Apple iPod Touch

The announcement by Steve Jobs on 5^th September has caused lot of excitement, as well as some anger. The anger comes from the fact that while 4GB iPhone has been discontinued, the 8GB one will now cause $200 less. The excitement comes from refreshing the complete range of iPod, with a new entry- iPod Touch. IPod touch has generated a lot of curiosity, and interest, and people can hardly wait to get their hands on one. However, it is important to get the facts right, as any announcement by Jobs is bound to create a lot of hype, which may later be followed by regret.

First of all, think about the pricing. Steve Jobs has devalued the phones of all the early buyers by $200 in 8 weeks, not to mention the depreciation bought by the market forces. Though $100 credit has been offered to such early customers, it has to be spent in an Apple store, so in no case are you saving any money. Will Steve Jobs slash the price of Touch during the peak of holiday season, we don’t know? Most probably not, but he will if he is forced by market conditions. Like he recently said in an open letter, the cost of the technology comes down very fast, and this is bound to reflect on the pricing of such gizmos, especially due to tough competition. So if you plan to buy the Touch right now, don’t be disappointed if the prices are slashed in a couple of months.

Now for the iPod Touch itself. Don’t blankly consider it as an iPhone without the phone function. It almost is, but not exactly. It comes in 8 GB and 16 GB models. So if you are planning to upgrade from your older iPod Classic carrying 40 gigs, you will actually be downgrading in terms of memory. It might prove to be a lot difficult for people used to carry 20, 30 or even 40 GB of music and videos with them, to fit their stuff into a meager 16 GB. The good part is that you can now surf the web wirelessly with Wi-Fi on the Safari browser and just like on the iPhone, you should know that the Touch doesn’t have a mail client. So don’t count on checking your mail while on the move, unless you don’t mind opening the browser window, and checking the web mail on the site. One more key thing missing in iPod Touch is the Blue Tooth. There is a confusion regarding the calendar on the Touch. Some Apple international sites are showing that you can make calendar entries, while others are not. According to clarification from apple, you are not able to make entries on the Touch, but only view entries created on your computer, just like the older iPods.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Benefits and Device and Features

Steve Jobs created a lot of buzz on 5^th September at the “Beat Goes On Conference”. But these days, Steve Jobs can create media frenzy even if he decides to comment on an ant! However, the buzz was not without substance. While a certain section of the population was upset with the $200 price cut on the iPhone, the thing that created a lot of interest in the majority of the population was the announcement of launching the iPod Touch.

Initial reviews of the Touch are definitely encouraging. So what are people really excited about? It is mainly the fact that it is the iPhone minus the phone, and most of the features are the same. Thus it has become an ideal toy for all those who can’t buy the Phone for any one of the countless reasons.

The Touch has many salient features that are ‘first’ for any iPod. These include the touch screen, a large 3.5” display, Wi-Fi capability etc. The large 3.5” touch screen display is exactly the same as the iPhone, and it features Cover Flow, which was launched with the iPhone, and has now become a standard feature in all the new iPods, except the Shuffle which doesn’t have a screen. The Wi-Fi capability does prove to be very useful, as the guys at Apple have taken care to integrate three most powerful programs that make mobile internet browsing a pleasant experience. These are- the powerful Safari browser that lets you view the web pages just as you would view them on your PC or Mac; a built-in You Tube player; and the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store that lets you wirelessly buy music online. Apart from this, with their tie up with Starbucks coffee, you can also buy songs playing in the coffee shop, and many others over their free Wi-Fi network.

The only complaint seems to be the limited memory storage, 8GB, and 16GB, especially when compared to the Classic, which reaches 10 times the memory of the Touch. This is mainly due to the limitations of the flash based players as compared to the hard drive based ones. However, the storage capacity is expected to increase over the next few months.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Benefits and Device and Features

iPhone made many people crazy, but not all of them were desperate enough to go and tie themselves up to two years of cell phone service for using a fancy iPod. Now these people can go ahead and buy the iPod Touch, probably the best iPod ever. Here is a list of reason why you should buy the Touch instead of an iPhone

¨ No need to get tied up in a contract. If music is what you are looking for, along with a fancy gadget, then why sign up for a cell phone service?

¨ There are many cell phones that give better phone functions, while the iPod is the best multi media player around. So why not have a better phone that works on 3G, and have high-speed Internet access, if you have to. Get a Blackberry! While you can use this device for all your calling, and communication purpose, you also have the best multimedia player in the market, which is not only trendy, but also an amazing piece of equipment. You get to keep the best of both worlds!

