Customer Reviews for Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) [Previous Model]

Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) [Previous Model]
by Apple Computer

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) [Previous Model]

Customer Review: Ipod Touch: Compared and Contrasted
Summary: 4 Stars

So I finally gave in and bought one... thanks to my Tax rebate. Why I waited this long is a mystery. It probably had to do with the fact that I already own 3 other Mp3 players (not including my Blackberry flip... which does play mp3s too) and that the Ipod Touch isn't the most "affordable" piece of technology. Whatever the case may be... I absolutely have no buyers remorse about this purchase. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not an Apple fanatic. I don't even own a Mac computer. I consider myself a PC guy... I like upgrading my own stuff, it's more fun that way. But I've known for a very long time that what Apple excels at is "user interface" and "innovative designs". The Ipod products illustrates this fact very well. Which Ipod? Well, all of them! Each is innovative and easy to use in it's own unique way. But the one I'm reviewing today, is the Ipod Touch.

I picked the 16GB current 2G (second generation) version. I figured that 8GB wasn't enough memory for me, and that the 32GB was a bit over-priced. So, sweet 16 was the one for me :)

So, I know that if you're looking to buy one... you have some questions on how it compares to the previous generation (1st generation) version and how it compares to the iPhone. Here's what I gathered from my research:

How it differs from the first generation Ipod Touch:
The 2G Ipod Touch evolved a bit from the 1st Gen Ipod Touch. The 2G actually has a slightly thicker design ( .33 inches vs .31 inches) than the 1G. I believe the 2G is thicker because they put a larger battery in the 2G. This results in a longer maximum playback time (36 hrs vs 22 hrs for mp3 playback) before it needs to be recharged. Also, the 2G version has built in speakers... something the 1G lacked. I believe the screen resolution (number of pixels) and size stayed the same though.

How it differs from the Apple iPhone.
There are a few things that set it apart from the iPhone. The most obvious difference is that you can't make phone calls on the Ipod Touch (duh!). Actually, this isn't entirely true... you could theoretically use an external mic to make phone calls using "Skype" or other "Voip" methods (but we won't get into that in this review). Other differences aren't so obvious. For example, the Ipod Touch doesn't have a built in microphone like the iPhone does. It also lacks a camera, microphone (but you can add an external one), proximity sensor, assisted GPS, and Blue-tooth (But this may be temporary... see notes for details). Also, the Ipod Touch is available in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB models. The iPhone is only currently available up to 16GB (but the 32GB upgrade is expected to be unveiled in June 2009)

What it shares with the Iphone is a similar size and resolution multi-touch screen, built-in speakers, volume buttons on the side, accelerometer, home button, Mp3 and video playback, similar body dimensions (the Ipod Touch is a bit slimmer than iPhone), and the ability to play most Apps from the Apple Store that the iPhone can. Naturally, the Apps that require the use of a camera or 'assisted GPS' won't work on the Ipod Touch. The included "Maps" App does use Wifi to zero in on your current physical location though... and can give you directions to an address, but not in "real time, turn by turn" instructions like GPS can.

Features on Ipod Touch:

* 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
* Available in 8Gb, 16GB, and 32GB options
* Accelerometer
* Password protection (optional)
* 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 163 pixels per inch
* Dedicated volume, power, and center Home button
* Dock connector
* Built-in Speaker
* 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
* Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and internet browsing with built-in Safari Broswer
* Nike + iPod support built in
* Support for 480p and 576p component TV out
* H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
* Built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
* Playback time
o Music playback time: Up to 36 hours when fully charged
o Video playback time: Up to 6 hours when fully charged

Pros:
-Amazing Multi-touch Screen Interface
-Beautiful Screen, sharp and vibrant colors. Brightness is adjustable.
-Plays most Apps from Apple Store (many Apps are Free!)
-Plays mp3s and Video files
-Built-in Speakers
-Dedicated volume, power, and home buttons
-Built-in Wifi and Web Browser (both of which work very well)
-Password protection (you can even set it up to erase your data after 1o failed password attempts)
-Very slim and pocket-able/portable

