iPod Touch 3rd gen. Model MC086LL/A is really 2nd gen.

Sorry to say this, but you're stuck.

Apple changed how updates are done. Back in the day you could "roll back" to a previous version. Apple "signed" the firm ware files and iTunes would gladly do the "update". Then one day Apple stopped signing "old" versions of iOS.

I purchased my "Ipod 3rd gen 8g" at Target just over 2 yrs ago It never came to me to check with Apple to make sure it's truley a 3rd gen even when Target marketed for 3rd gen. You go where the sales are. This bites! This information about the misinformation regarding not being "3rd gen with 8 g" wasn't showing when I was comparing Ipods.

I thought I bought a new 3rd generation Ipod. Recently many of my favorite apps are going to iOS 4.3. I am being left in the dust and my Ipod is only 2 years old. Apple is a poor investment, not as user friendly as they want you to believe.

Type in the bar code in comes up as a 3rd gen 8gb. Goto everymac.com put in the last 3 of serial number, comes up s a 3rd gen 8gb.

I am confused.

janbo50 wrote:

Type in the bar code in comes up as a 3rd gen 8gb.

Well, my questions would be:

• which bar code, the UPC?
• typed into where?

...but in the end, it makes no difference. Here is a snip of the Apple article for identifying iPod models:

Note that there is no 8GB capacity version in the 3rd generation. Further down that page is this:

This is from Apple, so there is no confusion. Everyone else is wrong.

You should note that this discussion is almost two years old. The forum has seen countless other threads on this same subject since then. I have yet to see one that proves that Apple sold (or marketed) an 8GB iPod Touch as 3rd gen. There was a post recently, from someone claiming to be able to prove just that, and that he/she was in an Apple store as they were typing their post. Despite other people here asking to hear the outcome of that visit, we have not heard anything further from that user.

janbo50 wrote:

Goto everymac.com put in the last 3 of serial number, comes up s a 3rd gen 8gb.

Why do you believe that site instead of Apple? After all, Apple made it!

Edited for typing errors.

Message was edited by: the fiend

Never said I believe that site but they seem to have much info about apple products. Most retailers sold it as a 3rd gen 8gb and the MC086LL was that number ever used in the 2nd gen? The UPC code I scan it using my phone with a program called i-nihma.

janbo50 wrote:

Never said I believe that site but they seem to have much info about apple products.

And at least some of it is wrong.

janbo50 wrote:

Most retailers sold it as a 3rd gen 8gb

Still no such thing, no matter how many times you say it and no matter how many retailers you say sold it as such. Most implies "nearly all". Numbers please.

janbo50 wrote:

the MC086LL was that number ever used in the 2nd gen?

Well, since there is no such thing as an 8GB 3rd gen (really, truely, honestly... I'm not making it up!), then that model number must have been used for 2nd generation, don't you think?

janbo50 wrote:

The UPC code I scan it using my phone with a program called i-nihma.

And once again, I ask "Why do you believe that site instead of Apple? After all, Apple made it!"

Now: I've provided you with information from Apple (in the table shown in my previous post) that makes it very clear that there was never - ever - really really, never an 8GB iPod Touch in 3rd generation. Look at the table, do you see the 3rd generation section? Do you see an 8GB model on it?

You have repeatedly referred to information supplied by other (non-Apple) sources. Since you are apparently unwilling to accept Apple's documentation (and my clarification) on this subject, just how do you propose clearing up your confusion?

I think by this time no matter what I came up with would make a big diff to you. Apple did roll out a 3rd gen 8gb in 2009 which was just soup-up ver of a 2nd gen and and a short time after pulled all info to that model, What got me looking into this was the fact all the info out there that refers to a 3rd gen 8gb and some people from apple saying no. If one looks at the major retailers that was selling this model , one would think there would be some big lawsuits over this..not a one. Look at the reviews on this model, did these companys and people just make this up, find it hard to belived. The UPC code scan, did you try it? Once again it came up as a 3rd gen 8gb and that is from a apple box that a ipod 3rd gen 8gb came in. I could go on but think it will make no diff. If you really want to know for sure start looking into this with more of a open mind. I have run into people before that think apple is god and do no wrong and I think you are one of them.., maybe that comes from servicing electronics and computers for about 43 years and even some apple products. If you really, really, truely want to know for sure check out the web pages below.

c/net I know,,these people don't know what their talking about.

ipodtouch3g.org This one too ????

janbo50 wrote:

I think by this time no matter what I came up with would make a big diff to you. Apple did roll out a 3rd gen 8gb in 2009 ...

