Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
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Our Price: $499.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $80.00 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Excellent multi-function entertainment device
Summary: 4 Stars
First of all, there is so little difference between this and the 2nd gen Touch that I opted to get a refurb. Lots of gear is available for the 1st gen and it's now cheaper since it won't fit the 2nd gen as well so you'll save money on cases, etc.
There are a lot of things you can do with a Touch that you can't do with other iPods or most MP3 players. I also have an Archos 605 which is much better for watching videos since it has twice the storage capacity, a bigger screen and will play a much wider variety of video formats. And you'd have to have great vision to try to watch a movie on the smaller screen on the iPod Touch so I only use it for music videos and short films. For video playback I'd have to give the Touch a mere 2 stars, due to it's small screen and very fussy taste in formats, even some files I got thru iTunes won't play on my Touch which just seems foolish to me.
But other areas shine with a Touch. About half the time I use it as an e-book reader and it's vastly superior to the Kindle (which I've tried) and the Sony Reader (which I own). It's backlit screen is a lot smaller but it's extremely portable and comfy in the hand so there's little chance of dropping it and I only need a few lines on the screen at a time so screen size is not a big issue. It's much much faster than the Sony at loading and turning pages and I like being able to switch between portrait and landscape mode, but it is annoying that it does change this on it's own if you move your hand very much. I'd like an on-the-fly way to lock into into one mode for reading. The reader app I use is free so far (Stanza) and has as many features as the reader on my PDA and changing font sizes is done with a quick finger motion which can't be beat. Putting books on the device is more of a pain but that may improve, for the moment it's a tedious matter for each book and again I wish you could just drag and drop files to the device.
It's obviously a great MP3 player but I don't like being locked into the iTunes software which is 'too' easy to use, meaning it requires you to do things Apple's way. Even Windows Media Player 10 is better in my opinion but having the store and apps so easy to get to is a plus. You can organize your music in many ways but I tend to just playback via playlist most of the time. The Genius function is very interesting and a good way to find music you might like based on music you already listen to a lot. There is some flexibility with equalizers but not as much as some other players as far as my ears can tell. I like coverflow and the fact that it starts up on it's own when you turn the device horizontally.
It's also a very nice photo viewer and if you download comics or scan them it's easy to view a comic strip panel in the widescreen display though larger pages are more difficult and require scrolling or amazing eyesight.
I hadn't expected to use it to play games, my choice was between the Touch and the PSP and I opted for a smaller, lighter device and assumed I'd give up a gaming option. But there are a lot of cute and fun games for the Touch, many of which are free or under a dollar right now. It's accelerometer opens up a lot of possibilities for fun and the sharp display makes them even better. They're not complex games like you can find for the PSP but for casual gaming while waiting in line or at a dental appointment it's ideal.
The App store is something I expected to dislike as much as I have always disliked iTunes so I was surprised to find I enjoy browsing for new apps to put on my toy. Some are very silly like a toaster where you just make toast from bread, muffins or bagels, some are more serious like news readers, calculators and mini-wikipedias. A lot of apps have a free version you can try out, usually with a smaller screen or other limitation but it lets you try it out before you buy. Very few things seem to be more than $6-$10 and there is a lot that's under $2. I hope more of my old favorites from my PDA days get ported over and they seem to be selling for a fraction of what they cost on my PDA as well.
You can listen to the radio as well with an app that uses internet radio stations, you can listen to local stations in many cases or even international stations if you're so inclined. Some apps offer stations with a theme such as 80s New Wave or classic country and so on, so you're likely to find something you enjoy and you can listen to the music (or talk) for free just like on the radio.
Using the web or email is very easy with the included apps but it still doesn't support flash videos which is inexplicable and annoying. So many of the videos on the web are in flash I just don't know why they can't make it a supported format on the Touch. There are specialized apps that let you access particular info or websites as well as RSS newsfeeds.
Battery life is better than my Archos, it's much smaller and lighter as well so unless I'm going on a long trip I leave the Archos and Sony Reader at home now and take the Touch and it fills in for both devices, and my MP3 player as well. It's taken me years to succumb to Apple's wiles but I'm glad I did, the Touch does just what I want and it's very easy to carry, affordable and thus far my refurb seems as good as new.
Be sure to get a good case and a screen protector and put them on the moment you take it out of the box to prevent scratches and smudges. I use the Griffin case, I've liked them in the past and the one for the 1st gen Touch is well-made and a lot like putting armor on your new toy. Crystal and silicon cases also work and let you 'wear' the Touch but I attached a lanyard to my Griffin case to make it easier to hold onto instead. If I go running or to the gym I use my Nano fatty since it's smaller but if I walk or use an exercise bike I switch to the Touch so I can read as well.
The multi-touch screen, accelerometer, ambient light self-adjustment and wi-fi are all well implemented and I have no complaint about any of them, they make using the Touch very easy and fun. The screen is sharp and it's a sleek and thin device that drops into any shirt pocket. The headphones are not good but that's always the case with MP3 players so I'd suggest you add a volume control or remote control and keep that plugged in, then add whatever headphones you like. That way you're less likely to wear out the headphone jack which seems to be the main problem owners of the Touch have reported.
Customer Review: Ahhh, finally enough space, definitely a worthwhile upgrade from 8GB!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this 16GB as an upgrade from my 8GB Touch, and what a relief to finally have enough space for all my music and some videos into the bargain! I'm also very happy that this is available at what I consider to be a much more reasonable price for a 16GB Flash player (at $320 which is what I got mine for). So, here's the things I love about the 16GB Touch:
1) Big beautiful screen
2) Touch screen interface
3) Wifi connectivity with Safari, iTunes and YouTube built right into the main screen. Its awesome, I love to watch a few YouTube clips during my lunch break at the spot with the free Wifi.
4) Changeable background, finally!
5) Sleek form factor slides nicely into my pocket.
6) Don't have to use it as a cell phone (ok I'm a little biased against the iPhone, I admit it so its ok).
7) Flips back and forth from landscape to portrait modes depending on how you hold it or what you are viewing.
8) Power/Sleep button, thank you Apple for finally deigning to put a power-ish button on an iPod! Its nice being able to turn off the display at will with a dedicated button.
9) Automatic brightness adjustment, absolute genius!
10) Seems to remember where you left off on every video on the unit, awesome feature I love it!
11) iTunes: for any iPod you have to count the flawless relationship with iTunes as a big plus, you just can't beat it for reliability, ease of use and great features (and believe me I've tried!) And the automatic firmware updates are a big plus. I also like the way you can download calendar and email information through iTunes.
12) Great Now Playing music page, the album art fills the whole screen and by tapping the middle you get immediate access to repeat and shuffle buttons. Now you can now easily shuffle just a playlist, a feature that has been hard to find on previous iPods.
13) Like any other iPod, accessories abound and are easily purchased just about anywhere!
14) Apple customer service is good imo, they stand behind their product and will replace without much hassle as I know from experience.
15) The great new stuff, Notes, Mapping, stocks, you can customize the home page, email, etc.
16) Quick access to play/volume buttons even when its locked (by double-clicking on the home button)... so I can save on the battery and still have quick access while listening to music.
But of course, nothing is perfect. I give this a 5 stars because it is such a great innovation for Apple and a great product, but that doesn't mean that its without flaws and here's the ones I've noticed so far:
1) Touch screen can be a bit frustrating, often doesn't feel me and often I miss the button I'm aiming for with my fat fingers (they feel fat when trying to hit keyboard buttons on that screen anyway!). I understand that this is a "Capacitance" screen which means you can't use a stylus or your fingernail, you have to register firm contact with your flesh on the screen. I have also had occasional problems with the touch screen (or parts of it) locking up. However, a reset (hold sleep and home buttons down at the same time for at least 10 seconds!) of the unit seems to fix the problem every time.
