Ipod Touch

[LuckyArmpit]

Well, my old sansa player is getting all dinged up. I use it on the bike and also when I cut grass. Its sitting in the cup holder of the tractor that got it all dinged up. Still plays good though.
Anyways, seen apple has some newer ipod touches...32 and 64 gig versions with updated software. Generally, I don't like anything that apple has due to their proprietary tactics (which btw keeps prices high due to no competition).
I will most likely not buy any music off of i-tunes since I already have multitudes of mp3's. What I do like however is that these new players are wireless. And I also like the large screen which will make i-net access half decent thru the browser and also the availability of mucho apps and dloading of videos etc.
Anyone have one of the new ones and what do ya think of it?

Lucky...

[gnomad]

I just got a free 8 gb Ipod touch with my new Mac Book Pro. I really like it a lot. Has a very large screen which makes it fairly easy to read. Wireless connectivity lets you get online at hotspot that you come across. I also like to read ebooks, I have ereader installed, the large screen really makes it easy to read them.

[wild_deuce03]

ipod touch is the BOMB!!! Just get an iphone and have it all in one! iphone's are the best of both worlds!

[gnomad]

Originally Posted by wild_deuce03

ipod touch is the BOMB!!! Just get an iphone and have it all in one! iphone's are the best of both worlds!

I would love to have an IPhone, but until they release one for Verizon I won't be able to. The Cingular/AT&T service in my area is terrible.

[wild_deuce03]

Originally Posted by gnomad

I would love to have an IPhone, but until they release one for Verizon I won't be able to. The Cingular/AT&T service in my area is terrible.

Yeah, I was lucky that the coverage in my area is good. I was with Alltel and then they got bought by Verizon. I didn't like the fact that I couldn't decide who my carrier was so I paid to opt out of my contract and switched to AT&T. So glad I did.

[jaseman]

While I don't have a Touch, I did just recently buy an iPhone. Whether the Touch is worth it or not depends on how you use it.

The screen size is nice for browsing the net, reading eBooks, or playing games. And you can get apps that will allow you to do almost anything you need. But there are some downsides to the Touch.

Anything that requires connectivity means you have to be near an open WiFi spot. Doesn't seem like a big deal, but some of the really useful apps rely on an internet connection for up to date info, or to get directions for local areas. Some places offer free hot-spots (Panera Bread, for example), but some (Starbucks, etc) use T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. hot-spots, which require a paid subscription. If your nowhere near a WiFi connection, it just becomes a PDA/media-player.

The other big problem with the Touch (and iPhone) is that that big, pretty, glass, touchscreen is a bit fragile. I can't tell you how many people I've known who have had theirs crack from just a minor drop. And it's extremely expensive to replace ($200+). If you buy one, and plan on using it a lot, get a nice, heavy-duty case for it. It'll be worth the $35-50 you spend.

If you already have a smartphone that has internet, GPS, etc.. I'd recommend going with a regular iPod or other media player. Your phone will already have many of the features the Touch has. I love my iPhone, but find I still use my Nano for listening to music when riding/driving/walking the dog/etc.. It's smaller, more portable, and less fragile. So I don't worry about breaking my phone.

If you don't already have a smartphone, the Touch is a nice unit to have. It does a lot, has decent storage, and a big enough screen to watch video on, or read web pages.

It really just comes down to your usage needs...

[ALStensby]

Cyrsti's had an iPhone for about a year now. I have to admit...it's a pretty impressive little gadget! If you use AT&T, just go ahead and get an iPhone since you'll have it all in one package and you can get a price discount with the phone service.

[CTRider]

Honestly, if all you want it something to play music, just get a Shuffle.

[wild_deuce03]

Originally Posted by CTRider

Honestly, if all you want it something to play music, just get a Shuffle.

Good point. That or a nano. The touch does so much more that if you don't use it it's a waste of money.

[OSWHollowpoint]

The iphone is awesome. My wife has on and I have the 8gb touch. They are great devices. I would recommend.

[LuckyArmpit]

Well we are on verizon. We get a discount since the wife works for a bank that gets a reduced rate on plans. And, iphone is only at&t. So an iphone for me isn't an option. Now I could go with say a blackberry but I'd have to add inet coverage on the plan. The cell phone bill is high enough as it is.
For something small, I do like the large screen of the touch. I do listen to music alot and I can see me using some apps. I'm hoping it will sync up with my wireless router at home (I have satellite inet). I know when I work on other people's lappers and pc's they link up to my network with no problems.
Looking at the 32 gig version. Should be plenty enough to hold the music I have.

Lucky...

[gnomad]

It should connect just fine to your home router. It is just as easy as connecting a laptop.

[Daddyo Vulcan]

I just bought a new 32 gig Ipod touch and I love it. The battery has good hang time especially with music. One thing though, they are very intolerant of moisture and very vulnerable trust me, I found out the hard way. I bought a neat little container for it called an "Otter Box" supposedly makes it waterproof to 3 feet. I have bought some music but not much as I have my own collection. I do buy the occasional app. I really love the Golf and Shuffleboard game, they have awesome graphics and sound. I am impressed at how well the wifi works on it, quite fast. I do love the Nano and had an early version that gave no problems at all. I have a 2 yr old 30 gig with the little hard drive and it works ok unless you confuse it by going too fast through the menus, this sometimes makes the little drive lock up. Itunes works just like on all the other Ipods but it has the applications as well.

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by wild_deuce03

Good point. That or a nano. The touch does so much more that if you don't use it it's a waste of money.

I wouldn't even get a Nano. The price point for a larger capacity one is too close to the price of a Classic.

Unless you plan to jog with it, the Nano offers too little for being so close in price to the Classic. That's too much of a markup just to get a screen since there's not enough storage to really use it for video. Plus, the screen is too tiny to watch anything on it, anyway.

For just listening to a nice mix of music while you do your chores and such, the Shuffle is perfect. Plus, on the previous model, the buttons are easy to work with gloves on without even looking at it. It also holds a couple of days worth of music with room to spare and the battery will last way longer than that.

I'd vote for getting the 2GB version of the previous shuffle that has the big fat buttons on the front. It will run maybe $60. I don't like the new version with the inline controls.

[wild_deuce03]

Just get the touch and be done with it. Even if you don't think you'll use the apps, you just can't help yourself!

[jaseman]

Originally Posted by CTRider

I wouldn't even get a Nano. The price point for a larger capacity one is too close to the price of a Classic.

Unless you plan to jog with it, the Nano offers too little for being so close in price to the Classic. That's too much of a markup just to get a screen since there's not enough storage to really use it for video. Plus, the screen is too tiny to watch anything on it, anyway.

For just listening to a nice mix of music while you do your chores and such, the Shuffle is perfect. Plus, on the previous model, the buttons are easy to work with gloves on without even looking at it. It also holds a couple of days worth of music with room to spare and the battery will last way longer than that.

I'd vote for getting the 2GB version of the previous shuffle that has the big fat buttons on the front. It will run maybe $60. I don't like the new version with the inline controls.

I actually much prefer my 3rd gen Nano over the Shuffle or Classic.

My biggest problem with the Shuffle is that it's always on, well, shuffle! I like to be able to set up play lists for particular activities. Be it walking the dog, driving, or trying to sleep on an airplane. With the Nano, I can have a decent library, and still only hear the playlists or albums I want, without having to constantly fire up my laptop and and reload just what I want to listen to.

And the classic is just to big for a lot of activities. I don't need anything other than a small pocket to shove my Nano into, and it's virtually weightless compared to the Classic or even my iPhone. I could velcro it to my helmet if I really wanted to, and not know it was there.

Your right about the screen size though. It really is too small to do much good. I've loaded and watched TV shows an movies on it, but it's kinda hard to get into something when you can barely make out what's going on.



How did we ever get by with Walkmans and CD players?! Big ol' cumbersome units that could only play 30-60 minutes of music at a time before we had to switch media...

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by jaseman

I actually much prefer my 3rd gen Nano over the Shuffle or Classic.

My biggest problem with the Shuffle is that it's always on, well, shuffle! I like to be able to set up play lists for particular activities. Be it walking the dog, driving, or trying to sleep on an airplane. With the Nano, I can have a decent library, and still only hear the playlists or albums I want, without having to constantly fire up my laptop and and reload just what I want to listen to.

And the classic is just to big for a lot of activities. I don't need anything other than a small pocket to shove my Nano into, and it's virtually weightless compared to the Classic or even my iPhone. I could velcro it to my helmet if I really wanted to, and not know it was there.

Your right about the screen size though. It really is too small to do much good. I've loaded and watched TV shows an movies on it, but it's kinda hard to get into something when you can barely make out what's going on.



How did we ever get by with Walkmans and CD players?! Big ol' cumbersome units that could only play 30-60 minutes of music at a time before we had to switch media...

Switch media? Heck, you only got 30-60 minutes before you had to switch batteries....

I hear you on the Shuffle. I do wish there was an option to have multiple play lists. As it is, it's either in order of the way you set it up, or random shuffle. On the other hand, it is called a "Shuffle"...it lives up to the name.

I'd be happy with just a simple calculator-type LED display that let you select between a small number of play lists. No need for video or album art. Likewise, it would be nice to be able to scroll through the available songs to find a particular one more easily.

The problem is, the capability comes with a huge jump in purchase price that I can't justify. It's still way easier to listen to music on the Shuffle than it ever was on previous devices I've owned over the decades.

Honestly, my only real complaint comes with listening to Podcasts: it plays them in reverse order because it plays the newest ones first when you switch to playing stuff in list order. People have been griping about a fix for that for years now. You have to esstentially jump forward, then listen to each one in "reverse" order of the the list to hear them in proper order. Kind of a pain.