¨ If your touch ever needs to send back to Apple, either for repairs, or battery replacement, you don’t have to worry about losing touch with the rest of the world. Imagine going without your phone for 15 days, while your iPhone gets itself a new battery!

¨ iPod Touch has 99% of the iPhone features. The only major exceptions are the calling service (obviously), and a lack of e-mail support (you can still use any web based mail though, like Yahoo Mail, G Mail etc.).

¨ Touch is lot cheaper than iPhone. And when you add to it the monthly charge you will be paying over 24 months to your cell phone service provider, this difference comes out to be huge!

So if you have resisted buying iPhone till now, then you do have an option. Don’t get tied up with a costly device, and costlier service. Go ahead, buy an iPod Touch this holiday season.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Benefits and Device and Features

With its super-slim and sexy appearance and its wide-screen multi touch display the iPod Touch is truly a Generation X device. Over the years, media players have evolved from being just mp3 players. With the Apple iPod taking over the market, just any other mp3 player is not acceptable. Everyone wants an iPod, be it the shuffle, classic, Nano or the latest iPod Touch. The iPod Touch is the perfect media player because it can play any audio and video format. So with the iPod Touch you are never just restricted to wave, mpeg and mp3 formats. And with its wide screen, watching videos, movies or pictures has never been so much fun. And let’s not forget that you can even browse the Internet on the Touch using wi-fi technology.

Most people think that the iPod touch is much more complicated to use with its multi touch display and miniature parts and strange sounding technology. What most people do not realize is that the iPod Touch is as user friendly as any other Apple ipod, though it does take some time getting used to.

Lets take a look at how the iPod Touch works. There is a single master button on the iPod Touch that is a smaller version of the one on the iPhone. The ‘wake’ button on top of the device is used to turn the power on and off. If you want to use the Internet or pick up radio signals, the wi-fi antenna is right next to the close button. The Piezo is a feature that is new and unique to the iPod Touch. The iPod Touch like every other iPod comes with Apple headphones, which are used for audio playback and are plugged into the jack at the bottom of the device. You cannot use any other earphones or headphones on the iPod Touch because the jack only supports original Apple products.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Benefits and Device and Features

So, I’ve finally reached the crossroads – on one hand, I keep hearing about this new iPod Touch in the market and on the other hand, there is all this hype about the brand new super-sexy iPhone also. I currently have an iPod Video and I want to upgrade to something that’s new and snazzy – something with loads of storage capacity to accommodate my vast music and movie collection. But, as I’ve been researching over the net and checking out the various gizmo blogs online, I’m wondering whether to get myself an iPod Touch or the iPhone.

Since I already have a phone you might think that I’m pretty stupid to even contemplate buying myself another one. But, my phone isn’t as trendy as the iPhone and it doesn’t have half as many features as this device. On the other hand, I’m quite happy with my video iPod but the iPod Touch looks so appealing I just cant resist it!

Most people tend to think that the iPod Touch and the iPhone are actually two of the same gadgets in different packs. While the Touch weighs roughly 15 grams, it is but a few centimeters smaller than the iPhone. As far as battery life is concerned, I learnt that the iPhone has a longer life than the Touch. What’s more, the iPod Touch has the capacity to play up to 22 hours of music and around 5 hours of video, while the iPhone plays at least 24 hours of audio and about 7 hours of video. Since I am a music lover and find myself sleeping the nights away with music playing in the background, the iPhone sure does score more points than the Touch.

The display screen for both these gadgets look very similar. Yes, there are many similarities between the iPhone and the Touch. The difference is that the iPhone is also a phone while the Touch does not have this feature. The similarities include:

· A Safari Web browser

· You Tube video player

· Calculator and Clock applications

· Flash memory (8 or 16 GB for the iPod touch, 8 GB for the iPhone)

· Photo, Audio and video storage and playback

· Headphone and Dock connections

· Calendar and contacts synchronized with the PC

· Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11b/g)

· Access to the iTunes Music Store via Wi-Fi

The costs for the Touch and the iPhone are also very similar. So, if I opt for a Touch I’m getting a gadget that has a wide screen display, wi-fi capabilities and touch sensitive user interface. If I opt for an iPhone I’m getting a phone along with many other features. However, since all I’m looking for is a new and advance music player, the Touch will do really well. But then other features that the iPhone possesses like e-mail and the EDGE network sound very appealing too.

So, which one should I choose over the other? As of now, I’m leaning towards the iPhone, but if anyone can come up with a valid argument for or against my decision, I’d appreciate it if you could share it with me.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Benefits and Device and Features