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.