iPod nano has been completely redesigned with Multi-Touch—the same technology that makes iPhone iPad and iPod touch so amazing. Now it's half the size and even easier to play. And everything you want to hear is just a tap or swipe away. In a sleek anondized aluminum and seven bright colors iPod nano makes a huge statement that matches your style. The 1.5" color display with 240 x 240 pixel resolution stunningly shows off your album art photos and color-coordinated wallpaper. The new built-in clip makes it easy to move to the music. Just clip iPod nano to your sleeve jacket or bag. Wherever you go your favorite tunes are right where you need them. In fact with the built-in 30-pin connector you can easily plug iPod nano into your car stereo system your speakers at home and many other products made for iPod. iPod nano is 46 percent smaller 42 percent lighter and 100 percent made for music with Multi-Touch. It's the perfect size for a tap or a swipe so fingertips feel right at home. Multi-Touch basics Home screen Swipe left to see additional icons. To return Home from other screens swipe right or touch and hold anywhere. Multi-Touch Tap to select items. Swipe up or down to browse lists. Rotate the screen using two fingers. Double-tap to zoom photos. Custom Home screens Touch and hold an icon until it jiggles then drag it to a new location. Press Sleep/Wake when finished. Song controls Tap an album cover to show song controls. Swipe left to see Repeat Genius and Shuffle controls. Shake iPod nano to shuffle songs. Genius Tap Genius Mixes to hear songs that go great together. Or create a Genius playlist by playing a song you like and tapping the song control. FM radio Tap to show radio controls. Flick the radio dial to change stations or tap to set favorites. Swipe left to show Live Pause controls. Play all day and all night The built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives you up to 24 hours of nonstop music. So when you clip on an 8GB or 16

• 8 GB capacity for about 2000 songs


• Up to 24 hours of audio playback on a single charge


• 1.54-inch (diagonal) color TFT display with 240-by-240-pixel resolution (220 pixels per inch)


• Support for AAC Protected AAC (iTunes Store) MP3 MP3 VBR Audible Apple Lossless AIFF and WAV audio formats


• One-year limited warranty

More detail ...

The main body of the iPod shuffle is crafted from a single piece of aluminum and polished to a beautiful shine so it feels solid sleek and durable. Thanks to the color choices too it's the perfect fashion accessory. Choose gleaming silver blue green orange or pink. Hundreds of songs to go Never leave a favorite tune behind. Along with up to 15 hours of battery life iPod shuffle gives you 2GB of storage capacity good for hundreds of songs. That's plenty of room for the essential songs of your workout or commute multiple playlists Genius Mixes podcasts and audiobooks too. Goes anywhere. And with anything iPod shuffle isn't just portable. It's wearable too. Clip it to your shirt jacket workout gear backpack or purse strap and it stays put—whether you're running an errand or running around the track. Control your music with just a click It's back—the big clickable control pad on the front of iPod shuffle. It's 18 percent larger than on previous iPod shuffle models so it's even easier to see and use the music controls. Press the center button to play and pause. Press the outer buttons to skip forward or back and adjust volume. Click click click. It's music to your fingers. Play it your way Maybe you're the spontaneous type. Or maybe you prefer a little order. Just flip the shuffle switch to suit your listening style. Flip it to the left and you'll hear your music in a refreshingly random way. Flip it to the middle and your songs play in order. Or flip to the right to turn iPod shuffle off. Voiceover tells you what you want to hear Say you're listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. Just press the VoiceOver button on top of your iPod shuffle and it tells you. You can even use VoiceOver to hear the names of playlists and switch between them. If your battery needs charging VoiceOver tells you that too. It speaks your language It speaks your language. A French love song. A Spanish bolero. An Italian cantata. Your

• 2 GB capacity for about 500 songs


• Up to 15 hours of audio playback on a single charge


• Easy-to-use control pad for playing your music audiobooks and podcasts


• Support for AAC Protected AAC (iTunes Store) MP3 MP3 VBR Audible Apple Lossless AIFF and WAV audio formats


• One-year limited warranty

More detail ...

iPod Touch lets you enjoy everything you love about an iPod and then some. Watch your movies and TV shows on a brilliant 3.5-inch display. Use the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface to flick through your music in Cover Flow. And anytime you’re itching for more entertainment just tap iTunes to browse and buy on the fly.

FEATURES:

• A Great Portable Game Player - Immerse yourself in games made for iPod touch.
• A great pocket computer - Surf the web. Get rich HTML email including attachments that looks the same as it does on your computer.
• A great iPod -  Pioneering technology and a brilliant 3.5-inch screen bring an amazing experience to your music movies and more.
• Genius Mixes - This feature acts as your personal DJ searching your iTunes library to find songs that go great together then organizing them into mixes you’ll love. All automatically.

• IMPORTANT: To get started using your iPod charge your player using the USB cable for at least 2 hours


• 8 GB capacity for 1750 songs 10000 photos or 10 hours of video


• This 8 GB iPod touch includes standard Apple earphones; it does not come with earphones with microphone and is not compatible with Voice Control


• Up to 30 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video playback when fully charged


• 3.5-inch widescreen Multi-Touch display with 480 x 320 pixel resolution


• Supports AAC Protected AAC MP3 MP3 VBR Audible Apple Lossless AIFF and WAV audio formats; H.264 and MPEG-4 video formats; JPEG BMP GIF TIFF


• One-year limited warranty with single incident of complimentary telephone technical support

More detail ...

• 160 GB capacity for 40000 songs 25000 photos or 200 hours of video


• Up to 36 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video playback when fully charged


• 2.5-inch color LCD with LED backlight and 320 x 240 pixel resolution


• Supports AAC Protected AAC MP3 MP3 VBR Audible Apple Lossless AIFF and WAV audio formats


• Highly recyclable aluminum and stainless steel enclosure

More detail ...

• 8 GB capacity for about 2000 songs 10000 photos or 10 hours of video


• Up to 40 hours of audio playback or 7 hours of video playback on a single charge


• 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display with 960-by-640-pixel resolution (326 pixels per inch)


• Support for AAC Protected AAC (iTunes Store) and other audio formats; H.264 MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG video codecs in M4V MP4 MOV and AVI formats


• One-year limited warranty

More detail ...

The Lines Between iPod Touch and iPhone Have Started to Blur

Having had a chance to spend a little time with a review model gives me a chance to share the experience with you a bit early (before my own arrives). I'll take you hands-on with the new model plus I'll share from my past two years of iPod touch ownership altogether especially for those who haven't yet owned (or been owned by) one of these mobile gems.



I've also hidden a treasure trove of info on how you can legitimately download tons of quality apps for free. First though let's quickly cover what's new.



+ Faster 1GHz A4 Processor - to keep up with the high demands of multitasking

+ Ultra high resolution "Retina display" - packs a 960 x 640 resolution at 326 pixels per inch

+ 15% larger battery - 3.44 Whr/930 mAh plays 7 hrs of video & 40 hrs of audio

+ Rear-facing camera - supports 960 x 720 sized photos (0.6 megapixels) plus 720p HD videos

+ Front-facing VGA-quality camera - VGA-quality is a resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)

+ 3-Axis Gyroscope - allows for higher precision and more motion gestures

+ Wireless N - Connect faster and go farther than ever with this WiFi device (requires a router with 802.11n)

+ Built in microphone - but Apple reverted back to using the remote- and mic-less earphones

+ Game Center - Apple's own social gaming platform

+ Sleep/Power Button - it's been moved to the right but not improved beyond that

+ Thinner lighter than ever

* Note - Memory remains at the same 256MB despite several unconfirmed sources touting 512MB. There's also no vibrate module.



Unlike last year's iPod touch update this one's a complete overhaul to the entire line. Last year the new models didn't change in appearance. On the inside faster processors and double-memory were added to the 32GB & 64GB models but the 8GB got left out. Not this time. Buying the new 8GB iPod touch indeed gets you all the new goodies. You'll also pay thirty bucks more than before so consider buying the 32GB model instead. You'll get 400% of the storage capacity for only 23% more coin!





===== Background =====



I'm a mobile app developer who's created a few apps and games for the iPhone iPod Touch and now iPad. I was initially drawn to the iPod touch because of the popularity and capabilities of its mobile Web browsing--I was primarily a Web developer at the time and no other device could surf the Web so well. After I got one I was hooked. I racked up over a hundred bucks in app purchases within the first month and before long I found myself learning how do develop native apps for the device.



Indeed if you have never had an iPod touch before you're in for a real treat. Of course if you have then you know first hand: it's is worth its weight in gold--no in platinum. And now with the latest generation it may even be worth its weight rare gem stones! I digress.





===== Out With the Old =====



The iPod touch is frequently called an iPhone without the phone. However until now there have been several other features also missing in the iPod touch besides the phone: a camera GPS magnetometer (compass) and some newer amenities from the iPhone 4: front-facing camera high resolution "Retina display" as it has been dubbed and the powerful 1GHz A4 processor--indeed a necessity to keep up with multitasking.



That all changes now. The 4th gen iPod touch brings with it some new features and amenities some of which have been anticipated by iPod touch fans and developers alike including myself for several generations of the device. From a developer's perspective the more hardware features we can get our hands on the better and more innovative apps we can create and the more users that can download use and enjoy them.





===== In With the New =====



The striking new design of the latest iPod touch is definitely a looker. Apple has made it even thinner (and I thought it was already too thin before) complete with a beautiful chrome back. While the super thin design is certainly attractive I've found it slightly difficult to keep it well-gripped in your hands. The usual chrome back looks great too but it's scratch-insistent. Yes it's incredibly easy to scratch it all up even after the first few days. For these two reasons definitely get yourself a silicone skin (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042GVG5G?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) alongside your new touch!



For ages the feature topping everyone's wishlist for the iPod touch has been a camera. Check! It handles HD video too--bonus! Granted its not the 5 megapixel camera that the iPhone 4 sports but again the new iPod touch is thinner than ever making it a miracle that we even got a camera in the first place let alone two! Yes Apple went the extra mile so we could make video calls with our iPhone toting friends via their FaceTime app. Brilliant! So having not had any camera on the iPod touch before and now having TWO cameras on it we can't really complain can we? Nah.



I'll have details on the quality both cameras later but what excites me even moreso is the new much-higher resolution screen--dubbed "Retina display". You may not think much of it if you haven't used an iPhone or iPod touch before nor have an older model nearby to compare it to but for those that have and/or do the difference is clear! (pun intended)



Where this really comes in handy is in browsing the Web and reading non-mobile-formatted PDF e-books. Now I can see things so much clearer at the default zoom level (which shows the full width of a Web page or document). My vision isn't spectacular by any means I just don't mind seeing things smaller on the screen. It allows me to see more content without having to scroll. Indeed the Retina display was the #1 feature I never knew I wanted (until I saw it in the iPhone 4 that is).



Other newness includes: 15% larger battery HD video recording and editing built-in mic wireless-n for nearly double the WiFi connection speed and distance Game Center: Apple's new social gaming platform (which seems to be Apple's attempt to kill-off third party social gaming platforms like OpenFeint and Plus+) 3-axis gyroscope sensor which complements the existing accelerometer sensor both of which handle the rotating swinging and other motion gestures of the device (previously rotation were roughly calculated from accelerometer data) and new placement of the sleep/power button on the right (but still as difficult as ever to press).



Features still missing include: 512MB of memory vibration 5 MP quality camera + flash (iPhone apps now support using LED flash as a flashlight like Android does) magnetometer (compass) and the GPS. I'd happily trade the thinness of the latest iPod touch to have the GPS. WiFi based location is often inaccurate and the GPS doesn't need a WiFi or cellular connection it just needs to see the satellites in the sky.





===== iOS vs Android =====



So far Apple has cornered the market of multitouch mobile devices that aren't phones but things are slowly changing. Currently the two hottest mobile and smartphone operating systems out there right now are Apple's iOS (formerly: iPhone OS) and Google's Android. Of course iOS is popular because it runs on not only the iPhone but also on the iPod touch and now on the ipad as well. Plus it has garnered support from scores of app developers who've gotten behind Apple's slew of high-demand devices.



The iPod touch has really made iOS what it is today. It does a lot of what the iPhone does without a contract or carrier exclusivity as is the case with the iPhone and the iPad (WiFi+3G models). So if it weren't for the iPod touch a lot of the market share Apple now has in the industry would have been stifled by their carrier exclusivity. I think Apple will see the light soon but that's another discussion.



Enter Android. Google has held a different stance on their mobile OS. It isn't tied to a select few devices and it's open source so it can be further developed by manufacturers who use it. Indeed several mobile device manufacturers have now latched onto Android as a foundation for numerous devices. Wireless carriers that have been unable to carry the iPhone have also taken a liking to it. Now tons of Android devices have been released and there's no end in sight. Manufacturers have also seen the iPad's potential and now they want a piece of that pie too. So expect to see a lot more Android tablets and media-centric non-phone devices soon. The competition is heating up.



But not everything with Android nor with iOS is perfect. I own an EVO 4G one of the most popular Android devices currently available. I've also used an iPod touch almost every day for nearly two years so I'm pretty qualified to share my experience with each platform. Both certainly have their share of unique offerings and neither of them are without flaws. For this reason and because of the increasing competition between the two I plan to dispel some of their key differences for you at various points in this review.





===== So What Can the iPod Touch Actually Do? =====



Well what can't it do?



The iPod touch is like a magical little box only it's flat. While it cannot cook your breakfast yet (I'm sure someone is already working on that) it can indeed do some pretty extraordinary things. It's an amazing catch-all device that can provide hours of entertainment give you the power of the Web in your hand and it can even replicate the functionality of countless one-off products. Developers have been creating apps that take advantage of special hardware of the iPod touch to emulate some other product for less and sometimes even for free.



Even expensive products have seen cheap iOS based clone apps. For just 99 cents you can snag a special alarm clock app that monitors your sleep cycle and wakes you up when you're in an ideal state of wakefulness. I spent 350 bucks on an aXbo

(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014RDSSY?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) a few years ago who's functionality is easily replicated by several "sleep phase" alarm clock apps in the app store. When you do the math there you see that it's easily a no brainer: buy yourself an iPod touch now!



I've listed more apps like this in the comments!



Plus with the support of such a strong community of app and game developers there's never a drought of fresh new apps and games. There's always something to do with the iPod touch and I guarantee you'll never be bored with it. I honestly cannot say the same thing about Android though I also tote my EVO 4G around with me. I do admit that the EVO's mobile hotspot comes in incredibly handy for providing the iPod touch with a WiFi connection while I'm on the go).



Now with the proper resources you can legitimately download thousands of high quality apps for free. I do it all the time and it is perfectly legal. See Apple allows developers to temporarily put their apps on sale (and even drop the price to free). Usually they do this to get you to write some rave reviews for their apps. The secret to success is having the resources to help you spot these special app sales--so you know when and where to get them during their sometimes extremely-limited-time promotions.



In hopes of making this the most helpful review on Amazon for the iPod touch here's how to obtain these special promotional-sale apps:



There are several resources you can use both on the Web and on the iPod touch itself. I prefer to use the app called BargainBin that lists all apps that recently went on sale or dropped to free. It also supports watch lists with push notifications and can alert you whenever an app you're interested in goes on sale. It's a phenomenal little gem and it has gotten me a ton of apps and saved me a fortune! It also has a companion website that lists the same apps (Google: App Advice). There's also a website called AppShopper (Google it) that lists apps with recent price drops and new apps as well and you can filter just the free products or just the sale products. The two sites don't always list the same apps. Sometimes one will miss something that the other will catch so it's good to keep track of them both. Check them daily if possible. Several apps are duds but you'll come across some really great ones from time to time. They'll all add up!





===== Web Browsing =====



Alongside spending lots of money on all those wonderful apps in the App Store Web browsing is one of the most popular uses for the iPod touch. Browsing the Web with mobile Safari was my original attraction to the device. The experience hasn't changed too drastically in the past two years (since the days of iOS 2) and while it's still very powerful there are some definite flaws. And no I'm not talking about Flash. Just minor usability issues I'd like to see overcome but first let's look at the positives.



Mobile Safari has a smart approach to zooming in on content. Double-tap on a paragraph of text or an image to cinch that content right up to the edges of the screen. The downside: some sites aren't mobile-friendly so zooming in on a really wide block of text can leave you with tiny text. You can zoom further manually by using the "unpinch" multi-touch gesture but because the browser doesn't have an option to reflow the text to the screen width you have to scroll left and right as well as up and down just to read the text. Android's browser doesn't feature smart zoom but it does reflow the text to fit the screen when zoomed in. It's a nice feature and Apple should add it as a preference for Safari.



Browser history can also vanish after a few days and browser windows get overwritten by links from other pages sometimes (usually when I've hit the maximum of eight windows). Also yet to be seen is support for doing common things like searching for text on a page or bookmarking a link by tapping and holding. That would be invaluable for adding bookmarklets--bookmark based scripts that help overcome browser shortcomings.



Flash is also a great debate one I won't get into. I will just say that all is not as it seems with the Flash-support-touting Android platform. Flash does work but it is buggy because Flash doesn't play well with touch interfaces. Flash based video players don't work right and I even run Android 2.2 which is supposed to have the "full Flash experience". It doesn't trust me. So you're not missing much by not having Flash on the iPod touch!



Indeed we can just hope and pray that Web developers and Flash-fiends see the light and start replacing Flash content with technologies like HTML5's canvas element which is poised to take on a lot of Flash's most popular abilities.





===== Media =====



Despite all the incredible things the iPod touch can do audio and video are still one of the iPod touch's greatest strengths. And with the incredible resolution of the new iPod touch's retina display to say that videos now appear much sharper more vivid and highly-defined is definitely an understatement. Yes videos were great before but now they frickin' rock!



Just make sure your videos are at least 960 x 640. If you've owned an older iPod touch and used video conversion software to scale down your media to fit the old 320 x 480 screen resolution definitely change your conversion settings or look for a software update to support the new higher-resolution display.



For those interested in watching live TV on the go (over WiFi) Sling Media's SlingPlayer app paired with one of their Slingbox devices is a phenomenal and freeing experience especially considering your alternate choices for watching live TV on the go are pretty much nil up to this point.



On top of that Netflix's recently released iPod touch version of their media streaming app has also been a much-welcomed addition to my ever-growing collection of apps. Netflix videos stream quickly and even moving the play position back and forth in the timeline the movie starts playing very quickly without much time rebuffering the video.





===== Photos =====



The latest iPod touch is also a game-changer for photography and video recording on an iPod touch. It's not mind-blowing by any means but we went from having no camera right to having two cameras on the device. I probably would not be so thrilled with just a new back camera. I merely would have sighed mumbling "finally" under my my breath (unless it were 5 megapixels). But despite the less-than-one megapixel quality of the rear-facing camera I was taken aback by the rather decent quality especially in low-light environments. Check the comments for links to sample photos!



Between that and the ability to connect with other iPhone and iPod touch toting friends via Apple's FaceTime app yes... it's a game changer. Granted I have been wanting front facing cameras on mobile devices ever since mobile devices started having cameras period. I got the first of such devices when my EVO 4G arrived in June but as they say: the more the merrier. Friends welcome to the future we've been dreaming of. Video killed the audio call!



The quality of my test calls were pretty good. Of course it was over WiFi but it proves the cameras are decent. You can switch from using the front camera to using the rear camera too in case something was going on in front of you that you wanted to share. Just tap the "camera swap" button in the bottom right corner of the screen. FaceTime also rotates along with the iPod when flipped on its side nice.



HD video recording is the other half of the aforementioned game-changing equation. I didn't expect to see ANY video recording considering the original iPhone camera was originally just a camera. But it's here complete with HD quality (yes the quality is indeed desirable) plus basic video editing support as well as support for Apple's brilliant "iMovie" app: an advanced video editing studio right on your iPod touch. It's just five bucks on the App Store.





===== E-Reading =====



The iPad has been making waves in the genre of media reading for several months now but that hasn't exactly been the same story for any generation of the iPod touch so far. Granted it's not exactly marketed as an eReader like its iPad counterpart but there are some really great apps out there for media reading on it so there's no reason not to use it to read digital media. The obstacle to doing that for me at least has been the limited screen resolution and so that may all potentially start to change now that Apple has brought the Retina display to the iPod touch.



The 163 pixels per inch screens of past iPod touches were still pretty great just not ideal for tiny text. For comparison LCD monitors typically only have 96 pixels per inch and CRT monitors only have 72 pixels per inch. TV's are even worse than that. What this means for you is that the iPod touch display has always been sharper than your own computer monitor.



However despite being able to display content at a higher quality I still found that in a lot of eBooks especially PDFs that weren't mobile-formatted the text was just not clear enough to be readable when zoomed out. However zooming in meant having to constantly scroll side-to-side while reading. The app "Good Reader" helped ease that pain by doing the left-right & vertical scrolling for you with just a tap of the screen as well as offering an additional view that re-flows the text to fit on the screen at a large enough size.



However with the Retina display all text and content in the aforementioned "zoomed out" state now appears extremely clear. That is a wonderful thing so long as you don't mind reading tiny text.



Could you still benefit from having an iPad too? Perhaps. After all it does have unique qualities that set it apart from the iPod touch as my in depth iPad review portrays (http://www.amazon.com/review/R16U71KO7POLA2?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8). But unless you specifically see the need for one of those unique qualities then no you probably don't need both.





===== Gaming =====



If you're like me you probably don't have time for games. Regardless it may still be high-time to let the kid within you roam free from time to time as I do. The iPod touch has made it possible. In fact it is so easy there's no excuse not to enjoy yourself. My favorite games are the racing games and when I have a bit more time strategy games.



With the iPhone and iPod Touch having taken on a clear role as a gaming console that has been as revolutionary for mobile gaming as the Wii was for living-room gaming it goes without saying that the iPod touch is and will continue to be one of the best platforms for gaming. It's simple convenient and pretty much instant. Whenever you have a few moments of free time wherever you're just turn it on find your game and bam! You're gaming. Simple as that.





===== Productivity =====



Productivity carries numerous definitions. Usually its "getting something done" though some people tend to believe that it's the ability to focus without being distracted which I see as one of the iPod touch's strengths at least for me primarily because the screen is small enough to force you to focus on the task at hand.



In the context of software though Apple's own suite of productivity apps for the office collectively called "iWork" has been further refined for the iPhone and iPod touch. Because of the aforementioned "focus factor" of the iPod touch I have found myself to be surprisingly productive when working on documents with it. There are three apps in all: Pages allows you to work on word processing documents. Numbers allows you to work on spreadsheets. Keynote lets you work on presentations and slideshows (including PowerPoint files).



So far I've found these apps to be highly useful when I have work to do but don't feel like being at the computer to do it. Another great app for that is "iTeleport" which let's me at my computer remotely when iWork won't work (meaning I'm not working on office documents). Log Me In Ignition is another similar app that is slightly easier to set up but a bit slower than iTeleport when you're just working over the same WiFi connection as the remote computer.



Furthermore there's a whole category of iPod touch apps in the App Store specifically dedicated to productivity. Some of my favorite productivity apps include: Bento (info management) Things (project management) iTeleport (remote computing) and GoodReader (best PDF reader around). Search for them in the App Store.





===== Email IM and Social Networking =====



The iPod touch has been and continues to be an exceptional communication-machine. Whether it's reading or composing email keeping in touch via instant messenger or managing your life via social networks you've got plenty of options here.



Instant messaging is easy with platforms such as AIM Yahoo Gtalk MSN Skype and apps that handle multiple platforms: IM+ Fring Nimbuzz BeejiveIM and Fuse Messenger. Finally multitasking means you can truly remain connected to your IM platforms of choice instead of relying on apps to keep you signed remotely then push new-message notifications to your device. This is a much welcome addition to the new iPod touch.



As well there are plenty of apps to help you browse and update your status on social networks like Facebook Twitter etc. Within the iOS development community Twitter apps have often been a laughing stock simply because there are so many out there on the App Store. They're almost as rampant as "fart" apps. So to say you've got countless options as far as social networking apps are concerned is probably a pretty accurate statement.



For email you need not look any further than Apple's native "Mail" app. Even if you're using Gmail Yahoo AOL or Apple's own MobileMe setup is a snap. It even supports Microsoft Exchange often useful for corporate email setups. As well any other email accounts that support POP3 or IMAP connection types will work with the Mail app too. Plus new to the iPod touch with iOS 4 is the option to use a unified inbox--handy for those already used to that behavior on Mac OS X.





===== Downloading Apps and Games =====



Downloading apps on your iPod touch couldn't be easier. Once you set up your iTunes account with a credit card all you need to do is find the app you want tap the download button (usually it says the price rather than "download" which then changes to "buy" after you tap it) then tap again to confirm. Voila you just bought an app. Behind the scenes Apple then charges your card the amount of the app plus tax while you're already off enjoying your new purchase. This ease of access is a blessing and a curse because you can easily empty your wallet if you're not carefully considering each purchase.



All apps in the App Store range in price from Free and 99 cents on up always incrementing in whole dollar amounts (1.99 2.99 3.99 etc). The maximum price for an app is set to $999.99 of which there are only eight currently priced so outrageously. And don't even think of toying with them. Apple does not allow refunds on apps you have purchased--all sales are final!



Contrast that with Android's more complex Android Market and you'll find several more steps especially for paid apps. For one there're no fixed pricing tiers and secondly they allow multiple currency pricing which only confuses its users. The good developers do keep their pricing similar to iOS apps with the 99 cent base plus $1 increments but I often see apps priced at ¥0.55 or 0.79 or $1 or £2.95 ...it's quite disorienting and unstructured. They have also set their price cap at $200 so you can't accidentally run up a $1000 charge on just one app--you'll need at least 5 apps for that. ;)



Meanwhile to actually buy an app on Android you must tap the BUY button confirm that you want to buy the app then get redirected to a Google Checkout link where you must setup your Google Checkout account or choose an existing payment method if you already have an account set up. Once you confirm the purchase yet again THEN you can finally download the app.



Google also makes selling apps a bit more complicated for developers than Apple but I won't get into that. I'm just stressing how absolutely simple Apple makes the app buying and selling process. Contrary to Apple however Google does allow users to "return" purchased Android apps within 24 hours for a full refund. That's nice.





===== Technical Specifications =====



Since Amazon's product descriptions tend to be lacking I like to include all the technical jargon geeks have come to expect when researching new gadgets. Feel free to breeze on through!



In the box

+ iPod touch

+ Earphones

+ Dock Connector to USB Cable (for sync and charging)

+ Quick Start guide



Size and weight

+ Height: 4.4 inches (111.0 mm)

+ Width: 2.3 inches (58.9 mm)

+ Depth: 0.28 inch (7.2 mm)

+ Weight: 3.56 ounces (101 grams)



Capacity

+ 8GB 32GB or 64GB flash drive/SSD



Wireless

+ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)

+ Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

+ Maps-location based service

+ Nike + iPod support built in



Display

+ Multi-Touch display

+ 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen

+ 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 pixels per inch



Cameras photos and video

+ Video recording HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still photos (960 x 720) with back camera

+ VGA-quality photos and video up to 30 frames per second with the front camera

+ Tap to control exposure for video or stills

+ Photo and video geo tagging over Wi-Fi



TV and video

+ H.264 video up to 720p 30 frames per second Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps 48kHz stereo audio in .m4v .mp4 and .mov file formats

+ MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps 640 by 480 pixels 30 frames per second Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel 48kHz stereo audio in .m4v .mp4 and .mov file formats

+ Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps 1280 by 720 pixels 30 frames per second audio in ulaw PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

+ Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)



Audio

+ Frequency response: 20Hz to 20000Hz

+ Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps) Protected AAC (from iTunes Store) HE-AAC MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps) MP3 VBR Audible (formats 2 3 4 Audible Enhanced Audio AAX and AAX+) Apple Lossless AIFF and WAV

+ User-configurable maximum volume limit with parental lock

+ Earbud headphones included in box



Earphones

+ Frequency response: 20Hz to 20000Hz

+ Impedance: 32 ohms



Input and output

+ 30-pin dock connector

+ 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack

+ Built-in speaker

+ Microphone

+ External buttons and controls



Sensors

+ Three-axis gyro

+ Accelerometer

+ Ambient light sensor (for proximity detection)



Battery power and playback time

+ Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

+ USB sync cable is also used for charging

+ Fast charge in about 2 hours (80% capacity)

+ Full charge in about 4 hours.

+ Music playback time: Up to 40 hours when fully charged

+ Video playback time: Up to 7 hours when fully charged



System requirements

+ USB 2.0

+ iTunes 10 or later

+ Mac: Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later

+ PC: Windows 7 Vista or XP (SP3 or later)





===== Praise =====



+ Apple continues its trend of creating the best multi-touch experience around. Android doesn't even come close.

+ The Retina Display - Phenomenal! Kudos for bringing it to the iPod touch as well as the iPhone. Now try it with IPS technology Apple!

+ Wireless-N finally! - Faster and farther-reaching WiFi connections (if your router supports 802.11n)

+ High performance 1GHz A4 processor - provides all the power of the iPhone 4 a win for gaming and multitasking.

+ Multitasks like a dream with iOS 4 and the powerful processor despite the same 256MB of memory as the third generation touch.

+ Rear camera - It's not the 5 megapixel iPhone 4 camera but I definitely can't complain here. It shoots great photos especially in low-light without flash plus it can do HD video.

+ Front facing camera - What a pleasant surprise! Now it just needs to work with Skype.





===== Dissappointments =====



+ No GPS - IP based location just doesn't cut it at times. GPS has no subscription fee or contract to use. GPS chips are costly but tons of high cost GPS apps are in the App Store now to offset that cost for Apple.

+ 256MB memory - iFixit has confirmed this disappointing flaw putting to rest all the rumors of 512MB still littering several reviews.

+ Still no 120GB model - Useful for higher res videos that look great on the Retina display.

+ No USB 3.0 or wireless sync - Sync'ing can be slow or inconvenient over the cable.

+ Thinner design - I was hoping for a more squared design like the iPhone 4 as it is easier to grip handle and press the power button.

+ Power button - Yes it hasn't changed much. It's been moved to the right side on this model but it's still the tiny hard-to-press button it's has always been and if you take lots of screenshots like I do (by pressing power+home simultaneously) half the time you end up closing your app because the power button didn't work right.





===== The Bottom Line =====



It is absolutely clear: Apple has definitely blurred the lines between iPhone and iPod touch with its 4th generation of both devices. Since it has no contract or carrier exclusivity this phenomenal device will continue to shine its light in the otherwise dark voids of the smartphone market where the iPhone cannot go even without the phone. That's just smart!



Given all my tips I think you'll find the iPod touch to be an extraordinarily useful possibly even highly addictive device with a price tag that is well worth it especially the 32GB model. With all the things that the iPod touch can do it will undoubtedly enhance your life and change the way you interact with the Web. It might even make a gamer out of you if it hasn't already it sure did for me!



I hope you've found my hands-on review helpful. I do actively participate in any discussions via the comments so feel free to drop me a line or ask me any questions as well. :)More detail ...

Awesome!

Let's face it...we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don't need apps. I don't need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.More detail ...

Awesome!

Let's face it...we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don't need apps. I don't need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.More detail ...

Awesome!

Let's face it...we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don't need apps. I don't need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.More detail ...

Awesome!

Let's face it...we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don't need apps. I don't need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.More detail ...

Awesome!

Let's face it...we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don't need apps. I don't need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.More detail ...

WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review

Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :



-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)

-Double the storage for the same old price

-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)

-Latest firmware for free

-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)



And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.



*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.



About the new Voice control function if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature "Voice control" is pretty cool it does allow you to control your music via your voice no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say "Next" to move to next song say "shuffle" for shuffle say "Pause" and music playback will stop etc that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod "properly Nano" for his Gym for me i use my iPod touch for the gym it's so light that sometimes i forgot that it's even in my pocket.



After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It's supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster same thing with boot time) you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.



I got the 64GB iPod 3G for [...]$ if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one) also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)



*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it's a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it's not cool at all it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.



The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds) the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.



Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : """Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance richer graphics and voice control"""



The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.

You can play your music/watch your videos/play games even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.



The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on it's super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!



Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch



Pros:

-Slicksmall and light device

-Great touch screen

-The BEST web browser on a portable device

-Amazing video/music playback

-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)

-Display screen is clear and bright

-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware

-64GB Flash based mp3 player



Cons:

-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)

-Weaker battery only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback

-Expensive for the 64GB version

-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications

-Bluetooth is still half locked



Update : one more reason to avoid the 8GB ipod touch Apple announced today "April 09 2010" that iPhone 4.0 OS will be released this summer and it will bring many new features to the iphone and ipod touch however some features like Multitasking will only be available for iphone 3GS and higher or Ipod touch third generation and higher (As i said before the 8GB is second Generation only a third generation 8gb ipod touch do not exist! so you wont be getting multitasking if you buy the 8GB ipod touch)



I hope my review was helpful :)More detail ...

