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Apple iPod touch 8 GB without Software Updates
By: Apple Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 416
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 On: 2008-06-28
This is my first Apple product. I used to own a Creative Zen (very cool device) but I cracked the screen and needed a new mp3/video player.
I was planning on spending $150 for another 8 gig Zen but I had some extra cash and decided to try this.
This device is very cool. The touch screen is nice (but gets dirty easily) I had to buy some clear covers (.50 each) and you definitely need a case. I recommend the DLO HipCase Leather Folio for iPod touch. Great case.
The biggest problem I find with this device is iTunes.
iTunes sucks.
With my Zen I could dump anything on to my device. Dealing with iTunes is a headache.
Unfortunately you pretty much have to use itunes unless you want to jump through a 1000 hoops.
But the product is great. I recommend it. Highly.
 On: 2008-06-27
it works like every other new ipod coming out but with wifi. its kinda like an iphone without the phone and the edge internet. has a few glitches and freezes sometimes though.
On: 2008-06-27
got this 4 my daughter and she loves it one of the cool things is that you can get internet on it i didnt know that when i got it 4 her. she loves it
On: 2008-06-15
This is a really cool toy and is very useful at times especially the built in web browser and wireless antenna. Only drawbacks ive found so far is that it is nearly impossible to use while driving, running, walking, chewing gum, breathing... etc... the touch screen is clever but is frustrating at best. I also wish i had held out and got a 16 GB or even the 32 they offer now since it is almost full already.
On: 2008-06-14
She doesnt use all the features, but what she does use she in the envy of everyone around her. COOL GADGET!
She really liked this gift.
On: 2008-06-13
I bought this as an after thought for my husband for Christmas. It was the best present ever. He cant get enough of it. He uses it for music, phone book, notebook, photo album, surfs the web, and uses it at work to run an important reference program that he accesses on the web. He didnt even notice that I got him any other Christmas presents for at least a month.
On: 2008-06-11
Bought this as a gift for myself so that I could put training material on it, and half the time I cant find it because one of my kids is using it! Great product and graphics. Quick delivery. Would definitely do business with this vendor again.
On: 2008-06-02
My daughter doesnt put it down. Dont like the internet connection. Hard to read the screen at times.
On: 2008-05-30
These are expensive yes, but worth every penny. Great music playback, excellent small screen video playback. No problems so far after 6 months use. Only beef is Apple charges for features updates, that really should be free in my thinking. The software update adds only mail for me in the way I want to use the Touch and $20 is to much to pay for that feature when I can read e-mail online too. Itunes also will not allow you to re-download a paid for title so make sure you back up by syncing to the computer and back your music up to DVDs.
On: 2008-05-29
Ive always sort of looked down my nose at Apple since my early experiences with them 25 years ago. I finally bought this as my first iPod and now Im kicking myself for all those wasted years.
Not only has this device changed the way I listed to music, but now I carry photos of the family with me, Im a huge consumer of Podcasts & now I have a device thats worthy of video.
Since this purchase, Ive even switched to a Macbook Pro and bagged my PC.
I highly recommend this device and cant wait to get an iPhone.
On: 2008-05-29
Beam me up, Scotty! (Actually, that command was not stated as such in any episode.)
In a pocket is this tiny device that holds twelve movies and 400 songs, automatically organized into albums when appropriate, along with WiFi capability.
The small sturdy stand allows one to prop it on ones lap, a bed, a table, and watch full-length movies that have incredibly good definition.
Or create personalized playlists of ones favorite music, be it Klingon Opera or Klezmer Hip Hop or Mozart or Bach, to play selectively.
Want to bore others with favorite photos? This little wonder holds photo albums, too.
This is a really sexy device, and can easily be attached to an inexpensive speaker system, the size of a paperback novel, to take a break from using any form of earphones or earpods or earbuds. Also, then, one can watch and listen to ones favorite romantic movies with his or her loved one.
With the advent of iTunes U., one has access to courses at prestigious universities, also, free of charge. Learn a new language, study quantum physics, learn to paint or play piano at an extra cost of $0.
Surf the web, save and file your favorite YouTube videos.
Personally, I prefer this to the iPhone (although that is quite nice, too) since it costs less, and holds more music and video.
A few improvements would be nice:
* a chime so that one can locate it when he or she cannot remember where it was last (mis)placed
* more memory,
* a harddrive.
* a scientific calculator
* other software
But the advantages far outweigh these minor disadvantages. It is not perfect; its grade is not 100%, but 99.9%, which is still an A+ .
Mixing metaphors, the touch screen makes one feel as if he or she has control of the bright side of the Force.
On: 2008-05-28
i love this item. useing it everyday. and it is very handy. thanks to apple i am not getting lost now.
 On: 2008-05-17
First, let me say that this is a very nice MP3 player. There are many things that Apple did that well, but there are also minor issues that really hold this product from achieving its full potential. I actually prefer my PSP and my IPOD classic (which I will be going back to).
PROS:
**Sexy sleek body. Very eye catching design and appealing to look at. Front panel very durable, no scratching.
**Nice applications. Checking personal email, having Maps & Notes feature, using Safari, Youtube shortcut and access to stock report are all pretty cool options.
**Coverflow is awesome and in my opinion the best new feature of the IPOD.
Glad they expanded it to 32 GB. (However when syncd to itunes, it says that the capacity is actually 29.6 GB)
CONS:
Music Layout design is not as intuitive as the previous IPOD classic. Without the wheel, you need look at the appropriate screen and then select the choices by hitting icons, buttons or rows. For the old version IPOD classic, I never even had to take it out of my pocket because you can control all the options on the wheel. It was easier to switch between menus and selecting music that way, rather than having to stare at the screen and look for what I wanted to play. I think IPOD touch feels clumsy.
**Touch screen not sensitive enough. You literally need to hit the button (or key) dead on in order to respond accurately. Very fustrating.
On: 2008-05-14
The ONLY pitfall is that it does not have a note folder like the older ones. I still have to use my older one to carry notes around for school. Other than that, I love it.
On: 2008-05-13
I would order from this company again. The product came just as it was described.
On: 2008-05-11
There is not much to add except I take the point about the music collection and not needing more than say 15GB for music, but hey, it is great for Audio Books!
On: 2008-05-09
My son loves this new IPod...now I want one. It is so clear in sound quality and picture quality. Only if he wouldnt have gotten it stolen 2 months after he received it as a gift...
On: 2008-05-09
I am a geek and I like all the new stuff but my wife hates anything that requires special knowledge to use. She loves this iPod Touch! She can now take her tunes, address book and calendar with her and only use one device. I should have gotten her an iPhone so she wouldnt have to carry a separate phone as well. 16GB seems like a lot of memory but it can still only hold about 1/3 of our music library. I cant wait until the 32GB or 64GB versions. It is also not as fast as shown in the commercials but once you get used to it, it is very nice.
On: 2008-05-09
I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT MY NEW iPOD TOUCH! THIS IS MY FIRST iPOD AN IM LOVIN IT!
On: 2008-05-08
this is the best ipod ive ever had, ive never had any real problems with it, the only thing that they need to put on here is a flash player thiers alot of sites that you go to and you cant watch movies from it. and i kinda wish they woulda put a speaker on here and a camera thats 2 things i wish it had cause sometimes im away from home and me and friends are watching youtube but no speakers so thats about my only disapointment, the screen is scratch proof but I dont put anything else in my pocket with it just in case, i got just a cheapo case for mine because its so slick i dont wanna drop it. and this ipod deffinitly has enough space i still haver like 20 gigs free i would have it all filled up but i lost all my music. but overall id deffinitly reccomend this ipod touch.
On: 2008-05-08
Its a enjoyable device with so many functions and easy to use. The touch-screen is a big innovation. The only particularity is the easy to stratch manufacture materials. Case should be more self protective.
On: 2008-05-07
I have wanted an iPhone since its inception. Only problem AT&T. Most of my family and friends are on Verizon and I dont feel I should have to switch carriers to have one.
Enter the iPod Touch 32 gb - with the exception of it being a phone with built in audio and edge network, the Ipod is smaller, has more storage space and does everything else the current 16 gb iPhone does.
Also, I like my cell phone much smaller.
My kids and I both love watching you tube, surfing the net with a real browser, watching videos, listening to music and all the touch features.
A bit pricey but highly recommended.
On: 2008-05-07
This little jewel is BUCKS but worth it. I was so/so impressed with mine until I got finally found how to successfully jailbreak it. A jailbroke iPod Touch is simply the best thing in the world right now. Thin, sensitive, versatile and loads of utility packed in after a jailbreak.
With out being jailbroke the Touch is a solid 3.5 to 4 starts. The default applications are fine, but when you add in terminal, wallpaper, themes, games, to-do lists, VNC and several other handy tools it is a rockin unit.
On: 2008-05-05
Prompt delivery and securely packaged. I am very pleased with the service they have provided.
On: 2008-05-04
I purchased this iPod mainly to listen to podcasts. While I do like the wireless Internet access feature and the tilting screen is nice, I found that this is not really a podcast friendly device. I find that rewinding and fast forwarding are very cumbersome compared to the traditional iPods with the thumb wheel. Additionally since there are no tactile controls you need to be looking at the device in order to use them. It makes it difficult when you are driving or walking to adjust the controls.
I originally owned an iPod mini and I was happy with that device for podcasts so in retrospect I should have gotten a classic. If wireless Internet is not important to you then I recommend you look at the classic or nano.
On: 2008-05-04
I wish Id waited a few weeks prior to buying this as the 32 gb version came out. 16gb is a lot though. With 32, I would not have to be as selective when it comes to how many movies I load up. No complaints on operation.
If you need an ipod for working out, or quickly changing volumes by touch/feel, this is not your ipod. Get a nano. But, as a small mobile lightweight internet device that also plays music and videos, its the tits.
 On: 2008-05-02
I am very disappointed, I havent received my ipod that was bought March 31st. I have written several e-mails to Amazon and I had no reply what so ever. I look forward to hearing from someone about the merchandise.
I can be contact at 917/450-9627.
Thanks
On: 2008-05-02
An overpriced "gadget" ---- a lot of money for a few bells and whistles. My curiosity got the best of me. Now, I am left with an expensive MP3 player and an empty wallet. I am only glad I bought it at Amazon and saved a few bucks!
