November 23rd, 2007
The BIG iPod touch review
A few weeks ago I got my hands on two 16GB iPod touch devices. Having spent a lot of hands on time with these devices it’s time for a comprehensive review.
The iPod touch was for me the first Apple device to come out when I eagerly awaited the release day. I wanted one as soon as Steve Jobs announced it and was disappointed to find out that I’d have to wait a few weeks for it to be released. I found the idea of an ultra-portable 
media player that had WiFi capability and a built-in browser a very attractive package indeed. I even made a pilgrimage to my nearest Apple store to try to pick one up when they got stock in and was upset to find when I got there that they were all sold.
Anyway, eventually (with a little help from my wife and Amazon) I got my hands on them. I eagerly unwrapped them (forget the whole unboxing porn thing) and hooked them up to a couple of PCs to charge up and within an hour both were showing full charge.
Initial thoughts … and a problem
What struck me about the iPod touch once I’d freed it from the packaging was how small it is. OK, it’s not as small as the nano but nonetheless it’s Despite being small and light, it feels surprisingly ruggedquite portable and easy to slip into a pocket. It’s also very light, weighing in at 4.2oz (120g). But despite being small and light, it feels surprisingly rugged and I don’t feel the need to continually worry about whether it’s safe or not. Having the rigidity of that glass screen seems to make all the difference.
When I tried hooking them up to iTunes I had my first problem. I could get one to work just fine, but the other was playing up. However, the problem wasn’t with the iPod but with the USB hub built in to the front of that PC. It’s fine with every other device but it just doesn’t like the iPod touch and will drop the connection between the iPod and the PC within seconds of trying to sync. Lesson #1: If you’re having problems with the iPod, try a different USB port, preferably at the back (because some out front USB ports don’t connect directly to the motherboard in the same way).
The iPod touch in action
With both iPods loaded up with audio, it was time to use them. The redesigned iPod interface is, in my opinion, very nice but a little rough round the edges. For example, take Coverflow for viewing album covers. I like this feature a lot but why it is only available when the iPod is in landscape mode? Given that Apple have crammed Coverflow onto the new nanos, surely the screen of the touch is big enough? Another aspect of the interface that bothers me is how tiny some of the onscreen buttons and controls are. I do feel that in switching from the clickwheel over to a touchscreen Apple has given too much thought to style and not enough to function. I was perfectly happy using my nano without having to look at the screen while I did it (unless I was looking for a particular track) but with the iPod touch I feel that my eyeballs have to be on the screen the whole time while I’m using it. For example, with the nano it was easy to adjust the volume from inside my jacket pocket, say on a crowded train platform where I’d rather not advertise what valuables I’m carrying. There’s zero chance of doing this with the touch. If you’re going to use an iPod touch you have to be prepared to put it on display, so I won’t be retiring the nano any time soon (sorry kids won’t be getting Daddy’s old nano yet awhile).
On the plus side, the screen is a joy to use and clear as anything. In fact, compared to the cheap and nasty screens on most devices, the screen on the touch is like ice cream for the eyes. I’ve left everything on the default settings and I never feel that the screen is too dark or too bright. Also, if you have thousands of tracks on your iPod, the touch makes finding the ones you want a lot easier.
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Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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