2) Screen flipping: although this is a cool concept it can be annoying sometimes. Occasionally the screen flips as I'm moving around and I didn't want it to. So I sit there twisting the thing to and fro trying to get the alignment I want. Wouldn't it be nice if you could lock it into the perspective you want and it would just stay there (is anybody at Apple listening?)
3) Hard to operate "blind", as I walk around I like to be able to pause/play or adjust volume without having to look at the screen. Very easy to do on my Classic iPod, almost impossible on the Touch. I have to pull it out of my pocket almost every time I want to pause or adjust the volume. I miss having dedicated play and volume buttons, I think it was a mistake to get rid of them... one thing I like about the Archos and Classic!
4) Sound quality is not quite as good as my iPod Classic or my Archos 605, I've tried it on speakers and headphones and the Video has just a little bit cleaner smoother sound especially at high volume.
5) No built in USB port!
6) Customization options for sound EQ and User Interface themes are still pretty limited when compared to a player like the iRiver Clix2.
Overall, its an awesome innovative, trendsetting, and fun product and if you really like having the coolest mp3 playing toys (like me!) and money is not a major concern I say what are you waiting for?
Customer Review: So very close to perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
Apple clearly made some choices about what to put into the iPhone's stepsibling, and not all those choices were good. Some say the ipod Touch is the "iPhone without the phone." (It also lacks the iPhone's camera, microphone and speaker, as well as Bluetooth connectivity.) But although I may be in the minority, I really don't want my cell phone running off the same battery as my entertainment system. My cell phone is mostly for work, and I don't want to worry that every song I play now might mean a missed call later.
The Touch has the same innovative interface as the iPhone, with its multitouch screen and single home button. As I've said, it lacks the phone, which I see as a good thing (although net connectivity via cell networks might be useful when I can't get wi-fi). I also see the lack of a camera as a good thing -- my work has taken me to too many places that make you surrender your camera phone at the door. Although it wasn't available at release, the App Store now means that you can select from thousands of third-party apps that allow your iPod to do things that the iPods of the past could only dream of.
But it could be better. What's the point of criticism if not to point out ways to improve, after all? The iPod Touch doesn't have any form of external storage. It would be great if it had an SD card slot, or some other flash media format. Or even a USB port, so you could connect a hard drive, or maybe even a keyboard. My point is that the only ways to get things into or out of the Touch's memory are via the network and via synching with iTunes. And that is probably why these features don't exist -- Apple chose not to include any such thing, probably because of licensing agreements with application and media publishers, so they could maintain tight control over what data you can move into and out of your device.
I'd say the same reasoning is why they chose not to include Bluetooth, except that the iPhone *does* include Bluetooth. I'm not sure why they left it out of the Touch. But if the Touch did have Bluetooth, that could wirelessly address the lack of a USB port -- you could use a Bluetooth keyboard, perhaps, or Bluetooth external storage, which wouldn't be fast but would be better than nothing.
The lack of an internal speaker and microphone is sometimes a problem. Yes, you can attach external speakers, as with any iPod, but what if I just want to share some funny YouTube video with my friends? I don't want to carry a speaker system around everywhere I go; the point of the iPod is portability. And as for the microphone, the Touch doesn't even have a jack to connect an external mic to. The lack of a microphone means that many network voice chat possibilities are eliminated, including the possibility of using the Touch as a VOIP phone -- and I suspect that Apple's agreement with AT&T that allowed it to make the iPhone may have included noncompetition language that is, basically, the reason why the Touch has no mic.
Another issue is the storage space. Using solid-state flash storage is a better option than hard drives with moving parts, I agree -- you get a more durable iPod. But nobody wants to step down from an 80GB video iPod to an 8GB or even 16GB iPod Touch. Where do you keep all your stuff? Especially with its beautiful screen, great for watching video in a travel context, you'd think there would be more space to put video in. The only reason they didn't double or quadruple the storage space has to be to cut costs. I don't think Apple should be focusing on flash storage until flash storage's prices come closer to having per-gigabyte parity with hard drives.