On: 2008-05-02
I decided to purchase the 32 gb iPod Touch even though I have several MP3 players already. My wife likes the Zune, and she is very comfortable loading, playing, and otherwise manipulating her Microsodt products. I am an Apple man, and this transaction was very smooth; great seller and great transaction. But the iPod is dissapointing. It does have all the glitz that makes it special, but it comes at a price. Not only is this little sucker expensive for 32gb, but the battery life is dissappointing also. I have a Creative Zen Vison M which is 30 gb of HD space. I also have Creative Zen 32gb flash memory space. Both Creative players do better, easier, than the iPod touch. Dont spend the money for fancy that doesnt sound as good as other players. Get Creative.
On: 2008-05-01
i hated the little revolving wheel on prior versions.
finally a terrific screen - VIBRANT colors.
very easy to use. i like the revolving screen technology.
this was a gift for my hubby (top of the line timmy)
HE LOVES IT !!
my son even "smoozed" me, telling me that "i hadnt bought him anything lately..." ((i told him to go back to work))
we are new to itunes with this one but am very pleased so far !!
he loves the fact that he can check email or navigation on the go
if he doesnt have his laptop with him.
very user friendly. VERY.
On: 2008-04-25
I am sooo glad I waited. I am in medical school and Epocrates is a requirement. I almost caved and bought a Treo (I use a Mac) but FINALLY Steve got smart and opened himself up to this 3rd party app. Still another month before the download but from what I understand there is going to be a whole new version of Epocrates based on the itouch/iphone platform. I have my entire CD library in this thing, nearly 5000 songs and I have over 20 GB of free space left. I find using this very intuitive. I am sooo glad I waited. I didnt get the phone version because cell phone and the peope attached to the drive me insane!!!Show some courtesy and respect people, put it on vibrate and come to realize that we dont want to hear your conversation...Only you care
On: 2008-04-25
I ended up getting this right when it came out to replace my 80gb ipod classic because of the screen size and the interference. I would say though that the touch part is something people with ether hate or love. For ME personally i prefer touch based use interfaces over click buttons or touch pads. After owning the 30gb(i think thats what it was) 3rd gen ipod and a 8gb 2g ipod nano that both the ipod classic and the ipod touch have much better sound quality and are much more durable. In my itunes library there is about 11gbs of music and 40gbs of movies,tv shows and personal video but obvious it cant all fit but seriously if your going to have to put THAT much video onto it your not going to watch it all at once so i find it fine that i cant take it all with me and the plus side its a 3.5 screen and the movies look so much better in the middle of class then on a small 2.5 screen the images are crisp and the colors are fantastic (just a warning if your going to watch a video with a friend the viewing angles arent really that great). The sound quality on the other had is just okay its not stellar but its not honorable. The highs seem to be more like mids at really high volumes and sometimes theres a bit of a hiss (cause of the sound chip which is different from the ipod classic sound chips) but still what can you expect from such a small divice? overall great product! But if you want to hold alot i wouldnt rethink if its worth it for you.
On: 2008-04-25
The touch is amazing. Ive had mine for a few weeks and I already cant count the number of times Ive found myself checking facebook or youtube in bed before I get up, or in class when the professors droning on about something.
The interface is very intuitive. I had a firm grasp within the first few hours. The only problem here is that the on screen keyboard can be a pain. Youll often find yourself pressing the wrong key, but I guess thats to be expected.
My only real problem with my iPod is stability issues. Ill find that the music playback will get questionable at times for no apparent reason. It will either only play the first few seconds of a song, or not play music at all. Also, sometimes my album art or music files become corrupt between iTunes and my iPod. Im fairly sure that its just iTunes for Windows Vista acting up though.
That being said, all the problems above happen maybe once a week of almost constant use, and all (except the album art and music corruption) can be fixed by turning it off and then turning it back on.
Battery life is kind of an issue. Its unrealistic to think that any kind of portable wi-fi device could have some really good battery life. I would say that if your surfing the web, the battery will last maybe 3 hours depending on what kind of site you looking at. If your watching youtube, youll probably expect 1 and a half hours. I pretty much dont notice any battery usage from just playing music though.
Overall, this is a really great product. If youre looking for tank of an mp3 player, this probably isnt for you.
On: 2008-04-24
The Ipod Touch may be small enough to fit in my breast pocket but inside, it is big enough to hold ALL of my converted movie library, mp3 files and HUNDREDS of applications that can be installed once this amazing device is "jail broken." I have never been happier with a purchase, including when I got my Macbook. If you can afford it, buy yourself the 32gb Ipod Touch, then use Youtube and Google to make it your own ;) Think Ebooks, PDF files, EVERYTHING that you want (except Adobe Flash lol).
On: 2008-04-24
Just a short review....This iPod Touch may just be the coolest gadget Ive seen outside an iPhone. It does almost everything- and it does it all quite well. I highly recommend it as an iPod but also as an internet appliance. The only things really missing is a camera and microphone. (It would be nice to have an internal speaker, too.) But Im very impressed with the quality, speed, and functionality of the device. Quite simply, it blows everything else away!
On: 2008-04-21
It is very nice product. It should come with a case or point me the necessary accessary. If i got them at the same time, i dont need to pay shipping. But now, if i buy a case for my itouch, i have to pay the shipping.Apple iPod touch 16 GB with Software Upgrade
On: 2008-04-21
The user interface and form factor on the product is what makes it worth buying. You have to begrudgingly forgo the lack of WMA support, which is in liine with Apples Sony like mantra. Offer Great products with least amount of features to lift the products upscale profile to charge higher prices.
Now another important issue. If you are buying this product from Amazon, be careful, time and time again the product will arrive LOOSE in the packing for about 3 times. If it is not LOOSE just because you requested twice for secure packing then the product will be packed next to the Boxs wall and packin material in the middle, so any SHOCK/pressure on the package will be directed at your new iPOD.
BE CAREFUL IF YOU BUY FROM AMAZON.
On: 2008-04-20
This iPod is so much fun to use! With a ton of extras like a stopwatch, alarm, calendar and internet access I love it. Pictures are crystal clear and videos are shown with great clarity. Totally recommended to anyone who is on the fence!
On: 2008-04-20
I did buy the software updates online through Itunes.
First all the negatives...
The whole Itunes folder/ proprietary thing makes managing this thing a pain in the butt! I cant just go in and delete a song/album or photo. I cant figure out how to move music from a different PC to the Itouch without erasing all the other songs in there. The whole management system just stinks. Just like on a Mac laptop.
Where is there a manual on this thing?
Next, the cable port is in a really bad spot to try and use this thing hooked up in your car. There should be a setting so the display stays on and/or at least unlocked as long as its getting power. Trying to unlock it, hit music, then artist/song/genre and then next song while driving a stick shift is a bit tricky even for someone who learned to drive while eating a hamburger, drinking a milkshake and shift a three-on-the-tree while changing eight track tapes.
If the plug-in where swiveled say, someone could develop a mounting bracket for the unit. I really want to operate the unit in "sideways/horizontal" mode. If it wewre to stay "on" as well, and were mounted like a GPS, it could easily and safely be operated while driving, face it people are going to operate it while driving anyway, and right now it is really dangerous.
Randomly messed up songs. Some songs did not get "synced" in properly. There are a few songs of the 8 gigs worth of music I synced in to the Itouch that just start for 2 seconds and then stop and move along to the next song, no matter the method of play. The files are fine, they play on the computer and Ive also made MP3 CDs of the same files and play them on various CD players.
I dont know what the software is where the problem is, maybe Safari, but I only get a request for a password to access a secure WiFi, when the providers want a username and a password. Even though I have accounts with the secure WiFi nets, I cant get in with the ITouch.
Now the good:
The image quality is awesome for the tiny screen.
The access to the internet through unsecured WiFi is an incredible tool.
The interface and popup video keyboard is amazingly easy to use.
So much of the interface is So intuitive, it amazes me the management is not.
Battery life is very strong.
The maps function is also so useful, but it only works when hooked on the WIFI. You even lose your last map or directions when you leave the hotspot. OK so thats a down. But that brings me to my summation.
If you like all the features available and are happy with just WiFi access to the internet, this is worth it. Especially if you have a car that can operate an Ipod through steering wheel controls. However, if you want to use the maps/e-mail/internet in you car, get an Iphone. I would if they offered a data only service/no-voice. Plus they need a better hookup in the car.
On: 2008-04-12
Excelente MP3. Lo Recomiendo. Coloco 4 estrellas porque a veces, mientras veo algun video el equipo se reinicia. Aunque luego de haberle instalado el ultimo firmware la falla no ha vuelto a ser tan seguida, aun persiste. Seguramente Apple ya esta al tanto y lanzara una solucion. Por suerte, el equipo que recibi no tiene el defecto en la pantalla que tuvieron los primeros dispositivos.
On: 2008-04-12
This is such an advanced product, one spending this much definitely needs to look into what they are getting.
This is more than an iPod, it is also a PDA. Being able to manage emails, calender, tasks, notes, stocks, maps, etc. puts this above any other iPod.
I love my iPod Touch, and all the features on it are great if you use them. I sync this with Outlook and it works perfect. I have Outlook also synced to my BB, so whichever device Im using, I will always have my calender and contacts on me.
The quality of the screen is at a beautiful resolution. Going through artwork, looking through songs, browsing the net, looking at the calender is fun. The touch screen is what make this phone so powerful.
Having WiFi is perfect, and makes this very powerful device when youre in a WiFi area (if you can get a connection).
Managing emails great with this device, as it displays all emails beautifully.
The iPod Touch is basically the iPhone without the phone, camera, and speakers.
Some of the negatives are:
- I wish it had speakers
- I use high end head phones and wish the sound quality was better.
- The hissing noise is still there.
- Better battery life is always good, but the product is good as it is.
I recommend this product to anyone and everything since it is not only a music player. 32GB is not necessary for all people, but its only $100.00 more! If youre going with the 16GB because its cheaper, you should just go refurbished to save more money.
Thank you!
On: 2008-04-11
One big problem with this device, i changed after several years from Sony to IPOD to find that the storage capacity is reduced by around half. ATRAC (now defunct) allowed a stupendous amount of music on the Sony device at decent quality. Pain of a PC Program as it had, it was bearable, just.
The IPOD Touch at 32Gb cant hold even half as much as an old HD5 even if the operating system on the touch is a dream come true. I used to have my entire collection on hand and on the move.
Bottom line, i can feel good having the latest device but cant walk with my head held high knowing that the music in my pocket is drastically edited from my collection.
If Apple were to swallow their pride and adopt the ATRAC format, you wouldnt have wasted your time reading this review.
