The iTouch

[Doug5984]

I was just looking at the new line of iPods, and came across the iTouch- it seems cool.

http://reviews.cnet.com/portable-video-players-pvps/apple-ipod-touch-16gb/4505-6499_7-32595956.html?tag=nl.e778

It'd be something nice to have around campus, and places with free WiFi... The price seems a little steep ($399). Seems a lot like the iPhone, just not a phone, but double the memory. Not sure if I'll get one, but I want one. Anyone know anything about them yet?

[Neon_Chaos]

it's the iphone that's not a phone.

[DaddyTorgo]

i got into a verbal brawl about this the other day.

doesn't make any sense to me. the price is so steep. get a cheap wifi-enabled PDA with WM and you'd be done cheaper and have more freedom. apple is so restrictive of their devices as far as 3rd party applications. i can't imagine having an iphone and not being able to DL programs but having to use java-programs for everything. ditto with the itouch.

just don't see the point of it. especially with that price-point

[Young Drachma]

+1

[rkmsuf]

iTouch your monkey

[MikeVic]

iTouch your monkey

I knew it!

[cartman]

i got into a verbal brawl about this the other day.

doesn't make any sense to me. the price is so steep. get a cheap wifi-enabled PDA with WM and you'd be done cheaper and have more freedom. apple is so restrictive of their devices as far as 3rd party applications. i can't imagine having an iphone and not being able to DL programs but having to use java-programs for everything. ditto with the itouch.

just don't see the point of it. especially with that price-point

There is a package manager out now that allows you to install and run native apps on the iPhone. I've got SSH, term, and Apace running on my iPhone, among other things.

http://iphone.nullriver.com/beta

Also, Apple has given their blessing to these endeavors:

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/09/11/apple-you-have-our-blessing-to-hack-the-iphone-to-bits

[Kodos]

The Divinyls have the perfect song for the commercial.

[lordscarlet]

i got into a verbal brawl about this the other day.

doesn't make any sense to me. the price is so steep. get a cheap wifi-enabled PDA with WM and you'd be done cheaper and have more freedom. apple is so restrictive of their devices as far as 3rd party applications. i can't imagine having an iphone and not being able to DL programs but having to use java-programs for everything. ditto with the itouch.

just don't see the point of it. especially with that price-point

There is a lot to be said about UI. Even with a reduced feature set, the iphone (and ipod touch) are far superior because they think about the user experience (this coming from a windows mobile user).

[Icy]

I'm waiting for an Itouch to be shipped to me as gift from a company i work with from time to time, it sounds like a nice device.

[Daimyo]

I am so disappointed in the iTouch. I was hoping for an iPod with a iPhone sized touch screen and larger storage (100+ GB) to be announced... iTouch seems pretty useless (at least for my purposes) with that little storage. I'll have to stick to my Windows Mobile 6 phone and iPod Video for now I guess.

[Captain2711]

Just purchased a new Itouch. Are than any good/bad applications I should get or avoid?

[Marc Vaughan]

I've got a iTouch and I really rate it - especially for watching video's in the gym and some of the games are quite promising, although none really show off the devices promise yet imho.

[Klinglerware]

I've got a iTouch and I really rate it - especially for watching video's in the gym and some of the games are quite promising, although none really show off the devices promise yet imho.

I noticed that in the recent "best Touch apps" thread, most of the recommendations were for games, and not so much with productivity software. I know that some users have mentioned useful apps that do exist (SSH, logmein, VNC, etc), but on the whole, the available apps seem to skew very entertainment oriented. Could it be the user base really only wants to play games on it, or does the UI limit power-users when it comes to productivity software (e.g., I would imagine that the capacitive touchscreen would be a pain in the ass if you wanted to use something like Open Office or jot down a few notes or sketch something by hand. Stylus-based UI would be much more useful for those types of apps.).

[Marc Vaughan]

I've got some 'practical' applications for it as well as games - such things as email, time in different counties (both default phone apps) - there are also some neat programs around for things like GeoCacheing (think treasure hunting using GPS) and that sort of thing.

[lordscarlet]

I noticed that in the recent "best Touch apps" thread, most of the recommendations were for games, and not so much with productivity software. I know that some users have mentioned useful apps that do exist (SSH, logmein, VNC, etc), but on the whole, the available apps seem to skew very entertainment oriented. Could it be the user base really only wants to play games on it, or does the UI limit power-users when it comes to productivity software (e.g., I would imagine that the capacitive touchscreen would be a pain in the ass if you wanted to use something like Open Office or jot down a few notes or sketch something by hand. Stylus-based UI would be much more useful for those types of apps.).

I think people just aren't using the productivity apps, or just not mentioning them here. I think the iphone is always going to be easier to use than a stylus-based device, personally. I think that people aren't going to write documens on something so small. :)

[Captain2711]

Has anyone used the jailbreak for the 2g IPOD touch? What are the advantages or disadvantages to using it?

[Klinglerware]

I think that people aren't going to write documens on something so small. :)

I agree that a pocketable device will not be a first choice for document editing for most people. But with that being said, having Open Office available on my device has proven to be very useful. Sure, it runs slowly as you would expect, but it is nice to not have to bring the laptop along every time I travel.

[Marc Vaughan]

I agree that a pocketable device will not be a first choice for document editing for most people. But with that being said, having Open Office available on my device has proven to be very useful. Sure, it runs slowly as you would expect, but it is nice to not have to bring the laptop along every time I travel.

Next stop for a portable device imho is to have a full-size keyboard available for input.

This actually should be easily possible utilising existing technology the more complex of which is available upon most devices already.

Basically think of a simply keyboard projected onto a desk as 'light' from a device then the camera on that device sampling pictures at 30hz and then analysing the differences (ie. movements from fingers) and using them to trigger inputs.

It'd require some fairly clever software but if someone wants to give me a small fortune and six months to a year I'll see what I can do ;)

PS - Yeah I know I'm a geek, I'll be designing a holodeck next ;)

[Klinglerware]

Next stop for a portable device imho is to have a full-size keyboard available for input.

This actually should be easily possible utilising existing technology the more complex of which is available upon most devices already.

Basically think of a simply keyboard projected onto a desk as 'light' from a device then the camera on that device sampling pictures at 30hz and then analysing the differences (ie. movements from fingers) and using them to trigger inputs.

It'd require some fairly clever software but if someone wants to give me a small fortune and six months to a year I'll see what I can do ;)

PS - Yeah I know I'm a geek, I'll be designing a holodeck next ;)

At first I thought you were talking about a portable bluetooth keyboard (which are already quite small). But I guess you were talking about something sorta like this, but already built in to the device:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21KTtvd80OL._AA245_.jpg

Amazon.com: Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard CL850 Projection Keyboard Celluon Laserkey: Electronics (http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Keyboard-CL850-Projection-Celluon/dp/B0010SLSOS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242075223&sr=8-2)


Edit to add: that would be pretty neat, and would reduce the need to carry around another peripheral. They're already experimenting with creating phones with built in video projectors, so a built-in projectable laser keyboard isn't outside the realm of possibility (the technology is already commercially available)...

[lordscarlet]

I think the next step is to get a little larger again, like a kindle.

[Kodos]

I hear Apple is going to focus on personal music in the future. I'm looking forward to the iTouch: Myself.