Apple's New iPod Touch: Should You Get It?
So What Is the iPod Touch?
This touch-screen iPod is, for all intents and purposes, an iPhone without the phone. Like that recently-announced iconic gadget, the new iPod Touch features the multi-touch screen, the Cover Flow interface that lets your finger flip through virtual 3-D album art, and a feature that lets you pinch your fingers on the screen to resize images. It also includes the motion sensors that automatically readjust the screen to landscape or portrait mode, depending on how you're holding the device. In fact, it looks exactly like an iPhone without the microphone and ear speaker. It's also thinner, coming in at just 8mm.
What's New?
Aside from the touch screen, this thing has built-in Wi-Fi, or wireless connectivity, just like the iPhone. That feature might makes sense on a smart phone, but how does it work on an iPod? Essentially, it means that you'll be able to get online with this new iPod and even browse with the superb mobile version of Apple's Safari Web browser. You can also get on YouTube to watch videos, just like an iPhone. But the really cool and new (for Apple) use of Wi-Fi on the the new iPod Touch (and the iPhone) is that you'll be able to buy music right from the iTunes Wi-Fi music store and download it right to your iPhone -- on the fly.
What Does It Cost?
The new iPod Touch comes in both 8- and 16-gigabyte versions for $299 and $399 respectively. For those concerned about battery life, don't be: Apple is promising 22 hours of audio and 5 hours of video playback.
Should You Get It?
Maybe. With the exception of the phone capabilities, the new iPod Touch gives you everything the iPhone has but in a thinner package that contains twice the memory. Ask yourself whether or not you need to carry only one device. For city dwellers or those who travel a lot, having a phone and iPod in one package is a nice luxury, especially during the summer months when nobody wants to carry around a bunch of expensive gadgets. Plus, 16-gigabytes of memory isn't exactly the 40-80-gigabytes we've come to know and love, so you might want to wait for the next generation of this thing, which will likely have the capacity for more of your media. That said, $100 is a pretty steep price jump if you're happy with your current carrier and phone (and that's the type of person that would be happiest with the new iPod Touch). Besides, with that $100 you could get a nice, functional phone and never look back.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jeff @ Sep 5th 2007 2:56PM
I can't imagine why they would skimp on the storage capacity. I think having a larger hard drive would make this product far more appealing since it's the next step as a pocket multimedia center. What's the point of all these extras if you can only put on a few shows or movies and half your current library of music?
Jeff Rodrigues @ Sep 5th 2007 4:55PM
To me, the thing that is most disappointing with the Ipod Touch is that there's no support for internet radio (mainly Shoutcast streams). This may not be as much of an issue with music or podcasts, but when it comes to wanting to listen to talk stations online or any live content, this is an issue.
The Sansa Connect from Sandisk had the same potential regarding internet radio, and they limited it only to Yahoo's service to listen to their internet radio music streams.
When it comes to internet radio, the company that has made an excellent device is Rokulabs. They have the SoundBrige M1000, a wifi-based device that can be plugged into a stereo and allows you to listen to any shoutcast and WMA streams online that you choose. Now if only a company would release a portable MP3 player with wifi support that would allow you the flexibility to listen to any internet radio streams, I would certainly purchase such a product.
John Boy @ Sep 5th 2007 5:10PM
I have a 5th Generation 60GB iPod Video (which is almost full to capacity). As tempting as it is to purchase the new iPod Touch, the new design and functionality is not enough for me to lose over 40GB of space. Apple could have atleast released a 30GB version. 16GB will not even hold half of my media collection. This is truly a disappointment. I hope, for Apple's sake, they will release higher capacity iPod Touches in the near future.
Anon @ Sep 5th 2007 5:22PM
ok geniuses - the ipod touch uses flash memory. 16 gb is pretty generous for a flash-based player. if you're looking at magnetic drive capacities like the ipod classic has, you're talking about a much thicker ipod touch - in essence a brick with a 3.5 inch screen.
Doug @ Sep 5th 2007 6:37PM
better take that "promise" of 22 hours of audio battery life with a pound of salt. I have the 30GB iPod Video where the box (I still have it) promises "up to 14 hours of music playback." real life results -- 3 hours tops. I mostly play audiobooks during my daily 1-hour work outs. if I forget to recharge after 2 hours I may not make it to the end of hour 3. not my only MAJOR disappointment with Apple and their oh-so-fabulous over-hyped products.
PAUL @ Sep 5th 2007 7:01PM
DOUG
Read your comment. If you are into audio books contact me at PK7148@AOL.COM
Randy @ Sep 5th 2007 7:57PM
The iPod Touch is perfect for those hundreds of thousands of smart consumers who love the new iPhone, but are smart enough to know they cannot trust AT&T as far as they can spit!
Eddy @ Sep 5th 2007 8:29PM
I have been waitng for yearsto upgrade. I've had a 2g for about four years, and haven't upgraded because the iPod photo and video haven't had a big enough screen to justify the purchase. I'm an amatuer photographer, and I would like a bigger screen so that I can review my photos. I would also like a bigger screen to watch videos, tv shows, and movies on long trips. So I have been waiting for the iPod touch to come out, I've been hearing about it for about four months now. I love the size. I love the user interface. I love all the new features. But with only 16 gigs of memory, the iPod Touch is useless, to me. I understand the need for flash memory, to compensate for the larger display, extended battery life, thiner case, lighter unit, and to keep the price down. But I would have gladly payed another $100 for a unit with even 60 gigs, that weighed a little more, and was another .1 to .15 inches thicker. Very disappointing.
