Apple's iPod Touch is basically just an iPhone without the phone part. It plays music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks just like a regular iPod, but also lets you use the wide variety of ‘apps' that also work on an iPhone. I won an iPod Touch in a contest on this very site, and prior to that I had been using an iPod Nano for two years. Now that I've had them both to compare for several weeks, I must say that the Nano actually suits my needs better than the Touch.

Controls

The iPod Touch is entirely touchscreen. It has one giant button at the bottom that is mainly used to close applications, plus volume buttons on the side and a power button on top. The screen itself is very smooth to the touch and it's easy to go through the menus and so on. Even typing letters or finding hyperlinks works for thick fingered guys like me. The Touch also detects whether it is being held horizontal or vertical and the screen adjusts accordingly, which is very cool. You can even shake it to change tracks while playing music.

Internet

Yes, you can get on the Internet with an iPod Touch, but only through a wireless network. Once you are connected, you can set it up to check your email, stocks, weather, etc. It comes with the Safari browser built in, so most websites look just like they would on your computer, unlike how they work on a Blackberry. While you are connected, you can also visit the App Store to download music, movies, games, and more. I have found the connection speed to be really good as far as web browsing and downloading apps goes. It works about as well as it does on a PC, but I do also have a pretty quick connection at home. In other locations, it all depends on the available bandwidth.

Audio

The iPod originally started out as a music playing device before it expanded to include photos, videos, games, and more. For me, the staple of the iPod is still the music aspect, and I like how the player organizes by artist, album, and more. You can also create your own playlists, which is really fun to do. Creating playlists is the new way of making a ‘mix tape' if you remember doing such a thing. I am happy with the audio quality playback on the iPod, though I can tell there is some signal loss when you rip from a CD to the iPod. I also have fairly above-average audio equipment in my truck so it's easier for me to tell the difference.

Video

The average iPod movie will take up a few hundred megabytes of space depending on how long it is. A ton of movies are available from the iTunes Store for the overinflated purchase price of $14.99 for most new movies. You know, most DVD's now come with a free digital copy that you can download to play on devices like the iPod Touch, and the price of the DVD is often the same as that download. Most TV show episodes can be downloaded for $2.99 each. You should know that most networks now let you watch the latest episode for free on their website.  You can also rent movies for $3.99, which is kind of cool if you are stuck somewhere like an airport and need something to do for a couple of hours. I still think the price is a little high for a rental.

Quality-wise, the videos are extremely crisp and clear, as far as handheld video screens go. I just think the pricing is way too much for what you get. They also take up a lot of space and if you get into the habit of downloading a lot of movies to this 8GB model, you're just going to wind up deleting some of them later. That's a waste of money. I have watched a few movies on my iPod Touch and even though it may seem awkward to hold this little device in your hands for two hours while a movie plays, it's surprisingly nice to have on a long car ride.

Apps

There are a ton of applications available for the iPod Touch that include stuff like fitness tracking, GPS-enabled software for mapping, and more. Some apps are free, but most start at a low price of 99 cents. Usually, the really feature-rich one cost more. You can also read reviews in the iTunes Store before you make a purchase, so it helps to see what other people are saying about the app before you click the Buy button.

Games

For me, the biggest draw to the iTunes Store was the Games category of the Apps section. A ton of games are available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Many of them make use of the Touch's motion capabilities, such as a Top Gun game where you tilt the device back and forth to fly your jet fighter. The games all use the touch-screen interface, and for me that is a little awkward at times. Instead of having a button to mash to shoot guns from my spaceship, I just tap a spot on the screen. I haven't quite gotten used to that yet.

If you have your iPod Touch connected via a wireless internet connection, some games also let you play online against other players. This can be a lot of fun and there are some games made exclusively to play online. Unfortunately, they don't work while I am outside of a wireless network since the Touch doesn't connect via a cell phone service like the iPhone does.

Nano vs. Touch

I listen to my iPod while driving to and from work. Most of the time, it stays in my vehicle unless I take it in the house to recharge or to add more music. What I loved about the Nano was it had big buttons for skipping tracks and pausing the music. I could put it on Shuffle mode and then skip through hundreds of songs until I got to something I was in the mood for. I also liked the big dial wheel for scrolling through the music and I could do it all with one hand.

The problem I have with the Touch is that it doesn't have those same buttons for skipping tracks or pausing or any that. The Touch has the same functionality, but the buttons are smaller and I have to look at the screen to hit the buttons. This doesn't work for me while I am driving. I don't need to look at the Nano to skip a track. On the Touch, I can turn off the screensaver and make it where the screen never blacks out so that I can still get to the controls without unlocking the screen, but then I have to recharge the dang thing every other day.

If you plan on using your iPod in the car, then for safety's sake you are better off with an iPod Nano. It has fewer features, but much simpler controls than the Touch.

Conclusion

The iPod Touch is great and has many of the same features you might find in a laptop computer. I really enjoy my Touch, but just don't get that much time to use it unless I am on road trips or out and about somewhere. Everyone at work is aware of the games and other features available on this device, so I can't sit at my desk and play with it without somebody saying something. When driving to and from work, it's my Nano that gets used because I think it is better for just playing music. There are many pros and cons when comparing the Touch to the other model iPods, and you should decide how you mainly plan to use this device before you buy one.

If you do get an iPod Touch, I highly recommend the Speck PixelSkin case for it.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): won it
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection