14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has posted the first IPSW file for new-generation Apple TVs, making sure that customers have the proper means to restore their devices to the stock firmware the second they receive them.
Hours ago, news broke out that Apple had posted the new AppleTV2,1 firmware (Build 8M89) to their servers. It is available for free download via the link below.
AppleTV2,1_4.1_8M89_Restore.ipsw
It is known for a fact that existing Apple TV owners are unable to take advantage of the new firmware, because of fundamental differences between the devices’ hardware parts, MacRumors notes.
The rumor site adds that many expect the AppleTV will be jailbroken, given the shared codebase between the device and the iPhone, thus paving the way for hacks that may just materialize in third party applications.
While some may be surprised to learn that the redesigned Apple TV introduced earlier this month runs iOS (the operating system powering Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad), this was actually discovered a couple of weeks back.
On September 16, Softpedia reported that a developer poking around the USB device configuration list in the new iOS 4.2 beta had reportedly found that Apple’s iProd references were not, in fact, tied to a future iPad model, but rather to the newly-announced Apple TV.
The find was solid evidence that the new device ran a variant of Apple’s iOS.
TUAW originally reported the discovery, adding that Apple’s new set top box would thus be jailbreakable, even though the September 1 Apple TV demonstration didn’t show a central Springboard application.
The site also showed a screenshot depicting the iProd markers in question.
Apple TV pre-orders have seen a slight push in their delivery dates, but Apple recently assured customers that the product was still on track to ship this month to their doors.
Most recently, customers have begun reporting that their new Apple TVs have arrived.
With the iOS 4.1 IPSW now available for download, it’s only a matter of time before the likes of iPhone Dev Team start fiddling with its code to find a hole and gain root access.