On: 2008-04-11
We are extremely happy with our I-Touch. The music sound quality is great and we can carry a multitude of family and vacation pictures with us. We have an IMAC computer and when we sinc our I-Touch, it automatically updates our calendar and address book. This is a wonderful way to have your calendar with you at all times. I would like to see Apple do a better job of offering dock options for the I-Touch that would give S-vidio connections and stero connections to play my I-Touch through my home stereo system and watch movies that have been downloaded to my I-Touch on the big screen. The problem isnt the I-Touch it is the availability of truly compatible accessories.
On: 2008-04-10
Product had a malfunction, but it was exchanged for a new iPod with updates when my original product was without updates. Good deal.
On: 2008-04-07
I never owned an Ipod before and I`m very pleased with the Ipod Touch. The only problem that so far I have noticed it`s that you cant download videos to your Ipod unless you have a conversion program or Quick Time Pro, to convert common windows media files in Quick Time . Itunes doesn`t have the option to convert them as it has to convert music files.
On: 2008-04-05
I really like this companion.
everything is great!
the application, which you can download through wifi from installer are perfect.
the only one thing I would like to have in this player is loudspeeker.
with it would be awesome. sometimes you need to listen something without uncomfortable headphones.
On: 2008-04-05
I had pretty high hopes for this little device...and it has exceeded my expectations at every turn. I replaced my (fourth) dead Palm device, banished the hard-drive iPod to the kitchen, and now Ive got the best iPod AND the best PDA Ive ever had.
Browsing through the audio and video library is a totally new experience (even for long-time iPod people), and it just feels right every time you swipe your fingers across the screen. Im rarely without my iPod Touch these days, and I eagerly await the ability to load new programs and features onto it.
On: 2008-03-31
Actual score: 3.5
Ill start off by saying that Ive always been a big iPod fan and that this is my 4th to purchase. Ill try to keep comparisons minimal, but coming from owning previous models, that might be a bit tough.
Last year I made the plunge and purchased an iPhone -- not really for the phone, but more to have the latest/greatest ipod and web browsing on the go. My biggest complaint with it was the low storage capacity (4GB or 8GB). The 16GB touch was tempting, but the 32GB model is what finally sold me. I might have been wrong, but I came in expecting a "32GB iphone.. without the phone."
Weve all heard the positives, so Id like to go a bit into the negatives that I experienced.
Right off the bat, I was a bit disappointed. While it does have some benefits (I prefer the black bezel on the front to the silver on the iphone, the headphone jack (now on the bottom opposed to the top) accepts standard headphones without an adapter, and the ipod touch is slightly thinner), there are a few drawbacks.
The first drawback I noticed was that Apple switched materials used for the back of the device (it was a soft, scratch-free, almost matte-like back on the iPhone while its a glossy aluminum on the ipod touch and scratches VERY easily).
The next problem came in connecting it to a PC - my first try didnt go as planned as I received errors stating that the device driver could not be loaded (and therefore could not be recognized). This is a new higher-end PC purchased in February 2008, so to have this type of problem was upsetting (all other devices have run without problems). After troubleshooting, I ended up reformatting to solve the problem (which worked), so I wont deduct any points for that.
I have had some trouble with the device crashing while in coverflow - too often to call it "bad luck", and the trouble has forced me to go into text-view when searching for music on the device.
After loading the device, I finally get a chance to use it and immediately notice that something is "off" in the colors. Everything had a visible yellow tint to it (as if the color temperature was set incorrectly). This was very annoying as blacks appeared green, white appeared yellow, and people appeared gold. I tried to look past it, but compared to the iPhone screen (and even the 5G ipod), the difference was VERY noticeable and very distracting. I returned the iPod to amazon, only to experience the same issue. I took that one to the Apple Store and, again, same issue. Im starting to believe that this is a problem with all 32GB models (as the 8 and 16GB ones I tested, looked fine). My 3.5 star review is assuming that this gets fixed in a future update (either by adjusting the temperature, or offering a way for the end-user to do so - apparently this was the case with earlier 16GB models).
Next problem: Sorting
The iPod touch is obviously designed for video. Using it for an audio-only player seems to kind of defeat the purpose of that great screen. Why, then, does all content appear in a single list with no way to sort (Podcasts, Movies, Music Videos, TV Shows) or even jump to specific areas?
The way the Video application is designed is to provide one long list with Movies on top, TV shows next, followed by Music Videos and Video Podcasts at the bottom. The problem here is that I have 350 music videos that I have to scroll through each time to get to the Podcasts section. 2 more issues here are that (1) you must manually scroll down to the video of your choice - unlike Albums (and even "Contacts") that let you quick-jump to any letter by scrolling along the right side of the screen, and (2) there is no "Play All" option for videos - once one ends, it returns to the menu until you select another video. While this isnt a big deal for most situations, I use it for watching music videos and sometimes youd like to just put it down and go through a playlist of videos.
Audio lets you sort by:
Playlists / Artists / Songs / Albums / Audiobooks / Compilations / Composers / Genres / Podcasts
Why doesnt video let you even sort by Movie/Music Video/Podcasts/TV Shows?
The Photo app is very nice for showing off your photos, but another missing function here is the Camera. I think that the iPhone camera wouldve been great to have on here, and it isnt a phone-specific feature that would be useless for ipod users.
The Calendar function is useful - I dont have too much of a use for it so I didnt explore it much, but it is functional. The same goes for other apps like Weather, Stocks, etc..
Mail and Safari are by far my favorite apps, but since they require a wifi connection, I havent had much of a chance to use them (and instead use the iPhone on edge). If you have wifi access where you commonly travel, these are excellent programs. Youtube has gotten much better also (expanding the amount of videos available on the mobile version), maps is a perfect representation of Google Maps and the Calculator is just that. These applications are fantastic but also useless if you live in an area without many wifi hotspots. With that said, the mobile safari browser is the best mobile browser Ive ever seen.
The notes function is one of my most used, however, it doesnt allow you to sync your notes to it (at least on a PC). Very disappointing! The Clock application lets you view world clocks, set a timer, alarm or use it as a stopwatch (which brings me in to my next disappointment). The iPhone speakers have been removed, so to listen to any audio you must use headphones (this is usually used with videos/youtube when you want to show video to others or to multiple people.. disappointing that you cannot do this without either passing earphones around or buying an external speaker set). The noises are now replaced by bleeps and bloops (like youd get from an old-school 8-bit gaming system).
The design is very slick. However, I feel that they went for looks over functionality on this one. The touch has just 2 buttons: Power/Sleep and Home. This is nice for looks, but bad for ease of use. The iphone, while also minimal, at least had physical controls for volume on it.
This is very important when the device is out of view -- one big use for my ipods has always been as a radio/cdplayer replacement for my car. In the past Ive always been able to adjust volume or tracks by touch (either with a touchwheel or physical buttons like the shuffle), with the ipod touch (and iphone) Im unable to adjust tracks without double tapping home and then physically looking at the screen to locate the next track buttons. This also affects you if the ipod is in your pocket and you wish to change tracks. This is probably some sort of plan to get us to shell out another $50 for a remote control once they release one, but then again I might just be paranoid ;)
On a serious note though, I am a bit disappointed in the AV cables for the iPod touch - they require all new cables (meaning 5G ones wont work here), cost $49.99 for either Component or Composite and max-out at 480i or 576i (not even progressive).
Going back to the positives, unlike the iPhone which came with a dock for holding the device vertical, the iPod comes with a very small piece of plastic which is actually a stand for holding it vertical or horizontal - very compact and well thought out.
The keyboard is great and the predictive text can be as well (although you will find some words that it INSISTS on changing to incorrect ones, which can really frustrate you), overall its fantastic. My disappointment here comes from the fact that the device requires a physical touch (meaning no stylus or other devices), which then means massive fingerprints covering the screen.
As expected, the device requires all content be converted and transferred through itunes - great if you have your content in that format, but if you just want to add some video files, you must convert them to the specifications that it understands (hopefully they allow 3rd party codecs with the 2.0 release, but again its expected so I wont knock any points for it).
The device has great file support, including office-type documents (through weblinks and email) but for whatever reason, does not like you transfer these documents to the device. Very disappointing here, and again a change I hope is made in 2.0.
I also dont like the idea of charging for what should be considered "free software updates" - Sony has added fantastic features to the PSP for years, yet apple charges $20 for a few extras that are included free with the iPhone? If this becomes a trend, I see them holding back content and selling it to you later on (much like recent downloadable content on the videogame consoles)
I know I seemed to go more into negatives in this review, but weve all read the positives (which I agree with, for the most part) and felt that some of these important negatives (important to me at least) should be mentioned.
Overall I am satisfied with the device, but for the high price and disappointments, I cant give it a score much higher. Fix the software problems and screen tint and its a solid 4.5 from me.
On: 2008-03-29
If the 16GB iPod touch was a great product, then the 32GB version is the perfect product. It now has enough memory for all my music and videos. I dont have to spend time managing memory space. The new applications are also an improvement.
 On: 2008-03-29
The screen is great. The music sounds very good with suitable ear buds. The touch keyboard is difficult to use. The wifi is what really drove me to return it. It was inconsistent to say the least. I spent a lot of time trying to get the wifi to work, but I just got too frustrated. Apple is worthless at helping too. If you google the product, you will find that I am not the only frustrated person.
Itunes stinks too, although I would prefer to use profanity to describe it.
On: 2008-03-28
I returned a 16gb version of the touch, which I loved, to buy this 32gb, and the extra space is great. I have 10 movies, some tv shows almost 2000 songs, lots of photos, etc, and still plenty of space left. Its a great device, I highly recommend it. Safari is great for checking things quickly at home or anywhere theres wifi, which is helpful on my college campus. The news apps are great too, especially mail
On: 2008-03-28
The only problem I had with it really is that it freezes alot, then u have to reset it and it takes a few minutes to reset it. Pain in the butt when ur in the middle of listening to music or doing something. But that may be just cause mine is jailbroken/hacked. When the ipod touch is jailbroken, its possibilities are endless, although when its jailbroken the warrenty is void. But u can just plug the ipod to the computer, open iTunes and restore it to its original state. the state it was in when u first bought it, then apple will never know u jailbroke it. jailbreaking the ipod is basicly installing a program off the ipods internet, called safari, called "installer", and installer lets u install other user created programs. Theres a program for anything you can think of. Aside from it being jailbroken, the ipod its self has alot of cool features, like just the fact that its "touch" feature makes everything so much more fun. Not only is it touch but its also motion censored as you see in some games as well as when u listen to music and surf the web, being the fact that when u listen to music or surf the web and turn the ipod a certain way, everything turns to "landscape mode" which is just a different layout of everything. To finish off this review, one major thing i was worried about was the screens durability from wear and tear, but the screen is Very durable. You can take a razor blade to the thing and it still wouldnt scratch the thing. I recommend this iPod.