In the end, the iPod Touch is awesome. But it could be super-awesome, if not for Apple's choices not to include the super-awesomeness because of licensing and legal factors. In my perfect world, the Touch would have a USB port and be able to access media stored on external devices, as well as some kind of flash storage slot, so you could basically have an unlimited media library and connect a keyboard so you could type for real. It should have an internal speaker and mic as well as a microphone jack, so you could use network voice chat and VOIP. And it should really have more storage capacity, at least as much as the video iPods.
And while I'm dreaming, how about some sort of Flash player in Safari?
Customer Review: A very basic PDA and just an OK mp3 player
Summary: 3 Stars
I wanted to upgrade my old Samsung Yepp YP-35H (128 MB) MP3 player and may be also get something that would replace my Sony Clie SJ20 PDA. iPod Touch seemed to be a natural choice, especially as I switched to a Macbook Pro as my main machine lately.
What I realized after first few days of excitement with its beautiful screen, ease of navigation and other nice features was that as I was almost always around my laptop (either at home or in the office), I had no use for most of it's key features, while it missed those things that I would really appreciate.
What I don't find useful:
Video, photos, and the internet. Don't take me wrong, these things are very nice for a device of its size - the screen is brilliant and zooming in and out is awesome. No problem with WiFi connection either. But lets be serious - its still a 3.5 inch screen and you have to use earphones. Why would I watch videos (or photos) on this thing if I can use my MacBook Pro with 15 inch screen laptop and Bose speakers?
What I find not very useful
As an mp3 player it's ok, but not great. Other people complained about lack of external buttons for controls and I agree with that. Adjusting sound volume, returning to a certain point on an audio book is rather awkward indeed.
What I find useful
It's calendar and contacts tools. Its keyboard is rather nice. The quality of it's screen makes working with it a real pleasure. Unfortunately, there is no much you can do with this thing besides using this basic applications and entertainment.
What I miss
A text editor, a simple spreadsheet program, an ebook reader, and a pdf viewer. And for God sake - copy/paste and search functions!!! It just does not make any sense to me that my good old Sonly Clie which is probably 5 years old by now and has 1/1000 of iPod touch's memory storage (16MB vs 16GB) can do MORE in terms of PDA applications (synchronizable notes, a text editor, a spreadsheet, copy/paste, and search functions are all there).
Conclusion:
I feel that iPod touch has a great potential, but it is not realized yet. Unless you are away from your computer for a long time, its video and photo viewing capabilities are not too useful. And for other purposes all its beautiful qualities are not of much use as it has just very basic PDA functionality. As an mp3 player it's just OK because in fact an mp3 player should not be something you look at too much, and iPod touch requires you to look at it to operate (even though it is a pleasure to look at its brilliant screen).
Usefulness of calendar and contacts tools don't justify its price for me - I got a 16 GB version (and that was an overkill as I found out) paying over $400. This is just too much for a thing that only "entertains" you and does not help you much with your productivity.
Now I am again looking for something that will successfully combine an mp3 player and a PDA, or I might buy a refurbished 8GB version of iPod Touch - I guess I can justify spending $200 for such thing, but surely not $400.
P.S. I am aware of jailbreaking, but after paying that much money I don't really want to mess with anything - all I need should be right there.
An update as of Jan 30'10.
