Much more than a music player (Apple iPod touch (2G) 16 GB)

Member Name: illogicology

Product:	Apple iPod touch (2G) 16 GB
Date:	13/01/09 (153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of applications mean limitless fun, great video playback on big screen, good touch screen

Disadvantages: Sacrificed storage space for slim form, Classic iPod could be better value for some people

When I was a kid I was obsessed with the idea of having a handheld computer. Through the years I bought just about every piece of technology that seemed close; gameboys, PDAs and early palmtop PCs. The iPod touch was the latest purchase in that direction and I think it has been a real winner.
While the touch isn't as flexible as palm pilots and mini machines equipped with windows mobile or other systems, it is a real success for the price.
One of the best features of the iPod touch is its web capability. The touch will connect to most types of household wireless networks and this can be used for a variety of features. Equipped with a very well configured touch screen and desktop quality web browser, the ipod touch is the best handheld I have ever used for web browsing. While certain plug-ins are out of the question (including flash) it is the way that the touch handles the vast majority of websites that really scores points. Unlike other handhelds, websites display exactly as you'd expect them to on your main computer. The touch screen is comparable to using a mouse and a simple double tap zooms into an area. The touch can also access iTunes through the wifi and download music straight to the flash memory. Connecting to a PC or Mac later, you will be given the option to transfer any purchases to your hard drive.
The touch also comes with applications for maps, stock trackers, weather forecasts, a calculator and other useful bits. Connecting to the app store, new applications can also be bought. These ranges from games to office type tools and organisers. The range of applications is impressive and includes many free downloads worth adding.

After the iPod touch's functions as a portable computer it is also a tremendous media player. Up to the usual iPod standard, the touch organises your music and even shows album covers in a scrolling bookcase style interface for selecting tracks. The standard track listing is also easily accessed for viewing full track information. Several equaliser settings are available to choose from and they are good for most situations though they could be more flexible.

Particularly good is the touch's video playback. Due to the general lack of buttons, the touch has a much larger screen than most ipods and watching full widescreen playback on a portable device is very satisfying. The screen has a good resolution for the size and a decent quality file will look just as good on the touch.

The only real drawback to the touch is that it has been fitted with flash memory in order to create a slimmer profile. While the classic ipod came with a snug little hard drive and had storage often well over 50gbs, the touch is limited. The 16gb model will be sufficient for some who have large collections of music but do not plan to upload many videos. However, I use my touch for storing music, videos and a large amount of audio books and radio productions. I would consider upgrading to the 32gb model but I feel the 16gb still represents the best model for price ratio.

If you're looking for a little entertainment machine to keep you busy whatever the occasion then the iPod touch is the way to go. However, if you're strictly after an mp3 player then you would probably be better off with the iPod classic.

Summary: A fully featured handheld device that is fun and great quality but might just be extras for some

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Features:
Sound quality:
Download speed: