Posts Tagged ‘ Apple Ipod Touch ’

As the less-gifted sibling of Apple’s celebrated iPhone, the iPod touch has had to work hard to prove itself. Now in its second generation, Apple has finally given the iPod touch a chance to shine by lowering its price , improving the hardware and practically doubling the features from last year’s original model.

DesignApple’s updates to the iPod touch’s design are subtle, but the hardware has definitely changed for the better. A slim volume switch now graces the left edge, making it easier to adjust the volume quickly. The chromed steel back now mimics the rounded design of the iPhone 3G, giving the device a slimmer profile at its edges. Whether psychological or by design, the second-generation iPod touch feels less fragile than last year’s model and makes the plastic enclosure of the iPhone 3G feel cheap by comparison.

Minor improvements aside, the hardware is largely unchanged. Both the first- and second-generation iPod touch share the same dimensions (104mm by 62mm by 11mm), same glass-covered 89mm (3.5-inch) screen and same arrangement of headphone jack, dock connector, sleep button and home button.

FeaturesThe second-generation iPod touch still commands a fairly high price compared with other MP3 players with similar capacities. When you weigh the price against its features, however, the device becomes much more attractive. Out of the box, the new touch includes an amazing music player, podcast support, video playback (including iTunes rentals and a YouTube player), a Safari Web browser, photo viewer, an email reader (compatible with Outlook, Exchange, MobileMe, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL or any POP email service), an integrated Wi-Fi music store and a host of smaller utilities (weather, calendar, maps, stocks, notes, clock, contacts and calculator). Provided you can become proficient with its touchscreen keyboard, the iPod touch is more pocket PC than MP3 player.

As of version 2.0 of Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch firmware, the device’s standard features are just the beginning. The new iTunes App Store, accessible from your computer or directly from the iPod touch, allows users to download and install thousands of applications, including Internet radio players, games, voice recorders and social-networking tools. You can also extend its capabilities by using third-party ‘Made for iPod’ hardware accessories such as Bluetooth transmitters, audio/video docks, external battery packs and speaker systems.

The second-generation touch also introduces Apple’s new Genius feature, which lets you create an instant 25-song playlist based on the musical characteristics of a single song. The Genius feature is easy to use, and the results are fun, provided your music collection holds enough songs to make interesting connections. You can create and save Genius playlists directly onto your iPod touch, and with automatic syncing enabled in iTunes you can also transfer them back to your computer.

Oddly, the touch’s Genius feature won’t work if you haven’t enabled Genius on your computer’s iTunes software. If you find iTunes’ Genius feature too demanding on your computer’s resources or too invasive of your privacy (the feature reports your listening habits to Apple), then you’ll need to live without the feature on your iPod as well.

If you own a first-generation iPod touch, you can upgrade its firmware to include all of the software capabilities (including Genius playlists) found on the second-generation model. There are three features, however, that you’re only going to get on the second-generation model: a built-in speaker, Nike+ support and headphone jack microphone input. The speaker included on the second-generation touch isn’t visible from the outside and its sound quality is far from spectacular. Despite its poor quality, the addition of a speaker makes it easier to play games or listen to your morning podcasts without hunting down your headphones.

We’re also happy to see the inclusion of Nike+ functionality considering the popularity of MP3 players as workout companions. And if you’re interested in making voice memos, an investment in a compatible iPod microphone headset (due out in October) will allow you to make voice recordings directly to the iPod touch, provided that third-party developers begin creating voice applications specific to it.

We’re disappointed that the new version still can’t stream Flash video or audio content through its Safari browser. Many of the Web’s more popular content providers are working around the problem, however, by creating specific App Store applications for their content. We also can’t help but crave the camera and GPS capabilities included on the touch’s close relative, the iPhone 3G. With any luck, a third-party manufacturer will step in with some clever accessories.

Both the iPod touch and iPhone allow users to browse, preview, purchase and download music from the new iTunes Wi-Fi music store. The store is limited strictly to music downloads — no movies, TV shows, podcasts or games — at least not yet. You’ll have to hop on to an available Wi-Fi Internet connection to take advantage of the wireless music store, but once connected, you can search for any artist, album or song in the iTunes catalogue, as well as browse by genre, top sellers, featured artists and new releases.

