Apple iPod iTouch 8GB 16GB review

Let's start with the obvious:

The screen is massive. 3.5 inches along the hypotenuse. And the screen is made of glass, so unlike the other iPods it will not scratch up so easily (unless you have diamond-tipped fingers).

The video images are large, clear and sharp.

Specification

There is so much else to talk about that one feature that doesn't really get much of a mention is the skinniness: this is a super super skinny machine. Suuuuuper skinny.

Wi Fi - something that has been around for a few years is finally on an iPod. The iTouch uses the Mac browser called safari. You can view the full internet and use the itouch just like you would use a computer. This is particularly useful for downloading videos from the internet as you don't need to plug your itouch into a computer before you can start downloading.

It does, of course, mean that your iTouch could be more susceptible to viruses and malicious attacks as you are actually on the internet.

Interweb? What's that?

It's where the digital music is stored. As you would imagine the iTouch links up with iTunes well enough. We did come across some small inconveniences - things that did not work exactly as expected on the iTouch - but to be honest detailing them will almost certainly be a waste of time as a new firmware release will probably have fixed them all by the time you read this. None of them were that bad anyway.

Something that is worth stating as it may not be immediately obvious to everyone is that if you have the internet, it means you also have e-mail.

The internet, e-mail and WiFi functions are dependant on you being in an area where there is Wi Fi available.

Finger-poke driving

Or "touch screen navigation" as some people call it means that you poke at pictures on the screen, the screen translates your pokes into on-screen selections, and movements. It is difficult to describe, but you have probably seen the adverts. It works like that. Learning how to do it takes no time. Unlike the old click wheel which everybody says is "intuitive" but the first time you try and go "back one" it doesn't work the way you expected.

This is intuitive. You say "I want that one," and point at it. It's class. The coverflow's scrolling action is smoother than on the Nano and classic (but to be honest a firmware upgrade has improved those two recently).

The controversial bits:

There is some controversy over the iTouch. It is the price. Or the capacity. Or the combination of the two.

In fact you can buy significantly more GB for less money. Even the 80GB iPod classic, which has 10 TIMES the amount of storage as the 8 GB iPod touch costs much less.

Apple, and any iTouch owner would point out that you get WiFi internet access and a full size touch-screen that is way-cool. It is up to the individual to decide if they want to go for the more expensive chic or the (still super-cool) less expensive, higher-capacity ranges.

16GB and 8GB represent a large amount of digital film and music. Arguably, if you store the movies that you own online then you can always download what you are in the mood for via WiFi - you don't need to physically carry them everywhere.

Standards

These are the types of music files you can play on the itouch: MP3 wav, Apple lossless, Aiff, and AAC.

These are the video files you can play: mov, MP4, M4V

The video playback is 640 x 480 pixels and at 30 frames per second is as good as your TV.

Nice touches

Internet (it's worth saying again); note writer; calendar; games, etc.

Battery news:

The iTouches will last for about 22 hours of playback for music and approximately 5 hours for video before they need a charge. Pretty good compared to older models, but it's worth noting that the 3rd gen ipod nano and the 6th gen ipod 'classic' easily outstrip those figures.

Conclusion

Some people at dukebox.com that expected to love this iPod have been a little disappointed with the specification. Some people that expected to dislike it absolutely love it. It certainly is both very beautiful and very practical. Is it worth having? Oh my God YES! Is it worth the money? If it is the right player for you, then yes.

To order yours click below: