Since 2007, the iPod Touch has gone through various developments and reinventions of itself. So much so, that by 2010, it was already on the fourth generation (or version). Therefore, for clarification, I will be reviewing the original, first generation (herein referred to as (1G)) 8GB iPod Touch.

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Set up
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The iPod Touch comes with a USB cable, and in order to do anything with your iPod, you will need to have, or to install iTunes. Unlike MP3 players from other manufacturers, there is no flexibility with the iPod Touch as to which software you can use to transfer songs to and from the iPod. However, set up is relatively pain free, as far as I can remember. Your iPod will become linked to your iTunes, and any purchases made will be transferred from iTunes to the iPod (or vice versa) when you connect it to your computer via the USB. You will need to set up an Apple ID account through iTunes if you want to download any apps (free or not) and this will also allow you to buy songs/videos/books etc. off the iTunes Store. I find it quite useful that the Apple ID account memorises your debit/credit card number, so I don't have to go through the hassle of entering in my card number every time I'm buying something. However, if you have an issue with this, then you may want to reconsider buying from the iTunes Store, as there does not seem to be a way in which you can manually enter your card number each time.

Transferring songs from the hard drive of your computer to the iPod is pretty easy. Once you've added the music from your hard drive to iTunes (which can be done by going to File --> Add Folder to Library), and you've connected the iPod via the USB, a 'DEVICES' section will appear in the iTunes bar on the left. Clicking on this not only gives you the option of transferring your whole music library, or just particular songs onto the iPod, but it also shows how much space is left on the iPod, and what is taking up the most space. For example, currently I have 2.1GB of music, 1.39GB of apps, 0.04GB taken up by 'Other', and a further 3.7GB of space free. This equates into about 298 songs and 63 apps so far. In this respect, I would say that someone with an extensive library of music may wish to opt for an iPod with greater memory than the 8GB - I only carry my favourite songs around on it, and you can clearly see that this takes up 25% of the space alone.

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Ease of use
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So, it's pretty easy to transfer songs etc. onto the iPod, but what about using the iPod itself? Well, let me give you a heads up guys - it's ridiculously easy. The iPod Touch (1G) has only two buttons: one at the top for locking the device (and switching it off if held down for a prolonged amount of time), and the circular button beneath the iPod screen, for closing whatever application you're running, and returning you back to the menu. Every other means of navigating is done via the touch screen.

Upon initially using the iPod Touch, there will only be one menu screen, divided into a top and bottom section. In the top section, there are pre-downloaded apps that cannot be deleted, such as the internet browser, Safari, the App Store, Settings, Clock etc. The bottom section consists of four apps: Music, Videos, Photos and iTunes, which also cannot be deleted. However, as you download more apps, more than one menu screen will appear. One menu screen can hold 16 apps, and so to navigate your way through them, you simply slide your finger across the screen, and the menu screen will slide with the direction of your finger. However, the bottom section I mentioned, holding the Music, Videos, Photos and iTunes apps, will always remain at the bottom of the screen, making it easy to select them from any menu screen.

To start up an app, you simply need to click on its icon on the menu screen. You can think of your finger essentially as the cursor you would get on a computer screen, and so you are able to navigate your way through and control apps with your finger. This goes for entering text too. If ever you need to enter text, a QWERTY keyboard will pop up, which I've found is spaced out well enough to make it easy to use, without touching the wrong letter too often.

I also feel it's worth mentioning the WiFi capabilities here. Connecting the iPod to your home router, or to an open access WiFi point while you're out and about is very easy, and gives you the ability to download purchases from the iTunes Store whilst on the move. I've found this particularly useful if there's a song I'm dying to listen to, and can't wait to get home to download it. With songs costing 99p, I feel it is little in the way of a dent in my purse to make these small purchases now and again.

