Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
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Our Price: $402.45 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: iTouch - very fun - almost, but not quite perfect.
Summary: 4 Stars
The first determination you make is - is the video playback and touchscreen worth $400? I say yes.
Video playback was excellent - I rip DVD's via Handbrake to MP4 then import into iTunes - playback on the iTouch is impressive. Colors and blacks are excellent.
In addition, I purchased a few TV shows on iTunes, which played back with no problem.
Unlike other reviewers, I didn't notice a difference between the iTouch and the other iPods I have (4GB nano, 8GB nano, 80 GB video) when it came to playing back music. The music sounded just as good on the iTouch as the other iPods. I have ripped my CD collection at Apple Lossless and I am using Shure e3c earphones.
Touchscreen - the touchscreen is a gadget lovers dream - I can spend hours flipping through album covers - zooming in on photos, web pages - it is just fun. I don't miss the click wheel at all.
Surfing the web - surfing the web is somewhat of a mediocre experience - yes its a small device, etc etc... but I found the response a little slow - I have 802.11g at my house, so I expected a little quicker response - some web pages were quick, but others took several seconds to load - web pages with low graphics were easy to navigate (NY Times) - while others with lots of graphics (ESPN) the iTouch seemed to have a problem with - especially when it came to zooming in to see a link in a title bar - however, as mentioned, zooming in and navigating on low graphics pages was very easy. Overall, surfing the web was still a fun experience.
Syncing - the iTouch synced with my Mac mini with no problem - calendar, and contacts were all there - so were the pictures or movies I chose.
Why only 4 stars?
I am disappointed that I can't add calendar events to my iTouch - I am also disappointed that it doesn't have bluetooth. I currently have a 'technology' loop - MS Outlook at work syncs via BlackBerry to my Nokia 9300 (phone), which synchs via bluetooth to my Mac Mini - I update one device and all the others sync with the new piece of information (contacts, calendar, mail) - it is disappointing that the iTouch has to remain at the end of that 'chain'. In addition, why can I not put notes in my iTouch? There is a keyboard built in - it just seems like notes could have been in there.
One last gripe - why only 16GB? A movie is just under 2GB - that is only 8 movies - whats up with that? I have 350GB of music and video - why limit this device to 16GB? Not sure who's idea that was...
In summary, it is a fun piece of electronic equipment. If you have the $400, buy it!
Customer Review: Apple sets a new standard with iTouch
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had my iPod Touch for over two weeks. I was one of the lucky people who happened to be at an Apple Store on September 13 when a few iPods arrived for sale. I bought an 8GB iPhone that same day, so I've had two weeks to use both. Essentially the iTouch is the iPhone less the phone.
The beauty of the iTouch is that it's essentially the same size as its 30GB predecessor. It's perhaps a tad longer, a little narrower, and definitely thinner. The defining difference is that instead of a small screen and the clickwheel with the 30GB you have basically all screen with the iTouch.
I own a 30GB video iPod that I've used for numerous trips overseas. I didn't mind the small screen, but always wished for something bigger. The iTouch screen is wonderfully big and exceptionally crisp. My 2 year old daughter could only bear the original iPod screen for 5 minutes before asking to watch on my computer or the TV. She really loves watching her shows on 'her' iPod! Also regarding the screen, I have to say that I love turning the iTouch to watch widescreen.
The touchscreen works very well. The scrolling and 'pinching' features are really cool.
I was somewhat skeptical about the keyboad. Admittedly it took me a while to grow accustomed to tapping on it. As a side note, I should say that for some reason the iTouch's keyboard has been more responsive than my iPhone's pad.
I've tried the iTouch's wireless access at home and various other places. It works great. Youtube runs nicely on the iTouch.
I recently upgraded my iTouch to 1.1.1 adding iTunes. The iTunes interface is much simpler than the desktop version, but it works well. I recently bought a song on iTunes using my iTouch.
The other features such as Calendar, Contacts, and Photos work great.
The one thing that I miss on the iTouch is an an external volume control. It's somewhat annoying to have to use the screen to adjust the volume. Another small issue is the amount of memory, but this is a small sacrifice for the great screen and additional features.
Another missing feature is e-mail access. Naturally you can use the iTouch's Safari browser to access POP and other accounts. However, Apple should have included this built-in iPhone feature. Perhaps Apple will add it in a future update.
At $399 + tax the iTouch is a bit pricey, but for my purposes it's worth every dollar. If you're a current video iPod owner, you'll most likely want to upgrade at some point in time.
Customer Review: iPod touch: Is it worth it?
Summary: 3 Stars
My first iPod was a 3G 10gb. At the time nobody really knew what an iPod was or what it did (to tell you the truth, i really didn't know what it was either but I wanted one). Wow, this was the coolest thing I had ever had. It held my whole music collection in my hands and I could basically take it anywhere. Apple has done it again.
Now, 5 years later, I just bought my iPod touch. I had been waiting for Apple to release a new iPod for over a year because my 3G had finally gave out. To say the least I was quite disappointed with the line-up when I saw them in September. I wanted a cool device to hold everything. My music collection has grown considerably since I got my last iPod (about 6gb to 45+gb). I was excited to hear about the touch but my hopes were lost when I found out how much space it had and the classic had not changed at all except in looks. 16gb is not enough if you listen to music all the time. I have different moods and each requires a different kind of music and, if you want to watch videos also, your space will fill quick.
