jetbluefan1's Full Review: Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) MP3 Player
It was finally time to buy a new iPod. My nano - which I had for nearly two years - was getting old, mean, cranky, and her battery life was starting to go haywire. So I drove my car to Best Buy, found an employee to get me an iPod Touch 16 GB out of the case, went to check-out, paid $299 plus tax, and was on my way out within five minutes. If only your wife could do that with her shoe shopping, eh?
The iPod Touch Second Generation is one of Apple's newest MP3 players, if not the newest. Unlike traditional iPods, it does not have a scroll wheel. Instead, all of its functions are performed with the touch screen, the menu button, or the power button. The slim and lightweight machine is the perfect size to fit into your jean pocket, to place in your handbag or briefcase, or to use as a bulletproof contraption when you accidently stumble through one of those sketchy neighborhoods on a typical Saturday evening. Don't try to deny it.
As I mentioned, the Touch hass a touch screen contraption. It doesn't have a hold button either - something that I have found to be a bit of a curse. When I would run with my old iPod, I could simply press the "next" arrow in order to scroll to the next song on my playlist. This kept me focused on running instead of fighting with my MP3 to change music. However, with the iPod Touch, in order to change songs, you must drag your finger across the screen, then use the touch screen to scroll to the new song. This arguably takes more energy and time than it did with my nano, and though this may not be a problem for all, it certainly is an inconvenience for me at least.
Other than this flaw, I generally appreciate the way the Touch was designed. The menu button allows users to return to the main menu at any time, no matter what application is being used. The power button on top does not necessarily turn the Touch off; instead, it simply darkens the screen - which helps save battery life, or embarrassment from the people around you when they see the Britney Spears album image illuminated on your screen. (I'm just kidding - I have a lot of respect for Britney Spears, and her new album ain't bad.)
One small flaw that the iPod Touch has - which the iPhone does as well - is that at times it hesitates to change the screen image. (This is a problem that I have yet to encounter with my Blackberry Storm, by the way.) For example, if I click on the "Safari" (Internet) tab, it may take two or three seconds for the Safari to open. Though sometimes it happens immediately, at other times there is a hesitation. The same thing sometimes happens when I turn the Touch vertically or horizontally. As you probably are aware, the image on the screen will adjust to the position in which you are holding the Touch. However, at times, it can take up to five seconds for this adjustment to happen. While this is not a deal breaker, it is certainly something that can be approved upon.
My iPod Touch has several applications which I use very often, such as Safari, AIM, Stocks, the calendar, Maps, and - of course - the music. None of these features - except for the music player, of course - can be found on more traditional iPods. The Internet, which relies on Wifi connections, is especially useful. I can access any webpage I wish, and the screen easily zooms into sections which require me to "sign in" or enter a password in order to access a certain part of the webpage. AIM, Stocks, and Maps all require the Wifi connection as well. Music, videos, calendars, and other basic features don't require Internet connection - only battery life. The App Store - which is automatically loaded onto your Touch - allows you to choose from thousands of applications to download onto your Touch. Many of these applications - such as Facebook - are free. More advanced ones require payment.
I easily adjusted to the typing features of the iPod Touch. I had become used to the Blackberry Storm, which requires users to not only touch but also press the screen in order to enter a character. However, the iPod Touch - as well as iPhones - only require users to lightly tap the screen in order to type characters. I can now type on my Touch almost as quickly as I can type on my laptop, and I have only had my Touch for a month now. In order to get used to this typing sensation, the screen enlarges the key which was pressed so that you can easily recognize if you made a mistake or not. One keyboard menu allows you to choose from letters, and the other from characters, symbols, and numbers. I found this to be very user friendly, and I feel that you can pretty much get the keyboard down within a week of first using it. Don't let it scare you off - practice makes perfect!
The only difference between the second generation iPod Touch and the first generation is that the second generation has speakers. These speakers - while not large and meant to be the center of attention at a party - are loud enough that you can use them to play music from your iPod while getting ready to go out, while in the car, etc. The sound quality is rather remarkable for the small size of the speakers. However, beware that if your headphones happen to slip out, the speakers will play the music - and these babies really don't care who's around. So make sure that you aren't listening to Baby Got Back or Cher's Greatest Hits while in front of esteemed people. But, then again, who cares what others think?
A feature that the iPod Touch lacks is a camera. I still do not understand why Apple did not include a camera in this beautiful little machine, and to be honest, I think that the price that I paid warranted such a feature. Wouldn't you agree?
Let's talk quality. Honestly, this is one place that Apple does not skimp out on. The sound quality on this machine is superb. When listening to music, the audio quality is superb - lifelike, almost. This baby also gets pretty loud, but not too loud that your ears will be ringing or that you will have permanent ear damage. Sound quality when listening to music or watching videos is equally good, I am glad to say.
And how about the screen quality? The images are lifelike, and the graphics are 3D. When watching movies (the only movie I have right now is Wedding Crashers - don't judge me), the screen does not freeze, and I feel that the image quality is just slightly lower than my television - even though the screen is so much smaller. Colors are vibrant and I find that watching the screen is a real pleasure; my eyes do not get tired or irritated from staring at something which is rather small.
One last flaw of the iPod Touch is its headphones. Why, oh why, doesn't Apple invest in something at least slightly better? Each time I have purchased iPods (and I have purchased several), the earbuds that have come with them have all been nearly identical. Despite small design changes, I find that the earbuds easily break, fall out of my ears, etc. Thankfully, I invested in a small pair of JVC earbuds for $15, and they are treating me pretty well.
The iPod Touch that I purchased has 16 GB of memory built in. I have 564 songs, and they take up only about a sixth of the total memory. However, the one two-hour movie that I have takes up about a tenth of the iPod's memory. Nonetheless, 16 GB is a lot of storage, and it's definitely enough for someone who wants a decent amount of applications, a couple of movies, and lots of songs. For those who want less or more storage, there is an 8 GB and a 32 GB, and prices are different for these machines as well.
Do note that in order to upload movies onto your iPod, you must purchase them through the iTunes store. I tried burning DVD's, putting them on my iTunes, then uploading them onto my Touch, but I was unsuccessful. However, as far as songs go, any song can be uploaded onto the iPod - it doesn't matter if they were purchased through iTunes or not, though they must be uploaded onto iTunes before putting them onto your Touch. Also do note that only the newest forms of iTunes recognize the iPod Touch. The iTunes software which came with my last nano was not up to date enough to recognize this rocker.
Battery life for the iPod Touch seems to be much better than the battery life that I had with my old iPods. Of course - over time - battery time does decrease, and Apple does not sell batteries separately. However, as of now, I can use the Internet for awhile, go online, check my stocks a few times, listen to a few hours of music, and over half of the battery will still be left. In fact, after watching Wedding Crashers, over half of my battery was still left. Do note that the best way to preserve battery life is to drain the battery often; constantly having the iPod plugged in will actually decrease battery life.
So what are my thoughts? Honestly, I really do like the iPod Touch. Apple has created another masterpiece - though it does have its flaws. While the lack of a Hold button or a camera, the high price, and the sometimes slow responses from the machine are downfalls, they are not enough to deter me from recommending the iPod Touch to others. The features that it possesses are both significant and magnificent; I absolutely love the applications which can be downloaded from the App Store, the Internet works like a charm when there is a strong Wifi signal, and the machine is very user friendly and easy to learn. Further, Apple has not skimped out on quality; the machine is sturdy and well built, the screen and audio quality are of the highest levels, and the MP3 player is by far the sleekest on the market. If you have the money, I certainly recommend purchasing an iPod Touch.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299 Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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