes Store account that I had to supply a local (New Zealand) credit card number. Not everyone I know has access to a credit card so that's surely going to factor into the number who buy an iPhone. I can't quite believe that an iTunes Store account is mandatory since there are still many countries where Apple has not / will not open an iTunes Store.
    • hayden.evans, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1you dont need a credit card, you can just select pre paid and not enter a pin. that's how i set mine up.
  • darkamster07, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2ummmmm, yeah, I don't really think this is gonna be that big of a problem :/
    and I am not going to waste my time explaining why, this is hardly news. lame.
  • RooDoG, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4OH NO! You have to make sign up for a free account that does not force you to buy anything if you don't want to, what a disaster. My precious 2 minutes of time has been wasted!

    /sarcasm

    This has been blown way out of proportion, wow
  • AndroJen, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1What's the deal here? Apple makes proprietary software and hardware. If you like what Jobs wants you to be able to do, and pay, then there's no problem. It costs money to join the "Apple" club, but, arguably, you get value for money. If you want to live with open, but inferior products, then limit yourself to Linux. If you are a whore to tech, then get an HTC. If you're totally loaded, then just have your assistant buy everything, configure it and give you what you need. The truth is, you can run through this argument and realize that you don't need half of this *****. This is just a phone, after all. Surely you can buy an unlocked phone for $10 off EBay. What else do you need? Content? 2.5G/3G is overrated. What you need is offline access to the important parts of the web: Wikipedia and foreign language dictionaries come to mind. Whatever it is, the chance is that, if it's important, someone has created an offline version. Which brings me to my final point: If you have a nice, compact phone, but require a digital database, get a cheap pocket PC for $50 on EBay. By separating the functions, you can happily ditch the pocket PC or phone when you choose. Never underestimate the tranquility of NOT having a cell phone with you.
  • j2002, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5Being a bit late on the bandwagon I got an iPod last year - iTunes is the most annoying piece of bloatware ever - I uninstalled it but it came back - Its worse than some virus' I've had!

    Does this mean that Linux users won't be able to get an iPhone (ie no iTunes no iPhone type thing) . I suspect instead of getting a flashy looking paper weight - I've seen flashier - i'll just get a proper next generation phone with Linux on it when they come out.

    Apple culture makes me laugh - If your a windows user and you hate how microsoft tries their very best to make sure they lock you in to something - *Don't get a Mac* - Steve Jobs is Bill Gates with a better hair cut.
    • Nocterminus, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2They are both pirates.... Jobs wears his eyepatch on the left and gates on the right.. Neither is worthy of any fanboy cult of personality .
  • PunkFenixJT, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5okay I'm way down in the comment list so I don't know who's really going to read this but I have to say at least something.

    I use both Windows and OSX. I have a homebuilt desktop and a Macbook Pro laptop, so, I hope I don't get fanboy comments from either side because its simply not true.

    Anyways.. if people are going to use "They make you sign up for an Itunes account" as a reason to not buy an iPhone, thats freaking retarded. An iTunes account is free, its not like it costs any money to set up and nothing per month, so its really no big deal. Why there is such an uproar over this right now is just plain ridiculous.

    if people actually RTFA, you can see that the reasoning of it is either for security for user data and contacts, and/or to play DRM'd media.

    Bitch about the lack of 3rd party support, bitch about the lack of 3G or AT&T, bitch about the price, but hell, give it a rest that you have to go through a whole 10 seconds of effort and set up a FREE account.
  • clpo13, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2Aren't iTunes accounts free? Then why all the whining? I mean, seriously. I fail to see the problem. You sign up for an Apple ID (used in such various places as iTunes, Apple Support, etc.) and that's it. There would be a problem if you somehow had to pay for an account, or if there were restrictions that came with owning an account...but there aren't. Apple IDs are free and quite useful. You can't do much with an Apple product without one.
  • marcusc, on 10/11/2007, -2/+0One of the main differences between an iPod and an iPhone is the GSM/Wi-Fi-connectivity. The requirement for a iTunes account on the iPhone may be an early sign of the future (albeit slim)possibility to purchase music directly from the iPhone (that is without a computer).
  • JephCazalet, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2Your favorite company and all related products suck.
  • Degriz, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Read this yesterday, is it actual confirms truth or more internet FUD?
    Have to say would laugh my ass off it its true. Where is your fluffly Apple now?!?!?!?!
    All these firms with nice, friendly images turn out to be just the same nasty money grabbing assholes as everyone else!! Perfect :) Google, Apple, roflmao
  • Septimus, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4More I hear about the iPhone the less I want one.
  • moisie, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Why don't they just update iSync to have all the management and account features then allow it to tap into iTunes, iPhoto, etc? They can keep iTunes relatively small and not have it become increasingly poorly named.

    Personally, I don't see how having an iTunes account means they're money grabbing. There's nothing to say that you have to buy anything from it, just like you don't have to buy anything with an iPod. For all we know they may allow you to manage your account and do all your phone billing via it.
  • betona, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2It wouldn't be so bad if Apple's software didn't load so much crap into memory at boot up. I don't have iTunes (my kids do), and it seems like I'm always going in to MSCONFIG to kill QTTASK, etc. so that stuff doesn't load up for no reason, eating up resources because Apple thinks they're doing you a favor always loading their stuff.
  • meshman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Once again, Apple's proprietary grip on your technology. These aren't designed for you, they're designed for Apple.
  • stevekeller, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1The article clearly says "they should open an iTunes account.". It doesn't mention anything about a requirement to open an account. I am willing to bet that Apple only recommends this so users can take advantage of album art downloads, ring tone downloads, audio books, and movies/tv shows.

    I bet you won't need to sign up for an iTunes account, just like you don't need a .Mac account to use an Apple computers.
    • zongamin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I totally agree - why do nerds get so wound up by this!
  • hourog, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Am I missing something? It doesn't cost anything to set up an iTunes account. Other than the fine point that one has to have a valid credit card, and anyone dropping $500. on a phone will, what's the hoo-ha about?

  • furatail, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0It's easier for people to accidently buy ring tones and unwated wallpapers if they already have their Credit Cards on file. Lead people into thinking they are just browsing, only to find each sample cost them $2.99.
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