On: 2008-03-26
Yes, it is everything I thought it would be.
Amazons price was what it was...as it is everywhere else on the planet. But, as usual, the service was impeccable.
On: 2008-03-26
You know when we were young, we used to read stories..of the Jinn, the fairies, the Alif-Laila and in one of those stories there was a Lamp that if rubbed...brought out a Jinn who could fulfill your three or so wishes....
Guess what...this is the Lamp of our times, the difference is.. theres no limit on the wishes this time around...i would rename it ipodrub...
Just go get it!!!
Yup its that good;-)!!!
Got one for 260 from Bestbuy.ca (Toronto), 8gb is fine, but get more if you can afford to..
ipodrub!!!
On: 2008-03-25
I bought my Touch about 2 months ago and I was impressed by the look & feel of the unit and its software! It has a crisp clean graphics, its easy to operate, it has some convenient features (notes & calculator [The lyrics are great if you buy the upgrade]).
My problem is it worked fine for about the first week. Then I started noticing that the backlight was dimming in and out randomly. Then the display started to freeze up when you touched it.
About a month ago it started to shut itself off in the middle of a song and when you go to turn the music back on, the unit freezes for a few seconds, then takes you to the home page. When you click on the music tab, it takes you to some random track listing. Now (a month after this started) it has progressed to doing this almost everyday, and on the days it does freeze up, its will do it more than once! Ive had the unit freeze up 6-7 times in one day before.
Apple says that "freezing" is a common problem, but if Im going to pay $400 for it, I dont want to come with "common problems". My laptop was only $700 and it came without errors.
On: 2008-03-23
It is very useful even without the phone. With the the new apps added it is very useful. The web apps really separate this from other mp3 players. This is the best mp3/ipod in the market.
On: 2008-03-22
What is not to love about this fabulous gadget? I am sure within the next year there will be something more remarkable than the i-touch. But, life is short. I had to have mine right now.
On: 2008-03-19
I love my Itouch. It is like your own personal computer with you at all times. I only hate that I cant have wireless with it at all times. Being able to keep your pictures with you at all times is great! Good product...get it!Apple iPod touch 16 GB without Software Updates
On: 2008-03-18
It is a beatiful thing but Im planning to return it.
The battery goes fast even without watching movies,
and so its a hassle having to recharge it everyday.
Its nice to have a map but why not have a turn-by-turn gps?
So the map is very limited.
Many applications, files, etc wont open thru Safari browser.
There are a lot of limitations.
Im not too tech just wanted to give an overall feeling of it.
On: 2008-03-17
Bought this product 3 months ago. I am very pleased with the purchase. The best feature is the ability to watch movies and videos on the go. It has a nice crisp picture. The wi-fi is also a nice feature. The 16GB is more than enough space for me. My last MP3 player was only 512mb so I cant complain. Amazon has the best price around. Get it now!
On: 2008-03-17
First Off...
I love this product! It has been a wonderful addition to my iPod G5.
All in Size, form factor, responsiveness, and design!
The interface is both elegant and extremely user friendly. It almost seems at times that the iPod actually knows what I want to do before I actually "make the gesture."
I love it.
However (Of course, like many, I purchase my iPod Touch a week before the new 32GB model became available) It seems to have a few flaws:
After 2 or three days of not attaching it to my laptop (PowerBook) it seems to slow down a bit (I think this may be due to the additional applications i purchased through the iTunes Store, i.e. Mail, Weather, etc...) After attaching it to my laptop it seems to speed up slightly.
When I say slowing down, my iPod would slow down when switching playlists, apps, etc.
Second gripe is it seems to make my laptop run a lot hotter than without it attached (although, I have not used my iPod G5 since i bought the Touch!!) This could be due to the fact I am running it through a USB hub with 5 other devices, but further testing is needed.
Overall, I love my iPod Touch. I cant rave about it enough. Interface, ease of use, simplicity, and just the looks of it.
If you have a large music library (mine is close to 40GB now) it will get hard to select what you really want to listen to! But, the iPod touch will present an elegant solution to the problem with Cover Flow (and who says you cant choose a different library every week?)
-g
On: 2008-03-15
its a great product. has amazing possibilities. can do things that I never thought it would. its expensive, so before you buy it, you should really think about how you will use it. Good Luck.
On: 2008-03-15
This device is soooo close to being really good. The biggest problem is really that its stupid expensive. I know that flash RAM is costly, and I know the price will drop, but still, there is a cost-benefit ratio that is a little bit over 1.0.
I was looking for an internet device that was reasonably flexible. I first tried the Nokia n800. This is a very cool device, but where it fell apart for me was what to do with the thing when there is no internet tubes around. I could never get the video portion to work satisfactorily. And it was just a little too big. And by the time you pump a few gigs of memory into the thing, you are stepping into ipod territory. So I bought the Touch, opting for the 32GB, perhaps due to some lame attempt to future-proof or to make up for my physical shortcomings.
Anyway, it is a joy to hold. Form factor borders on too small. It is hard to watch my old video ipod after looking at the bright screen. I have had no problems with internet access, though I cant seem to utilize some hotspots...browser incompatibility?
Battery life is so-so. I get 4 hours of mixed wireless/video. I dont listen to music for 18 hours at a time, so I cant comment.
Video playback is excellent, far better than the n800. I use visualhub to convert videos, though Handbrake works well also. Music sounds fine. I dont understand pompous pseudo-audiophilic dissing of the ipods. Garbage in, garbage out. If you can convince me that your FLAC file sounds better than my Apple Lossless, then Ill get a Cowon.
The interface is usually a pleasure to use. I do tend to wish for shortcuts for certain actions, like turning wireless on or off.
I strongly encourage people to jailbreak. It is easy, almost idiot-proof, not too time-consuming. The Apple apps are good. But the jailbroken apps show what the little thing can really do. I know that the SDK is out/coming out, and that is well and good, but 1) for most that wont be available until June, and 2) I really worry about the censoring/filtering Apple will do on potential apps.
To-do lists, VNC, SSH, FTP, remote controls, games, skins, text editors, video streaming...these are great for the most part.
Hopefully, there will be a more legit set of offerings to come, but until then, this is a surprisingly open platform to play with. Dont be afraid...
On: 2008-03-11
I love the touch feature of this iPod but dont like dealing with iTunes. This picks up Wi Fi so you can surf the web on the go. Love it!
On: 2008-03-11
The decision to buy:
I think it comes down to the iPhone, Touch, or Zune for a player with a screen big enough to actually watch a full movie on. I tried to look into the Zune two ways: 1) On line. Microsofts website is extremely disappointing. Its a bunch of psychedelic nonsense. I either missed the information all together, or its the worst thing Ive ever seen. Either way, that combined with the lack of an acutal demo in any store turned me off of the Zune. The final nail was the lack of wi-fi. I currently am in a contract with a non AT&T company, so that killed the iPhone. Plus, I didnt want to constantly have to carry something that size in my pocket. I kind of like having a smaller phone to carry every day. The decision was really between the 16 GB and 32 GB Touch. My primary needs were videos for travel and the wifi, not having a million songs on it. Therefore, I decided to save the $100 and get the 16 GB model. A full movie is around 1 GB so I can get 10 movies and 1000 songs and still have 2 GB to spare.
Features:
I bought the additional features for $19.99 through iTunes when I connected my Touch. Go to Apple.com for demos of the features. There online demo is amazing. A few questions that were not answered though. In the mail feature, I wasnt sure if it supported every mail carrier, specifically Yahoo!. It does support Yahoo! along with Gmail and AOL. It does not support Hotmail. This feature is outstanding. It automatically loads your emails so you dont have to go to Yahoo!, then Mail, then type in your login and password. You just click the mail button, and its all there. Of course, you have to be connected to a wifi network for it to update you inbox and send out. To set up your account you just enter your name, login and password and its set. You can also store multiple email address and easily access each one by just selecting the stored account (example, you have a Gmail and a Yahoo! account).
The music, notes, weather, stocks, maps are all great, but simple to understand so I wont go into it. Im sure everyone knows of the album cover jukebox style display. I was worried about music I put on that didnt have the album cover, however, you can easily right click on the song, chose "Get Info" then click to add artwork. You can just go online and find the album cover and save it to your desktop, then chose it from there. The only problem is typing. Youre not going to send a long email from the touch unless you really practice. Id say it has about a 1% error rate when going slow (example, it will put a "r" when I wanted a "t"), however, the more I use it, the better I get at making sure I hit the right letter and minimize my contact surface area with my finger. When I try to "type" with both hands instead of pecking with one finger, my error rate is much higher. Again, practice may help. Id go to the Apple store and play with it to see if it annoys you.
WiFi:
This works great. Its obvious, but Ill say it. You have to be in a WiFi area to go online. As opposed to the iPhone where you can go online anywhere with AT&T. So I have a wireless router at home and it works great. It also works anywhere where there is free WiFi (hotels, airports, etc.). You can also use it at Hotspots, such as Tmobile (Starbucks, Borders) and AT&T (Coffee Bean, Barnes & Noble, McDonalds). You can go to Tmobile and ATTs website to see how much, but you can pay for a day, or a few hours of access if you dont pay monthly for the service. I found out that if you have AT&T (or what used to be SBC or Yahoo!) DSL, you get free access to their Hotspots. I tried it at the Coffee Bean and it worked great. Its pretty fast too. Webpages are small, however, easily zoomed into by double tapping or using the pinch as seen in Apples online demo. You have to tap at the proper speed so it doesnt just go to the hyperlink instead of zooming in. The Google search is nice becuase you can choose to have it search as a typical Google page results or return contact information results like a Blackberry would.
