Reviewing the iPod Touch
Since I am one of many who is locked into a Verizon contract until seemingly the end of time, there is little chance of me purchasing an iPhone in the near future. However Apple provides an excellent alternative: the iPod Touch.
I received a 16gb iPod Touch as a birthday present. I had been considering purchasing one for myself for a while, so getting it as a gift was exciting. As I alluded to above, I consider the iPod Touch an iPhone alternative for those who either cannot afford the iPhone’s price tag or cannot switch to AT&T for their cellular service. I fall into both categories, and the iPod Touch basically has all the sexiness and usefulness of an iPhone (without the phone of course).
After opening the iPod Touch I was amazed at how thin it is. At only 8.5 millimeters thick, it truly is a technical marvel. It is even thinner than its text-messaging cousin by about 4 millimeters. The other immediately impressive feature is the screen. The touch interface is just brilliant. I know this is not exactly news, but you will have to bear with me. This is the first piece of Apple multitouch I have owned.
The touch interface just never gets old. No matter how many times you flickr your finger up and down the screen to scroll, it remains fun to use. Everything feels natural once you master a few basic concepts. After months of being completely incapable with the keyboard when using friends’ iPhones, I picked it up after a day of actually owning my own device. The technology is still impressive two years after its debut.
And of course the reason to get the iPod Touch is because of the technology. The iPod Classic has more storage for a cheaper price. If all you are interested in music storage, then it is clearly the best choice. The iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle are both better choices for running or working out with your music. I will still be keeping my 2nd gen Nano around for those purposes.
However the iPod Touch transcends the musical origins of traditional iPods with its many applications. It is a full-fledged internet and multimedia device. It is Apple’s netbook (read: very small laptop), though I am not the first to say so. It has internet and email capabilities via WiFi, and has access to the App Store to gain even more functionality (sometimes for a price). With RIT’s campus being essentially covered in WiFi, the Touch will function more or less like an iPhone in terms of internet connection while I am on campus.
I am not going to forget the music capabilities either. My aforementioned Nano has a storage capacity of 4gb, so with the Touch I have quadrupled the amount of possible tunes I can carry in my pocket. I know that for some 16gb might not cut it, but it is more than enough for me. I loaded up everything I could imagine wanting to listen to over the next few weeks and it totaled to 5.6gb. Feel free to email me or hit me on Twitter with some music recommendations.
The one weakness about the device is its silver back. It looks sleek, but it has always been something I disliked about the iPod design. Part of the reason I own a 2nd gen nano is because it lacked the famous iPod reflective rear. The material scratches easily and makes the me feel as if I cannot use the device normally. This is why I ordered a Shades case (I got the Black/Clear combo) to provide a slim covering over the iPod. It has not arrived yet, but once it does I will feel more comfortable bringing my iPod with me.
Overall I am pleased with the iPod Touch and would highly recommend it to those looking for the combination of music, videos, and internet capabilities. As far as additional applications I have not found any absolutely mind-blowing offerings at this point, but the App Store is still young.
What are your thoughts on the iPod Touch? Would you consider it for your next music device?
14 Comments
shades look sweet and i might consider one for my ipod
i just picked up a green shade. i hope you used ebay instead of the website. it was .99 with 4.99 shipping on ebay
That is a great deal. I bought it from the main website and after splitting a buy one/get one with Tom I paid 12 dollars for mine.
It came tonight. It is exactly what I wanted but the screen area is just slightly too small, as in 1 or 2mm off. Other than that slightly annoying detail I am pleased with the case.
i don’t like cases and have 0 for all of my devices, i.e. phone, ipod, swords.
one of the reasons why i bought the iphone, besides functionality and all of the special capabilities, is because of how sweet it looks on the outside. therefore i don’t want to cover it up with a case. this does expose it to some damage, but besides a few very minor scratches my phone is still in great condition case-free. either way, great technology.
@mark If I had an iPhone I would not use a case either. The difference between the iPhone and the iPod Touch is that the Touch has the extremely sensitive silver backing, whereas the iPhone has the either white or black layer on the back.
The sole reason I bought my case was to cover that silver back, because I have found the screen to be pretty scratch-resistant.
I love my 1st generation iPod Touch. I use it almost every day. The most useful feature for me is the notepad. The Notepad app allows me to take notes and then email them to myself (or anyone else). This is especially useful when I am away from my beloved MacBook Pro. While I’m at it, may I recommend the Keynote app Link.
understood and true
Nice pictures!
@D.Iriana: The Keynote app looks very cool, but is it compatible with the current version of iWork? Or will I have to upgrade to the recently announced version?
@Adim: Thank you! I just started figuring out some tricks with my camera. I thought it was a simple point and shoot, but digging into the menus can lead to some cool stuff.
Good review. Despite my Mac hate, I have always loved the iPod. It’s by far superior to anything else out there for playing music. I honestly wouldn’t go so far to say the iPod Touch is Apple’s netbook solution. From what I’ve seen of netbooks, I would much rather have an MSI Wind than an iPod Touch.
Personally, I just don’t like the iPod Touch in general. I can certainly see the appeal, but this review really just confirms that it’s not a good device for me. I love my 2nd generation Nano (that you sold me!) mostly because it’s small and all I need it for is to play songs. I have no interest or need for it to do anything else because the only time I have it on me is when I want to listen to music. During those times, I’m usually in a situation where my player can be scratched/broken easily. Having an iPod Touch would just leave me worried that I’d smash it all the time.
Also, your business card is wicked slick.
I have the 1st-gen Touch, and I think it’s great. You hit on all the reasons that I like it. I love the convenience of having the internet in my pocket without an expensive data plan.
The 1st-gen doesn’t have an SSD and, according to an article I read, is the slowest of all the iPhone/Touch models. I’ve been frustrated by its slow response at times.
Also: unless you want to pirate apps, there’s not much more you can do with a jailbroken Touch.
@Ryan I have not had any trouble with response times with mine so I am assuming whatever they fixed made a difference. I really do not see a reason to jailbreak my iPod either.
As a sidenote, I know many people have recommended me the game Rolando. It just dropped from 9.99 to 5.99 so maybe now more people will consider it. I have not played it yet but it looks like fun.
how snug does your shade fit to your ipod? i might have gotten the wrong kind because mine is pretty loose.
My Shades case fits like a skin over the iPod. If yours is loose it is probably the wrong size.
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