You may be wondering why I still ran out and got one. Now, I believe, the only reason I have one is because Apple says its supposed to be "cool" which it is cool but thats about it. This is a device that should be able to do much more that just play music. Sure safari is cool but it is no desktop internet browser and half the time will not work on secured networks. Same with itunes store and You tube. I have mild security on my home wifi and Youtube and itunes will not connect but safari will at dreadful speeds. So basically its just a 16gb iPod with a cool looking screen (which, I should say, is really nice to look at but do you really need it?). Apple could make this into a killer PDA but won't. Who knows why, I think they just do not want people hacking their technology and copying it by not offering a SDK (software developer kit).
I will keep the iPod touch a little longer to see if my opinion changes and if it doesn't, I am going to take it back, save $150, and get a classic with a whopping 80gb of space on the cheap one! I listen to music for music, and, although I give into hype like this, music is music when the novelty of the device is gone.
If you want something someone tells you is "cool", go ahead and spend $400 on this and be happy. For me, I just want to listen to music and have all of my music with me. I have a laptop for everything else.
Customer Review: A Huge Step Forward
Summary: 4 Stars
The iPod Touch marks a huge advancement in the digital media player market. It's simplistic UI and extremely fluid touch motions make using it very enjoyable. Unlike older touchscreen devices, you don't simply "click" on something. You can drag it rotate it, etc. as if you were physically interacting with it instead of just moving your finger across a screen. Flicking through huge lists of songs doesn't get old, and zooming in on a photo is always enjoyable.
The touch screen has it's downsides though. Since most people take their iPods with them wherever they go, you'll miss just reaching in your pocket and hitting "pause" or "next" without having to take it out. In the winter this can get quite annoying, taking your glove off your hand to turn the volume down isn't enjoyable. This isn't a problem with the touchscreen itself though, just a limitation.
Most people by now understand how to app system works. You can download them either from your computer or directly from the iPod Touch through wi-fi. The apps are what make the iPod Touch what it is. It takes the iPod to a level beyond a simple MP3 player, it becomes an appointment manager, game system, to-do list, internet browser, etc. In other words, it's almost like having a mini-computer in your pocket. As amazing as it all sounds, it does have limitations (which are again more of a result of the product's main use, not a design problem.) The internet browsing is decent, but I wouldn't want to do anything more than checking up on the latest sports scores or weather on it. It isn't meant to replace your laptop. Apps can be very helpful, but many times you'll have to pay a fee for some of the more popular ones.
Lastly, the design. The iPod Touch rests perfectly in your hands, and using your thumbs to navigate through the screens feels very natural. The all black front and chrome back is timeless, unlike some of the other, more colorful MP3 players on the market. That shiny back, like all iPods, is notorious for collecting an insane amount of scratches. I bought a cover for it called InvisibleShield, which has done an amazing job of protecting it without any added bulk (much better than the silicone cases which are thick, look bad, and collect dust.)
Overall, this product is one of Apple's biggest innovations to date. As technology gets more and more efficient, future models will only continue to get even better.
Customer Review: Few-Cha is NOwwwww!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that I've been an iPod holdout for YEARS. I've tried every wacked-out alternative; some good (Zune 30 GB, Rio Carbon), some not so good (Iomega HipZip? Mini-CD players?) Oof.
I had heard a lot of horror stories about how restrictive the loading process is on an iPod (I've always opted for drag-and-drop functionality), how bloated iTunes is... and specifically, how owners of current models find themselves boned, as Apple generates updated models, failing to support the old ones.
So, it was with a wild burst of extravagant impulsiveness that I plopped down the $400 necessary to appropriate a 16GB iPod Touch. Part of me was hopped up on the idea of the touch screen, the browser, the web apps, and when I heard about the "third-party development kit" that was due for Feb. release, I was doubly enticed. I guess that the real decider was that, up until the iTouch, I never had a "crème de la crème" player; the "Cadillac", if you will.
Simply put, the iPod Touch is the coolest bit of tech I've ever seen or used. I just love it. The software is beautifully designed. Everything flows like honey. From the cover flow, to the video, to the browsing.... silk. The physical design is sublime. Thin, glossy and monolithic. It would take a jackhammer to scratch the screen. The sound is loud and crisp. Some people describe hearing noise when the volume is jacked up, but I just don't notice it. It sounds louder and cleaner than my 30 GB Zune, which gets very high marks for clarity. Now, with the $20 upgrade from iTunes, I've got the Email, WebClips... (those are the two that I care about) .... It's even more of a marvel. I've had PDA's and "smartphones".... They all seem, in retrospect, like clumsy tinker toys compared to the iTouch.
Some whine that the storage is inferior for its price point.... I suppose that's true, but it does so much more... it's so versatile and innovative, that the argument is really moot. There are plenty of options for people who want more storage. I like that it's a solid state device (no HD). I've got 1300 tracks, 1 movie and a season of "Blackjack" on there. That's plenty for me. The bottom line is that I can't stop PLAYING with it! It's just FUN.
Recommended to anyone who loves a cutting-edge gadget.