Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation) OLD MODEL by Apple Computer
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Digital camera reviews of Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Digital camera Review: 3 1/2 stars for "hidden" battery issues.
Summary: 3 Stars
First off, let me say that the design and functions of the iPod touch work beautifully! All features work superbly. In fact there isn't much that I would change EXCEPT that: this iPod NEEDS to get more than THREE or FOUR hours when using wi-fi. I know that iPods are meant for MUSIC, and the touch seems to be made for videos as well (5-6 hours of video isn't that great either,) but why market this player as having internet, youtube, email access, etc when the touch gets VERY poor battery life when using these functions. If you use this iPod STRICTLY for music, you'll get 24 hours (more or less) of battery life, BUT if you start using wi-fi, you can divide that number by SIX! Now when I say "hidden problems," I mean that Apple does NOT disclose this information on their packaging or website. I probably should have researched a little more before I settled on buying the 16 gb touch, but I figured that if Apple claimed 22 hours for music and 5 hours for video (actually underrated,) then other functions would last at least 5-6 hours. I guess it's really not too much of a problem considering most laptops get similar battery life, but this is considered a MOBILE device, and there are no really fast processors or hard drives to power-up.
Other than battery issues, I can't find too much fault. I wish that Apple would have implemented external volume or track controls instead of having to go through menus, etc. However, I understand that Apple holds its product's form factors in high regards. Another nit-pick is that the price to memory/capacity ratio is pitiful. $400 bucks for 16 gigabytes sounds like the price/hd space ratio of ten years ago. The only reason I even opted for THIS iPod instead of the 80gb Classic was that I had received a $250 giftcard. I would recommend this iPod if you're not strapped for cash, but honestly, you'd be better off buying a small laptop or a PDA if you want wi-fi access. If you want to listen to music, get the classic.
Digital camera Review: A Fun Product to have around
Summary: 4 Stars
The touch is a fun product to have. It is basically a mini computer you can carry around in your pocket. As long as you have a wifi connection available you can get to your e-mail, web sites, get RSS feeds, etc. The app store has lots of very useful tools and more are added every day.
On the down side, having to pay $10 to get the latest upgrade was just stupid. I have been in IT since I was 20 years old and I have never-ever had to pay for an upgrade that was available before the product was purchased. No amount of discussion with Apple staff could persuade them otherwise. Apple wonders why they can't compete in the corporate space and its policies like this one that keep them out of that arena.
Digital camera Review: A good mp3 player for those of you who don't have much music.
Summary: 4 Stars
My first mp3 player was a silver ipod mini, once it started to die I finally decided it was time to upgrade. I went with the ipod touch. The price was a big detractor but I decided to risk it. I've used it for over a year now and overall I'm pretty pleased with my purchase.
The touch is very slim and quite good looking if you ask me. This compliments the smooth touch interface with the brightly lit screen that makes it easy and even a little fun to navigate. I much prefer it to the old scroll wheel design. It's also got this new thing called apps, which are basically mini programs that you can download and use for various purposes. There's games, books, taxes, and more. You even get a few already installed like Safari, Calendar, Mail, Contacts, YouTube, Stocks, Weather, Clock, Calculator, Maps, and Notes.
Another great thing about the touch is ease of use. The touch is very reliable both in terms of physical sturdiness and software, and it syncs up with itunes very easily, making it easy even for computer illiterate people. The interface also makes it very simple and straightforward to use.
My only real complaint is the lack of space. At the time that I originally purchased this I only had about 6 gigs of music and thought I would never need more that 16 gigs of space. Boy was I wrong. Since then my musical taste has greatly expanded and I'm now sitting on roughly 134 gigs of music. I need a new ipod badly, so I'm waiting until September for the new classics to come out and I'll get the biggest one they've got. The touch is just so awesome though, that I would probably fork over the extra cash to get one if they came out with a model that met my space demands.
If you don't mind the limited amount of space the touch is great. It may be a little pricey for what you get but I think it's worth it overall.
Digital camera Review: A neat little gadget to get excited about... but...
Summary: 4 Stars
I have to begin with a brief disclaimer: I got the I-Phone, and I kinda regret not getting TOUCH...
Though they're very similar, the big problem arises when you realize that while this is a GREAT device, there's no doubt that before you notice it, the next generation will be out, and it'll be ALL the better... only us I-Phone users will be hunkered down with mobile phone service contracts and I worry that jumping from one to the next will require tons and tons of paper work... Additionally speaking, who in the world wants to be interrupted by phone calls when playing with a neat little gadget like this...? I'm serious... Imagine: You're listening to your favorite group, playing some video game or using some app you downloaded, and next thing you know, the lil' bugger is ringing and you have to hold it up to your face?
So all this said: If the issue is TOUCH vs. PHONE... I say: TOUCH !
As for the device itself: I'm told by people who've had it longer than me (and not THAT long since its pretty new here in Japan) that you get used to the quirks... The quirks for me include that the screen might be BIG by i-pod standards, but in terms of the keypad factor, its rather small if you have big fat fingers like me, so as a result using the keypad can be a rather clumsy process (*and just when I was getting used to using the cell phone alpha-numeric keypad for texting!)... In addition, the screen gets schmootched up pretty easy... I mean, as much of a slob as I am, the greasy looking fingerprints can get to look a bit nasty after almost minimal use... They do give you a cleaning thing to clean it off with, though I have to admit feeling a bit insulted that it didn't come with a carrying case (I bought one for around $30.00.)
In addition, like an I-Pod, don't expect the energizer bunny to be on your side... By the end of an 8 hour work day (which included an hour train ride) the battery was frightfully low... Luckily I was able to drop by an electronics store and get a battery charger... This really upsets me, because most people work about 8-9 hours a day, plus might have an hour or two travel time: so in an ideal world with ideal technology, 12 hours would be more on the money.
So all this said, what's my personal verdict:
Well, if you love your i-pod, and would rather have MORE features than memory (in other words, an overall carry it with you i-pod entertainment center), this baby is IT... and you can download some pretty cool aps. (I check my e-mail, study Japanese, play a few games... I also use it as an alarm clock, check the weather quite frequently, and do lot's and lot's of other stuff. There's also a YOU TUBE link, but honestly speaking the video qualities aren't so great.
As for the downside: I really wish it had a pointer pen... I had some networking problems... and typical to I-Tunes, it had "quirks" which initially made sync-ing difficult. In the end, I wonder if I'm the only person who has a love-hate with the whole I-Pod thing anyway - - Its a really neat device in concept, but in someways the "chic simplicity" requires dire improvements, and I would not mind a slightly clunkier device with more "analog" type features... (Know what I mean?) It would also be cool if the back of the device was made out of something less prone to the "schmootz" factor... say some kind of rubber or something like that...
All in all... I know its going to get better, am frustrated with one or two things, but heck yeah... I'm glad I didn't wait!
Digital camera Review: A pocket computer that's also a music player
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was in the market for a new iPod to replace my aging and filled-to-the-brim iPod nano, I went to a brick-and-mortar store to look at the iPod lineup in person. I had intended to get the 80GB Classic, but that one was parked right next to the iPod touch on the display shelf, and I made the mistake of playing with both iPods side by side.
The Classic and nano are excellent MP3 players, but next to the iPod touch, they look outdated and tawdry. The LCD on the iPod touch is incredibly sharp and clear, and after navigating with the touch screen for a few minutes, going back to the mechanical controls of the other iPods felt like a step backwards.
The hardware is simply beautiful. The iPod touch looks sleek and classy, scoring a clear 10 on the "Shiny" danger scale of impulse acquisitions. I ended up talking myself into the 16GB iPod touch, which didn't take much rationalizing at all.
The 2.0 software update turns this thing from a capable audio/video/picture multimedia device into a full-fledged pocket computer, the ultimate iteration of the PDA. You get a full web browser that will render any web page out there (albeit without embedded flash media), a mail client, a calendar, mapping functions, Contacts, a clock with alarm and stopwatch/countdown functions, and a load of other things--and that's before you hop on the App Store and discover how many other excellent applications are available for the iPod touch, both free- and payware. I now have mobile clients for Facebook and eBay, a bunch of games, an e-book reader, an AIM client, and a load of other applications on my iPod touch, and it's getting to the point that the music and video capabilities are almost secondary functions now. This is what a Palm handheld could have evolved into if Palm had put some brain grease into development.
All in all, this is a terrific little device that can serve as a very capable substitute for a laptop in a pinch. Mine holds all my music, a half dozen feature-length films, all my photos, and enough e-books to keep me reading for months, and I still have about 5GB of the formatted capacity of 15-ish GB available. (My only regret is not having dropped another $100 on the 32GB version, but even the 16GB should last me for a good long while.)
My only niggles are the battery life (great with just music at 20-some hours, but with WiFi on and constant application usage, it's more like 5 or 6 hours), and the fact that Apple insists on making the back out of polished stainless steel, which is incredibly easy to scratch, and it collects fingerprints like mad. The front of the iPod touch is glass, and the whole thing is extremely tough, but you'll find yourself using the included screen cloth multiple times a day. If you buy one of these, get a nice case if you want to keep it pristine-looking. I use mine without the case because I love the thinness, but if you do that, you'll have to put up with lots of little scratches on the shiny back.
The iPod touch is a top-shelf geek toy, and the most polished handheld multimedia device on the market, with seamless integration, flawless function, and a very well designed interface. With the addition of the 2.0 software, it's also the best PDA on the market, with functionality that can compete with that of a Netbook.