In a press release noting the MacBook Air is shipping, Apple also gave a status update on its Apple TV upgrade. It’s not finished yet, said Apple, but the update is expected within the next two weeks.
“Apple now plans to make the free software download available to existing Apple TV customers in another week or two,” reads the press release.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced a free, major upgrade to the Apple TV at Macworld Expo in January. The device will soon receive a software update that will enable it to download video and audio content from the iTunes Store directly, without needing to go through a computer first. The update is designed to dovetail with another recent development, the release of movie rentals on iTunes.
Apple is offering the update free for current owners of the Apple TV, and is also re-pricing the Apple TV to make it more competitive: It will cost $229 for the 40GB mode, $329 for the 160GB model — $70 less than before.