iPod touch -- review

[Matt Holcomb]

Pelicanites,

I’ve been the proud owner of a 16GB iPod touch for the last two weeks, so I thought I would post a review for anyone who might be in the market for one, but has yet to commit to handing over their hard-earned cash.



The good

Touch-screen controls. While it seems alien at first, it doesn't take long (about five minutes, to be exact) to be convinced that every electronic device should be controlled this way. For example, when I see a flat-screen television, my instinct now is to walk over and tap the screen.

The screen. If you encode your video clips properly, i.e., 640 x 480, H.264 MP4 codec, the clarity and vivid color rendition will take your breath away. I promise.

Sound. With a good set of earphones (the ones supplied with the iPod work just fine), the sound quality is far beyond what is considered standard for a portable media device, and if you’re watching a video, the level of audio fidelity almost fools you into thinking that the iPod’s screen is bigger than it really is.

Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is the *****. Nothing more needs to be said.

Packaging. It's almost incomprehensible that something so small and so thin can do so much -- a miracle of engineering and industrial design, to the point where you almost convince yourself that the boffins at Cupertino have benefited from alien technology.

YouTube. Being able to watch videos on YouTube without having to visit the YouTube website is an inspired feature, one that will ultimately drive more traffic to YouTube.com, perhaps at the expense of iTunes.

The average

Web browsing. Zooming in and out of web pages is good in theory, but in practice it's a tedious affair. It's possible that, over time, I'll learn to love this feature, but I have the nagging suspicion that I'll always be left feeling frustrated.

The bad

Lack of accessories. For those who like to preserve their precious gadgets, the lack of protective accessories means that you have to store the iPod touch in its original box, with the plastic left on the screen. But this will become a moot criticism in the next week or so.

Storage capacity. Initially, I thought that 16GB was going to be sufficient, but if you don't like managing your video files (I’ve since realised I don’t), it's not. An extra 16GB would make this a long-term relationship.

No BlueTooth connectivity. A curious omission considering that all Apple computers now have BlueTooth. I wouldn't be surprised if this feature is being held back for the next iterations of the iPod touch and iPhone.

In summary, the iPod touch, like the iPhone, is a miraculous device that often makes you wonder if the prototype is actually housed at Area 51, and not in Cupertino (or China).

I have been asked why I decided not to wait for the iPhone (released in Australia and New Zealand in early '08), and my answer is that owning a portable device with every conceivable feature means less overall battery life when you’re using a particular feature: I’d hate to be in a position where taking an important phone call meant that I couldn't watch the last ten minutes of an engrossing film or television show. Somehow, I doubt this potential real-world scenario will deter people who find the iPhone's all-in-one virtues to be more convincing.

[kstar]

Thanks for the review, Matt!

FWIW, try some high quality after-market earbuds and you might be surprised how much Apple left on the table.

I've had an iPhone for a couple of months now and also find myself trying to do things on my computer via the screen. Touch based Macs are on the way, I'd bet. They've already integrated some basic touch based gestures in MacBooks and MB Pros/Tiger.

I saw the new Nano "chubby" today and it is impossibly small considering what it does. I was truly impressed.

I've heard that iPod Touch and iPhone are already running a beta of Leopard in mini-form. When Leopard hits this month, it will get very interesting and we just might finally see a SDK for third party apps on the small devices . . . and more "touch" across all Macs.

Best,

Kurt

[Matt Holcomb]

Kurt, I agree -- the iPhone and iPod touch have features likely to find their way into other Apple products, ala the Porsche 959.

[Matt Holcomb]

Wayne, I understand what you mean about being too afraid of breaking your iPod touch to use it like you would your 'beater' iPod mini. A good protective case would alleviate this concern, though.

As for not being able to delete files from the iPod itself, I accidentally discovered that you can delete videos by sliding your finger L to R along the title-half of a video listing, which then brings up a red 'delete' box.

[nostatic]

my iPhone is pretty damn tough. I do not use a screen protector and carry it in a slip case. It has been dropped on asphalt a couple of times and on hardwood and carpeted floors. The only damage has been some scuffed chrome around the edge. I've been pleasantly surprised.

The iPhone has external volume control so you don't need to use the touchscreen. The feature I wish it had was external song skip. I use shuffle play all the time and often want to skip past a song. Have to do the touchscreen for that...

[Matt Holcomb]

Originally Posted by nostatic

my iPhone is pretty damn tough. I do not use a screen protector and carry it in a slip case. It has been dropped on asphalt a couple of times and on hardwood and carpeted floors. The only damage has been some scuffed chrome around the edge. I've been pleasantly surprised.

The iPhone has external volume control so you don't need to use the touchscreen. The feature I wish it had was external song skip. I use shuffle play all the time and often want to skip past a song. Have to do the touchscreen for that...

The iPhone is Tonka tough:

[nostatic]

turns out that you can advance to the next song by squeezing the headphone mute tab twice. Learn something new every day...

Not with iTouch though as no mic capability in the headset.

[k9handler]

I agree with Wayne...mine is not to replace my old iPod for music (it's always with me and the head unit in my truck is designed for it as well). Rather I wanted something better for videos and my basic top 100 songs or so. Mine is boxed until xmas, looking forward to it. =o)

[red-beard]

Gee, my Palm Life drive has the same capabilites, plus it has bluetooth, can record voice memos, allows viewing and editing of documents, has an external SD card capability so you can permanently store info on the cards and switch them as needed, can be used as a wifi phone, came out nearly 3 years ago.

Alas, it is heavier and costs less.

How could Apple put out any Ipod these days without stereo bluetooth? This seems incredible!

[techweenie]

Bluetooth is a lo-fi technology, worthy only of voice. Not music.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

- For $400, it's a VERY expensive item. Not only is it only slightly cheaper than the $499 laptop I just bought my sister-in-law for her birthday, but it also does much less.
-Wayne

May I ask what laptop you bought for your sister in law?

I keep thinking I want to get a cheap laptop because... well because it would be faster than my old desktop at home... and at $500 they are as cheap as a high end cell phone...

And it would be more useful than the Digital SLR cameras I have been looking at online since I looked at the "what camera to buy?" thread this morning!

Sorry for the slight thread hijack.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Alas, it is heavier and costs less.

and has a crap-ass interface, dated code under the hood, and will likely continue to die a slow death.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Seriously. If you don't care about UI and only focus on spec sheets, then you should avoid Apple products. They will always lose that batte. Put one in your hands, and it often is another story.

iPhone is one of the best devices I've ever used. And I've played with almost all of them. Not perfect, but no device *ever* will be. They are all compromise. It just depends on which features are important to you.

[k9handler]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

May I ask what laptop you bought for your sister in law?

I keep thinking I want to get a cheap laptop because... well because it would be faster than my old desktop at home... and at $500 they are as cheap as a high end cell phone...

And it would be more useful than the Digital SLR cameras I have been looking at online since I looked at the "what camera to buy?" thread this morning!

Sorry for the slight thread hijack.

Just last week at Staples I purchased a few Acer laptops for my kids, $399 each...nice units for the price.

[dd74]

I've had one for two months. Have barely turned it on. Am I missing anything?

[slodave]

My 4th generation IPOD still gives about 8hrs charge on the battery. Kept me plenty busy on my Trans Atlantic flight - twice..

[gprsh924]

I am waiting for the 2nd generation iPhone to replace my current iPod and Razr

[island911]

Originally Posted by techweenie

Bluetooth is a lo-fi technology, worthy only of voice. Not music.

LOL, --Like compressing a 800Mb CD down to a few Mb's and playing it back thru a pair of twinky ear-buds is not "lo-fi technology."

Geez tech, how much Apple stock do you own? You push Apple like a Fuller brush man at a janitors convention.