I was asked what I wanted for Christmas, and when I answered with 'money', my proposal was turned down. I suppose in some ways asking for money can be a bit selfish. Parents don't get the thrill of seeing their children's' faces on Christmas morning as they rip into their presents, the parents anxious to see if they have bought the right thing. So I gave it some thought and still couldn't think of anything. Though around three weeks before Christmas, I went to switch on my old iPod Nano, only to find that it would not react. The battery must have finally seen its days. Then it hit me - I'll ask for the new iPod Touch!

Buying the iPod, I thought, would be a challenge. Since my Dad didn't actually know what the Touch was, it was up to me to find it for him. I had read a review on how it could be purchased on the Apple website with free postage, so I decided to give it a look. There it was, the 8GB, for £169. This was quite expensive, but it was plenty of memory so I decided to get that one. When you buy, there is an option for free engraving on the back. I decided to go for this option too, with the words, '(Amy)' with 'Showgirl' underneath. I hoped it looked okay. I didn't bother going for the £3 gift wrap option!

I rummaged in the plastic case to see what I was provided with: earphones, connector for computer/laptop, a plastic stand for the iPod, and a little black cloth to wipe the screen. This little cloth was a nice surprise, as I didn't know it was included and I do like to keep things clean! There was a little instruction booklet, but this basically told you how to add Apps to your iPod, and how to charge it. This booklet also came in another language, though which I don't know! I could hazard a guess though! There was also a little Product Information Guide, which tells you about license agreements etc.

There are several ways you can upload music to your iTunes. You can do this by inserting and importing songs from CDs, or you can purchase from iTunes. If you have any songs on your system you can also add them by importing a file. The iPod can also store movies and TV shows, as well as pod casts. Again these can be purchased from iTunes or uploaded from your computer. A new feature for the Touch is the Apps feature. These are downloaded from the App Store, accessible from iTunes. These are categorised so you can find them easier, such as Music, Health, and Sport. There are hundreds of Apps to choose from, some you have to pay for and others are free. I don't bother paying for any, and I have some pretty good free Apps on my iPod. My favourites include Eye Tricks, which is as it sounds! There is a big list of eye tricks for you to choose from, which can keep you amused for hours! I also really like the Labyrinth one, where you have to guide a little marble around a labyrinth, avoiding holes, by tilting your iPod. Though my favourite is the LightSaber. With this, you move your iPod around, and as you do so, it makes a Lightsaber noise! You can even customise the Lightsaber image that appears on your screen! You also have the option to store pictures from your computer onto your iPod too.

There are other features of the Touch which make it amazing too! It has built-in internet, also known as Safari, which you can access if you connect up to Wi-Fi! It's quite quick too and you can access any website you wish, there are no limitations!

Pictures of Apple iPod touch 8 GB

How it looks on iTunes

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I often took my Nano on long walks, as I will be doing with this one. This means it is important that it does not die on me when I'm out and about. But does it have a good battery life? Well with audio it is said to last for around 36 hours. I have only charged my iPod once since Christmas Day and only now is the battery on 20%, so I feel this is correct. It also is said to have 6 hours video play time which is quite reasonable as well.

There are obviously going to be issues with this iPod. As it is touch screen, it will get covered in fingerprints quite quickly. However with a simple wipe of the cloth provided, these can be removed. Unfortunately any scratches cannot. I already have two scratches on my iPod, but luckily they are on the back rather than the screen itself. Its best that the iPod is kept protected, whether in a case or an iSock. I didn't seen the point in paying as little as £10 for an iSock, and i didn't like the leather cases available so I created my own! Yes, my iPod lives inside an actual sock - a little navy trainer sock never worn! Thankfully, I can fit it into a little trainer sock, inside my jacket pocket, as it is not too big! In fact, the iPod itself measures 11cm by 5cm, with a thickness of just 5mm!