Awesome!

Let's face it...we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don't need apps. I don't need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.More detail ...

My favorite iPod to date. (A.K.A. The iPod Apple should've released in 2007.)

NOTICE: This review is for the NEW 2009 160GB iPod Classic NOT the 2007 160GB iPod Classic!



The new 160GB iPod Classic is easily Apple Inc.'s best iPod to date and out of all of the iPods that I own this is my favorite.



First the capacity of this iPod is simply unbeatable. I've yet to see another portable media player that can match the iPod Classic in capacity. I have a huge music library and it's nice to be able to carry every song that I own on my person at all times. What's more thanks to the iPod Classic's capacity I also have room to carry a few videos with me and some of my photos. If you don't like having to pick which songs to load onto your portable media player the iPod Classic is the way to go.



The second thing that I love about this iPod can be summed up in two words: it works. The 160GB iPod Classic that was introduced in 2007 was extremely buggy had a non-responsive Clickwheel on many units crashed frequently and required a hit-and-miss firmware update to stop the hard drive from spinning even when the device was "off" which often lead to dead batteries. All of these problems left the 2007 160GB iPod Classic warming shelves and earning it the infamous "honor" of being the "worst selling iPod ever" according to Apple. I'm pleased to say that the new 160GB iPod Classic released earlier this month has virtually none of these problems. There's no "spinning hard drive bug" the Clickwheel is incredibly responsive and the device isn't crash-prone. While it's true that many of these issues were fixed with last year's iPod Classic there hasn't been a truly functional 160GB model until now. To put it bluntly this is the iPod that Apple should've released in 2007.



Another thing that I really like about this iPod and the iPod Classic in general is it's ability to double as an external hard drive. While I believe that the iPod Nano is also capable of this the only iPod that really has enough space to function as an external hard drive is the iPod Classic. The hard drive functionality admittedly reduces the number of devices I have to carry on me at any given time. If you regularly work with large files and are considering a new iPod the iPod Classic is the way to go plain and simple.



So what are the caveats? Well for starters as with every other iPod Classic this is a hard-drive (rather than flash-memory) based device. As a result it has moving parts which make it unsuitable for running or any physical activity that exerts mechanical shock onto the iPod. Unless you exercise constantly with your iPod though this really shouldn't be an issue. The only other caveat which is more of personal taste than an actual flaw that I can find is that Apple has not made any cosmetic changes to this device since they introduced it in 2007. Now don't get me wrong the point of an iPod "Classic" is to retain the "Classic" design but after seeing how much better a black Clickwheel looks on the silver iPod Nano I'd have thought that Apple would have given the silver iPod Classic a black Clickwheel as well. However I admit that this is entirely my personal preference and not a "flaw" per se. I've put a quick list of pros and cons together which can be seen below:





Pros: Largest iPod Capacity-wise long battery life "Genius" feature excellent value for your money well-built doubles as an external hard drive and improvements to Cover Flow.



Cons: Hard Drive (rather than Flash memory) based storage medium; device is cosmetically identical to the 2007 80GB model. (I still don't understand why Apple hasn't colored the Clickwheel black on the silver model to match the iPod Nano.)



Finally I would highly recommend this product which is why it gets five stars from me. I don't like the iPod Nano; it's too small for my hands and the screen is too small for my eyes. While the iPod Touch may have app store access and Wi-Fi I find it to be a really gimmicky device that makes for a poor portable media player (Apple was wise to position it as a handheld game system) and is really an "iPhone without a phone." In contrast the iPod Classic is an excellent portable media player it has an excellent interface and it only costs $249 dollars. To put things in perspective the 2009 160GB iPod Classic costs $70 dollars more than a 16GB iPod Nano and $150 dollars less than a 64GB iPod Touch. All in all I highly recommend this product.More detail ...

WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review

Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :



-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)

-Double the storage for the same old price

-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)

-Latest firmware for free

-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)



And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.



*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.



About the new Voice control function if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature "Voice control" is pretty cool it does allow you to control your music via your voice no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say "Next" to move to next song say "shuffle" for shuffle say "Pause" and music playback will stop etc that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod "properly Nano" for his Gym for me i use my iPod touch for the gym it's so light that sometimes i forgot that it's even in my pocket.



After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It's supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster same thing with boot time) you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.



I got the 64GB iPod 3G for [...]$ if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one) also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)



*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it's a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it's not cool at all it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.



The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds) the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.



Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : """Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance richer graphics and voice control"""



The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.

You can play your music/watch your videos/play games even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.



The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on it's super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!



Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch



Pros:

-Slicksmall and light device

-Great touch screen

-The BEST web browser on a portable device

-Amazing video/music playback

-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)

-Display screen is clear and bright

-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware

-64GB Flash based mp3 player



Cons:

-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)

-Weaker battery only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback

-Expensive for the 64GB version

-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications

-Bluetooth is still half locked



Update : one more reason to avoid the 8GB ipod touch Apple announced today "April 09 2010" that iPhone 4.0 OS will be released this summer and it will bring many new features to the iphone and ipod touch however some features like Multitasking will only be available for iphone 3GS and higher or Ipod touch third generation and higher (As i said before the 8GB is second Generation only a third generation 8gb ipod touch do not exist! so you wont be getting multitasking if you buy the 8GB ipod touch)



I hope my review was helpful :)More detail ...

WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review

Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :



-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)

-Double the storage for the same old price

-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)

-Latest firmware for free

-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)



And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.



*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.



About the new Voice control function if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature "Voice control" is pretty cool it does allow you to control your music via your voice no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say "Next" to move to next song say "shuffle" for shuffle say "Pause" and music playback will stop etc that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod "properly Nano" for his Gym for me i use my iPod touch for the gym it's so light that sometimes i forgot that it's even in my pocket.



After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It's supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster same thing with boot time) you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.



I got the 64GB iPod 3G for [...]$ if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one) also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)



*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it's a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it's not cool at all it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.



The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds) the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.



Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : """Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance richer graphics and voice control"""



The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.

You can play your music/watch your videos/play games even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.



The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on it's super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!



Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch



Pros:

-Slicksmall and light device

-Great touch screen

-The BEST web browser on a portable device

-Amazing video/music playback

-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)

-Display screen is clear and bright

-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware

-64GB Flash based mp3 player



Cons:

-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)

-Weaker battery only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback

-Expensive for the 64GB version

-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications

-Bluetooth is still half locked



Update : one more reason to avoid the 8GB ipod touch Apple announced today "April 09 2010" that iPhone 4.0 OS will be released this summer and it will bring many new features to the iphone and ipod touch however some features like Multitasking will only be available for iphone 3GS and higher or Ipod touch third generation and higher (As i said before the 8GB is second Generation only a third generation 8gb ipod touch do not exist! so you wont be getting multitasking if you buy the 8GB ipod touch)



I hope my review was helpful :)More detail ...

Surprisingly well constructed

I picked this sucker up for $30 from Fred Meyer after they made it clear that they had no other options available for charging my iPod from my computer (I was on vacation with no cord and a dead battery). I was only expecting it to last throughout the vacation but I've been using it ever since.



I keep the car charger in my car with no extra cables to burden it and I keep the wall charger plugged into the wall. The cable retracts easily with a design much like that of a window blind (pull until you let go where it locks and then pull a bit more and let go to release).



It's a small unobtrusive and incredibly convenient device for your iPod and at this price it's a steal. You'd pay two or three times this at some electronics stores for the wall charger or car charger alone let alone one that is so solidly constructed.



No question -- if you own an iPod purchase this product. I was impressed enough to come and write this review -- perhaps you will be too.More detail ...

Very cool handy and sleek new toy -- but don't throw away your Flip yet!!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GCL7CCLCHZCY When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video though you'd be better off with an iPod touch.



One thing you'll notice in the footage where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting) but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -- the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with well a toy camera. In all fairness that's all it is at this point. (Note by the way that like the Flip the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)



Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -- exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -- the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -- and I thought about doing it over but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)



So to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8 that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.



What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly you get to listen to music you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture) a decent quality mini speaker a somewhat useful pedometer decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.



More detail ...

Some nice improvement but incompatible with Bose...

Having 16GB of storage is a huge plus for the new version of the Nano.



The control wheel seems a bit "stiff" and it is not as responsive as past versions but it works fine.



The menus and setup choices have been improved. These are nice but don't make a major difference. "Shake" shuffle is a bit silly (in my opinion it is just as easy to push the advance on the control wheel) but it can easily be turned off.



BIG MINUS - Apple un-necessarily changed the plug on this version of the Nano. The unit will not charge using my older iPod chargers. The bigger issue is that my Bose and other expensive speaker units will play this Nano but they won't charge it.



Apple is beginning to act more and more like Microsoft - forcing its customers to make un-necessary software upgrades and expensive hardware changes in order to use their latest product versions.



Anyway - the Nano is a great product. If you already have a Nano the only justification I can find to upgrade would be the need for more storage or the desire to play video on a very small screen.



If you don't need the video or more music storage you should stick with your older Nano.



More detail ...

Very cool handy and sleek new toy -- but don't throw away your Flip yet!!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GCL7CCLCHZCY When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video though you'd be better off with an iPod touch.



One thing you'll notice in the footage where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting) but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -- the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with well a toy camera. In all fairness that's all it is at this point. (Note by the way that like the Flip the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)



Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -- exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -- the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -- and I thought about doing it over but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)



So to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8 that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.



What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly you get to listen to music you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture) a decent quality mini speaker a somewhat useful pedometer decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.



More detail ...

Very cool handy and sleek new toy -- but don't throw away your Flip yet!!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GCL7CCLCHZCY When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video though you'd be better off with an iPod touch.



One thing you'll notice in the footage where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting) but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -- the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with well a toy camera. In all fairness that's all it is at this point. (Note by the way that like the Flip the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)



Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -- exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -- the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -- and I thought about doing it over but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)



So to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8 that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.



What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly you get to listen to music you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture) a decent quality mini speaker a somewhat useful pedometer decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.



More detail ...

Very cool handy and sleek new toy -- but don't throw away your Flip yet!!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GCL7CCLCHZCY When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video though you'd be better off with an iPod touch.



One thing you'll notice in the footage where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting) but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -- the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with well a toy camera. In all fairness that's all it is at this point. (Note by the way that like the Flip the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)



Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -- exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -- the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -- and I thought about doing it over but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)



So to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8 that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.



What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly you get to listen to music you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture) a decent quality mini speaker a somewhat useful pedometer decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.



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pretty much useless

This was shipped in a flimsy plastic bag with absolutely no protection/padding so the cover arrived damaged. IF this would have arrived in usable condition I would still not recommend it because there is not any protection for the screen. Overall not worth the trouble!!More detail ...