Ipod Touch

The
good: The
second-generation Apple iPod Touch has it all: music, videos, photos,
podcasts, e-mail, Web browsing, Internet radio, games, Nike+, Wi-Fi
music downloads, and an App Store for adding thousands of custom
features.

The
bad:
The second-generation iPod Touch may be overwhelming to users looking
for a simple music player; audio quality is average; and iTunes
software is required.

The
bottom
line:
The second-generation iPod Touch includes features that are light-years
ahead of the competition, its design has improved, and its price has
finally come down to earth.

Specifications:

Device type:
Portable media center

;

Dimensions (WxDxH):
2.4 in x 0.3 in x 4.3 in

;

Display type:
LCD 3.5 in

;

As the less-gifted sibling of Apple's celebrated iPhone, the iPod
Touch has had to work hard to prove itself. Now in its second
generation, Apple has finally given the iPod Touch a chance to shine by
lowering its price (an 8GB model now runs $229), improving the
hardware, and practically doubling the features from last year's
original model.

Design
Apple's updates to the iPod Touch's design are
subtle, but the hardware has definitely changed for the better. A slim
volume switch now graces the left edge of the Touch, making it easier
to make quick volume adjustments. The chromed steel back of the
second-generation iPod Touch now mimics the rounded design of the
iPhone 3G, giving the device a slimmer profile at its edges. Whether
psychological or by design, the second-generation iPod Touch feels less
fragile than last year's model and makes the plastic enclosure of the
iPhone 3G feel cheap by comparison.

Minor improvements aside, the second-generation iPod Touch hardware
is largely unchanged. Both the first- and second-generation iPod Touch
share the same dimensions (4.3 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.31 inch), same
glass-covered screen (3.5 inch), and same arrangement of headphone
jack, dock connector, sleep button, and home button.

Features

Priced at $229 (8GB), $299 (16GB), and $399 (32GB), the
second-generation iPod Touch still commands a fairly high price
compared with other MP3 players with similar capacities. When you weigh
the price of the iPod Touch against its features, however, the device
becomes much more attractive. Out of the box, the second-generation
iPod Touch includes an amazing music player, podcast support, video
playback (including iTunes rentals and a YouTube player), a Safari Web
browser, photo viewer, an e-mail reader (compatible with Outlook,
Exchange, MobileMe, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, or any POP e-mail service), an
integrated Wi-Fi music store, and a host of smaller utilities (weather,
calendar, maps, stocks, notes, clock, contacts, and calculator).
Provided you can become proficient with its touch-screen keyboard, the
iPod Touch is more pocket PC than MP3 player.

As of version 2.0 of Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch firmware, the
device's stock features are just the beginning. The new iTunes App
Store, accessible from your computer or directly from the iPod Touch,
lets users download and install thousands of applications, including
Internet radio players, games, voice recorders, and social-networking
tools. You can also extend the capabilities of the iPod Touch using
third-party "Made for iPod" hardware accessories such as Bluetooth
transmitters, audio/video docks, external battery packs, and speaker
systems.

The second-generation of the iPod Touch also introduces Apple's
new Genius feature, which lets you create an instant 25-song playlists
based on the musical characteristics of a single song. The Genius
feature is easy to use, and the results are fun, provided your music
collection holds enough songs to make interesting connections. You can
create and save Genius playlists directly onto your iPod Touch, and
with automatic syncing enabled in iTunes you can also transfer them
back to your computer. Oddly, the Touch's Genius feature won't work if
you haven't enabled Genius on your computer's iTunes software. If you
find iTunes' Genius feature too demanding on your computer's resources
or too invasive of your privacy (the feature reports your listening
habits to Apple), then you'll need to live without the feature on your
iPod as well.

If you own a first-generation iPod Touch, you can spend $10 to upgrade
its firmware to include all of the software capabilities (including
Genius playlists) found on the second-generation model. There are three
features, however, that you're only going to get on the
second-generation Touch: a built-in speaker, Nike+
support, and headphone jack microphone input. The speaker included on
the second-generation iPod Touch isn't visible from the outside and its
sound quality is far from spectacular. Despite its poor quality, the
addition of a speaker makes it easier to play games or listen to your
morning podcasts without hunting down your headphones. We're also happy
to see the inclusion of Nike+ functionality considering the popularity
of MP3 players as workout companions. And if you're interested in
making voice memos, an investment in a compatible iPod microphone
headset (due out in October) will allow you to make voice recordings
directly to the iPod Touch, provided that third-party developers begin
creating voice applications specific to the Touch.
We're still disappointed that the iPod Touch still can't stream Flash
video or audio content through its Safari browser; however, many of the
Web's more popular content providers are working around the problem by
creating specific App Store applications for their content (Pandora
Radio and vSnax video are prime examples). We also can't help but crave
the camera and GPS capabilities included on the Touch's close relative,
the iPhone 3G. With any luck, a third-party manufacturer will step in
with some clever accessories.

Source: cnet