Apple iPod touch 32 GB

...so don't do it). Apple are working on this, but you'd think the boffins making the machine would have thought about this pre-launch and put a couple of basic games on. Even computers come with the bog-standard Minesweeper and Freecell, but the only games on here are the ones you can play online.

Secondly, the 'keyboard' you tap on screen is fairly small - I keep hitting the wrong button at times (an a instead of an s, etc) so isn't ...
...Ipods. I assume that Apple is either aiming this product at existing Pod lovers (like myself - who would know about things such as mains docking cradle accessories) or at people with enough Internet savvy to look up how to use the functions on the Internet (or just plain mess around with it until you figure it out)! Speaking of the Internet - the Safari browser doesn't support flash websites, so some ads and videos won't appear on the screen. Then ... more

Well, after my old 40GB Ipod Classic met a tragic end, I decided to buy 2 new Ipods as its replacement - an Ipod mini for the gym, and the 32GB Ipod Touch for listing all of my music on.

I could have bought another classic Ipod, but wanted something that could do more than the usual Ipod items of music and videos. I could have bought a different MP3 player that wasn't an Ipod at all - but (a) that was the brand I was used to and (b) I already had an Itunes library set up (so it was convenient for me to buy from the same manufacturer). I could have bought the 8GB or the 16GB version of the Touch, but as my music collection is 20GB, I wanted the 32GB. Anything less would have meant that my entire collection wouldn't be on it - which kind of defeated the object of buying a new large hard drive Ipod.

So, as I definitely wanted an Ipod with something a bit 'extra', but one that had the hard drive capacity needed for my large music collection, I bought a 32GB Ipod Touch off Ebay for £230 (a complete buy it now bargain) and have had it for about a month. So, was it a waste of my money? Is it an overhyped piece of rubbish? The answer has to be an absolutely resounding NO!! It's simply fantastic!

It is exactly what I wanted and more. Lets start off with the well known design - everyone who knows about Itouches probably knows that what makes their design so special is that there are no buttons - you just use your finger to slide into different areas. What I didn't know until it actually came is that there is one small button - the sleep/power button at the top! Anyway, the design is gorgeous - long and thin its dimensions are about the size of a small Rivita cracker (half the depth of my old Ipod!), and fits perfectly in my hand (not too small so it's hard to grasp and not so big as to be cumbersome).

Anyway, enough about the looks - I didn't buy it for that. I bought it for what it is meant to do, and boy does it do it. It is simply AWESOME!

It comfortably holds my entire music collection, my photo album and 2 small homemade videos off my camcorder (I've yet to download a programme off Itunes though). The picture is crystal clear and the sound is perfect - no 'fuzzyness' which I used to get off my old Ipod.

The music - which is my main concern - is so much easier with this new Ipod Touch. With my old Ipod, to go from artists to playlists or albums you had to use the scroll wheel to go back and forth. With the new Touch however you just tap the screen tab at the bottom. You can even jump to an artist easier - there's an A-Z index on the right hand side, so if you wanted Jimi Hendrix you can either scroll with your finger to it from the very top, or tap on the J and scroll down a couple of lines to reach Jimi. You can view your album covers easily (if it doesn't recognise an album it simply shows some grey music notes). Everything about the music is top notch. I didn't even realise until I bought it that it had an Itunes direct function. What does this mean? Well, on my old Ipod I had to buy music from Itunes off my laptop then connect up my Ipod to download the music to it. With the Touch, however, you can download a tune direct from the Touch itself and upload it to the laptop afterwards. So if you hear a track you like, you can it buy it instantly and worry about adding it to your laptop's library later. Definitely a big bonus.

I also wanted something a bit extra from my Ipod, so music aside did I get it? Yes. My Touch came pre-loaded with the January updates - so I could check the price of shares, 5 day local weather forecast, etc, instantly (handy if you want to know what the weather is supposed to be like this weekend, but can't be bothered to get your laptop up. You can also store multiple locations on it - i.e. save favourite shares, or store the weather where you live on one page, slide to the weather on where you are going on holiday on page 2, see the weather at the beach on 3, etc, etc, so you don't have to keep re-typing different locations in time and again). It also has a notes package and Google maps on - which is one of my favourite programmes - to get directions, look at sights of interest, etc - and you can watch videos/tv too (although I haven't watched anything bar my homemade holiday videos - which weren't filmed in HD). The photos, however, are brilliant - the colours are glorious and I love the fact that by rotating the Touch around I can see the photo in either landscape or portrait. The battery life is good - I haven't had it over half way yet - even after 4 hours continued use.

Another useful feature is the Contacts list - handy for noting down phone numbers, addresses, etc and you can add pictures to each contact if you are better at remembering faces instead of names.

Aside from the music, the most fantastic feature, however, is the Wi-Fi function and is one of the key reasons I went for the Touch. I can now check my e-mails and go on the Internet without having to get my laptop up. So what I can hear you think - you can use your mobile or IPAQ for that. True, but to use these you have to pay your Network provider and the screen is smaller too. As my Wi-Fi is 'free' at home, I don't pay for it and the screen is larger too. Now if I'm checking my e-mails on this device I don't have to clock watch like I had to do on my mobile. A definite plus for this keen surfer. You can also enlarge and shrink webpages with a simple tap - handy for zooming in on an important area on a webpage or, indeed, a photograph.

