Turns out there is no reason Siri shouldn't be able to run on - anything.

Overheal

http://gizmodo.com/5861145/siri-coming-to-an-android-near-you

As the article describes, the only thing that stops Siri from working on any other device is a single line of code in the programming. The one line of code is generated by the iPhone 4S hardware itself, telling the Apple Server "Hey, I'm legit" and allowing the traffic.

If you could spoof the line of code, there's no reason you couldn't run Siri on a refrigerator as long as it had a microphone on it.

This seems like pretty much bullsh*t. If true, it means that what Apple really did was release the same iPhone with a new processor, which isn't much in real world terms. So they made Siri exclusive to it, rather than including it as part of say, iOS 5.

I mean I'm sure if you got a 4S you're happy with is but it must be a kick in the pants to know that if handled differently Siri could have easilly been given to all Apple users. Siri equipped iPod Touch? Yes pls.

Danbo!

I'm surprised that even a month after launch there's still so much hype about this. It's classic apple strategy. Release new hardware and/or firmware and exclude older models from certain features. When iOS 4 came out is was compatible with the iPhone 3G even though it was 2 models old. But there was flip all features available on it. You couldn't even set a custom wallpaper. It wasn't a performance issue or anything, apple just provide the best features to the newest models.

Also, maybe it's just me, but all 3GS and 4 owners are dying to get this ported whatever it takes. After a month with Siri, I found the first week was showing friends how good it was and I've barely used it since. The odd time in the car yes, but that's about it.

Joe10000

Siri is slow and clumsy, you're not missing anything.

Sad Professor

Danbo! wrote: »

I'm surprised that even a month after launch there's still so much hype about this. It's classic apple strategy. Release new hardware and/or firmware and exclude older models from certain features. When iOS 4 came out is was compatible with the iPhone 3G even though it was 2 models old. But there was flip all features available on it. You couldn't even set a custom wallpaper. It wasn't a performance issue or anything, apple just provide the best features to the newest models.

Of course it was a perfomance issue. The 3G could barely handle iOS 4. Performance was terrible. Apple is actually very good for supporting older devices, but they have to draw the line somewhere.

I don't know about Siri and it's still in beta so who knows. Undoubtedly Apple did want to give the 4S a killer feature. But I suspect there was perfomance related reasons for withholding it from previous models as well.

biko

I think it's twofold, they want to "force" people to upgrade to 4s and also they don't want the hassle of people needing support when running it on 3gs because it might cause issues.
I'm happy enough with free Vlingo, which is currently the closest app I've got to Siri.
Btw http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/2/2533891/4s-siri-vs-original-siri-assistant-vs-vlingo

Danbo!

Sad Professor wrote: »

Of course it was a perfomance issue. The 3G could barely handle iOS 4. Performance was terrible. Apple is actually very good for supporting older devices, but they have to draw the line somewhere.

I don't know about Siri and it's still in beta so who knows. Undoubtedly Apple did want to give the 4S a killer feature. But I suspect there was perfomance related reasons for withholding it from previous models as well.

Sorry that might have read wrong, holding back features is definitely a performance issue for the most part, and yes I do agree with them doing that, but they also hold back features, such as the wallpaper on the homescreen, that don't have a huge impact on performance to make people upgrade to more feature rich models, in my opinion anyway. And yeah, iOS 4 was a bloody dog on the 3G, it's actually quite impressive how good iOS 5.0 runs on the 3GS.

Oafley Jones

I remember picking up an the second gen iPod nano. It required the just released Tiger to run on my mac. The same iPod worked fine with three generations of Windows. Apple have always been very clever at using/withholding viable updates to push their products whether that be software or hardware. Siri doesn't work on the 4, not because the 4S is so different, but it's because it's so similar.

Eire Go Brach

Overheal wrote: »

http://gizmodo.com/5861145/siri-coming-to-an-android-near-you


This seems like pretty much bullsh*t. If true, it means that what Apple really did was release the same iPhone with a new processor, which isn't much in real world terms. So they made Siri exclusive to it, rather than including it as part of say, iOS 5.

Why are you so upset? Business is business.
Why would you expect a company to create a new product? Then put the exact same stuff in the old product. They have to hold stuff back. So people will upgrade.

