Apple has always been the frontrunner in bringing out innovative MP3 players. and Ipods are one of the most successful such players. even featuring in the list of gadgets that have changed the world(https://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3119141.ece) which seems a bit absurd actually :-) . Their latest offering "iPod Touch" takes the PMP scene to a new level!
I have been enjoying my ipod Nano for a couple of years now and hence I wanted to give the new iPod Touch as gift to my bro for his b’day. I ordered the 8Gb iPod Touch(for windows) online at sifymall.com for 13, 990 rupees and it was delivered to me in 3 days with a proper bill inside. The website says that they provide one year’s manufacturer’s warranty. however this can only be verified when the situation arises.:-) and I hope it doesnt.
Contents: The package contains iPod Touch, manuals, standard white Apple earbuds, USB cable and a soft black polishing cloth. Even the underside of the top of the box has a foam to protect the screen. There is a small leaflet that explains the controls. Detailed manuals may be downloaded from their website.
Software Installation: One has to download the latest iTunes software from the net which is about 49 MB. Installation on the WinXP SP2 was a breeze and it detected the iPod touch promptly.
First Impressions: Switch on the iPod Touch and you will be addicted. The screen( 480-by-320-pixel ) is 3.5 inces, bright and clear and touch interface is responsive. The iPod is a fingerprint magnet though. and since all the controls are through touch, the screen gets fingerprints all over it. But then they also give you a soft polishing cloth to get them off.
Music player: The sound quality is more or less the same as in earlier ipods. I use the bose in-ear headphones and the sound rocks! The equaliser settings remain the same with only presets and no option for manual setting except doing it through iTunes. Its the organisation of the songs and albums that has taken a leap. When the ipod screen is made horizontal. the album art is displayed and one may browse the albums by flicking it left or right. .
Video Player: The screen being 480x320 provides a good viewing experience. the colours are vibrant and pictures are sharp. The brightness can be adjusted but not the contrast.
Picture Viewer: Photos may be transferred to the ipod through iTunes. Again the quality is very impressive. The pictures may be zoomed in or out by the multi-touch interface. The photos may even be played as a slideshow. The organization of the photos into folders is a bit redundant.
Other Features: Calendar helps you organize your important tasks. Contacts may be stored in the ipod including email addresses and a photo. The alarm clock is a feature that I didnt find much use of.the external speaker is mediocre. It also has a timer, stopwatch and a calculator.
Internet Connectivity: This ipod is capable of connecting to the net through wi-fi and one can browse the net via safari and view youtube videos. I was not able to test this feature during the few days I had the iPod touch with me. The keyboard layout did prove to be difficult to type with and frequent mistakes occurred. It needs some getting used to.
Battery : The battery life was good. The first recharge was required after 3 days of extensive fiddling with the gadget. The battery does run down faster if videos are played too frequently but overall this is not much of an issue.
The iPod touch is a good media player and a nice toy. The screen requires frequent wiping because of the fingerprints. There are couple of websites that detail jailbreaking(i.e hacking) and installation of third party applications hence iPod touch can be made even more fun. If one is ripping a DVD it is better to get the latest versions of ipod video converters( eg videora or handbrake) as they incorporate the 480x320 screen resolution. 8Gb space is less for someone who wants to keep a lot of videos. It is necessary to get a case for it as one is always concerned about scratching the ipod.
I would highly recommend this for anyone who is planning to get a media player. However. a wait for a few months may be worthwhile for few as iPhone would be a better option.