Cons:
-No Bluetooth (see notes)
-No Microphone (see notes)
-No Camera
-No GPS
-Battery life could be better... I have to recharge it everyday. Integrated battery is a hassle when it finally loses it's ability to recharge someday. You'll have to take it to Apple to get it replaced.
-Screen is prone to scratches/damage... so invest in a case that protects it!
-No expandable memory (a Micro-SD expansion slot would've been great)

Conclusion:
The 2G Apple Ipod Touch is an amazing piece of technology with stellar user interface and multiple functionality. It's more like a futuristic "swiss army" knife than an Mp3 player. That's largely because of the fact that it's functions evolve with the current applications that are available for it. There are thousands of apps available (many of them are free) and there are constantly more being made by companies and individuals large and small. This spirit of "innovation" is the key to it's success. Not many devices out there illustrate the idea of melding form and function as well as the Ipod Touch does. This not only makes it a great gadget but truly a thing of beauty. Still.... there is room for improvement (as with anything in lilfe)

Important Notes:
There's a few extra things I'd like to mention about the features on this 2G Ipod Touch. Even though there isn't an integrated Microphone (like on the iPhone), you can still use many of the Apps that use a Mic (like Shazam!) by plugging in an external Mic. Before you go out and buy one though, you may actually have one laying around that may work for you. For example, if you have a hands-free headset for your cell-phone that uses a head-phone jack and has an integrated mic inside of it... you may be able to plug it in and use it as a Mic. The one that came with my Blackberry Flip phone worked amazingly well. They also sell external mics that look like little pill capsules that plug into the headphone jack that you can buy.

Also, even though there is no "Blue-tooth" function currently on the 2G Ipod Touch... Apple announced that the new software upgrade ( iPhone OS 3.0) will activate the Blue-tooth Chip that is already inside the 2G Ipod Touch. This will enable Blue-tooth functions as well as FM radio support! When this will happen? Only Apple knows... but hopefully soon!

Customer Review: Works great as a replacement for my Palm TX
Summary: 5 Stars

For the past seven years I have used various Palm handhelds. When my Palm TX recently became unusable, rather than spend any more money on repairs or buy a new unit, I decided to buy the iTouch 16 GB second generation. With all of the applications currently available, the iTouch has been able to serve as a great pda and do everything that the Palm TX did for me plus much more.

I am writing this review to share my many hours of research as to using the iTouch to replace a Palm pda. I used to sync my Palm TX with a PC whose OS was Windows XP Pro, but now sync my iTouch with iTunes on a Mac using Leopard 10.5. I mention this because there are other possible setups, so you may have to modify what I say depending on your own setup. Make sure that you are using the most current version of Palm Desktop whatever setup you have.

Contacts
Over the years I have accumulated thousands of names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. that were grouped into different categories. In order to export them from my Palm TX to the Contacts on my iTouch, I did the following:
1. On my Mac I set up various groups in the Address Book (e.g. Personal, Business, Medical, Financial, etc.).
2. As to each group I did the following:
a. Open Palm Desktop on my PC, open contacts, highlight all of the contacts that I wanted in a specific group.
b. On Palm Desktop click on File, Export vCard. A popup appears titled "Export As". Name the file, for convenience select your desktop as the destination for it to be saved, and click the export button on the right of the popup.
3. Email the saved file from your PC to Mac, and drag it onto the desktop of the Mac.
4. Open Address Book on the Mac, highlight the group in Address Book into which you want to import the file, then click on File, Import, vCards, and select the file that you just dragged onto the Mac desktop. Those contacts will then be imported into the group that you have selected in Address Book.
5. When you are finished doing this for all of the different groups, Sync iTouch with the Mac using iTunes. All of the groups and contacts in the Address Book will be transferred to the ITouch.

