S.M.Knipe what you are describing is an OTA update that is pushed by wireless service provider. Samsung will never have access to push something over the air using AT&T networks. In turn, when something is pushed by the carrier to customers, the carrier becomes responsible for the outcome. So the manufacturer issues a firmware fix, the wireless carrier reviews and tests it, then tests the distribution mechanism. Then it is released to some customer in small test batches. Then the the rest of the customers get the release.
According to that reply from ATT, they are not even in possession of the ready firmware yet. It is still being worked on at Samsung. I was simply saying that this meant we were either another month away from the update being pushed out (time for AT&T to test the update and test the OTA process), or the f/w will be released as a download on samsung web site, in which case you have to install it via USB using host PC software (that would basically "root" the phone, replace the drivers, and unroot the phone). Given that there are complaints even in this forum from people who do not know how to connect the Captivate to computer, this latter update path is really troublesome from AT&T point of view.
I see your point, but I know the difference between OTA and a wired download. I have been around Android since the days of the G1, and updates have never been wired before for Android (excepting hacks and grabbing the download early), even though that is what we expected when the G1 launched. About a month after the G1 launched, HTC had a patch that came out for the camera and a few other things- it was coming from the manufacturer for a manufacturer issue- and it was sent OTA by T-mobile. As stated above, Motorola sends out manufacturer-based updates OTA. Every single other OTA (and update for that matter) for Android has followed this pattern: The manufacturer posts the update file, usually on Google's servers but not always, then works with the carrier(s) to push a notification to the device. The notification comes up (not in the pane but as a separate pop-up dialog box) and has two options: download now- which connects the phone to the posted download url, downloads the file, applies it, and reboots a couple of times- or download later- which resumes back to whatever you were doing, and when you are ready to download it you select "software update" from the settings menu and download it just like above. There is no need to "post instructions... how to download," as it is automagic and just pops up on your phone and you choose whether now or later. With any of the previous updates on the G1 and N1 T-mobile nor HTC nor even Google put up instructions for how to download, as none were needed. This is the outlier, the oddball case, and it worries me. On a side note, once someone gets the notification, they can run a program called "logcat" and grab the log and find the url so everyone can type in the address in the browser and get the download. This is how updates have always worked on Android.
I am particularly suspicious about this because at the recent IFA event at one of the Q&A sessions there were hints that AT&T will not be doing OTA updates for Android (the most reliable of those was from Androidandme on Sept. 3rd, and I have messaged them asking for clarification on why they tweeted and posted that), which fits the language posted here by the AT&T rep, tweets by Samsung's service PR people, and other Samsung replies. Secondly, as I stated above, I don't run Windows (and haven't since 2006) and just have two Macs and two Ubuntu boxes- so a KIES download would isolate people like myself- this is your point I believe for why it doesn't make sense for AT&T to go about it this way, which I agree with.
But much of the language that has been thrown around (i.e. needing to post instructions) logically suggest that this is more complicated than an OTA, and therefore the alternative option- a wired download.
P.S. AT&T has not confirmed or denied those claims about no Android OTA's, I have asked through their online chat, email, customer service twitter, and facebook page, and the response is always "AT&T has not announced that." This is a statement that can go either way, and I look for it to go towards the no OTA side because- again logically- if it were false, why not deny it directly (it would boost your consumer's image of you because OTA updates are so much easier than the wired ones I had on my blackberrys), but if it were true, you would want to keep it vague until you can't any longer.
P.S.S On another side note, as has been stated before, a direct from manufacturer wired download would be better in some ways because logically it would not have all of the bloatware, but to be put on AT&T phones I am sure it has to meet AT&T standards, and so will still be ridden with data-consuming, process-eating malware. AT&T wouldn't let it slip by that easily, OTA or not they will have their hand in it, as unlike the N1 this is one of their phones.
