Best Christmas gift I've had in a long time

Author's Rating:

Pros: Easy to use, touch sensitive, plays music and videos well.

Cons: Somewhat expensive, not always compatible with older accessories used with other iPods.

The Bottom Line: 
Easy and fun to set up and use, does many tasks well.  Purchase a case and screen protector to keep your investment in good shape. 

Author's Review
I started out with an iPod Shuffle, which I won at work.  I've used my iPod Shuffle to listen to music while I'm reading or in the car when my daughter wants to listen to her music (and my husband is driving).  I had no problems downloading my music to the Shuffle, but wished for something that had video and gaming capabilities.  I saved up some money, did some research on the various iPods and decided to buy an iPod Touch 2nd Generation, 8 GB player.  When Best Buy decided to throw in a $50 Gift card and a free Spore game with purchase, the deal was done.  I even used the $50 Gift card towards a gift for my son.

Specifications:

Although the the specs say the iPod 8 GB has 8 GB of memory, useable memory is slightly less, due to the need for the operating system and programs that come preloaded.  According to Apple's site, the unit holds up to 1750 songs, up to 10000 photos and up to 10 hours of video.  This varies, as most people will have a combination of photos, videos, music and applications.  The unit measures 4.3" high by 2.4" wide by only .33" deep and weighs 4.05 oz.  The front sports a 3.5", 480 x 320 pixel touch screen (measured diagonally).  The back is polished stainless steel and a real fingerprint and scratch magnet. 

Batteries and charging: Apple states that the iPod will play up to 36 hours of music or 6 hours of video when fully charged.  My experience has varied.  I've used it off and on all day to do such tasks such as download applications, play games, surf the net and listen to music.  I have recharged it at the end of the day after heavy use, for casual use I've recharged it every couple of days.  Charge time usually takes me a couple of hours, I've never run it all the way down.  Charging takes place when you connect it via the included USB 2.0 cord to any computer.  I also purchased a travel wall and car charger so I can charge the iPod when travelling.  My son also gave me an iPod capable boom box, which also charges the iPod while I listen to music.   If you want to purchase these type of items, make sure that the items are compatible with the iPod Touch 2nd generation.  Most items I looked at said so right on the box.

Buttons and Controls: On the top of the iPod Touch is an on/off/sleep button.  Pressing the button for a second or two turns on the unit, touching it briefly puts the iPod into sleep mode.  To turn it off you need to hold the button down for a couple seconds and slide your finger where it says "slide to power off".  To wake up the iPod from sleep mode you simply press the Home button located towards the middle and bottom of the touch screen and slide your finger to unlock the iPod.  On the left side of the iPod are volume up and down buttons.  On the bottom of the iPod are a charging port in the middle and an earphone jack located on the right, bottom.  The iPod also has a speaker on the bottom.

Video, Photo  and Audio Abilities: The iPod is able to play AAC, protected AAC, MP3, Apple lossless, WAV and AIFF.  Various video types are supported, see Apple's web site for more particulars.  Many languages are supported as well.  Picture types supported include JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF and PNG.  Unfortunately, PSD files are only MAC supported.  (Not everyone who is into photography/Adobe Photoshop is a MAC user.)

Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11 b & g) are supported.  I have a wireless G router with speed boost and had no problem whatsover connecting.  When I turned on the iPod (after syncing it up with my computer) the iPod recognised my network immediately.  All I had to do was type in my password.  I have had no problems surfing the internet with my iPod; it connects as soon as I turn it on.  I am able to surf the net from anywhere in my house and have a strong signal anywhere in my house including my bedroom, which is two rooms away.  Once you connect to a network and type in its password one time, the iPod remembers the network and connects without any input required.  I also was able to connect to a wi-fi hotspot at a local restaurant by opening Safari; it found the available network, which you then click to connect.  The iPod also supports Nike + iPod technology; I'm not into exercising, so I've not had any experience with this aspect.  Bluetooth is not supported, which isn't a big thing, but I have a wireless bluetooth headset I would have liked to use with it.

Included Programs and Applications: Safari (a web browser), a calendar program, mail program, contacts, a link to YouTube, a stocks program, maps program, a link to Yahoo Weather, a clock, calculator, a note pad program and a link to Apple's application store.  Buttons on the bottom of the touch pad open music, video, photos and iTunes. 