Video:
This is the primary reason I purchased the Touch. Im taking a trip to Europe and I wanted to watch videos. They say you get 5 hrs of video. I havent put that to the test yet (Im not going to sit for 5 hours and watch that screen if I dont have to). I purchased a turbo charge for the plane and I hope that works like it says it will. When I went on iTunes to get movies, I was shocked at the price. Movies to buy are full price...$14.99. Why would I pay that? I can buy the actual movie for my DVD player for cheaper! Rentals are also full rental price, $4.99. It does vary for older movies, but I still think its a rip off. The one thing I did find reasonable are episodes from TV Series. For South Park, Family Guy, and the Simpsons, I bought my favorite episodes for $1.99 each. This is great. You dont have to drop $30 on the full season if you only like a few episodes. And for comedy, Ill definitely watch them over and over again.
It was quickly apparent that I would need software to make my own DVDs into the Touch format. Again, I could just buy a regular DVD for $15, then convert it to my Touch. I tried a ton of software packages and formats. The Touch will work with H.264 or MP4. Almost all the software companies will give you a demo for free, however, there is a watermark on the video. Im glad I tried this becuase I got various quality even with the same settings. I finally bought the converter suite from CuCuSoft. I would demo them all for yourself though, but try this one too. I also was frustrated on what settings to use. According to Apples specs, the Touchs screen is 480 x 320. However, it can handle video up to 640 x 480. I wasnt sure if it is worth the extra file size to make it 640x480, or if I was just wasting storage since the screen is only 480x320. I dont know enough about video to make a decision, nor could I find a lot online (let me know if you have an answer). Also, there are several video supported formats: H.264, 1.5 Mbps or H.264/MP4, 2.5 Mbps. What I did was try them all with the same clip and see if I could tell a difference. Again, it comes down to file size vs. quality. If you cant tell a difference, go with the smallest file size. Im still playing with it, but H.264, 640x480, 1.5Mbps seems to be good. I tried to find the setting for the shows I bought, but they are not attached to the file. All I know is that it is 640x480 based on the size of the screen at 100% when played with Quicktime and it was around 200MB for a 23 min show. Ive been told by others that a full movie should be around 1 GB. I havent bought one due to the cost, so I just adust my setting on my sofware to give about a 1 GB output file.
Conclusion:
All in all it is fantastic. Im happy with my purchase and I am glad I didnt get the 32 GB. The $100 is handy to buy a case and software with. If you want a ton of songs and video, Id get the 32. But movies you can remove once you watched them and just rotate them back in later. The WiFi is a great feature. Even without AT&T, you can pay a monthly fee for T-moble or ATT Hotspot access, or just pay for a few hours (Although, not nearly as convienient as the IPhone). Its cheaper than the $20/month ATT charges for the iPhone data and McDonalds and Starbucks are everywhere. The videos are excellent quality when purchased, however, they are expensive. You can just use software to convert your own DVDs, but its not easy to decide the quality to size ratio that you are happy with. I tend to want it as good as possible, but that takes up a huge amount of space.
Hope this helps.
On: 2008-03-11
Its Amazing product, and the plus against any portable player is the wi-fi and capable to surf internet. sound great, image quality very good.
On: 2008-03-10
Just got this on Friday and have played with it many hours now. I love it!
This is by far the best iPod out there. The screen is much better than I hoped for. I watched a movie last night on it and when it was over I realized I was looking at the iPod and not a TV. I now have several gigs of family photos, music, 3 movies (movies rip to about 800MBs)... almost everything I have, loaded up with room left over. Internet and email are great, and this iPod can use the wireless network at the university where I work so I can walk around and have internet access all day. The Google satellite map tool is also fun to use and quite fast. Overall, for my needs this is well worth the $500 hit.
I could only give this 4 stars however... You can not use this like a flash drive without 3rd party software and the lack of a way to pause, skip and control the volume without using the screen is a real pain. So be aware...
1) There is no desktop mounting available on these devices. I wanted to use this as a flash drive too. In fact, this was a consideration when I decided to spend extra for the 32MB version. iPods have always been able to mount as a drive in past versions, so I didnt think to look this up first. There are some 3rd party solutions but they are not free.
2) It would be very nice to have a way to control the Touch without having to touch it. I really dislike having to unlock my iPod Touch to pause or to skip to the next song. It would be nice if Apple could find a way to control pause, skip, volume up, volume down by adding a dongle cable with some control buttons between the headphone port and the headphone jack... OR... add BlueTooth the the Touch.
On: 2008-03-10
I was surprised with the new Ipod touch!! Its more than just a MP3 player, I can navegate in internet and I can play lot of console games. I recomend it a lot!!
On: 2008-03-10
Best of two worlds. Apples gadget MP3 player plus Internet. Thats the real thing !!! Together with the 20 bugs upgrade it works perfectly. Nothing could be done better. Pure enjoyment ...
On: 2008-03-10
this is technolgy at its finest, didnt want to spend $400 for the phone, so I got one of these. Its the exact same thing, except no phone. It is fantastic, even at the price, all the features are first rate, I love it, its great.
On: 2008-03-10
I have do say that this past year Apple has outdone themselves. Especially with their iPhone technology that is know in the iPod Touch! The touch is the most fun iPod, its hard to put down! I diffidently recommend this product to anyone over the age of 13. Make sure to get a case, Its almost impossible to use it without one!
On: 2008-03-09
I was surprised with the new Ipod touch!! Its more than just a MP3 player, I can navegate in internet and I can play lot of console games. I recomend it a lot!!
On: 2008-03-08
So I coughed up the money and pulled the trigger on this beautiful piece of hardware. Amazon even threw in a free shuffle! The itouch works as advertised. Photos look great, and the music sounds fantastic through headphones or my car stereo. I cant get enough of flipping through my collection with cover flow with my finger! (For best sound quality, I configured my rips to be 320 kbps MP3s. I mean, you do have the space with the 32 gig model.)
I was a little wary of the web browser. I mean, how fast could it be, right? But once it has picked up a signal its just about as fast as my DSL connection on my PC! That is the trick, though, picking up a signal. It piggy-backs off whatever signal happens to be around. It can be hit or miss.
The itouch interacts just fine with my PC. I got used to itunes pretty fast. Apple makes everything very intuitive and easy to use.
In short, this is one of the coolest things I have ever owned. Worth every penny!
On: 2008-03-07
I only want to say that yo have to check the apps out, on the Apple website there are many applications for your ipod touch, you can turn your ipod in a flash light, a wi-fi finder (you need are connect to internet), play hangman, chess, make a grocery list, find almost anything near you, a better weather info or use your ipod to control remotely iTunes player or Windows media player... you gonna need time to check all this apps out but to me was pure entertainment.
cons: the camera and external speaker will be great.
On: 2008-03-05
This one has to be one of the coolest piece of gizmo I own. The stuff is so sexy that I have started disliking Nokia products I have grown up with. Fabulous interface which is so easy that even my mom with her fear for all thing technical can navigate without much sweat. Just waiting for iphone to be launched in India
On: 2008-03-05
You already know all the cool things about this ipod so I wont go there... instead, heres some things I think the NEXT ipod touch generation should offer.
- external volume buttons, it sucks to have to unlock and touch the screen multiple times in order to turn the volume down. I usually have to rip the earphones out or power off the device (with an external button by the way). Would it have killed them to install two more tiny buttons for volume?
Actually, thats my only complaint.
On: 2008-03-04
I recently left a company that provided me with both a Verizon cellular telephone and a T-Mobile Blackberry. Because I had to purchase a phone and already own a lot of Mac products (and love them), I went and purchased an iPhone. Its really cool and I find it totally amazing still, but if you need it for business you should really think twice.
I typically used between 1500 and 1800 minutes per month. I just got my first bill and I only used 168 minutes. Can you say "rollover minutes?" I am glad they offer that plan.
Why so few minutes? Well, because the phone doesnt work half the time. After the first few days of dropped and garbled calls - I gave up trying to make calls while out and just waited until I was home where I could use my land line.
Email: Since the phone service doesnt work well in the West Village of Manhattan, I send a lot of text messages and email. Email is incredibly slow and about 20% of the time you get an error message saying that an incoming message cannot be downloaded from the server. If you open a message with pictures - it insists on loading the pictures so you might have to wait 5 minutes for the email to open. The result is that the battery is dead after about three hours. The Blackberry is clunky - Ill give you that - but it works so much better.
Texting: I love sending SMS messages on this phone. Its the best way to communicate and really the only efficient way to use this phone.
Now, I have a friend that lives in New Jersey and he says his service got better once he switched to AT&T. It probably is a regional thing - so before you buy - borrow a friends phone that has AT&T service. I bet the Bay Area has some pretty good AT&T service.
In summary: It might save you a lot of money if the service in your area is like mine and the phone doesnt really work most of the time. If you text most of the time you are going to love it. If you have never received email on your phone before - you are going to love it. If you have had a Blackberry or Trio with email then you are probably going to be very disappointed. If you have other Mac products and use Address Book and iCal it is super easy to sync.
I am keeping mine for now because it does some cool things and I am hoping the service gets better - but I might get a Verizon cell phone for when I need to actually make a call.
On: 2008-03-04
Would I rather have an iPhone? Sure, but the company I work for wont support it on the network.
I travel a lot and my iPod touch saves me from having to put up with the repetitive movie schedules on all the airlines. Music, movies. podcasts...theyre all great on the iPod touch. Its compact, lightweight and has enough storage for me to keep myself occupied. Syncing is easy. The software updates are worth the $20. The iPod touch is the best iPod yet, and it will only get better when third party software access comes soon.
Buy it, you wont regret it!
On: 2008-03-03
Everything was great. Ipod Touch is spectacular and delivery was exactly when they said it would be.
On: 2008-03-03
it arrived on time, actually its a little bit earlier than what I expected.Great service from Amazon. Great product from Apple.
On: 2008-03-03
I have bought this as a present for my dad, and he absolutely loves it. He hasnt quite grasped yet everything this iPod can do, but he enjoys finding out and playing with it. He is a big opera and classic vocal fan, and has just downloaded a Cecilia Bartoli DVD to his iPod Touch, and enjoys watching it and listening to it during his train commute to and from the office.