Memos

This is a bit trickier.
1. Sign up for a free account with Toodledo on the web.
2. Buy Notebook from Appigo in the Appstore. It currently costs $4.99.
3. Open Palm Desktop on the PC, open Memos, click on File, highlight all memos you want (on Toodledo if you click Notebook, you can set up different groups for your memos, e.g. Computer issues, Auto expenses, etc.) Export, name the file, save it to the PC desktop, and click Export in the popup window.
4. Follow same procedure as above re Contacts to get the saved file on the desktop of your Mac.
5. In Toodledo, click on the Notebook for the group that you created, then Import, then CSV Notebook Import, then select the file on your desktop.
6. Open Notebook on the iTouch, tell Notebook that you have an account with Toodledo, and sync it by pressing the circle arrow icon in the lower left hand corner. This requires a wireless connection.

Calendar

My calendar was very cluttered so I started from scratch. However you can use Google to find out how to import a calendar from a Palm.

I recommend the following:
1. Set up a free account on Google Calendar. You can create multiple calendars that show up in different colors (e.g. red for Home, green for Work, etc.).
2. Install a program called BusySync (you can try it free for 30 days, then it costs $25).
3. BusySync automatically syncs my Google Calendar with iCal on my Mac, which I in turn sync with iCal on my iTouch using iTunes. It is very convenient. It doesn't really matter whether I make my calendar entries on Google Calendar, iCal on my Mac, or iCal on my iTouch because everything stays in sync.

To Do List
I never really used this on my Palm, instead preferring to enter my tasks on the calendar. However, once again you can use Google to find out how to import Palm tasks onto the iTouch. Using Toodledo, it is similar to importing memos.

There are three main ToDo applications for the iTouch available in the Appstore: Toodledo, Remember the Milk, and Appigo's Todo. All work in conjunction with the web pages of either Toodledo or Remember the Milk.

Movies
Converting DVD's to movies was always a pain on the Palm TX. There are two free applications (you must install each) that make conversion easy on the iTouch. Those applications are Handbrake and VLC Media player. Make sure you install the latest releases.

Splash ID and Splash Shopper

These were two of my favorite applications for the Palm. Splash ID stores user names, passwords, and other info for hundreds of different sites that I access. Splash Shopper is a great tool for organizing your shopping trips.

You need to have these installed on both your desktop and iTouch. They are not free, but are well worth the money.

Splash Shopper I did from scratch because the lists on my Palm were cluttered, and I didn't bother to see if there was a way to export my data to the iTouch. For Splash ID, follow the these directions:
1. Download Splash ID desktop for Mac (no charge if you already have the latest version for Windows) and create whatever groups you want. Then for each group proceed as below.
2. Open Splash ID on Palm Desktop, highlight desired items, click File, Export, Splash ID (version 3.x), Export Selected Records, OK.
3. In the popup window name the file, save it to the PC desktop. A popup appears that says Get Password; leave it blank and press OK. You should get a message saying "The file export process was completed successfully."
4. Email the exported file from the PC as an attachment to Mail on the Mac.
5. Download Splash ID from Appstore and set up password.
6. Make sure Splash ID on desktop is open, then click on the file that you emailed from your PC, and Splash ID should ask if you want to import it.
7. Sync your iTouch with Splash ID on the Mac desktop.

PDF files
There are many programs that will let you read pdf files on your iTouch. I purchased one called Readdle from the Appstore.

Obviously new software products come out daily. The bottom line is that if you have been a Palm user and want to switch to an iTouch, there is plenty of software to make the transition possible, and to enable you to use the iTouch as a pda that is even better than your old Palm unit.

Update Jan. 6, 2009: eBooks
I had purchased dozens of eBooks from eReader.com over the years to read on my Palm TX. There is a free program called Stanza that you can download for the iTouch that gives me access to these books. Open the Stanza online catalog, click the + sign to add a site, and in the URL for the new site type mobile.ereader.com. Once you are directed to the site, enter your logon information and voila, you will have access to all of your eBooks, which can be downloaded onto your iTouch.

