Apple iPod touch 16 GB

I upgraded to the 16 GB iPod Touch from my old 2 GB first generation iPod nano about a week ago and I couldn't be more satisfied. This is truly a state-of-the-art media player, Internet device, and, with the $10 purchase of the iPhone 2.0 software, mobile computing platform. This device is so much more than just an iPod. If you can't afford to pay AT&T's insane monthly iPhone rates ($70 without text messages last I checked), this is as good as it gets.

Before I get too in depth, I just want to strongly recommend that you forgo the cheaper 8 GB model and go for the 16 GB. I was seriously considering the 8 GB model because, hey, I was only upgrading because my iTunes library was just over 2 GB. I am very glad that I went for the 16 GB now, however. If you would like to put podcasts, video files, and iPhone 2.0 applications on your iPod, they are going to take up more space than you would think. I currently have over 9 GB of stuff on my iPod even though my music library is only about 600 songs (about 2.25 GB).

I know that it's a little pricey to go for the 16 GB, but I actually bought mine used on eBay for less than the price of a new 8 GB (with a hard shell case, screen protector, and the original box to boot). Plus, you'll be much less inclined to want to upgrade in the future as long as you have plenty of space on your current device. I would even say go for the 32 GB if your budget can handle it.

The iPod Touch is not only a great device for music, but an even better device for video. The 3.5 inch widescreen display is very sharp and not as small as it sounds. It's great for watching video podcasts and even full length TV shows and movies.

The internet experience on the iPod Touch is just phenomenal. You're not just getting the "mobile internet", you're getting full web pages exactly the way you're used to seeing them on your computer at home (minus flash and the big screen of course). The multi-touch navigation of web pages is very slick and easy to get the hang of. This is a mobile browser that you'll actually use.

Also, if you are planning on purchasing your iPod Touch new, please make sure that you get the iPhone 2.0 software from Apple so that you can get access to the "App Store". I was lucky enough to already have it installed on mine when I bought it, but the upgrade costs $10 if you buy your iPod new.

Even though some of the apps cost $5 or $10, the majority are free. Some cool apps that you can download on to your iPod for free include AOL Instant Messenger, eBay, New York Times headlines, Wordpress, and Facebook. There's also an app called movies that will list all movie showtimes at the theaters in your area, as well as a super cool baseball app that gives the baseball geek access to the past century of statistics or trivia wherever he may be. The list goes on and on for the cool stuff that you can install.

Now, while the iPod Touch is the closest thing out there to the iPhone experience, it still has its disadvantages compared to Apple's smartphone. For example, while you can access the Internet, read and send e-mail, etc on your iPod Touch, it is only possible when you are near WiFi. On the iPhone, if you are on-the-go and not near a wireless internet connection, you can do all of this over the celluar network which is available almost everywhere you are. The opportunity to use WiFi, on the other hand, doesn't present itself as often as you may think. If you're traveling and want to check your e-mail, it means stopping at a Starbucks or a Borders, and you won't get alerted right when you're e-mails arrive like an iPhone user would.

All those are things to consider if you are thinking of the iPod Touch as you're way of getting around AT&T's rate plans. While the iPod Touch is the best iPod available, you won't have all the conveniences of an iPhone user.

Another minor annoyance is that there is no volume button on the outside of the iPod, and when the iPod goes to sleep, you have to "slide to unlock" in order to use the touch volume controls.

All in all, though, I am very happy with my iPod Touch. It's the best portable media player out there and it does so much more than just that. Highly recommended.

This product exceeds many standards for a personal media player -and- pda organizer. It is highly intuitive and sleekly designed, and works ("seamlessly" is the word people like to use) with iTunes. However, there are a few basic features I would like to see in it:

-The option to search your music library by typing in a keyword
-Horizontally scrolling song titles (I listen to a lot of classical music, and some of the titles include the piece, opus number, and movement, so it can get kind of long -- I am unable to see the whole title in the iPod)
-The option to shuffle albums (Again, especially for classical music, this would be really useful)
-A copy and paste function (not a necessity, though)

Otherwise, it's a phenomenal player. Worth buying.

I bought an IPOD Touch to replace my latest Palm after the Palm died prematurely and after sitting next to an owner of a Touch on a plane. My seat mate demonstrated the Touch to me on the plane and I was impressed. I knew he had added software to it. But it wasn't until I got it home and started playing with it that I realized that Apple had locked out the software this guy was using. In order to install software you have to "jailbreak" it (which voids your warranty). So I tried living within the letter of the warranty. Pretty boring and I started missing appoinments because I could not hear the alarm on the IPOD. There is a utility you can download that makes the speaker louder -- but wait, you can't download it without jailbreaking (a.k.a. voiding your warranty). The calculator was a four function joke. Personal productivity software? Not under the warranty! I finally decided the warranty was not worth it and "jailbroke" it. Wow! HP calculator emulation here I come. VOIP anyone? Sketch programs, restaurant reviews, music synthesizers, even a cute little utility to remember where you park your car. But then, Apple upgraded the firmware: according to the advertisement, under version 2 you can add third party software. So I upgraded: big mistake. Yes you can add software -- but only software sold by Apple on I-tunes. Everything I have looked at is two steps back (and you pay for everything to try it -- the hacked software is mostly freeware: you donate if you find it useful and after you see how it works). Even the upgraded calculator (or the add ons) are maybe 3* programs. And because everything changed with firmware version 2, all of the freeware software has to be rewritten (along with the jailbreaking utilities which are reportedly still kind of buggy).

The hardware and included software is pretty polished with only minor quirks (for example, you cannot delete songs from your IPOD, you have to uncheck them in I-Tunes; thus, if you download a few albums before leaving for a trip, you cannot weed out the songs you don't like on the plane). Because the hardware is pretty decent, it deserves at least two stars. Maybe after the jailbreakers catch up (and I learn not to trust Apple again), it will be back in the three to four star range (four if you can hear the alarm). For five stars, Apple is going to have to decide they really do want it to go beyond being an MP3 (make that MP4 -- added security, you know) player and open* the system up?

* Allow third party software, maybe add an IR port so you can beam information from one IPOD to another and -- scariest of all -- allow memory cards to be used to expand the horizon.

The Touch is wonderful for web browsing and email on the go with the Apps 2.0 upgrade. Really I cant fault it there. It would be nice if the battery lasted longer when wireless is enabled but that's the worst thing I can say about this device's impressive internet functionality. But for portable music, I went running back to my COWON D2 player. Why? Its impossible to adjust volume or skip tracks without taking the player out and tapping on the screen. Now try doing that while walking around a busy subway at rush-hour. Some mention that you can buy 3rd party headphones that have buttons on the wire, but Apple isnt offering that out of the box. For me this is a major flaw in the design of a portable player. I should mention that the iPhone has buttons for volume. C'mon Apple -- that's not making a lot of sense. At 300 bucks, the Touch is 100 bucks too much, especially since there is no ability to add memory cards to the device to expand storage. It _is_ a cool device for internet but there are better music players out there and they cost less.

Apple never ceases to amaze me. i had an ipod nano and i loved it but it was time to improve so i decided to go "touch". i have to say i love it, the quality, sound and functionality are incredible. maybe the only thing that bothers me just a bit is the fact that when i'm going on the metro, every time i want to change the song i have to look at the screen. before, with the nano, i could rew or fwd without looking. well...to sum up...thumbs up!