On: 2008-03-03
This is a great product and it is worth every penny. If your debating it just buy it. trust me
On: 2008-03-02
I called this nearly perfect - but not because the device is flawed- The iPod Touch is exactly what the ads tell you it is. And it works as beautifully and easily as the ads tell you it does. It looks great! The glass face reveals beautifully colorful icons - touch one to launch its function. Music playback is crystal clear, and the software functions are great. I bought this as an upgrade to my older video iPod primarily for music and movies. What I didnt expect was that Id use the other software functions more. I check my email, type information into my address book, use the listing and notes functions almost constantly. I look for excuses to use the calculator - its gorgeous! I find that with just 8 gigs it actually makes my work easier - I pick fifteen or twenty albums everyday from iTunes, load them up, delete yesterdays listenings, add a TV show or two - it all takes only a few minutes out of my morning to do this, and its an enjoyable part of the day! For longer trips driving or flying I still have my older iPod - but this one is a lot more pleasant to use. I love browsing through albums in cover-flow - enjoy being able to open my video portfolio (Im a graphic designer) at interviews- entertain my colleagues at work with family photos. The wide screen beats the heck out of wallet size pictures! As I mentioned earlier the "nearly" perfect refers not to the device itself, but rather to the availability of the internet. Here in the desert, there are a lot of places where I just cant access the web with my iPod (or for that matter my laptop.) Not Apples fault! When there is signal, the iPod receives it. If theres an open network around, I can join it. I was at the airport the other day, suddenly was taken with the urge to listen to Bob Dylans "Planet Waves". After a brief visit to the iTunes store I was happily listening to "On a Night Like This" and "Tough Mama" on the flight. I am hoping that one of the wifi providers (hey - ATT - can you offer wifi only - without phone service please?) to extend the range. For now Ill have to be bound to the hotspots in town. (Best in Sierra Vista? The Public Library!)
A few other plusses. I love that it syncs with my address book and calendar every time I drop it in the dock. I like the long battery life. I enjoy the look and feel of the thing. Apple does it again with another amazing product!
On: 2008-03-02
I am very happy with this product. I recommend this to anyone. Also, my sales experience through Amazon was perfect. Will do this again.
On: 2008-03-01
This is the best! I am not one to "have to get something when I see it" but I knew I wanted a device to play music and pics. I dont like the dial on the nanos and when I saw a friend with this, I knew this is what I wanted. Not much more $$ than the nanos for the same GBs and so much more! I am so glad I bought this. The upgrade is nice, handy. Only negative thing to say about the iTouch is it takes forever to charge (at least, on my computer...I havent bought the wall charger yet. Not sure if it will make a difference!) and it sucks up the battery fairly quickly. I dont use it a ton and I find myself charging it almost every day. Apple could maybe work on that.
On: 2008-02-29
The praise that the iPhone and iPod Touch have gotten since their launch goes beyond what I can merely say about this great device. So Ill keep this simple. The iPod touch makes possibly the best Audio/Video player - PDA crossover device, keeping all the features if the iPhone (WiFi, Touchscreen, Safari, Email, Maps...) minus the phone functionality (if only it had Bluetooth as well). When Apple releases the SDK their is no reason not to consider it a full featured hand held computer. Thanks to Apple for a great product. If only they hadnt released the 32GB version after I had bought the 16GB!
On: 2008-02-29
First impressions were good and I am still impressed. It is easy to use although the touch screen takes a bit of time to get the hang of. I-tunes is strange and I still dont like it or the fact that it is the only way to interface the ipod. Apple need to loosen up a bit and let people have some freedom!
On: 2008-02-28
I use this iPod to play dance music. First, it syncs with only one computer at a time. I use both a lap top and a desk top computer, and found to my surprise that my desk top music library was wiped out when I attached this thing to my lap top.
Second, I found the touch screen erratic. Sometimes it works with a tap and other times I have to press hard.
Third, I play music through my stereo system. The output level is about 10 dB less than a CD, so I have to crank up the volume to get decent output. This is a major annoyance!
Fourth, I put my music into categories, like waltz, foxtrot, tango, etc. As the list gets longer, the touch screen floats back to an initial position. Since the list is stored alphabetically, "waltz" is at the bottom. Selecting waltz tunes is a pain, as I keep getting "swing" tunes.
The only plus to this device is that I save time looking for CDs.
As it turns out, my iPod died after 6 weeks use. RIP.
By the way, there is little documentation with this product. You need to download it.
On: 2008-02-28
Hi Guys,
I got his iTouch in December. This is really a awesome device. I should add one thing first before i go any furthur though... the You tube and safari and all the those things in january software update ( I got to purchase it by paying 20 bucks , cause it is released in Jan not in Dec 2007) only works when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, otherwise this thing is just another iPod with big screen, ofcourse with a touch functionality. It advertises tons of things,but all those things will work only when you are connected to wi-fi.
So keeping that aside, this device is the coolest thing you can have. First thing one notice is, easy of operation on this device, which is a very big plus. The user interface is very very simple and easy to navigate and very very intutive. Music sounds much better than the 60GB iPod i have. You can download and play movies and you can play slide shows of your pics all those usual stuff. But as far to check weather using this device when you are on the road, forget it.. You need a wi-fi spot.
All i can say is it is cool device when you are in wi-fi spot otherwise consider it as a music player/video player.
-Balaji
On: 2008-02-26
This is x-mas gift for my son, and it delived day before X-mas as I have been away and did not place order early. Nevertheless, with overnight service, it still in my sons hands day before x-mas. Great job, Amazon
My son he loves as you could imagine that. Thanks, Sunny
On: 2008-02-25
My review of the IPOD TOUCH is just spectacular ,I give it this review because I drop my ipod in some water and didnt even realize it until it was to late and it got all wet and I had just purchase it on the 27th of Jan, anyway I thought all was lost until 3 days later I put the ipod on the modem from my desktop which generates heat by doing that the remaining water that was inside the IPOD gradually disappeared before u know it I was using my ipod again. I was really upset before this happen but luckily it returned to its original form,"however APPLE design this product I give them a thumbs up, they must have had some type of protection around the chip inside but whatever it is it saved my ipod from destruction..
On: 2008-02-25
This is definitely the best iPod ever made. The icing on the cake is the price, you wont find a better price than the one they have here at amazon, and trust me, I searched. With free 3-day shipping included, what are you waiting for?
On: 2008-02-24
Certainly it is the best ipod ever. Not only does it play music and videos, but it is also a workstation where you can keep updated about whats happening. With a fully-functional web browser, an email application and a notes applications (these last two with the software update), this device helps you easily maintain contact with corporate systems and colleagues.
Besides, the graphical interface is wonderful and the touch technology is simple wonderful to use.
On: 2008-02-24
...but call me when they make a 60GB+ version. Better yet make it at least 80--Im pushing 60 with just music.
On: 2008-02-24
My fiance and I bought iPod touches at the same time and we both LOVE them. Wouldnt trade it for any other mp3 player. The only thing that sucks is having to spend an additional 20 bucks to get the upgrade, but it is worth it. We have reccomended this product to all our friends. Everyone that has tried ours have felt the same about them as we have.
On: 2008-02-23
Being of the 40 over generation and needing reading glasses, the Ipod touch is wonderful, I dont have to squint to read those little buttons. Its all on the screen and large enough to see. Then I just touch away. Editing photos for my contacts is so easy, and I love showing off my I Pod touch to everyone and how easy it is to use. Watching music videos and movies. Now when I do have a long airplane ride ahead of me, I can download a movie or two and watch them while on the plane. I also listen audio books, meditation music and classic rock and roll and even my some of my daughters music, which I probably woulndt have done before, so I am keeping up on some of the newer music and videos. My IPod touch is great.
On: 2008-02-23
What else can be said...all your needs in one great ipod...music, movies, photos and internet...if you are looking to upgrade your older Ipod, and not really are into massive storage, this is the ipod for you!
On: 2008-02-22
The iPod Touch is a great media player for people who dont have a million songs to upload. I am very picky with what goes onto my iPod and can barely fill up my 4GB nano 2G. Its sleek and have an intuitive OS, which probably doesnt surprise anybody familiar with Apple products.
What got me excited about this product is that it can act as a PDA if youre willing to put in the time. There are countless websites out there that explain how to "jailbreak" this device and installing free 3rd-party applications. Once you do that, you have a PDA and media player for a mere $260. One can even make free internet phone calls on it if by buying a proprietary microphone and installing VoIP software. In the end, the iPod Touch can be 95% like an iPhone for much less money. This product is fine on its own, but outstanding if you tweak it. Because of the potential in this device, I give it 5 stars.
On: 2008-02-22
I got this iPod for my husband for his birthday. This is our first iPod, but not our first MP3 player. He loves it and takes it everywhere he goes. The 8 gig capacity has proven plenty for his favorite music and videos. We have not tried it for movies. This iPod has all the same features as my iPhone except the phone and external speaker. The new feature pack is worth the $20 download cost. He loves to check the weather and maps.
On: 2008-02-22
I am generally very happy with the ipod touch. The wireless feature is great to have and easy to navigate, the video quality is excellent. I had a lot of trouble choosing between this and a kune but Im happy with my decision to get the ipod. I bought it for the reduced price of about $260 then couldget the upgrades that came out the next week because Appple is cheap but I sort of knew that might happen. Customizable icons would be nice someday.
On: 2008-02-22
I am outraged that Apple is charging early buyers of the iPod Touch $20 for a system update that ought to be free.
While I understand Apples decision to charge money for the new applications the new $20 "application pack" also includes a SYSTEM UPDATE in the form of the home page editing, web clips, and lyrics features. All of these are updates to the currently existing iPod Touch software and NOT new applications, which means that they ought to be free to all users of the iPod Touch.
Adding insult to injury these applications are all hidden in the 1.1.3 system update, a whopping 104.4mb file that all users must download if they want to fix bugs in the system. These applications can only be used when you pay Apple $20 to "unlock" them, but even if you decide not to buy them they stay on your iPod taking up precious space that could be used for songs, videos, or photos.
Apple is normally wonderful when it comes to providing system support and updates, but having them shaft early adopters and loyal fans like this is offensive and shows that Apple has absolutely no regard for the iPod Touch community.
I was not planning on jailbreaking my iPod Touch, but after this outrageous behavior on the part of Apple I probably will.
On: 2008-02-22
Its a good wireless multitasking device which is loaded with revolutionary features. It will be a good platform to develop into better versions of wireless multipurpose devices. It has the potential of being a great device of its own category. Few features like external volume control and a camera are missing.
On: 2008-02-22
I got my first CD player about 15 years ago, but rarely purchased CDs. The thought of spending $15 to $20 on every CD that may or may not have more than 1 song I liked on it seemed ridiculous. You could say Ive waited 15 years for this.
The iPod touch 8GB is absolutely beautiful. The design is impeccable. The system is so easy to learn. But I do have one small complaint. I would prefer a paper manual for quick reference in locating features of the iPod. I agree that it is best to minimize over-production of paper products that can be supplemented by digital documents. But I still hate reading through manuals via my computer monitor. Yet, the lack of paper manual, that I would have looked at only a few times, does not hold weight against my love for my iPod touch.
I am at a loss for where to begin a description of everything I love about the entire design and function. But one thing I must point out is that the use of the internet browser is not frustrating. I would have expected frustration in surfing the internet without a large monitor, mouse and keyboard. Truly a remarkable design in making the speed & simplicity of surfing the net on a small iPod.
Thank you Apple, I love you.
On: 2008-02-21
I am outraged that Apple is charging early buyers of the iPod Touch $20 for a system update that ought to be free.
While I understand Apples decision to charge money for the new applications the new $20 "application pack" also includes a SYSTEM UPDATE in the form of the home page editing, web clips, and lyrics features. All of these are updates to the currently existing iPod Touch software and NOT new applications, which means that they ought to be free to all users of the iPod Touch.
Adding insult to injury these applications are all hidden in the 1.1.3 system update, a whopping 104.4mb file that all users must download if they want to fix bugs in the system. These applications can only be used when you pay Apple $20 to "unlock" them, but even if you decide not to buy them they stay on your iPod taking up precious space that could be used for songs, videos, or photos.
Apple is normally wonderful when it comes to providing system support and updates, but having them shaft early adopters and loyal fans like this is offensive and shows that Apple has absolutely no regard for the iPod Touch community.
I was not planning on jailbreaking my iPod Touch, but after this outrageous behavior on the part of Apple I probably will.
On: 2008-02-19
I use the Touch to watch movies and listen to music while traveling. Great video quality and with my Logitech NC headphones, the rest of the world just disappears.
Battery life watching videos is short (about 3 hours), but with a charger adapter, my trips are a pleasure.
On: 2008-02-19
I wanted an ipod touch since the first moment I saw it. It is an excelent MP3 player, with the apple quality. The screen is amazing, the touch interface works perfectly. I think it has 2 things that could be better:
1- The back of the ipod get scratched so easy, I recommed get an ipod case, otherwise it will have hundreds of scratches in 2 days.
2- The volume, if you have your ipod playing and locked and you want to change the volume level, you must press the unlock button then slide the touch button to unlock it, go to "music" -> "playing now" and change the volume. This is very annoying!! sometimes I have the ipod in my pocket and have to do all that to change the volume, a little volume control out of the screen will make it a perfect MP3 player.
But well, this item is amazing, I recommend it.
On: 2008-02-19
This is my fourth MP3 player; Ive been using a second generation 20Gb iPod since 2002 but it died last year. I can tell already that music will be a small fraction of use to which this device gets put. It does a great job with photos, and has after one day replaced my Treo in that respect. Its good for video as well, though (1) you have to convert the video to its preferred format, which is time consuming, (2) it takes a while to copy them over, and (3) since you interact with the device by rubbing your fingers across it, you end up looking at images through your own greasy fingerprints. I look forward to using it in the gym or when running, though the lack of hard buttons will reduce its value there.
I havent used it much for web surfing or e-mail; I think my Treo will see more use there, but for video and music, its great.
When Apple releases the iPhone SDK, versions of VNC, Scrabble, and other applications may become available that will make it even more useful. Those may push my evaluation up to five stars. Even without that, I am pleased.
On: 2008-02-18
After writing an unfavorable review for the iPod Touch 16Gb two months ago (and returning it for a refund) I was pleased to learn that Apple was releasing a new 32GB model. One of the main problems with the iPod Touch 16GB was the size of the flash memory. Why, with a beautiful, glass, widescreen display, would Apple design a video iPod with only 16GB of available drive space? My only guess was they were testing the waters for a new product...
All the faults of the 16GB Touch seem to be corrected with Apples latest 32GB release. We now have enough flash drive space (at least for me) to add all my music and videos from iTunes onto my iPod with room left over. Not to say the 32GB (which is actually closer to 30GB to make room for Apples software) will be enough for every consumer, but at least 32GB is a little more realistic.
The 32GB Touch also comes with the latest $20.00 dollar Apple update included in the software. This includes new features such as:
- Notes...for jotting down all those important memos when you dont have a pen
- Weather...to see the local forecast or any other set location
- Mail
- Stocks
- Maps...so you never get lost (as long as you have a WIFI connection)
I have also noticed the WIFI connection seems to hold much stronger than the 16GB model I owned before this. It no longer cuts out and sends me back to the home screen. Im not sure if I had a defective model but this new 32GB Touch has yet to drop a connection even when the signal strength isnt that great to begin with. Quite an improvement.
The only gripe (what review could be complete without them) is again...the price tag. $500.00 for a handheld media player is, to say the least, a little expensive. With a price like this many consumers will view this as an extravagant item and will pass on it until the price drops or Apple comes out with an even better model with more features or both.
All in all the iPod Touch 32GB is a decent model and will satisfy most consumers need for more flash drive space. If the price doesnt shake you, this iPod will not disappoint.
On: 2008-02-18
I like this item, i love it, This is the best that create the Apple.
On: 2008-02-18
The Apple iPod touch is a great electronic device. You have music, videos, photos, internet- everything at your fingertips literally!! The touch interface is well designed, and the clarity of images are superb. The only things I have against this device is that my finger is a little too big for the tiny screen keyboard and browsing the web. I wish the screen could be a little bigger, but this would have a negative impact on the overall footprint. Great device!
On: 2008-02-18
Apple iPod touch 16 GB without Software Updates
Apples 16GB iPod Touch was the largest you could buy before the 32GB version Apple iPod touch 32 GB was released in January 2008. This mobile device has a great combination of quality, and features, though its capacity falls just short of the ideal size for a true media player. The awesome video, sleek thin body and web capability are enough to make this unit worth considering despite a high price and some missing features.
Pros
+ Buy it without software update to save a few dollars
+ 16GB of storage is a decent size for plenty of music and a few TV shows or a movie
+ Great design with a sleek thin body!!!
+ Beautiful 320x480 pixel wide-screen provides pleasing video viewing
+ Turn to the side to view video using the full wide screen width
+ Orientation detection changes view to landscape mode automatically when turning iPod!
+ Brighter screen with great contrast and crisp sharp images
+ Wireless access via 802.11 b/g compliant antenna (hopefully `n will come soon)
+ Wireless searching and video on mode can be disabled to extend battery life
+ Great interface for Safari web browsing with easy WiFi hotspot setup
+ Headphone jack compatible with standard phones, unlike iPhone
+ Supports both NTSC and PAL video out
+ Works with some legacy iPod accessories (except standard A/V cable and some docks)
+ Diminishing price tag in terms of $ per GB of space
+ Unlike iPod classic, all flash memory means less failures and breakage
+ Flash memory also awesome for running / working out, though I use my nano for that ;-)
+ Coverflow actually works nicely on the Touch, much better than on the iPod nano
+ Slightly better sound quality than 2nd generation iPods
+ So far seems to have lower error rate than other iPods
+ Apple reputation is highly deserved
+ Plenty of free video and audio teaser content available on iTunes
+ Easy access to iTunes right from your device over your local wireless internet!
+ Apple SDK being made available which means more apps are on the way!
Cons
- Unlike the 32GB model, not enough capacity to make it a replacement for your disk-based player
- Have to pay extra for new apps including stocks, maps, email, notes and weather
- Touch design is almost too minimal without hold button or easy volume adjustment
- Very difficult to adjust or use without looking at it; some earbuds include controls that help
- Screen requires "real touch," bad for those of us in cold weather cities
- Data port seems more cramped than other models and difficult to seat on many dock ports
- The headphone jack is strangely placed right next to the data port; ok for landscape mode, awkward in portrait mode
- Not backwards compatible with legacy docks and cables; Universal dock now required for video out
- Battery life still shorter than other iPods due to WiFi and video power needs
- No expandability or SD card slot like Sansa View or Creative Zen
- iTunes software with limited native formats (MP3, MPEG4, AAC) and high overhead
- Some poor interface designs, such as volume control only available when upright
- PDA functions such as calendar syncing and contact management still need work
- Playlist and music groupings are lacking and need many improvements
- Still lacking some features such as built-in FM radio & voice recorder
- Missing Zune features such as the ability to share songs with other iPod Touch units
- No Bluetooth for peripherals and accessories
- No wireless synching or wireless access to iTunes WLAN libraries
- No WiFi viewing of live iTunes PodCasts
- Still no local viewing of PDF or other common document formats
- No mode to use as disk storage?!?!
- Roughly 2GB of space taken up with iPod software alone!!!!
- STRANGE Apple business practices - ie, charging for software features included with the iPhone????
- While the cost is slowly coming down, still quite expensive in total $ terms
Looks and Design
Aesthetics and design have always been Apples greatest strengths, along with Steve Jobs marketing savvy. The iPod Touch is solid but light. It has a longer body than either the latest iPod nano Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation) or the iPod Classic Apple 80 GB iPod classic (Black). Yet its slightly shorter than the iPhone. Its nice and thin, though not as thin as the new Nano.
The big 320x480 pixel wide-screen is simply gorgeous, and the instant landscape mode combined with high quality video resolution makes this the first truly beautiful mobile video player. The old Creative Vision W Creative Zen Vision W 60 GB Widescreen Multimedia Player (Black) had a lovely display, but was MUCH thicker. The Touch blows everything else away in terms of looks and design.
The metal back common to most iPods still attracts fingerprints, but you will be too busy staring at the screen to notice them. The screen too attracts smudges. Ive heard its almost impossible to scratch it, but I still bought screen and body protectors before I ever touched it.
Apple did away with the hold button and the click-wheel. While I really love the touch interface, its impossible to change tracks or volume without looking at the player, an awkward trait. Get a nice pair of headphones with integrated controls and you wont notice the omission as much.
Sound and Video
Sound quality is slightly improved from previous models. The included headphones are the same as other models. I actually think the included phones are fine in terms of sound, but not so much in terms of comfort. Upgrade your phones only after doing a lot of research. For the Touch, having phones with volume control and additional buttons is a huge plus.
This guy really showcases video, but the sound is still very good and improving with the last few models. I expect this trend to continue. To really enjoy video, you will probably want to pay up for the larger and more expensive 32GB model. Apple iPod touch 32 GB
Most video encoding is done at very high bitrates, which has the added benefit of better sound. Use the highest quality bit-rate you can stand if sound quality is your primary desire. As for me, I have been through frequent hardware upgrades to add more disk space and finally try to collect all my music and videos in one place.