O-M-G !

(not a phrase I use lightly!)

janbo50 wrote:

If you really want to know for sure start looking into this with more of a open mind.

That's rich coming from you. It's not me who needs convincing, I'm not the one who's confused. That would be you - you said it in your first missive.

You posted here, presumably because you wanted to "know for sure". But now, you're trying to convince me that you're right. What happened to your confusion? You obviously have a hidden agenda.

Grow up.

I, too bought an IPod Touch at Target (paid $200) about 2 years ago that was advertised as 3rd gen. I didn't find out until recently that is was only a 2nd gen. I am visually impaired and cannot read the tiny print some of the people posting here said that would have told me it was an older model. I find it hard to believe that so many retailers would have sold this iPod as 3rd gen if Apple hadn't sold it to them as such. I am very upset that the iPod I have cannot be updated even though I have only owned it for 2 years. I am on a fixed income, so when I spend this much money on something, I expect more than 2 yrs of support for this thing. I was considering buying a new iPod. I cannot afford the 5th gen iPod touch, and am leery of buying the 4th gen because the same thing might happen. I'm actually considering downgrading to an iPod nano. It costs less than the touch (either 4th or 5th gen) and has 16 GB memory for the newest gen. I don't like the smaller screen, but since I really only use it for music and videos it'll have to do. The iPod I have now cannot download music (I have to plug it into my computer to load new music) so that won't be a major change. I really wish Apple would create an iPod nano with a larger screen (like Nintendo created an XL for the DS system)!

irishelf67 wrote:

I don't like the smaller screen, but since I really only use it for music and videos it'll have to do.

If you only use your Touch for music and video playback, then updating its iOS to a newer version won't be of any benefit to you at all.

irishelf67 wrote:

The iPod I have now cannot download music (I have to plug it into my computer to load new music) so that won't be a major change.

If you're having trouble downloading music directly to the Touch over Wi-Fi, that is something that should get resolved by you resetting or restoring the device, and you don't need the latest iOS version to do that. If you end up having to restore the Touch, which reloads iOS, your iPod will load the latest version of iOS that is available to it (version 4.2.1).

The reason I can't download music directly to the iPod is because I can't download the most recent version of iTunes. I tried. That requires the most recent ios update which cannot be downloaded to this iPod. When you try to download a song using the older iTunes, you get a download error message (but iTunes takes the money for the purchase). I usually end up downloading the music on my computer and syncing my iPod with it.

Yes, the so called 3rd generation 8GB iPod is a second generation one. Means that the 32 and 64 GB versions of it are 3G ones but not 8GB model. You cant upgrade to 4.3, sorry.

ElitegateWhat a worthless response. The post is over two years old and you just repeated what many other have already said.

irishelf67 wrote:

The reason I can't download music directly to the iPod is because I can't download the most recent version of iTunes. I tried. That requires the most recent ios update which cannot be downloaded to this iPod. When you try to download a song using the older iTunes, you get a download error message (but iTunes takes the money for the purchase). I usually end up downloading the music on my computer and syncing my iPod with it.

You've been misinformed or are not understanding. Today's version of iTunes works just fine with any past version of iOS for your 2nd generation Touch. You do not need the latest iOS in order to update your iTunes, and you don't need the latest iTunes to download music to your Touch over Wi-Fi.

If you're having trouble downloading music over Wi-Fi, that is a separate problem which could have multiple causes, none of which would be due to you owning a 2nd generation Touch nor having an iOS that isn't the latest version. You likely need to reset or restore your Touch, or you may need to work out some issues with your router (i.e. reset it, update its firmware, etc.)