iPod Touch

[Sublime 2]

Ok, so I'm thinking of breaking my iPod cherry with the 3rd generation iPod Touch (likely just the 8 GB). I have some bonus $ coming my way, so I'm thinking of buying one for both myself and the girlfriend. I'm just looking to get some FOFC reviews, is it worth it? Any must-have apps? Does the wi-fi work well? How do the e-books work on it?




The gf would be replacing a 3 year old Nano, and I would be replacing a cheap no-name mp3 player, so I would imagine the upgrades will be considerable.



Appreciate any help, thanks guys.

[Sublime 2]

Dola excuse the formatting, can't figure out why the BBerry does that on this site.

[terpkristin]

I am probably in the minority, but I actually don't like the iPod Touch as a music/audio device. I LOVE my iPod Classic, and the simplicity of the interface of the Classic, much more than the Touch (I too have an 8 gb Touch). Most of my listening is at my desk with non-Apple headphones (and no in-line remote); having to unlock it to fast forward songs or to pause is actually annoying. When I'm in the car, I tend to listen to audiobooks and podcasts, and having to unlock it there is not only inconvenient, it can be frustrating. That goes double if I want to rewind a few minutes without looking down at the device.

I love it as a toy (goofing off on various apps while getting ready for bed, without having my computer up 100% is convenient, or checking my email if I get a call in the middle of the night from work), but I think long-term, I'll always have a Classic or nano-type device (or a different player with an interface that's easier to use without looking).

/tk

/tk

[Noop]

I got an Ipod Touch for Christmas(32gb) and so far I absolutely love it. If I want to write a song or hook I can type it in my notepad. If I want surf the web I can while I listen to music or an audio book. I like that a lot of the apps are useful(I am using the free ones only for now) I have an ebook reader app that I love because I can read a book (Think and Grow Rich) and listen to the audio book version or music at the same time.

Depending on what you're trying to achieve I highly recommend it.

[Noop]

Oh and I have film of my practices on there as well so it gives me a chance to review film when I am not at work.

[Dodgerchick]

dammit, I had a whole post written up and accidentally closed the tab. I hope I remember everything.

I use it mainly for applications so as far as music, I'm no help there. The only time I listen to music is when I use the Nike+ application which is absolutely awesome (you need to buy the pedometer and shoes for it though). It keeps a history of running workouts and you have a choice of basic, timed, distance or calorie burning goals. Some are programmed but you can also customize a workout for whatever goal you want to accomplish.

E-books - I got the free kindle app and downloaded The Scarlet Letter just to test it out. The font size is fine but the white background with black letters make my eyes hurt after a while, but it might have something to do with the glare. If you're okay with reading hundreds of pages of pdf documents on your computer, then you should have no problems with this app.

Must have apps (or the ones I use all the time):

Facebook
Twitter
Myspace
Nutrition Menu - helps keep track of calories, exercises, weight and water intake. The database has thousands of restaurant menu items and you don't need internet access to view them. Very useful.
Allrecipes
Skype
Yelp
WootWatch
Bejeweled 2
Scrabble
Pzizz Relax - very useful application if you wanna relax and take a quick nap
Pzizz Sleep - same as Pzizz Relax but it doesn't have a buzzer at the end
Slacker Radio
ooTunes - over 10,000 radio stations from all over the world
Pandora
Y!Music
deBlob (mostly for my kid)

This little device has made things easier for me and I'm so glad I got it.

[General Mike]

I love my iPod touch, but the one place it isn't great is in the car, where i stick to my iPod nano for hooking up to the auxiliary input.

[Maple Leafs]

I'm a big fan. Holds enough music for me, the apps are fun, and the wifi is fine if you're in a hotspot.

Plus if you're ever surrounded by pretentious poseurs, you can hold it up to your ear and talk into it and you'll fit right in.

[Subby]

My 11 yo got one for christmas - he has not put it down since he got it.

I have the envy.

[stevew]

I'd probably spring for the 32GB model if you have a bunch of music.

Lol about the 11 year old Subby. We got ours a new laptop. She now has the best machine in the house. I'm jealous of her. Plus she never shares her dsi.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Subby

My 11 yo got one for christmas - he has not put it down since he got it.

I have the envy.

