[How To] iTunes Store India Sign-Up Walkthrough and Upgrading to Firmware 2.0
A few days ago, Apple released a whole lot of new goodies that we covered here. Among them, hidden, was a surprise for us Indians. Apple finally released the iTunes Store for India and other neighboring countries. This was mainly done so that the iPod Touch users in these countries could upgrade to the latest 2.0 firmware released by the company. Other than apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, no media content is available through the store, yet.
Here’s a small walk-through of the sign-up process along with how to download the 2.0 firmware and apps for your iPod Touch.
Before we begin, you need to make sure you have the following things ready.
1. An email address (Preferably the one you use the most)
2. The iPod Touch with its USB cable.
3. iTunes version 7.7 (Run Apple Software Update(r) or Download it directly from the site)
4. A credit card (Apple charges $9.95 for this firmware upgrade)
5. A bucket of popcorn (Or anything else to munch on)
6. Patience (Lots of it)
First, run Apple Software Update(r), usually found in Start >> All Programs
… and install the 70+ MB program. Yes, we know. But you still need to download 
Next, launch iTunes and click on the iTunes Store in the left sidebar.
Once the store loads, select India from the list of stores at the bottom of the page. Then, at the top right of the window, click ‘Sign In’.
You will be prompted with the above window. Click on ‘Create New Account’. iTunes will connect to their servers and bring you to a Welcome screen. Click Continue.
Now, as it is with most other Apple programs, you need to agree to their ‘Terms and Conditions’. Agree and Continue. Without it, there’s no going ahead.
On the next screen, fill in the required details for your login credentials. Click continue.
Now, this is the part where you need to enter your payment details. Select the type of credit card and fill in the other details.
Click ‘Continue’ to complete the sign-up process. You will receive an email in your inbox that you have signed up at the iTunes Store.
We are now left with two things to do.
1. Upgrade firmware to 2.0
2. Download the apps that you need.
Login to the iTunes Store with the details that you just entered. Connect your iPod Touch. iTunes will prompt you that a new firmware version is available. If not, click on ‘Check Now’.
On the dialog box, click on Download and Install. The download is added to the left sidebar. Depending on your connection, it may take upto 60 minutes to download the 200MB firmware. So while that happens, head to the kitchen and get that bucket of popcorn so you can munch on the popcorn while bits and pieces are downloaded to your computer.
Without interrupting the download, you can browse through the list of apps available through the iTunes Store. You will notice that some of the Apps have been made available free of cost, while others cost a few (or more) dollars. Browse and select the app(s) you want. There are over 500 apps currently available through the store. Click on ‘Get App’ to add to the download queue.
The firmware, once done, installs seamlessly onto the iPod. We recommend you to have your iPod fully-charged before beginning with the install. Once the firmware is installed and your iPod reboots, you will notice a new icon called AppStore on your home screen. Also, you will notice a new tab called ‘Applications’ in your iPod Touch menu tabs. This lets you sync all applications that you have downloaded from the iTunes Store via iTunes on your computer.
The AppStore icon, when launched, is like a central repository of all the applications available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This makes searching, browsing, installing the apps extremely easy.
As you can see, Apple has made the entire process pretty simple and seamless. The above is also applicable to iPhone users who haven’t jailbroken or unlocked their iPhones. Ofcourse, it’s hard to find such users in India.
Some things to be noted:
1. This new firmware will erase all data and install itself on the iPhone. Hence, backup your stuff before you proceed.
2. If iPhone users install the new firmware, there is no way to to unlock it (yet), unless you downgrade to 1.1.4 firmware.
3. We, at WAT, do not encourage the use of unlocked iPhones.
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