Update April 6, 2011: My iPod Touch still works fine. Since my last update many new applications have come out. For example, there is a Kindle application that lets me read a Kindle book on my Touch (say when I'm on line at the store), and when I get home and open up the same book on my Kindle 2, it syncs to where I left off on the Touch--and the same thing works in reverse. I do not miss my Palm TX at all, and am very happy that I made the switch.

Customer Review: Awesome, of course, but not perfect
Summary: 4 Stars

First of all, Amazon got this to me right on time, and despite some pretty confusing tracking going on in the shipping process (my iPod seemed to travel backward in time and space several times, showing up in cities further away from me at earlier dates than had already passed) it showed up at my door right on time. I bought it refurbished, and the product quality was excellent; the screen was completely clear, with no visible markings. The back was a bit scuffed up, but who freakin' cares, I keep it in a speck case anyway, so it's not like I ever see the back.

Alright, it goes without saying that the iPod Touch is pretty cool. It's an iPhone without the phone. There's a whole lot of great things to say about it, and many great things have been said, so to avoid reiterating what you'll see everywhere else I'll just point out the few things that could have been done better.

I really don't understand why there aren't physical track control buttons on the side or top of the iPod somewhere. Apart from the hold/lock button, the volume controls and the large "back/home" button, there aren't any buttons on the iPod at all - which is kinda cool, but it's really rather a nuisance to have to take the iPod out of my pocket, unlock it and push the "next track" or "pause" button every time I want to skip a song or pause to, say, answer my phone or listen to my boss. I discovered after a while of using it that you can access a simplified music control panel while using any other application on the iPod by quickly pressing the "home" button twice, which is nice. It was a bit of a pain to have to close whatever I was working on (safari, whatever) and go to the music section to change tracks, but now I don't have to do that, so no complaints there.

The only other hardware gripe I really have about the iPod is that it doesn't come with a camera and microphone. I realize that these are iPhone features, but I see no reason why they should not be iPod features as well. I'd like to be able to use my iPod to record voice notes and take pictures, and there are all sorts of cool apps that use the camera and microphone that I just can't use. There's technically an ability to connect an external microphone or camera, but who the hell is ever going to do that? You can even see the spot on the back of the iPod where the camera goes on the iPhone. I want to be able to use the barcode scanning app, or the music identifying app, among others, but I can't because I don't have a camera or microphone. So you'd say "why not get an iPhone," but I don't have AT&T and I'm not going to switch services just to get an iPhone, especially when AT&T has crap service where I live. Besides, the phone kills the battery life, from what I've seen. My iPod has ungodly battery life - it will last for 2+ days of moderate use on a single charge, and my aftermarket car stereo (which I got on Amazon as well) charges my iPod every time I get in the car.

As far as software tweaks, there's a few things that bother me a little bit. First of all, I really wish there were a way to truly create and edit playlists from the iPod itself. This seems to be a feature lacking in every mp3 player I've ever used, and it's as annoying as ever. I really just don't see why I can get on the internet, watch movies, play games and watch stocks from my iPod, but I can't make a new playlist and save it or edit the playlists already on there. The "On-the-Go" playlist works, but that's just another confusing factor: the functionality is obviously available to edit playlists, so why can't I edit and make new ones? Weird. In sort of the same vein, the iPod (and iTunes as well) is lacking a "now playing" playlist or queue. Frequently, especially when I'm on long drives or using my iPod for party music, I'd like to be able to queue up songs to play "right after this one", or "at the end of the queue". Even just being able to add a song to the end of the "On-the-Go" playlist easily would be nice, but you have to go into it from the "playlist" menu, hit "edit" and find each song you want to add to it from that menu. I want to be able to do this while I'm scrolling through the big spinny album changer and something strikes my fancy, not from the playlist menu. In a lot of the other parts of the iPod software, namely Safari, you can bring up a list of alternate options by tapping and holding on an item. Why can't we do that with songs?