Yup. I got one for my 15 y.o. for his birthday in March. He still adores it, and watching him play with it has sparked some gadget envy in me. I bought myself a cheap-o Sony Walkman about 18 months ago, and while I like it and find it to be a pretty outstanding product as a pure music/video device, it doesn't tickle my geek interest in the same way.

[Daimyo]

For me, the iPhone is in the same category as TiVo as far as quality of life improvement. I owned smartphones and PDAs for years and it is the first one that I absolutely couldn't live without. Ipod Touch is pretty much the same, except I'd miss 3G an awful lot. I think I'd avoid the lowest end Touch though. The hardware is inferior. I don't think it matters too much yet, but there were games demoed at CES that I don't think will run on the low end Touch's chipset so it could matter in the future.

As for car integration, I highly recommend Pro Clip. They sell mounts customized to your car and phone that work so much better than the cheap suction cup types. To minimize cables I got the mount that has a built in dock connector and use an adapter from Kensington that combines power and audio out into one cable that plugs into the dock connector on the mount (my car as an AUX input right next to the power outlet). With this setup I just slide the iPhone into the dock and don't have to worry about connecting any cables, etc.

[Sublime 2]

Awesome, thanks everyone for the info!

Daimyo, what exactly do you mean by 'lower-end', is that in reference to the size 8GB vs 32GB vs 64GB or in reference to the Generation? Because I thought I read the 32/64 have higher processor speeds??



Now I have to make up my mind on whether to buy the girlfriend a Touch like me, or to get her a new coach purse or some tiffany's crap! Females are so flippin difficult.

[Calis]

Generation, all the Touches have the same processors and capabilities by generation, the memory size doesn't matter.

So get a 3rd Gen of whatever size if appropiate and you'd be set. Its really not much of an upgrade over the 2nd Gen but no reason not to get the newer.

Great device though, I absolutely love mine.

[Daimyo]

My understanding was that when they released the iPod Touch with third generation hardware they only released them in 32GB and 64GB sizes and the 8GB size is still the second generation hardware (similar to how the 16GB and 32GB iPhones are 3GS and the 8GB is 3G).

The 3rd generation hardware has faster processor and video card. I don't think there are any applications for which this makes a difference (although the difference is noticeable in the time it takes to open applications and similar things). However, at CES Epic demoed their Unreal engine ported to iPod/iPhone and it only runs on the third generation hardware which implies that in the future there may be games that only run on the 3rd generation hardware.

[Daimyo]

DOLA, here is an article that talks about the 8GB Touch not getting updated:

"Updated" 8GB iPod touch has lower price, not better gaming

[Calis]

Ah you're right, I knew they didn't differentiate between them on the same gen but I didn't realize they stopped the 8 and 16 GB models after the 2nd gen. That explains it. I assume Apple itself is not pushing the 2nd gen ones anymore at all then? They're usually good about that.

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by Daimyo

DOLA, here is an article that talks about the 8GB Touch not getting updated:

"Updated" 8GB iPod touch has lower price, not better gaming

Thanks Daimyo, that's the article I was mentioning above. I plan to only buy this one iPod and keep it for a while, so I'll probably just buy the 32GB.

[Glengoyne]

I bought a touch as an upgrade right before Christmas. My wife liked it so much I bought one for her as a gift.

I'll agree that when listening to music the 'unlock' bit is frustrating as well as some of the controls when listening to audio books. Those are relatively minor issues from my standpoint, but they are worth considering especially if you're looking primarily for music listening.

I love the apps. Mostly just free stuff, but my wife and I have also downloaded about $25 in cheapo $1 and $2 games and utilities. I've also used it to watch a couple of movies, when the kids were around that I couldn't otherwise do. This weekend I managed to watch Tropic Thunder in the middle of the day. It isn't ideal, but I plan on using that feature on flights as well. The eReader capability is nice too. It isn't a Nook or Kindle, but it works for me (except the repetitive use thumb injury from turning pages).




As for work. I can securely VPN into my office network, connect to my desktop via RDP and accomplish pretty much everything I can do from there. It isn't always pretty, but it is functional. I can also ssh into any of our unix/linux boxes with a terminal emulator. I even downloaded an app that lets me view the status of all of the corporate websites, which is useful when a peer calls me with a claim that something is down. I don't have to make a phone call...I can check a lot of things immediately myself.

