iPod Touch Reviews
Keys:
It's hard to argue that there isn't beauty in simplicity, especially when it comes to consumer electronics. But there's such thing as too simple -- and sometimes too simple can turn into crippled. Most of our complaints about the touch have to do with what it lacks -- not in general, but when compared its big brother, the iPhone. Had the iPod touch come out first, the lack of a hardware volume switch, integrated speaker, and all those apps might have been perfectly passable, but now the expectations have been set, and we can't see how taking things away from users can possibly add value. Everyone in this industry is trying to give their customers more, but with the iPod touch Apple gave its customers less in what should have been the best iPhone alternative on the market. This time around, in Apple's obsession to edit, they managed to leave some of the best stuff on the cutting room floor.
If you're a typical MacInTouch reader with some spare cash, and you don't have or want an iPhone (perhaps because you don't like AT&T), you should probably run out and buy an iPod Touch – just for its innovation and the experience of exploring its capabilities. We really think that multi-touch is going to be a big deal in the future, and the cost isn't too extravagent right now. We'd probably opt for the cheaper 8GB model, since it can't serve as an extra file-storage device, unless you're sure that you really need 8 GB of extra storage for music, photos and videos. But that's not the point of this product – if you want lots of storage, get an iPod Classic.
If you're an iPhone owner, we can't see any reason to get an iPod Touch for yourself. Sure, it has a better headphone jack, but it's missing a whole lot that the iPhone provides, and it's only one third of the triumvirate of camera, cellphone and media player that the iPhone integrates in one device.
If you're carrying a separate cell phone, and perhaps an additional camera, then an iPod Nano is a lot lighter and tinier to fit into your pocket for the same musical capability as an iPod Touch, which really wants a pocket of its own.
Buy the iPod Touch as an early ticket for exploring the future of Internet-connected user interfaces, and as a fun toy and media player. It may eventually prove useful as an organizer and Web client, but those capabilities are still in development. For hard-core business productivity, a more traditional organizer will probably remain the preferred choice for a little longer (although our long-term bet is on multi-touch-type devices). And don't hesitate to let us know what you think if you buy an iPod Touch: how you use it, and how well it works for you.
Read full review at MacInTouch