I also seem to have trouble downloading and saving images from the internet on my iPod. It's odd; I can go to a site that has a picture I'd like to use, say for the background, and you hold your finger down on it to bring up an options menu (as mentioned before - apple seems to slowly be understanding the concept of an easy-to-use "right click") and tap "save image", but even if I load the picture in full quality, it winds up being trash quality when I save it, making it impossible to zoom in to use a certain section of it as a background. It has no problems if I download said picture on my laptop and then send it over, but I can't seem to figure out how to save a picture in full-quality from the iPod itself. And on a semi-related subject, YouTube tends to load pretty poorly from WiFi as well. I'm not sure if this is due to the limitations of the iPod WiFi hardware or a software problem, but I usually have to let videos buffer if I want to play them smoothly.

Oh, and it would be really sweet if you could open up the back and add micro-SD flash memory cards to increase the size of the iPod, but knowing Apple and their "customers keep your dirty plebeian hands off our hardware" policy, that's a dream that will never be fulfilled. Oh well, 16 gigs is plenty for all the music I care to listen to and quite a few apps and movies. I have to keep some of my music off of it to make it fit, but it's mostly crap I got from friends and never listen to anyway, so I don't really care.

Right, so that's about it. No major complaints, just a few things that could be done better; the iPod Touch is far and away the coolest and funnest (is that a word now? I'm seeing it everywhere) mp3 player on the market. They've definitely come a long way since the hulking white bricks with the black-and-off-white LED screens and constant bugs and battery problems of the first generation. Definitely worth at least 4 stars, and hopefully the software issues will be fixed in future updates.

Oh, and as an afterthought, iTunes sucks. It's slow-loading, cumbersome and non-intuitive bloatware. I'd eschew it completely for MediaMonkey if I could load apps from it, but MediaMonkey doesn't do apps (and probably never will) and the current version (3.1.0.1256) doesn't sync with the 3.0 version of the iPod Touch/iPhone firmware yet. Oh well, sad story, but maybe someday iTunes will stop sucking. I can dream, right?

Customer Review: An Honest Review
Summary: 4 Stars

This review will be done in parts as I have only had this player for one week. I will give my first impressions, and I will later on modify what I find not to be accurate.

The main reason why I bought this little device was for its excellent quality for web-surfing. I have used many devices over the years, and this is truly one of the best web experiences out there. However, this feature is not without its flaws. The browser (Safari) does not support flash, nor does it have an audio player.

Because of this many have turned away from the ITouch and gone somewhere else for internet surfing. More and more sites are transitioning to a platform which supports the Itouch/Iphone, but not every site will be doing this. I don't understand why apple won't allow Flash on the player since Adobe Acrobat has already developed the damn thing. Flash support really does not matter to me as I use the device mainly for emailing, news, and reading - when it gets here, if it gets here, then I will welcome it. As of now, I can live without it.

Evidently the Ipod line is a line of audio players. One would expect great sound quality from this impressive piece of technology, but that is not the case. I'm not an audiophile, if I were I wouldn't be listening to compressed music. But my ears do recognize a good source of sound and this second generation ITouch is not one.

I own two other mp3 players - a Creative Zen Vision M and a Cowon D2. My headphones are an On-Ear Bose, a Creative Aurvana X-Fi Noise Cancelling Headphones, and a Jays-q-Jays selling for $170.00, $299.00 and $240.00 respectively. Their fidelity when reproducing music is astounding! Each one of these pieces sound close to perfection when used with my computer sound card, and they also sound pretty darn good with both the Creative Vision M and the Cowon D2.

I wish that was the case with the iTouch. The audio sounds flat and lacks the warmth I get with other players. It's not as surrounding and enveloping as other players in the market. The itouch sounds fine with the included earphones, but if you're going to spend more than $90 for a decent pair then you'll definitely be disappointed. While the trebs and mids are somewhat acceptable, the bass response is simply too weak. And as if in an attempt to anger its users even more, Apple doesn't even throw in an equalizer.
Is that really so hard? It is definitely not acceptable for an MP3 player of this category to have such a bad sound quality - my only real complaint, and the reason for the four stars and not five. One can certainly get around the iTouch codec limitation (support for only mp3's and acc's) by converting entire libraries as I did, but the sound quality is a real problem - there's no getting around that.

I can only describe the touchscreen response as simply phenomenal. It is that good! What the iTouch does not have in sound, it has in innovation. Every other function is performed exceptionally well. This is certainly more of a small PC, than an mp3 player. There are tons of applications which I have yet to try, and the few I have are really good. Writing and receiving email is a really pleasant experience. I wonder what new applications will be released and for what other uses this little thing will serve.

Update:
I have been using the Itouch 16GB for a week and a few days now, and I have had two freezing experiences so far. The first happened while writing an email and listening to music at the same time. The player froze and none of the buttons responded - it remained frozen until it was connected to my PC. The second happened when the player would not turn on - nothing happened, not even the Apple logo. The battery was only half way depleted, and I still can't figure out why it failed to start. I also had to plug it in to a PC for the player to respond. I didn't try a hard reset by holding down the power and home buttons, but I'm sure an opportunity will show itself.

Update December 8th:
In response to a question by E. Ventura regarding the Itouch and D2's touchscreen, it must be said that no other device out there (leaving aside the new Archos which also has a pretty good touch interface) comes even close to the interface being currently used by Apple. The Itouch/Phone's touchscreen is simple phenomenal! It takes me decades to reach the different levels in the D2 - it takes me a few clicks to get what I want with the Itouch. I can't really find a downside to it.

Leaving aside the touchscreen's potential, I'm here really to complain about a few more things. I've come to hate some features about the Itouch application/music player. It lacks many options which I find in my other dedicated audio players. Since the Itouch is more of a small computer, I wonder if some company or even Apple could develop another music application to replace the "music" icon. Here's a list of things I'd like to do which are universal in almost all mp3 players, but not the itouch:

* Create on the go playlists, rename them, and delete them without the need for a pc.
* Access my files hierarchically - a folder view of all my mp3's as they are in my computer.
* Delete files on-the-go and have them deleted from my Itunes library.
* Have a dedicated equalizer to "somewhat" make up for the sound quality.
* Have an integrated FM - not the application-via-web FM and be able to record streaming audio.
* Have an integrated microphone for recordings.
* Have a storage disk function.
* Have a greater audio/video codec support.
* Have an SD-card expansion slot.
* Be able to sync the device with the library using a wireless connection.

I've also found that most of my roommate's made-for-ipod devices do not work with the Itouch. Now, isn't that a slap in the face? One of the reasons why I went for an American, and not for a Chinese or Korean company when buying a new mp3 player was for device and accessory support. This is simply ridiculous and illogical - if they have the same dock, then they should work.

Also the Itouch can not be used as an external portable drive (again, WHY?), but some applications allow for the device to be used as an over-the-air drive, thus serving the "same" purpose. This is innovation at its best. I've also been using the device as an e-book/PDF reader, a scientific calculator, a dicitonary/translator and a chess opponent. The Itouch is so good with everything else, but not music. Perhaps if enough costumers complain, they'll raise the bar and make the desired changes.

Customer Review: Excellent Multimedia Device!
Summary: 5 Stars

Pros:
-Multi-touch navigation
-Incredible thinness
-Nice, 3-inch screen
-Wi-Fi
-Great video quality
-YouTube
-Mobile OS X
-18 Languages Supported
-Thousands of applications at App Store
-Average sound quality
-Great iTunes software
-Email
-Speakers

Cons:
-Ultra fingerprint-prone aluminum backing
-Terribly scratch-able backing
-Hard to use keyboard
-Speakers have under OK audio quality, but too quiet
-Apps are very expensive at times
Summary: I had purchased my first generation Touch a week before this new second generation was released, but I was able to return it to my local Target.