Jagle

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I remember picking up an the second gen iPod nano. It required the just released Tiger to run on my mac.

Tiger was released a year before the second gen nano:rolleyes:

Oafley Jones wrote: »

The same iPod worked fine with three generations of Windows. Apple have always been very clever at using/withholding viable updates to push their products whether that be software or hardware. Siri doesn't work on the 4, not because the 4S is so different, but it's because it's so similar.

actually siri used to run on the 4 no problem, because it was made by another developer before being bought by apple, and yes it doesnt run because apple dont want it too, simples

Oafley Jones

Jagle wrote: »

Tiger was released a year before the second gen nano:rolleyes:

I'm sorry that I didn't wiki the release dates, but you know it was what 5-6 years ago and I remember the release being closer together. So good man for using the most obnoxious emoticon on boards for correcting me. Besides my point was this was a device that had no problems running on the ten year old - I haven't checked this age exactly Jagle - XP, yet wouldn't on Panther.

Jagle

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I'm sorry that I didn't wiki the release dates, but you know it was what 5-6 years ago and I remember the release being closer together. So good man for using the most obnoxious emoticon on boards for correcting me. Besides my point was this was a device that had no problems running on the ten year old - I haven't checked this age exactly Jagle - XP, yet wouldn't on Panther.

I had a tiger computer upon release and i remember the nanos not being around. sorry i can remember stuff better then you.

Panther and Xp are 2 different beats, Xp being upon id say over 50% of pc's still today and with panther long dead, tiger almost dead and lion even being forgotten no wonder they discontinued the support for panther, also panther being the last of the true PPC chips while tiger was PPC and later UB would be a good point to stop supporting them

Oafley Jones

Jagle wrote: »

I had a tiger computer upon release and i remember the nanos not being around. sorry i can remember stuff better then you.

Panther and Xp are 2 different beats, Xp being upon id say over 50% of pc's still today and with panther long dead, tiger almost dead and lion even being forgotten no wonder they discontinued the support for panther, also panther being the last of the true PPC chips while tiger was PPC and later UB would be a good point to stop supporting them

No need to be sorry. I'm always glad to be corrected. It's just :rolleyes: comes across as incredibly sarcastic and really unnecessary given my error. It should be done away with.


You're second paragraph is a bit of a mystery to me. You're even talking about universal binaries and lion which isn't really relevant. it seems that you arguing for apple not to support an os - which was being sold a year previously - owing to the fact that it would it be less of an issue in years going forward? Even though that ipod would no longer be on sale.

Again my point apple wouldn't have dared demand that only the latest version of windows be required as they well knew that would have hurt the majority of their sales. Mac OS users on the other hand could be leaned on to upgrade given the tight nature of the ecosystem.

Deep Thought

biko wrote: »

.
I'm happy enough with free Vlingo, which is currently the closest app I've got to Siri.
Btw http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/2/2533891/4s-siri-vs-original-siri-assistant-vs-vlingo

Cheers for this...didnt even know about it, App installed and will give it a go

DT

tigershould

Yeh, typical apple - they did the same with MMS when they finally made it available on Iphone 3G (and never gave it to the original iPhone)

It would really have made the 4s launch even more of a non event than most commentators are suggesting it was.

As a SIRI replacement I've gone for Voice Actions which is a smart little app. I've used it in the car to dictate SMS and it isn't too bad - this is the only place a voice app is useful IMO.

swirlser

Don't think its been much of a secret that Siri only working on the 4S officially has nothing to do with hardware.

Im sure it was in part being used as a gimmick to push the 4S, but also they wanted to avoid an overload their end on software which is still in beta.

I do like Siri, even without being tweaked for my dialect it's accuracy is impressive. I am using it more than I thought I would, even if it's just setting reminders or having a text conversation with next to no intrusion. But without official support for <your country>, no official support for <your accent>, and the amount of commands it's not allowed execute (launching apps, adjusting settings etc). You aren't missing much excited for its future application and sure it would be nice to see iPad2/iPhone4 official support.

Apple do set very stringent standards on their user experience and even if it's something which wouldn't bother most, they simply don't give functionality to older hardware if it runs the risk of slowing the device beyond what they deem acceptable (not suggesting this is the case with Siri)