I'm getting an iPod Touch!

[Jackal† 0]

I have been saving my money for a while (seeing as I'm too young to get a job yet), and I FINALLY have enough money to get an iPod Touch ! I'm getting an 8 gb 3G, and I can't wait! Do you think it's worth the $176 I'm paying for it, and if you have one, what ups and downs do they have?

[Flechmen 0]

A little over priced for my liking, especially with all the newer Android units coming out that don't need any special software to put music on them (not a fan of iTunes).

 

They work for some people, pretty popular. It's nice to have a pocket sized device for surfing the web and chatting (although it can't do both at the same time).

 

Like Foxbunny said, play with it in the Apple store before you buy it. Try to stretch it to its limits.

 

8GB isn't a whole lot of space, you can probably get a bigger one even cheaper on Ebay.

[Voltomere 0]

I don't have a touch but if you are getting it specifically for music listening I would shop around. I have an 8GB MP3 that cost about $90 when I bought it and I believe it goes for about $50 now so you may want to look around. If you want the internet then yeah, from what I have seen it seems to work pretty well for that. I hear the device has no multitasking so if that is a problem then the device might not be for you. I have played with the touch a little before at swim meets and they seem to be a good device. I personally would save up some more and get a laptop, but that is me. Like Foxbunny and Flechmen said, go to the Apple store and play around with it. You can't know it is right for you until you try it.

[Flechmen 0]

How about 16GB for $32. Direlda won one of these at a CF event once, had lots of fun translating the owners manual, but they work.

 

If you really want, I have an Archos 604 WiFi that I could part with. It's a little beat up though.

[Voltomere 0]

*Nods* As long as you find something that works for you jackal and don't spend a right arm and a leg then it is all good. I wish I could get a good mobile internet device for myself but I need to save what I have right now.

[Voltomere 0]

There's multitasking coming to the 3rd gen touches in fall.

So' date=' that's not an issue

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Yeah, I just heard that. All I can say is about time.

[Flechmen 0]

Probably in response to the outbreak of Android devices and the latest version of Windows Mobile (now with MS's own app store). Both of which have allowed multitasking for some time... Heck, Windows Mobile has been around forever and has always allowed multitasking. The Apple hardware is perfectly capable of it >.

[Flechmen 0]

That's the thing though... Multitasking on a mobile device will be funktastic no matter what.

 

I can kinda see the logic behind not allowing multi-tasking: A mobile device has limited memory and power to run many processes, so to keep the foreground process running well it kills apps in the background.

Multi-tasking on a mobile device requires the use of some kind of process manager, which can be confusing to some people. Others would simply ignore it and complain that their device is slow with 50 applications running.

 

In the case of Windows Mobile, it's slow and funky running on its own, you get kinda used to it when you have a WM device.

However, it is nice to be able to browse the web and get a popup when someone contacts you on AIM.

I can live with the occasional "Out of memory" error, but someone who doesn't know what's going on could panic and call Microsoft about it.

 

Andorid, unfortunately, suffers the same issue. You can multi-task quite a bit on an Android device, and they're constantly improving. As of now, Andorid OS its self is limited to 128 MB of RAM. If you used a computer, like, at all in the days of Windows 95/98, you know what 128 MB of RAM can do...

However, I have yet to get an out of memory error on an Android device... I get them constantly with WM only running Opera (web browser).

 

I'm thinking without the implementation of larger screens and some kind of an always-visable task manager (like the Windows task bar, or the OSX dock), multi-tasking won't be easy on a mobile device.

The methods for multi-taksing that are out there now take a little practice to get used to, but they work.

[Flechmen 0]

I dunno, I find the iPod/iPhone UI to be overly flashy. The lack of multi-tasking is detrimental to me.

I would think that the fact a 3 year old can use it would mean that either 1) You have a gifted child or 2) The UI is too dumbed down.

Knowing the child is a decedent of foxbunny, I would lean towards the first.

 

Of course, I'm the kind of guy that uses the "classic" theme on everything, or opens up a command prompt/terminal to do work.

 

 

I wonder if the same technique could be used in evangelism?

 

I've wondered the same thing... The issue I see is that a computer or an MP3 player is something you can grasp (physically) and explain, and hold up against similar items.

With faith, you can't really do that. It'd be like saying "God A does x, y and z; while God B does a, b and c."

[Jackal† 0]

Well, guys, thanks for all the input! You really helped me make my decision. Now I also know what to expect from it. I don't really trust ebay any more, so I'm ordering from amazon, new. My one phobia is buying used products online. And clausterphobia. I have been using these things for a while, since ALL of my friends own one. I'm not exaggerating. I only have one friend that doesn't, and he uses his mom's all the time, more than her. I love the OS, the presentation, the design, everything. I'm not going to put a whole bunch of music on, but a sufficient amount, yes. I'll have some of the apps I like, and some videos, to. I don't want to put a lot of money to get more space if I won't be utilizing the added memory. I don't want to get a 1st gen due to bugs and such, and 2nd gen is MORE expensive new than a 3rd gen on amazon. I might not have the choice to wait until fall, since my parents are going to be holding onto the money on a charge card, and if I wait they could spend it. Our family is really struggling, so I hate to say it, but thy could. I just want to stop worrying about the money and if I'll have it when I need it.

 

Whew, that was a mouthful!