All in all I love the touch. Once I get my company to break down to pay for iPhones, I'll go that route too.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

having to unlock it to fast forward songs or to pause is actually annoying.

Not that it's much better, but while locked if you "double click" the home button, some limited ipod controls pop up.

[Maple Leafs]

As far as apps go, there's an updated version of Earl Weaver Baseball by the original programmer. Search for "EWB".

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

Not that it's much better, but while locked if you "double click" the home button, some limited ipod controls pop up.

Yeah, it's still not terribly convenient, especially when listening to books or podcasts while driving, and say somebody calls, and I want to rewind a few minutes to get back "into" where I was.

That's not to say I don't like my Touch, just that it's not as great a music device (for my needs) as my Classic is. Apps on mine that I'd recommend:
Facebook
Tweetie
Kindle (I also have a regular Kindle, and they sync up!)
Homerun Battle 3D (fantastic addicting game)
WhiteNoise
Canabalt (indie game with good music, play online at CANABALT: Buy it with your moneys!!)
Wild West (pinball, it was either free or 99 cents)
Errands (a nice to-do list, which works wonders for grocery lists)
Epicurious (if you have a wifi connection, search recipes, make shopping lists, etc)
NASA (images of the day, video of the day, updates on missions)
NPR News (stream from your local channels, badass when I put it into my speakers and listen to Wait Wait or Car Talk, since I can't tune NPR in my house)
1Password or PassCaddy (password management)
iMPD (diet and exercise tracker)

I said it in my initial post, but the wifi is great, especially when I get called in the middle of the night from work and need to jump onto my work email. Lotus Notes has an iNotes interface which I bookmark on my 3rd screen so I can jump right in from there.

It's OK as a music device, not as exciting as a book/podcast device (especially while driving) and great as an app device.

/tk

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

As far as apps go, there's an updated version of Earl Weaver Baseball by the original programmer. Search for "EWB".

Oh My. That is probably my favorite sports simulation. Well the first version was. 1.5 less so. In any case...I'm checking that out.

[Calis]

Let me also put in a word of warning for the Apple branded in-ear buds with remote that they offer. These earphones really helped with my annoyances with controls. I listen a lot at work, and I like to quickly pause and remove when someone comes in, but jabbing at the screen wasn't hacking it.

This has a nice click to pause button, you can manipulate the volume, and even skip and restart tracks.

This worked good for a week or two, then I'd get painful to the ear cracks in the sound, almost like I was being shocked. This would get worse and if you try to exercise with these in you get a horrible boom each step.

Eventually one side of the earphones stopped working all together. I tried one more set and ran into the same exact issues.

I would not buy them again and the first Apple branded item I've had that really disappointed me from a quality standpoint.

I definitely miss the ease of the touch wheel for fast manipulation, but I do enough other things that only the Touch can that I can't see myself ever going back.

One more complaint on the Touch though. What's with podcast descriptions? On my Nano I could go and read the description for each individual podcast which is essential if you download a bunch and are later looking for a specific episode. Why is this feature gone? Does the iPhone do this?

[nickelback]

Anyone know of a free converter for converting DVDs to Ipod Touch format?

[Calis]

Check out Handbrake. I hear pretty good things about it.

I use a program called Cucusoft but it isn't free and I don't know that it is actually any better than Handbrake, but I'm quite happy with it.

[Glengoyne]

I Googled something akin to "How to import a DVD movie to iPod". I found a nifty link leading me to a nice How to site with links to two free products. I'll post the details when I get home and can identify the site and products. They were free, and worked fine. The tropic thunder video I referenced above was ripped from a DVD, and imported using these tools.

[Daimyo]

By default if you double click the home button when you're listening to music it brings the ipod controls up even if the phone is locked.

[Daimyo]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

I Googled something akin to "How to import a DVD movie to iPod". I found a nifty link leading me to a nice How to site with links to two free products. I'll post the details when I get home and can identify the site and products. They were free, and worked fine. The tropic thunder video I referenced above was ripped from a DVD, and imported using these tools.

Handbrake is awesome and free. I've converted 100s of DVDs with it the Apple format (playable on Apple TV and iPhone).

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Daimyo

Handbrake is awesome and free. I've converted 100s of DVDs with it the Apple format (playable on Apple TV and iPhone).