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Sound/visual quality
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As far as I'm concerned, the sound and visual quality of the iPod Touch is very impressive. I don't use the earphones that originally came with the iPod, and thus am not sure if there would be a difference in sound quality if you did. However, for me, sound is crystal clear and intense if you turn the volume up to a mid setting. Unlike later models, the iPod Touch (1G) does not have volume buttons on the iPod itself - the volume is controlled via the touchscreen. While this is fine if you are sat somewhere e.g. on a train, it becomes a little annoying if walking about to have to take the iPod out from wherever you're holding it to refer to the screen itself to adjust the volume. However, I have very little complaint about sound quality itself. I have also listened to audio books on the iPod and have been happy that I am able to hear everything perfectly clear.

In terms of visual quality, the iPod Touch is, as far as I'm concerned, unbeatable. You simply will not find a device that is sleeker in terms of its graphics. It's also great as far as videos are concerned. While I do not use it to watch films off, I have watched YouTube videos on it, and have found them to be of excellent quality. With the higher quality videos on YouTube, you would not be able to tell that the iPod is streaming from a website, as the picture is top quality, both in streaming and pixel quality.

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Battery life
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Battery life varies hugely with this device, depending on how often you use it/what you're using it for. If I am using it just to listen to music while I'm out and about, I find I can have it on standby when it's not being used, and the battery life will last for days. However, if I'm in the midst of an app game addiction, where I can't put the device down, I find that it needs charging on a daily basis. As with most devices, the brighter the screen, the more battery life will be drained, and so there are ways to conserve it. However, according to Wikipedia, the average battery life for the iPod Touch (1G) is 22 hours of audio, and 5 hours of video.

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Price
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This particular model of iPod Touch has been discontinued, due to its bigger and better brothers having taken the limelight. However, the device can still be purchased for around £80 second hand from websites like Cash Generator and eBay.

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My opinion
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I love my iPod Touch. I remember in the days before the Touch devices were introduced, I was firmly an anti-iPod person, and was rooting for the Creative Zen MP3s, of which I owned many. However, having now owned an iPod Touch, I can absolutely see what all the hype is about. The iPod's design is so wonderfully fuss free and sleek, that it makes it a very easily used and transported device. It's incredibly thin, and fits into my pocket with ease, without advertising itself to thieves in the form of a big bulge, which is perfect if I'm listening to music on the go. The only bugbear for some people may be that the glass display screen is incredibly prone to fingermarks. However, screen protectors can be purchased for overcoming such issues, and it doesn't bother me all that much.

One of the biggest draws to an iPod Touch, for me, is that it supports apps. In all honesty, I would say that if you are looking simply for a device that *just* plays music, then look elsewhere. There are far cheaper options on the market, without all the gizmos that rack up the price of an iPod Touch. However, I am firmly an app fan. With many free to download, and the majority of others only 69p, the appeal of the app market is huge to me. The likes of 'Cut The Rope', 'Plants vs. Zombies' and 'Tiny Wings' have become firm favourites of mine. Despite this, my version of the iPod Touch is now limited in terms of what can be downloaded. The highest operating system that is supported on the iPod Touch (1G) is iOS 3.1.3, which is now outdated for a lot of app games. The newest iPod Touch (4G) currently runs iOS 5.0, and developers have obviously cottoned on to this, intentionally making games that target only run on iOS 4.0 and beyond, which is frustrating for people like me. I don't want to have to pay out £160 or so just to be able to play 'Angry Birds', thank you.

Additionally, my iPod Touch does not have an integrated camera, nor a speaker (which the later generations now do). This, however, does not bother me too much, as I would not have liked to have used my MP3 player as a camera anyway, and have not been particularly impressed by the photo quality of iPod/iPhone cameras. The speaker may have occasionally come in useful, but I am not hugely bothered that I can only listen to audio with earphones.

As far as I'm concerned, this iPod is great. I love how easily I can download a song from iTunes thanks to the WiFi capabilities while I'm on the move, and the range of games keeps me occupied if I'm on a long journey. While I am annoyed that I am unable to move past the iOS 3.1.3, I still think that this is a great device, and is worth picking up for the £80 or so it would cost you second hand. Great buy.