Physical Specs

The entire front is just a beautiful, big, 3 in. screen. There are only three buttons, a small circular home button on the front, useful volume controls on the left side, and a power button on the top. It is only 8.5 mm thin, 4.3 in. in height, 2.4 in. in width, and 4.05 oz. Although thicker than the first generation, the contoured edges and curves, it feels even thinner and feels better to grasp. On the back there is Apple's signature aluminum backing that wraps around the front for a nice chrome bezel. I was disappointed at first for replacing the nice dark rim, but the new rim is thinner and looks better than the iPhone. On the upper left there is a newly shaped Wi-Fi antenna. It is shaped like a oval and is more attention grabbing to me. Although you can see yourself with the reflective backing, after a week of use, you won't be able to. Even putting it on any surface, the back will gain a couple scratches. Coupled with the greasy smudges produced by your fingers, the backing is a sight for sore eyes after a month of use. I suggest an invisible shield.

I remember watching scratch test videos online for the indestructible first generation screen. I was amazed. I was soon amazed with the screen so I never put a screen protector on. There were no scratches. Unfortunately after a week I got the second generation iPod Touch, there was already a scratch. No biggie, right? It's very small and all, but if you go to a bright graphic, it clearly deteriorated the screen around it. The home button also has a much cheaper feel. The click feels completely different, and the sound it produces does not sound good.

On the side there are volume controls that are quite helpful. Unfortunately, they are not very easy to click. Interestingly, if the iPod is switched to landscape mode, the volume controls don't switch with the direction. In other words, when tilted, the left volume control would raise the volume, and the right volume control lowers it. I wouldn't think of it as a bad thing though, just personal preference.

At the bottom there is a USB connector for syncing and charging, and one headphone jack. There is also an internal speaker that seems to have audio coming from the USB connector.

Software and Performance

With a mobile version of OS X, it is just like the iPhone without the phone features. Released with the new product was software version 2.1. Everything is done by navigating with touch, and is very simple and fun to use. Multi-touch is also possible on the BEAUTIFUL screen made of glass. Audio is average by headphones, but only if the dreadful provided earbuds are replaced. The internal speaker doesn't sound like complete crap, but is so quiet, the only way to hear it is to have no ambient noise. Video quality is beautiful and sharp. Movies, TV shows, and music videos can be bought from iTunes at reasonable prices.

An Application store was released from software version 2.0, and allows further customization with applications such as games, utilities, and many other possibilities. Official game licenses release games, like EA, THQ, and Namco. Games are full-length, and sometimes look very nice. The Accelerometer is sometimes used to a fun advantage, and touch is mostly how everything is done. Applications range from many types, such as:
Books, Business, Education, Entertainment, Finance, Games, Healthcare and Fitness, Lifestyle, Music, Navigation, News, Photography, Productivity, Reference, Social Networking, Sports, Travel, Utilities, and Weather.

Unfortunately, developers of these applications can only configure things inside the application, and nothing to change the actual operation of anything outside the application. These apps definitely make this a deal-maker.

Battery life is very good, rated life of 36 hours of audio, and 6 hours for video. There are also preloaded applications, such as: Mail, Calender, Clock, YouTube, Photos, Weather, Maps, Stocks, Calculator, Notes, Contacts, The App Store, and the iTunes Store. All do what their names inform you of. Safari is very useful, but only if you have a Wi-Fi connection. Mail is just POP or IMAP email that is OK, but is not viewable by landscape. YouTube is just YouTube, but doesn't feature EVERY SINGLE video. Although I'd say 99% of YouTube's database of videos will be found on this Wi-Fi application. iTunes Store is a Wi-Fi music store, and the App Store is the mobile Application Store.

Conclusion

If you have the iPod Classic and have the money, I would still definitely recommend this media device. With so many features, I wouldn't consider it as just an MP3 player. Although it does have some build faults, I REALLY recommend the 2nd generation iPod Touch.

It is a totally unique iPod with a plethora of features, combining simplicity and innovation to a revolutionary level.

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