It's a Touch!

Looks like the iPhone without the phone bit, or am I missing something?

Regrads

Nic

quote:

Looks like the iPhone without the phone bit, or am I missing something?

Err, yes. El Jobso seems pretty pleased with it though.
John

Cool, cyberspace irony at it's best! I still want the real thing though!!!

Regards

Nic

I had a play with the new iPod range today as one of my neighbours has a set of engineering prototypes which he will be demoing around Europe next week.

The iTouch is thinner than an iPhone and is a fantastic piece of the kit. The Wifi and web browser work very well and you can zoom in and out or move around just by stroking the screen.

The iPod classic looks much better in the flesh than it does in the pictures, particularly in black. Just like the new nano, the classic is very thin compared with older models (particularly the 4th generation model that I am using).
John

It's rather good!

With only 16Gb isn't it is more like a wifi tablet that can play music than an iPod that can wifi though?

16GB is still around 45 albums saved in Apple Lossless format, should keep you listening for a good long while. Refresh the tracks every couple of weeks and it'll do just fine.

Two things keep me from buying one. It's too small. I've got well over 40GB on my computer. Yes, okay, you don't need all that all the time, but with a classic iPod I don't have to sit and think what music I want to take with me today, and should I want anything on a whim it's there.

Secondly, why bother having a touch screen, keyboard input and then not allow the user to add calendar entries? Given it's the same software as the phone, they must actually have wasted time and money turning off this functionality and I can't for the lift of me think why.

regards, Tam

All arguments against owning a Touch disappear when you play with one. The network connectivity makes the storage space almost a non-issue. And yes this was posted with one!
John

I don't debate that it may be great fun to play with, but that alone won't open my wallet. It doesn't justify turning off functionality for no good reason.

Personally, I regard the wi-fi as pretty much a non feature on a device like this. I don't see at all how it makes storage space a non-issue. How does it help me on the bus to work? If I'm away on holiday and I suddenly decide I want to listen to something I didn't sync how does it make any difference there?

Of course, granted one can sit on the sofa and post to this forum using one, but the I could always go and use my computer. Most places I have wi-fi access I have a computer. Those where I don't, you often have to pay for it.

Perhaps after another couple of iterations it will be a product I can justify parting with the money for, but right now my classic ipod is superior (for me, for others, with different requirements, it may be otherwise).

regards, Tam

I'm definitely going to get one of these as soon as they're definitely ok. I read on the Apple website a couple of weeks ago about problems with the screen (it's too dark seemed to be the most common complaint).

People were saying stuff like ones with a made in week 36 serial number are ok, but the ones from weeks 37 and 38 were faulty.

Are they ok now?

CC (who can't be bothered to trawl through Apple's website again.)

quote:

It doesn't justify turning off functionality for no good reason.

I can only assume it has been done for marketing reasons to position the iPod and iPhone slightly differently. Apple will no doubt add more applications in the near future.

quote:

Personally, I regard the wi-fi as pretty much a non feature on a device like this.

Having used it, I would say it is one of its strongest points.

quote:

I don't see at all how it makes storage space a non-issue.

As Sun said many years ago, the network is the computer. What you are seeing here is the future. Once you can effectively stream media to the device storage capacity become irrelevant.

quote:

If I'm away on holiday and I suddenly decide I want to listen to something I didn't sync how does it make any difference there?

If you are no longer constrained by synching to a computer to get new music, it makes a huge difference.
John

quote:

People were saying stuff like ones with a made in week 36 serial number are ok, but the ones from weeks 37 and 38 were faulty

Week 38 is definitely ok.
John

I can see that logic, but the ipod touch isn't that device, since it relies on you being in a wi-fi hotspot, which are neither ubiquitous nor (in many cases) cheap. To put it another way, if the computer is the network, this one is not going to work in an awful lot of places for the foreseeable future.

regards, Tam

quote:

I can see that logic, but the ipod touch isn't that device, since it relies on you being in a wi-fi hotspot, which are neither ubiquitous nor (in many cases) cheap. To put it another way, if the computer is the network, this one is not going to work in an awful lot of places for the foreseeable future.

I think that is changing faster than you may realise, particularly in London.
John

Well, not from what I read. There was an article in the Economist recently noting that a number of city wide wi-fi schemes have fallen through or are struggling due to trouble raising the investment.

I'm not saying there's no wi-fi. There are plenty of pubs up here with it, for example. But the moment you get off the beaten track it's another story. And, to use my earlier example, you certainly don't get it on lothian busses.

I'd also question what happens to the device's battery life. Already quoted at just half the biggest classic ipod for music, this presumably drops considerably when wi-fi is used (if the experience of my phone, which does wi-fi too, is anything to go by).

regards, Tam

I think the device looks great and for 200 quid will be a hit.

I remember the first 5gig iPod, mechanical scroll wheel, tiny black and white screen and the size of a brick. About twice the price too.

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
Well, not from what I read. There was an article in the Economist recently noting that a number of city wide wi-fi schemes have fallen through or are struggling due to trouble raising the investment.

Have a look at this article, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/04/bt_fon_wifi_kibbutz/

It's schemes like this that will significantly increase coverage.

For the record, I just bought an iPod Touch, and it is an awesome device.

AND it is possible to do IM very nicely over the web by registering and using www.meebo.com

Best,

Andrew