I've been using my iPod Touch for a year and a half and truly enjoyed it. But after accidentally dropping it in the water and ruining it, I decided not to come back and get myself an iPod Nano instead. Even there are tons of useful applications (e.g. Mobile Office) and got some of them, I found it being mostly a toy. Probably, 90% of all time that I've been using it was internet surfing and email checking - that would be the first thing to do before getting of bed. But would it really matter if I do that after getting to my laptop after I had my breakfast? At least, not for me.. The major reason I am not coming back to it is that I found myself almost never using it to listen to the music. It is just too bulky for this purpose and hard to navigate. It was a hassle to take to the gym, noticeably heavy for jogging, etc. I think I will be OK browsing the Internet on my laptop, as well as checking my email, and for the music I am going for iPod Nano. May be iPad will work better for me at some point when it becomes more affordable.
Customer Review: Let The Music Play!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just purchased two of these from Amazon, I couldn't believe the price, much better than the apple store, and if you purchase from Amazon, they do have a price matching policy for thirty days. The first one was bought for my sixteen year old son who loves it and swears that it is THE BEST IPod that he's ever owned. I have to agree... I LOVE mine as well, the touch screen, the HUGE screen that shows videos, and the really cool show it gives you with the covers of your mp3s that you have on your Ipod. All very cool. The show..well that's what I call it.. is kind of like you are spinning a rack of the CD's that you own and you're trying to decide which ones to pick so you can listen to them. The only difference between this model and the regular 16 gb Ipod Touch is that this comes pre-loaded with the updates that were made available for all Ipod touch users in January at the Itunes store! This way, you don't have to pay the twenty dollars ($20.00) and download them to your Ipod Touch with the USB cord.
I also love the fact that they redesigned the head phones so that they fit in my ears a little better. I thought the others were too big and always hurt my little ears. They just never fit right. Another thing that you never have to worry about again is that click wheel on the old Ipods, which was always one of my major complaints with the older models. I really hated that feature and always "clicked over" or "clicked past" something I wanted. So, needless to say, I'm so not sad to see that go!
I've owned quite a few Ipods, as well as my son, and now the only complaint I have is what to do with our old ones! : )
The new Ipod Touch is just beautiful to look at. It's a great conversation piece and it keeps you occupied for hours. If you are a music lover, an Ipod is a must. Watching videos and the like isn't a chore anymore...with a too small screen to enjoy the actual video...it's like the OLD MTV. Remember when they actually ONLY played VIDEOS?? : )
I love the easy interface and set up of these mp3 players. Anyone can use it. It's easy to update your Ipod with the songs you want and the ones you want to remove. The new You Tube feature is very cool as well. Just type in what video *or whatever you'd like to watch* and there it is, on your screen, for free! I love the fact that I don't have to go on my computer to purchase songs if I don't want to and can do so wirelessly with the WiFi feature it's made quite simple. That was a big plus when deciding to buy.
I also understand that besides being able to RENT movies on this little Ipod, they are also going to have new updates every now and then that you can buy to make it a little better. The newest update package for January includes the Weather, Stocks, Email, Maps and Notes. These applications can also be bought in the itunes store just like the movie rentals. Awesome! You can also move the keys around on the front of the touch screen to better suit your needs as well. I LOVE THIS THING! I am sure there will be much more to come, but I can't say it enough...that I Love it and I Love it the way it is. But I have to admit, the more I can do with it, the better it seems. I'm so happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone.
So if you are thinking of getting one, contemplating the amount of money spent, it's worth every penny! No regrets. Oh and the GB thing. whether it's 8 or 16, It's really hard to fill up that much space with just music and videos. I've had the larger capacity ones and never came close to filling it. I have over 660 songs on my Ipod, along with videos and it's not even close to being half full. *we have the 16 GB*
My son did drop his last one, right on the corner, I believe that's where the glass is the most vulnerable. So, my reccomendation to protect this beauty is a smart and really gorgeous looking case by DLO. It's a black leather case, very nice quality leather, and it has a flap that goes over the entire Ipod with a magnetic closure. It has access to the charging and headphone openings while closed and when you open the cover, you have full access to the touch screen and it will NEVER fall out. This is by far the best case I have seen for this item.
I would highly recommend the iPod touch by Apple to anyone who LOVES music!