So you cant update the 2nd Generation ipod touch anymore?

So if a reputable company like apple wasn't selling products and hoping technology would obsolete the product so they could sell the newer one, this wouldn't be an issue. It isn't forcing anyone to buy the products. But selling a product and failing to provide support for a reasonable period after. Many people might like to pass an otherwise fully functional device on to children or friends. This failure to allow adding software after a a new product is released is disservice to their customers. If an older device is passed on to someone else, it should certainly be allowed, and the new owner should have the right to add software to it. Maybe you should ask how many older PCs are still out there running and still able to find software available.

If Microsoft had their OS on the ipod, it would probably stll have software available and folks wouldn't need to beg them to offer the old version for their old ipods. The distribution would be available from alternate sources.

A marketing decission to let the old ones die, is a decission to look for alternate products. No one is asking apple to provide updates. Just to let an unfortunate kid who thought he was lucky enough to get my old ipod put his games on it.

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There is a vast difference between a PC and a mobile device. The older ones simply cannot run the newer OS as the hardware won't allow it. Doesn't mean the device no longer works or that the apps on it will stop working. This applies to all devices, not just Apple.

Thanks Jim, this one gem was worth wading through 10 pages of dreck. Very helpful! Huge kudos!

Apple, how hard would it be to do this in iTunes? Not hard. Pretty easy, in fact. iTunes knows the hardware/OS that's paired to it, so keeping appropriate versions of apps around for those older devices would be trivial. The App Store could make it easy to get additional apps for older devices, too.

Apple fanbois, you're being morons.

We don't expect an iPod 2G run iOS8. We don't expect to run the newest apps on iOS4.

We just want iTunes to refrain from deleting apps that work.

We just want to run the old apps, on the old OS, on our old hardware.

For me specifically, I'm looking for a way to use my iPod 2G as a remote for my Hue lightbulbs. Will the current SDK even make an app that can run on 4.1? The other option is some javascript that runs in Safari.

No, the iPod touch 2nd gen can only be updated to iOS 4.1

Apple already does this for developers who opt to keep an older version in the App Store.

Install the latest compatible version of an app on an earlier version of iOS or OS X - Apple Support

The Hue app uses APIs that did not even exist in 4.1 so there would be no way for them to write a retro app that would work on your Touch.

4.2.1 dude😕