Review: iPod Touch

The iPod Touch is basically an iPhone without the “phone” part. Encased in a glossy metal shell with a cool glass exterior, the iPod Touch exudes style. All you really have to do is look at its smooth black minimalist design to know that what you’re really looking at is a piece of art rather than just a piece of technology.

While mp3 players had been around for a while before, it wasn’t until Apple had brought out the iPod that mp3 players started becoming little more than the walkman for people who knew about computers. Apple changed all of that by making technology sexy and user friendly. They’ve done it with the Nano and the Shuffle and now they’re changing expectations one more time with a little bit of touch.

The iPod Touch is basically an iPhone without the “phone” part. Encased in a glossy metal shell with a cool glass exterior, the iPod Touch exudes style. All you really have to do is look at its smooth black minimalist design to know that what you’re really looking at is a piece of art rather than just a piece of technology.

As a piece of technology it excels but only to a certain degree. It does what previous iPod’s have done… but better. Images are easier to look at and the zoom controls make the iPod Touch just that much friendlier. The Cover Flow technology seen in recent versions of iTunes seems to work better with a finger sorting through album covers making finding music easy and fun. Otherwise you can just use your finger to scroll through tracks or hit shuffle and let the Touch decide for you.

The sound is excellent sending out bright, punchy and dynamic audio. Using the Touch is pretty simple and even dogs have been filmed using the device.

The inclusion of WiFi is pretty cool though you’ll probably find it slower for web browsing than anything else. If you end up using it for iTunes purchases or music previewing, it’s actually really good, but with Australia’s lack of wireless hotspots, mobile Safari seems wasted. That’s not to say that’s Apple’s problem; it’s not, it’s just that if I’m at home, I’m probably using my computer and not Safari on the iPod Touch.

There are a few problems though but whether you think of them as problems is entirely your call. The calendar doesn’t have the option to add events on the go which is surprising given that you can type in contacts, although the information is all in an American format. The keyboard also seems poorly designed. Using an all upper-case set of letters, you might find it confusing to use even though it is fairly responsive.

Other issues we find fault with are more an Apple issue rather than a fault with the iPod Touch. It’s probably worth noting that you need to sign up for an iTunes account if you want to get album covers easily and this means credit card details get exchanged. Plus we’re still a bit surprised that even with a device as feature packed as the Touch, options like FM radio, line-in recording, and other audio & video file-types still aren’t included in the package.

While not the revolutionary device many expected, the iPod Touch offers a very cool set of features in what’s a gorgeous design. Starting at 419 dollars for 8 gigs, the iPod Touch is now available for the person who loves to touch.

Click to enlarge

Product: iPod Touch

Vendor: Apple

RRP: $419 (8gb), $549 (16gb)

Website: iPod Touch

Reviewed by Leigh D. Stark