I'll checkout handbrake.

This was the link I followed, and the tools it pointed me to were

DVD Decrypter and Videora iPod Converter.

Both were free, and they worked even with me in control. That said. It didn't appear to be an exact science, and I felt kind of like I got lucky.

[Sublime 2]

On my new 32gb touch! I'm already addicted.

[Noop]

Has anyone Jail Broken their Ipod Touch?

[Captain2711]

I recently lost my Itouch and needed to purchase a new one. Was wondering if anyone knew if it is simple to recreate my old one with a sync to my Itunes or is it not possible? Is it possible to recover applications I paid for but didn't have synched to my Itunes? Thanks for any info in advance

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I am probably in the minority, but I actually don't like the iPod Touch as a music/audio device. I LOVE my iPod Classic, and the simplicity of the interface of the Classic, much more than the Touch (I too have an 8 gb Touch). Most of my listening is at my desk with non-Apple headphones (and no in-line remote); having to unlock it to fast forward songs or to pause is actually annoying. When I'm in the car, I tend to listen to audiobooks and podcasts, and having to unlock it there is not only inconvenient, it can be frustrating. That goes double if I want to rewind a few minutes without looking down at the device.

I love it as a toy (goofing off on various apps while getting ready for bed, without having my computer up 100% is convenient, or checking my email if I get a call in the middle of the night from work), but I think long-term, I'll always have a Classic or nano-type device (or a different player with an interface that's easier to use without looking).

/tk

/tk

Is this still the case? I'm thinking of replacing my ipod classic with an ipod touch (maybe not now, but one day). Every five songs, I go back and rate the songs I just heard -- is it a pain to do that? Is it even possible to rate songs while you're listening to them on the touch like you can on the classic?

Also, I'm thinking of getting the 8GB model, since I'm only going to sync playlists to it instead of my whole collection. I probably won't go crazy with the apps, but I definitely want FM. Will that run okay with the lower processor speed? And can you play FM while listening to music?

[MJ4H]

Question: if I were to buy an ipod touch, does it access the internet in any way? Would I need to purchase a data plan to use that functionality, or could I se existing Wireless internet routing present in my home or wi-fi hotspots out and about?

[k0ruptr]

Wifi is fine and works great

also the only way to get online with the ipod touch. why are you not in irc.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by k0ruptr

Wifi is fine and works great

also the only way to get online with the ipod touch. why are you not in irc.

Awesome. I want one then.

I am on irc but it looks like I was the victim of a netsplit.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Awesome. I want one then.

I am on irc but it looks like I was the victim of a netsplit.

Or... did you fall off your treadmill yet again?

[ColtCrazy]

Glad you like it. I have an 8 GB and am really enjoying it. Mainly using it to chat or connect to FB when I'm on campus but don't have time to Skype. It's come in really handy. Love the Map app.....used it in London, just downloaded the map before I left and used it to get from Covent Garden to Picadilly Circus.

Absolutely love this thing.

[MJ4H]

Just ordered mine for store pick-up at Best Buy!

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Is this still the case? I'm thinking of replacing my ipod classic with an ipod touch (maybe not now, but one day). Every five songs, I go back and rate the songs I just heard -- is it a pain to do that? Is it even possible to rate songs while you're listening to them on the touch like you can on the classic?

Also, I'm thinking of getting the 8GB model, since I'm only going to sync playlists to it instead of my whole collection. I probably won't go crazy with the apps, but I definitely want FM. Will that run okay with the lower processor speed? And can you play FM while listening to music?

Yes you can rate songs while listening to them, the only trick is that if the screen has gone to sleep, you need to wake it up, which takes extra swipes (and can be challenging to do and keep your eyes on the road if you're driving).

Oddly, with some of the updates to the Classic/Nano, my 8 gig Touch is growing on me. There is still the quirk I have that with audiobooks in particular (and sometimes podcasts), the Touch seems to lose my place every now and then (for no discernible reason). I've gotten into the habit of noting where I leave off on a book when I'm done listening for awhile.

Yes the 8 gig can play FM well enough, though on my 8 gig (which now has iOS4 installed), you cannot listen to music (iPod functions) while playing. There are some games that can, some which can't (some of the app designers set it up this way).

