AppleInsider StaffCiting an inside source at AT&T, MacStories reported Tuesday that iOS 4.2 will be released on Friday at 10 a.m. The update, which will mark the debut of iOS 4 on the iPad, will require iTunes 10.1 to be installed.
iOS 4.2 will bring AirPrint and AirPlay to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, allowing users to wirelessly print and stream music and video to connected devices. Mac users need Mac OS X 10.6.5 to share a printer with an iOS device, while Windows users will access a printer through iTunes 10.1.
iOS 4.2 was released to developers as a golden master on Nov. 1. That status implies that the software is finalized and will be identical to the eventual public release.
The software update will bring folders and multitasking to the iPad, along with other features iPhone and iPod touch users have enjoyed since the launch of iOS 4 this past summer. iPhone owners will also gain the ability to have custom text message tones with the latest version of iOS.
A new beta of Mac OS X 10.6.5, Apple's forthcoming software and maintenance update for Snow Leopard, was issued to developers on Monday. That software is believed to be near-final, as Apple has already been seeding Mac OS X 10.6.6 betas to developers as well.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
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44 Comments
Well, it would be nice to give 4.2 a whirl. Even better, Apple may exceed expectations and not make us wait until the last day of November (yet still claim 'we released it in November as promised').
With 4.2, the iPad becomes a more powerful tool and further cements it's hold on the tablet market.
Regarding the printing, will it only be available through Mac machines acting as print servers? I wonder if they're going to issue an update for AirPorts that share printers...
I don't like the iTunes 10 UI and have no desire to upgrade until they restore some color. Why on earth is it required to upgrade the firmware in my iPhone to iOS 4.2? Seems strange.
I don't like the iTunes 10 UI and have no desire to upgrade until they restore some color. Why on earth is it required to upgrade the firmware in my iPhone to iOS 4.2? Seems strange.
Airplay maybe? Though a lot of past iOS updates have required an iTunes update too
I don't like the iTunes 10 UI and have no desire to upgrade until they restore some color. Why on earth is it required to upgrade the firmware in my iPhone to iOS 4.2? Seems strange.
Probably because Windows needs it to print and they didn't want the two platforms to be out of parity. It may also have something to do with AirPlay itself and the way it implements home sharing. It does work sweet with the aTV. Been playing around with it since last week.