Optional Applications: Speaking of applications, that is one area the iPod shines.  There are many applications that are free on the iTunes website.  I downloaded Tap Tap Revenge (a Guitar Hero type of app), a Sudoku app, Bubble Wrap, The Weather Channel and Spore.  All of these were free; Spore is a game that has been given out free from Best Buy with any purchase of an iPod Touch (it is also available for purchase).  There are many apps including games, entertainment, utilities, social networking, music, travel, sports, reference, etc.  Many of them are free.  You can read reviews of both paid and free apps on iTunes' website, either from your computer or your iPod.  Some of the apps are over priced ($7-10) but many are .99 or a couple of dollars.  It appears that if you're willing to wait a few months after the apps are introduced they go down in price.  Also, I have read that some of the apps have glitches when they first come out that are corrected in later versions.  Updates to apps are free.  Many of the developers of the apps appear to read the feedback given and correct problems or add suggestions readers have made.  I have had no problem downloading and installing both paid and free apps.  It appears that shutting down and restarting the iPod after downloading and installing an app is recommended. 

My Practical Experience: When you first take your iPod out of the box it doesn't work until you connect it to iTunes.  I did have some problems initially using iTunes and had to reinstall it to get it to work.  After that, it's worked fine.  I'm over 50, so I wanted an MP3 player with video capabilities that I wouldn't have too much trouble seeing.  I am able to do most functions with my iPod without using my reading glasses, but do need them for certain games.  I am able to read internet pages without difficulty by turning the iPod on its side, which puts the pages into landscape mode.  Also, if the print isn't large enough, simply pinching my fingers together and opening them on the touch screen makes the print larger.  The included Safari browser works well and quickly; my only quibble is that flash players don't seem to be supported.  I have tried downloading a flash player, but it is unable to install. 

Sound: Music sounds great via the included earphones.  The 2nd generation iPod Touch also has a small speaker on the bottom of the iPod.  Due to the size constraints, the speaker is adequate, but not great.  I use it for games but prefer connecting the earphones or docking it in my iPod enabled boombox to listen to music.  Working through my songs and artists is fairly easy.  After going into the music program, you can access your music via several buttons on the touch pad such as playlists, artists, songs, albums and more.  Album art is visible when you turn the iPod on it's side.  All you have to do is touch and slide your finger across the touch pad to choose what you want to play.  I had no problem downloading my existing music from my computer using iTunes.  I haven't purchased music from iTunes, but have looked at their extensive library.  Prices average .99/song, price breaks aren't given for downloading an album (example: a song is .99, an album with 10 songs is $9.90). 

What's in the Box: Included with the iPod are earphones, warranty and quickstart guide, a polishing cloth, dock adapter (for use with iPod boom boxes, etc.) and a USB 2.0 charging/docking cable. 

The Long and the Short of it: The iPod Touch 2nd generation is easy to use.  I use it to surf the internet, listen to music and play games.  A ton of applications and music are available to customize it to your use.  Music sounds great and its internet capabilities make it easy to use in any wireless hotspot or at home with a wireless router.  I would recommend a case of some sort to protect the stainless steel back, which scratches easily.  I purchased an inexpensive silicone case that came with a screen protector.  The screen protector doesn't diminish the sensitivity of the touch screen.  The iPod plays music well, is fun to use for games and is easy to take along to surf the net when travelling or at home.  I haven't found any way to print documents or web pages.  Other than typing emails or notes, a word processor isn't included.  Also, using email for my hotmail account involves opening Safari, rather than using the email program, which I couldn't get to connect to hotmail.  Typing in applications is easy, but if you've got large fingers it might not be as easy to type on the touch screen for typing tasks.

Does it replace a laptop?  No.  But its a lot easier to take along to do basic tasks, play games and listen to music-it fits easily in a purse or shirt pocket.  It's not an iPhone; not everyone has AT&T available in their area or wants to pay extra for internet service.  It's not a smartphone or Blackberry.  However, the iPod does basic tasks and plays music and videos well.  The touch screen is easy to use, responds well and a large variety of games and apps are available to customize it.