Best iPod to date
July 8, 2008
I am a former owner of pretty much every iPod out there, except a few (never had a mini, and never bothered with the first-gen nano and it’s scratches). I have owned the 8GB iPod Touch, and the 16GB iPod Touch, and I can attest that this new model with 32GB is technically not very different from the other models.
However, it does benefit from being produced later in the iPod Touch’s life, and therefore doesn’t have some of the problems that hit me as an early adopter of the other two versions, like the infamous “negative blacks” issue. Nope, with this model, all the problems have been addressed, and what you get is the iPod Touch the way it was meant to be.
For me, the 32GB was a must. The 8GB was too small for me. How can you have such a great screen and such a limited capacity to store movies? The 16GB was better, but I was still finding myself shifting songs around in various smart playlists in order to fit my 30GB music library on the iPod Touch along with my bookmarks, contacts, calendars, photos, and a few television shows and movies. It was always a struggle to make it all fit.
Finally, the introduction of a 32GB model has solved all my problems. I can fit ALL my bookmarks, calendars, photos, television shows, podcasts, audiobooks, and quite a few movies on the 32GB iPod Touch, and I still have enough room for most of my music and some music videos. When the Software Development Kit goes out to third parties this month, and new programs start to appear for the iPod touch, I’ll have sufficient space to be able to use them.
A lot of reviewers approach the iPod Touch as if it’s an iPhone that is “missing” some things. That’s not entirely fair, because this IS an iPod. It functions well as an iPod, and does everything the iPod should do. It plays music well. It plays videos well. It stores a lot of media files in a small space.
Look at this more as an iPod “plus” instead of as an iPhone “minus.” You get Internet, Mail, Yahoo! Stocks, Yahoo! Weather, World Clock, Stopwatch, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Notes, Yahoo! Maps, Contacts, iTunes, YouTube direct, Calculator, Photos, Music, Videos, and more. That’s a lot to pack in an iPod!
As with all products, the advertised amount of space is not the actual amount available. Formatted, with the software on the iPod Touch, you’ll have about 30GB to use. Compare this to the 30GB iPod fifth generation, and you see what a bargain this is. Even compared to the current iPod Classic with 80GB, this is a pretty good deal, because the Classic isn’t going to let you check your email, surf to your favorite web sites, or enter contacts or notes when you’re on-the-go.
Apple won’t call this a PDA, but it essentially is one. This is the spiritual successor to the Newton, and it’s better in every way. This is the PDA for people who aren’t necessarily “businesspeople” but still want something akin to a pocket-sized computer.
I think of it this way: For the price you can get a more full-featured Mac mini, which also runs OS X and can do more things with more programs (for now), but lacks a screen and input device, and isn’t portable. Or you can get the 32GB iPod Touch, which does have a screen and a rather innovative input device, and does a lot of the things you’d probably do with your Mac mini every day.
This is a Mac OS X computer in your pocket. Dig it!
Now, I’ll be fair and list a few of the negatives of this item. It’s not *perfect* yet, but it’s close.
First of all, I really wish it had a built-in speaker. Nothing fancy, but just enough to listen to YouTube videos and Audiobooks on the go. It’s a pain to get out headphones to use those features. I’ve solved the problem by using a portable mini-speaker.
The shiny metal back scratches too easily. I don’t know why Apple keeps using it, either. For the 2nd generation iPod nano, they went to a full-body brushed aluminum casing, and it was brilliant! It resisted scratches and was pretty sturdy. This generation, Apple has gone back to the shiny back that scratches like its made of frozen butter. They almost necessitate getting a case by doing this.
Finally, since it’s Wi-Fi and not EDGE, (it’s not an iPhone!) you’re limited in which applications you can use when you’re out and about. For me it’s not a problem; My town’s pretty well wired. Those who live in the middle of nowhere, the country, the desert, or somewhere that Wi-Fi is not common may want to avoid the iPod Touch and just get the iPhone instead. You need EDGE if you don’t have a lot of Wi-Fi around. Half of the features on this device REQUIRE having Wi-Fi.
Aside from those things, this thing works as intended, and it does it with style and ease of use. I highly recommend it!
I do suggest that if you’re going to get this iPod, that you protect it with a decent case (I suggest the Elan Form, DLO Jam Jacket, or the DLO VideoShell) and a good screen protector (I suggest either Invisible Shield or Best Skins Ever). The screen is scratch-resistant, but the casing can get dinged up and you’d be best just covering the device with a little polycarbonate to make it less likely you’ll have an ugly iPod in a few months of residing in your pocket.
Personally, I think this is the best iPod ever… And as I said, I’ve had most of them!