Store purchases require you to enter your iTunes password as a security measure. Once the download is complete, the song is immediately available to listen to and will transfer to your computer’s iTunes music library the next time you sync the device. The feature seems to work without any kinks — even interrupted downloads pick up once a Wi-Fi connection is re-established.

Before you run off to buy one, consider this caveat: those who use this or any iPod will be required to install and use iTunes. Some argue that iTunes is a top-notch media library tool and online music store, while others become infuriated by the software’s insatiable demand for system resources and frequent updates.

Whatever side of the iTunes debate you take, know that iTunes 8 is a mandatory install for the second-generation iPod touch. If you haven’t used iTunes before or haven’t upgraded the software in a while, we strongly recommend giving the new software a spin before committing to a new iPod.

PerformanceHaving handled our share of touchscreen iPod and iPhone imitators this past year, we’ve yet to find a product that measures up to the responsiveness of Apple’s multitouch technology.

Granted, some Web-based applications need a few seconds to warm up, but the majority of the features on this iPod touch react with an uncanny immediacy and fluidity. Small things such as album cover art that flips over to reveal track listings, menus that scroll with artificial momentum and photos that resize with a pinch of your fingers, all illustrate an attention to detail not offered by the iPod’s competitors.

For reasons known only to Apple, the obsessive detail poured into the iPod’s design doesn’t translate into audio performance. The barrage of sound-enhancement settings packed into MP3 players from Sony, Cowon and Samsung are in stark contrast to the unchanged and marginally useful list of equaliser presets included on the iPod. That said, the balanced and smooth audio quality of the iPod touch is likely to satisfy the majority of listeners, despite the limited scope of its audio control.

As with all iPods, the second-generation model supports playback for MP3, AAC (including protected files), Audible, WAV, AIFF and Apple Lossless. There’s still no support for WMA music files, but you can always convert your WMA tracks to MP3 within Apple’s iTunes software.

If you’re looking for a way to take video on-the-go, the touch has plenty to offer. You can load it with video podcasts, TV programmes and iTunes movie rentals, or watch endless amounts of free video clips using the included YouTube widget. Viewing angles seem better than the previous model, while colour balance and brightness seem about the same.

Apple rates the new iPod touch at 36 hours for music (up from the first-gen’s 22 hours) and 6 hours of video (unchanged), although mileage will vary based on screen brightness and Wi-Fi usage. Historically, Apple’s iPod battery estimates tend to be conservative.

ConclusionWe think the second-generation iPod touch is one of the best iPods ever made. Inside and out, it’s in a league of its own in the world of portable entertainment. If you have an old, worn-out iPod and you’re ready to upgrade, we think this new model should be your first consideration.

That said, if you already own an iPhone or an original iPod touch, it would be hard to justify buying the second-generation version. Also, if all you really want is a no-frills portable music player, upgrading is probably overkill.

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Apple has just released its wide screen media player sharing the same multi-touch screen as that of the iPhone. The multi touch screen of the iPod touch from Apple gives you a more firm grip on its controls. The 3.5” multi-touch wide screen comes with a resolution of 480 x 320 and 163 pixels/inch. You can input the text, surf the pages, or enjoy zooming in on your favourite images. The rear panel of the Touch is made of shiny stainless-steel, same as the iPods had in past. The Wi-Fi antenna is located on the upper left hand corner of its rear panel. Apple, via its web browser Safari, allows you to explore this interface as it depends solely on the finger movement. The format for storage has been changed from hard disk (HD) to flash memory thereby giving you faster access however limiting the storage capacity.

The applications that you will see on your iPod touch include Safari, Calendar, YouTube, Contacts, Calculator, Clock, Music, Photos, iTunes, and others. These applications work very smoothly and the user friendly features are simply incredible. The iPod comes with programs that get loaded completely instantly as you touch the buttons on the screen with you fingers. This Wi-Fi enabled iPod lets you browse through the web and also wirelessly purchase & download your favourite songs via the iTunes. If music is your fad, this one has got an excellent audio performance. The Touch offers compatibility across MP3 files load & play, Apple Lossless, AIFF, Audible, & WAV files. Video-support is provided for H.264 & MPEG-4 formats, whereas it provides photo-support for JPEG, GIF, BMP, PSD, PNG, and TIF formats. All songs, contacts, videos, photos, pod-casts can be loaded via the iTunes feature.