The Touch is growing on me, even for driving. But it still has some annoying quirks I wish would go away.

/tk

[Marc Vaughan]

Suppose I should mention at this juncture that the 'Lite' version of Football Manager Handheld (iPhone) is now out worldwide ...

Its basically a demo which allows you to play a couple of months game time so you can decide if you like the app and want the full version or not, if you do then you CAN transfer your save game from the demo version into the full one and continue it onward.

Hope this helps,

Marc

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Yes the 8 gig can play FM well enough, though on my 8 gig (which now has iOS4 installed), you cannot listen to music (iPod functions) while playing. There are some games that can, some which can't (some of the app designers set it up this way).

Is that specific to the 8 gig, or is that true for FM no matter which model you have? That might be a dealbreaker for me.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Is that specific to the 8 gig, or is that true for FM no matter which model you have? That might be a dealbreaker for me.

The 8 gig does not have the "true" multitasking capability. However, some app writers overwrite the ability (for example, in Sword & Poker 2--but not Sword & Poker 1--as well as Bejeweled and Plants v Zombies and HomeRun Battle 3D, I can play my music...on other apps, I can't). Anybody else with a 32 or 64 gig iPod Touch that can weigh in (or an iPhone)? MV?

/tk

[Passacaglia]

Did some googling and found this:

No Multitasking for iPhone 3G and Early iPod Touch Models

No Multitasking for iPhone 3G and Early iPod Touch Models


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One of the finer points Steve Jobs let loose at the end of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement today is that only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch third generation (the most recent iteration from fall 2009) will have the capacity to support the iPhone OS 4.0’s new multitasking features.

In other words, owners of the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, and first or second generation iPod touch models will not be able to multitask.

The current generation of devices “will run pretty much everything” in the new mobile operating system. The earlier iterations of iPhone and iPod touch, however, “will run many things, but not everything.” Jobs says they won’t be able to support multitasking because “the hardware just can’t do it.”

That’s bad news for owners of those products, who won’t be able to take advantage of one of the major updates coming in the new OS. This is certainly not unprecedented in the fast-paced world of technology development, but we’re sure there are a number of users of earlier iPhone and iPod touch models who are a wee bit miffed at this point.

What do you think: Is this par for the course? Should Apple have done more to support older product lines? Or should owners of initial generation Apple products get used to sucking it up and either upgrading or doing without? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

So I guess the new 32GB and 64GB can multitask but the 8GB can't?

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Is that specific to the 8 gig, or is that true for FM no matter which model you have? That might be a dealbreaker for me.

You can listen to music while playing FMHi on any of the iPhone regardless of the OS installed.

To do so just ensure that sound is disabled in FMHi preferences firstly and start the iTunes music player off before the game starts. The music will continue once you start the game.

To control music in the app double click on the home button and you should find the music control pops up over the app allowing you to browse through music etc.

Hope this helps,

Marc

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Did some googling and found this:

No Multitasking for iPhone 3G and Early iPod Touch Models



So I guess the new 32GB and 64GB can multitask but the 8GB can't?

As far as I know this is correct. The 3rd gen models have true multitasking, but the 8GB isn't really a 3rd gen.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Suppose I should mention at this juncture that the 'Lite' version of Football Manager Handheld (iPhone) is now out worldwide ...

Its basically a demo which allows you to play a couple of months game time so you can decide if you like the app and want the full version or not, if you do then you CAN transfer your save game from the demo version into the full one and continue it onward.

Hope this helps,

Marc

Thanks. Tryikng itn now.

[Marc Vaughan]

As an aside - If you use iOS4 please read up on how to close down applications fully, as its not as intuitive as just clicking the 'home button' now and I've run across a fair few users who are making their phones unstable because they're leaving lots of applications running at once without realising it.

How to close iOS4 multi-tasking applications completely:

Video Tutorial:
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-cl...-ios-4-377560/

Lazy explanation:
1. Double tap Home Screen button
2. In the tray, hold down on an icon until the icons in the tray begin to wiggle with a red (-) in the upper left corner of the icons.
3. Tap the red (-) for each app you wish to close.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Thanks. Tryikng itn now.

Cool - please PM me and let me know what you think, good or bad

(and as always any suggestions you might have for improving things in the future)