Features
The features in the iPod Touch were in development for 3-4 years. I was one of those who read the rumor mills daily waiting for all those features to come out in one bang. Well they didnt.
The first Touch seemed to artificially remove some features already available in the iPhone, which was very disappointing. Now Apple has offered some of those original features in a "software update" that costs $20 more. This policy is not a good one. Thats why if you can live without those extra apps its worth it to purchase this model without the update.
The devices battery life is still shorter than one would want, but longer than the iPhone and more than adequate for an average days usage. Users will notice their battery indicator going down, but probably wont get cut off before they get home.
Apples software is still a weakness with very limited direct control over your device library and few file options. No external disk function, no native WMA support? With key features disabled, such as use as an external hard drive, it makes you wonder. Hopefully some of these features will be added back into this device with time.
Coverflow works MUCH better than on the iPod nano and actually helps when scrolling through your videos. Press your selection and the cover flips over to show you which tracks are available. Its still buggy and there are some UI features that are lacking. Elapsed time and track length arent shown for podcasts, and volume adjustment only shows up in portrait mode for some reason. Hopefully some of these features will be added in a FREE patch.
The Safari web browser is THE killer feature of the Touch. Finger-based scrolling is very intuitive and you will be navigating with ease in no time. Im less happy with the virtual keyboard and I cant wait for an alternative to appear. I have to use it very seldom, so I can live with it.
The video out signal options are a nice addition and can be set to either NTSC or PAL. This is great for those who travel or have some foreign hardware, like me. ;-)
The 802.11b/g built-in WiFi antenna connects to most hotspots, though I hope wireless n will be included in the next version. The antenna works well, though with a seemingly limited range. You can turn off wireless scanning to save battery life.
It would have been awesome to have Bluetooth for wireless headphones or other accessories. Some of those Zune-like features would also help, such as wireless syncing, music sharing or access to WiFi playlist libraries or live podcasts. Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player Black (2nd Generation) Even basic staples like a built-in FM radio tuner, voice recorder and an expansion slot are also missing.
Both the Creative Zen Creative Zen 16 GB (Black), which is much thicker, and the Sansa View SanDisk Sansa View 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black), which is taller, have some of those added components built in. Newer Archos players has many of those players plus much greater format support Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB). Yet none of those players have the level of wireless internet capability that sets this unit apart. Even fans of competing players will agree that the iPod Touch more than makes up for missing features by utilizing the features it does have VERY VERY WELL.
Conclusion
Overall this device is an HUGE improvement. Apples sleek design impresses once more. With time, hopefully the kinks and omissions will be worked out. If you can afford it, definitely consider getting the larger 32GB model. Either way, the good far outweighs the bad.
Enjoy!!!!
On: 2008-02-18
Apple iPod touch 32 GB
Apples 32 GB iPod Touch has finally given the mobile device market a media player with a great combination of quality, features and capacity. Of course it arrived shortly after I was given the 16 GB iPod Touch that I had put off buying for so long. Still, the extra capacity gives this unit the last piece of the puzzle it needed to be a must-have item for me. The awesome video, sleek thin body and web capability make it stand out despite a high price and some missing features.
Pros
+ Great design with a sleek thin body!!!
+ Beautiful 320x480 pixel wide-screen provides pleasing video viewing
+ Turn to the side to view video using the full wide screen width
+ Orientation detection changes view to landscape mode automatically when turning iPod!
+ Enough capacity to finally be worth replacing some of your disk-based players in earnest
+ Brighter screen with great contrast and crisp sharp images
+ Wireless access via 802.11 b/g compliant antenna (hopefully `n will come soon)
+ Wireless searching and video on mode can be disabled to extend battery life
+ Great interface for Safari web browsing with easy Wifi hotspot setup
+ Headphone jack compatible with standard phones, unlike iPhone
+ New apps work great and give you stocks, maps, email, notes and weather
+ Supports both NTSC and PAL video out
+ Very nice size of 32GB stores good amount of video
+ Works with some legacy iPod accessories (except standard A/V cable and some docks)
+ Diminishing price tag in terms of $ per GB of space
+ Unlike iPod classic, all flash memory means less failures and breakage
+ Flash memory also awesome for running / working out, though I use my nano for that ;-)
+ Coverflow actually works nicely on the Touch, much better than on the iPod nano
+ Slightly better sound quality than 2nd generation iPods
+ So far seems to have lower error rate than other iPods
+ Apple reputation is highly deserved
+ Plenty of free video and audio teaser content available on iTunes
+ Easy access to iTunes right from your device over your local wireless internet!
+ Apple SDK being made available which means more apps are on the way!
Cons
- Touch design is almost too minimal without hold button or easy volume adjustment
- Very difficult to adjust or use without looking at it; some earbuds include controls that help
- Screen requires "real touch," bad for those of us in cold weather cities
- Data port seems more cramped than other models and difficult to seat on many dock ports
- The headphone jack is strangely placed right next to the data port; ok for landscape mode, awkward in portrait mode
- Not backwards compatible with legacy docks and cables; Universal dock now required for video out
- Battery life still shorter than other iPods due to WiFi and video power needs
- No expandability or SD card slot like Sansa View or Creative Zen
- iTunes software with limited native formats (MP3, MPEG4, AAC) and high overhead
- Some poor interface designs, such as volume control only available when upright
- PDA functions such as calendar syncing and contact management still need work
- Playlist and music groupings are lacking and need many improvements
- Still lacking some features such as built-in FM radio & voice recorder
- Missing Zune features such as the ability to share songs with other iPod Touch units
- No Bluetooth for peripherals and accessories
- No wireless synching or wireless access to iTunes WLAN libraries
- No WiFi viewing of live iTunes PodCasts
- Still no local viewing of PDF or other common document formats
- No mode to use as disk storage?!?!
- Roughly 2GB of space taken up with iPod software alone!!!!
- STRANGE Apple business practices - ie, charging for software features included with the iPhone????
- While the cost is slowly coming down, still quite expensive in total $ terms
Looks and Design
Aesthetics and design have always been Apples greatest strengths, along with Steve Jobs marketing savvy. The iPod Touch is solid but light. It has a longer body than either the latest iPod nano Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation) or the iPod Classic Apple 80 GB iPod classic (Black). Yet its slightly shorter than the iPhone. Its nice and thin, though not as thin as the new Nano.
The big 320x480 pixel wide-screen is simply gorgeous, and the instant landscape mode combined with high quality video resolution makes this the first truly beautiful mobile video player. The old Creative Vision W Creative Zen Vision W 60 GB Widescreen Multimedia Player (Black) had a lovely display, but was MUCH thicker. The Touch blows everything else away in terms of looks and design.
The metal back common to most iPods still attracts fingerprints, but you will be too busy staring at the screen to notice them. The screen too attracts smudges. Ive heard its almost impossible to scratch it, but I still bought screen and body protectors before I ever touched it.
Apple did away with the hold button and the click-wheel. While I really love the touch interface, its impossible to change tracks or volume without looking at the player, an awkward trait. Get a nice pair of headphones with integrated controls and you wont notice the omission as much.
Sound and Video
Sound quality is slightly improved from previous models. The included headphones are the same as other models. I actually think the included phones are fine in terms of sound, but not so much in terms of comfort. Upgrade your phones only after doing a lot of research. For the Touch, having phones with volume control and additional buttons is a huge plus.
This guy really showcases video, but the sound is still very good and improving with the last few models. I expect this trend to continue.
Most video encoding is done at very high bitrates, which has the added benefit of better sound. Use the highest quality bit-rate you can stand if sound quality is your primary desire. As for me, I have been through frequent hardware upgrades to add more disk space and finally try to collect all my music and videos in one place.
Features
The features in the iPod Touch were in development for 3-4 years. I was one of those who read the rumor mills daily waiting for all those features to come out in one bang. Well they didnt.
The first Touch seemed to artificially remove some features already available in the iPhone, which was very disappointing. Now with the software update, at least a few of those things have been added back in. It really sucks that they charged 16GB early adopters for those features, but luckily they are included with the 32GB iPod Touch.
The main improvement is of course the increased capacity. That feature alone was long overdue and far outweighs most of the cons the player still has. Even though you cant load a lot of video at once, you can finally load enough to satisfy even demanding users. This is a huge plus over the 16GB model, which is available with or without updates. Apple iPod touch 16 GB without Software Updates
The devices battery life is still shorter than one would want, but longer than the iPhone and more than adequate for an average days usage. Users will notice their battery indicator going down, but probably wont get cut off before they get home.
Apples software is still a weakness with very limited direct control over your device library and few file options. No external disk function, no native WMA support? With key features disabled, such as use as an external hard drive, it makes you wonder. Hopefully some of these features will be added back into this device with time.
Coverflow works MUCH better than on the iPod nano and actually helps when scrolling through your videos. Press your selection and the cover flips over to show you which tracks are available.
Its still buggy and there are some UI features that are lacking. Elapsed time and track length arent shown for podcasts, and volume adjustment only shows up in portrait mode for some reason. Still, hopefully some of these more intricate details will be added in a FREE patch as opposed to a fee update.
The Safari web browser is THE killer feature of the Touch. Most of the other widgets, including the new ones, are stuff that you can get through the internet. The widgets added back to the Touch which are available on the iPhone just make some of those common functions quicker. Quick stock quotes, instant weather. Not bad.
The video out signal options are a nice addition and can be set to either NTSC or PAL. This is great for those who travel or have some foreign hardware, like me. ;-)
Finger-based scrolling is very intuitive and you will be navigating with ease in no time. Im less happy with the virtual keyboard and I cant wait for an alternative to appear. I have to use it very seldom, so I can live with it.
The 802.11b/g built-in WiFi antenna connects to most hotspots, though I hope wireless n will be included in the next version. The antenna works well, though with a seemingly limited range. You can turn off wireless scanning to save battery life.
It would have been awesome to have Bluetooth for wireless headphones or other accessories. Some of those Zune-like features would also help, such as wireless syncing, music sharing or access to WiFi playlist libraries or live podcasts. Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player Black (2nd Generation) Even basic staples like a built-in FM radio tuner, voice recorder and an expansion slot are also missing.
Both the Creative Zen Creative Zen 16 GB (Black), which is much thicker, and the Sansa View SanDisk Sansa View 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black), which is taller, have some of those added components built in. Newer Archos players has many of those players plus much greater format support Archos 705 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (160 GB). Yet none of those players have the level of wireless internet capability that sets this unit apart. Even fans of competing players will agree that the iPod Touch more than ma | | |