The gadget is slimmer, a little shorter, & slightly wider, and has the dimensions of 4.3” x 2.4” x 0.3”. Carrying won’t be a problem, as this iPod weighs merely 4.2 ounces. Slip it inside your pocket, purse or carry in your hands!

The Apple iPod Touch portable media player designed and marketed by Apple Inc. comes into the market featuring a multi-touch interface that makes it attractive. The iPod Touch was unveiled to the general public on September 5, 2007, creating a heavy demand for the gadget. The iPod touch comes with a 8 or 16 GB of flash memory. The Apple iPod Touch comes with a Wi-Fi and includes Safari, the Apple’s web browser.

The Apple iPod touch holds the credit for being the first generation of the iPod line that includes wireless access to the iTunes Store. It comes with the capability to detect the current and last 10 songs playing in a Starbucks café within the area of the device, and provides the user with the opportunity to download the tracks in the iTunes music store. Apple for now has no plans to expand into stores other than those in the U.S.

The iPod touch comes with a touch screen interface that is almost same as that of iPhone. This model has a physical home button separate from the touch screen like in iPhone. The home screen comes with a headphone set, an alarm clock and also a list of buttons corresponding to the available applications. The Apple iPod touch arrives with 28 wallpaper photos, some of which are figures from the iPod advertisements.

The prima facie reviews of the iPod touch finds some differences compared to Apple’s similar iPhone. The new model is missing the facilities of iPhone including e-mail, mapping and stock tracking applications, even though they could be added in through an action called a Jailbreak. It also lacks Bluetooth capability. There were also early complaints that the device’s screen could not properly display shades of black. But this problem was later resolved with the firmware update.

Apple iPod Touch is a revolutionary product – great looks, user-friendly and innovative capabilities – music lovers could not have asked for anything more. Ease of use is built into the design of the gadget. There are only two buttons – one for switching the screen off and the second one for selecting specific applications. Apart from these two buttons, all other functionalities of this Apple iPod can be accessed through a simple touch. An owner of the Apple iPod Touch could use the same for music and video playback, web browsing and access to the iTunes store.

The finger-based navigation of the Apple iPod Touch could seem to be problematic for some category of users. The entering of data through this process could seem a bit cumbersome and chances of people hitting the wrong button on the virtual keyboard of the gadget – more times than one – cannot be altogether ruled out. One cannot however complain about the video screen of this innovative gadget from Apple Inc. – and users would surely enjoy the experience of viewing the video clips in the sophisticated Apple iPod Touch.

Media playing, web browsing, photo viewing – quite a lot is possible with the Apple iPod Touch. To conclude, it can be said that the Apple iPod Touch is a smart iPod for smart people. Along with the Apple iPod Nano and iPod Classic, the Apple iPod Touch offers music lovers with a plethora of choices in ‘portable music devices with multimedia capabilities.’

In this day and age of busy lifestyles and tremendous work pressure, sophisticated gadgets such as the Apple iPod Touch are very much in demand. As a matter of fact, people with an ear for music across the world are using this and other Apple iPods to remain connected with their kind of sound and entertainment, even when they are on the move.

The Apple iPod Touch is an advanced new generation iPod that incorporates new technology to offer better and more comprehensive features to music lovers the world over. It is an innovative gadget that can be used for media playing, web browsing, and photo viewing. A multi-touch wide-screen makes the experience of using the Apple ipod touch a memorable one.

The Apple iPod Touch comes with small dimensions. It is somewhat taller than the iPod classic, and the form factor is comparable to an ipod rather than an iphone. Apple iPod Touch

Comes with a flat face and a polished stainless steel back. The Apple iPod Touch comes with a 163 pixel per inch display and the screen resolution is 480 x 320.

There is a single home button to control the different functionalities that are on offer. Some useful features that are a part of the Apple iPod Touch include calendars, contacts, and a clock. One can use the Click Wheel to select a four-digit combination which is useful in protecting the iPod classic from unwanted attention.

Apple ipods such as the Apple iPod Touch are becoming popular by the day. And one does not have to far to search for reasons for the same. First and foremost, the Apple iPods are portable and easy to carry around. For people who love music but are limited by time constraints, this spells good news. They can now carry their music as well as videos with them wherever they go and enjoy the same, whenever they want to.

The quality of the sound leaves little to be desired and music lovers are making the most of the situation. They are investing in good quality Apple ipods such as the Apple ipod Touch and benefiting from an array of high quality features.