The only positive news out of all of this, is that given the pricing of the classic, I might be persuaded to deal with it's screen size short comings, pocket the difference, and wait for an iPod Touch with a respectable amount of memory to come out.
J. Lang @ Sep 5th 2007 10:10PM
Currently i own a 60 g Video Ipod with about 5,000 songs on it. I use it when i dj and at the gym. I love the ideal of the new iPod touch. I wanted to get the iPhone but i had ATT once before and had no or very little service in my area.( it really sucked) I can't wait to get my hands on the new iPod touch. The ideal of being able to down load music on the fly is beautiful. I do wish it was available in a 30 or 60 g, but I'm sure well see that in time. If this thing does all it says it does with out any bugs, then sign me up right now.
Greg @ Sep 5th 2007 10:38PM
I have been waiting so long to get my hands on one of these new touch screens. I was so excited to hear about this announcement. However, I can't use 16 gb of memory as its way too small. I don't know the difference between flash or magnetic memory and don't care. I expected this unit to run $500-$600 with at least 60 gb. Apple crashed and burned on this one.
Dan @ Sep 5th 2007 11:20PM
A thinly disguised PDA, can`t wait to load this bad boy up with homebrew apps/hacks. I`m sure I`ll use the media functions, but let`s see it for what it really is.... a Unix based PDA.....Newton reborn!
gorge @ Sep 5th 2007 11:21PM
I'am a new buyer, never had a pod. Don't mine spending the mony,so do i buy the 80, or 160 gb,or the the pod touch with only 16 gb.
Please explain the difference between flash or magnetic
Shane @ Sep 6th 2007 3:35AM
flash memory = memory on a chip. No moving parts, very rugged, tiny, low power requirement. The memory card that goes into a digital camera is flash memory. Its features make it ideal for MP3 players, but it's still much more expensive per GB than magnetic memory.
magnetic memory = (in this case) a hard drive like the one in a laptop. This means a spinning disc or discs with read/write heads skimming a hair's breadth above the platter. Disc(s), plus motor, plus read/write heads = bigger size, more weight, higher power consumption, less durability, but substantially lower per-GB cost than flash.
For the most memory for your buck, grab an iPod classic. Like previous versions of the iPod, it has a spinning disk drive inside.
For smaller size, lighter weight, and more durability (but higher price per GB), pick a flash-based MP3 player like the iPod touch or Nano. Of course, I'm assuming the Touch has a glass screen, so maybe you won't be able to appreciate the durability of the flash memory. :)
lenny @ Sep 6th 2007 7:54AM
Dan, I'm with you--I'm waiting anxiously for apps that'll let me open Word, Excel, & PDF files on this box, as I can on my PDA, which runs Pocket Windows. At 2 years old, it's fast approaching tech dinosaur status, & if (who am I kidding?--*when*) I have to replace it w/a newer model, I'll be sent plummeting into Vista hell unless Apple (or some resourceful 3rd-party programmers) rescue me w/productivity apps for the Touch.
Dan2 @ Sep 6th 2007 12:34PM
I have the 80 gig iPod and while i understand the issue of flash memory I wish there where more on the touch. If Apple used the MicroSD cards so you could swap them out at 2 gig each it would be the best of both worlds. My LG cell phone uses MicroSD. With the SD adapter you can plug them into your laptop and load data directly onto the card.
Heidi @ Sep 6th 2007 12:52PM
I currently own a Treo 90 PDA and LOVE it...but can no longer download off of my Mac as I no longer have System 9. If this IPod can do all the stuff my PDA does + the music...I'm there! What PDA functions does it have now?
T I @ Sep 6th 2007 1:14PM
Why is the question about small memory? It's about scaleability: small memory means ya gotta BUY more...it's all around us. You want more, they're gonna say BUY it from US, and yup, open your wallet!
Dan2 @ Sep 6th 2007 2:58PM
TI "Why is the question about small memory? It's about scaleability:" You are correct it is about scaleability or rather the lack there of. If you have to disassemble the unit to add memory it isn't scaleable and you are stuck with the factory memory. I am sure Apple wouldn't take well to people opening up their new iPod Touch.
anibethc40 @ Sep 6th 2007 3:08PM
No one should be tempted to break their budget to get a touch ipod when there are previously released ipods that are as good as a touch ipod. I remember the time when I purchased an ipod to only have it malfunction, and then to replace it with a replacement only to have the replacement malfunction. Have not one poor soul noted an existing scenario when one ipod, like a previous mac that continued to crash despite its 'virtual attractiveness"? Why not have I seen the staunchest critic of Apple point on the plague that afflicts every mac owner, every ipod users, that every 'good' gadgets can go bad? And why not having me applied as a critic of apple that every money I spent on a pretty little ipod gets thrown away when the 'evil' side gets exposed? Like when the ipod refuses to turn itself on, or the battery drains itself faster than a speed of light? Or what if the ipod 'freezes' itself every time you try to reboot the device? TAKE THAT in the core, you rotten APPLE!!!!
mynamesafad @ Sep 6th 2007 3:33PM
i was interested in looking in this, but when i saw the size and the price it took my interest almost completely away. 8gb for $300. i like the features and stuff, but not enough capacity. i would rather it be thicker about the same thickness as an ipodvideo or classic and have a bigger drive.