However, as delighted as I am with the music and Wi-Fi function of the 32GB touch, there are certain niggly drawbacks, especially when compared to the Iphone (but that only has a maximum size of 16GB, so was no good for holding my music collection, so was immediately discounted for that - and the exorbitant contract cost of £35 too. At least with the Touch you buy it you own it - you don't need a contract).

So what are these drawbacks? Firstly - if I tell you I have a mobile device, you automatically assume, not unreasonably, that it plays songs/ringtones, can choose wallpaper, make notes, have a contact list, etc (which this Touch does), but you also assume that it can play games. Unbelievably, the Touch doesn't do this (well, not without 'breaking' it - but that's illegal, so don't do it). Apple are working on this, but you'd think the boffins making the machine would have thought about this pre-launch and put a couple of basic games on. Even computers come with the bog-standard Minesweeper and Freecell, but the only games on here are the ones you can play online.

Secondly, the 'keyboard' you tap on screen is fairly small - I keep hitting the wrong button at times (an a instead of an s, etc) so isn't recommended for people with large fingertips - and it doesn't work with a stylus either if you think that will work instead. I've tried pen tops and stylus, but it doesn't seem to work with anything that's not finger shaped (perhaps I should try a chocolate finger or sausage instead! Lol). So it would be fiddly for those with large hands.

Thirdly, there are some functions that are available on Apple's other new toy (the Iphone) that really could have been incorporated onto the Itouch, but weren't. For instance, there is no camera function on the Touch. You can view photos you've downloaded, but not actually take any - like you can with the Iphone. So if you were out and about and wanted to take a picture with it like you can with a mobile, you can't. Similarly, there's no loudspeaker. If you want to listen to music, you have to use headphones (which is akin to all Ipods), but on a phone you can listen to it on loudspeaker.

Another problem with the Touch is the casing - both the 'screen' front and the 'mirror' back is easily covered with fingerprints or scratches - I highly recommend buying both a screen protector and a case a.s.a.p. if you do decide to buy a Touch (the Touch does come with a removable clear screen cover - but this is not designed to be permanent - and it comes off easily). The other essential accessory, which wasn't included when I bought the Touch, was a mains charger and docking cradle - you could only charge it through the USB connector lead that was included (fortunately I was able to use my Ipod Classic mains docking cradle - once I had changed the adaptor 'rest' inside the cradle). I suppose this leads to another problem - not for me as I wanted another Ipod with Itunes as that was what I was used to - but possibly one for someone who has no knowledge of either. There is no in-depth manual accompanying the Itouch - just a double sided leaflet, which is half-filled with pretty but pointless pictures - which I suppose is pretty strange considering this is a brand new piece of technology and not like most Ipods. I assume that Apple is either aiming this product at existing Pod lovers (like myself - who would know about things such as mains docking cradle accessories) or at people with enough Internet savvy to look up how to use the functions on the Internet (or just plain mess around with it until you figure it out)! Speaking of the Internet - the Safari browser doesn't support flash websites, so some ads and videos won't appear on the screen. Then again, if you want a 'bells and whistles' Internet, you'd buy a computer or laptop instead.

That's it - those are the only niggly drawbacks I can find - it doesn't play games, its keyboard is fairly small, the manual is a small 2 page leaflet, there's no camera function, no loudspeaker, no Internet browser flash support and the Internet/E-mail function itself doesn't work if you are not in range of a Wi-Fi network (so note the map directions down before you go or you'll lose them!). It would also have been nice if some of the optional accessories - which I call essentials (the screen protector, a case, a docking cradle) - accompanied the Touch free in its box (especially given the price I paid for it) instead of having to buy them separately like I did.

However, if these niggly things don't bother you (which they don't me), then I can't recommend the Itouch highly enough. You want something that holds your entire music collection? Then buy this one rather than the smaller 8GB or 16GB version. You want something that doesn't incur a monthly fee or a charge for accessing the Internet/E-mails like a mobile does? Buy it. You want something with a good battery capacity/audiovisual for videos and music but with a few extra bells and whistles? Buy it. You won't regret it - I don't. It's AWESOME! Not perfect, given the niggles, but definitely worth a 4 star rating given all the bells and whistles it does have.

So given the choice between a 16GB Iphone and a 32GB Itouch - I'd choose the Itouch in a heartbeat, unless I was desperate for permanent (but expensive) internet connection, a phone or camera function - I just carry my mobile with my Itouch instead at the moment. If you want these - then get the phone instead. Given the choice between a 16GB or 32GB Itouch - I'd choose the 32GB everytime as I need it for the memory capacity alone. However, if you only intend to a put a few pictures and songs on and only 1 video, then I'd recommend the 16GB version. For the price though, I'd still recommend the 32GB - you never know how useful it is going to be until you buy it!

UPDATE - 14th July 2008 - FYI Apple have finally started releasing Itouch applications, books and games (Sudoku, Bejewelled, etc) on the Itunes store. Hooray! The prices range from free to £25.00 - at an average cost of about £2.00 per game/book. There is a good choice available - nearly 400 available to download at the last count, with new games/apps added daily. Just one problem though - existing Itouch owners need to purchase a software update before any of these games or applications can be downloaded. The update only costs £5.99, but in my opinion it should be free as (a) you've already bought a Touch and (b) you are about to buy a game/application for the Touch. Minor niggle though. Hopefully the games and applications range will only increase, but they have a good basic start (with everything from a currency converter to French phrase books, from astronomy packages to a Paint programme available for download - but obviously these are the applications which aren't free. 'Freebies' include things such as an e-reader and a weight management tracker, amongst others)! So at least the no games niggle has gone (although some seem pricey for what you get). 

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