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204 of 209 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A marked improvement on the 1st Gen, 23 Oct 2008
If you have the 1G, is it worth upgrading to the newer version?
Well, I think so, yes. But only if the differences are as useful to you as they are to me. I had the 1G (my first ever Apple product!), for a couple of weeks before upgrading to the 2G. I then upgraded again to a larger capacity and I think this model is definitely an improvement on the 1G iPod Touch.
Size/Shape: I found the square edges of the 1G slightly uncomfortable in my hand - nothing major, but something I was always aware of. The 2G edges are slightly curved and it fits more easily in my palm.
There's also an external volume button. Call me lazy, but the fact is it's faster and more convenient to be able to adjust the volume with one press of a button. I really like having this little extra.
Battery life: It's noticeably longer, although not quite the extra 14 hours quoted. I'm getting around 8 hours more compared with the 1G - but to be fair, I do play around with it a lot. If you want to maximise battery life when you're just listening to music, then switch OFF the wifi... and you'll squeeze at least another 4 hours out of it. It makes a lot of difference.
Other extras: A built-in speaker and future compatibility with a microphone input. Okay, the speaker is very basic and tinny - but it's fine if you just want to listen to a song sample, for example.
Sound quality: I bought it mainly for the wifi and video capabilities as I have a Sony and Zune for music, but I loaded a few albums on, and I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not, but the 2G seemed to sound a little better than the 1G, with a fuller presentation. It's still very neutral though, and I don't think I'd like to use it with a pair of analytical earphones like Etymotic or q-JAYS. Also, I'm not that impressed with the eq presets, so I just leave them off. But the sq is not nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe.
Ease of use: It's simple! The touch screen is very responsive and it's easy to personalise the home screen and make it your own. If you want to change the appearance and move your applications around - simply hold down one of the icons for a few seconds, wait till they start 'shaking', and drag the icon to where you want, then 'set' it by pressing the home button.
wifi/video: Both features work very well for me. Video display is clear, bright, and big enough to avoid any eye strain. And the wifi is fantastic. I can check for new emails and browse the internet without even having my computer switched on. It's so convenient that it's hard to think how I ever lived without it :)
A tip! To turn off the Touch completely, make sure you press down and hold the sleep/wake button at the top until the 'Power Off' message appears. Otherwise, it is still on and using up battery.
To summarise: A very nice improvement on the 1G. An external volume control, longer battery life, curved edges, and built-in speaker make this even more fun to use than before.
UPDATE! Still loving it, but I noticed how quickly the screen became smudged, so I bought an Apple anti-glare screen protector. It's really good. Not only does it stay smudge free, but it's a lot easier to swipe because it doesn't retain the grease from your fingertips. And in bright sunlight, there's no glare at all. It makes it even nicer to use :)
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171 of 176 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An OBJECTIVE plus (+) and minus (-) review. Please read this if you're making up your mind., 15 Jan 2009
This is an impartial review based on my experience of the iPod Touch 2nd Generation, and other Personal Media Players.
Strengths:
+ WiFi and Safari Browser. Superb mobile browsing experience. For example, you can stream BBC iPlayer to the Touch perfectly. A real joy.
+ Youtube widget for playback of youtube videos.
+ Integrated Nike + Support, so that you can use the device as a training tool for exercise.
+ App Store. You can download from thousands of Apps on iTunes, including games, and stream internet radio, for instance.
+ Superb capacitive glass touch screen. Older touch screens use `resistive' technology. These work on a different principle, and are less responsive. (The Archos 5 uses a resistive screen. The Cowon S9, however, uses a capacitive one like the iPod Touch).
+ Incredible User Interface. Beautifully conceived and implemented. Music and Videos are organised with an astonishing attention to the user's goals, and you regularly feel that Apple designers have read your mind when you go about tasks.
Here's an example: you wish to download a podcast. You go to an internet address in Safari. Safari automatically grabs the address, boots you into iTunes (on the device itself), and takes you to the podcast listing within the iTunes store. Two more clicks and you're downloading your content. That's the way things should be done.
+ Advantages over the previous generation include a dedicated volume rocker, slightly more curvaceous design, slightly improved battery life, integrated Nike + support and mini speaker.
Weaknesses:
- Very, very average sound quality. Now it is a mystery to me why so many users and reviewers overlook this issue. Having owned the Touch, I have come to the conclusion that it is a stylish Swiss Army Knife whose MAIN BLADE is blunt.
It is true that many people will have no issue with the sound quality probably because their only reference point to the world of personal media players is the iPod brand. This is useful ignorance, because I would challenge anyone not to be thoroughly crestfallen with the sound of this device compared to something as cheap yet beautiful sounding as the Sansa Clip.
- Video playback. If you are happy to be locked into the iTunes universe, then you will love this device. You will endlessly pay for movies and will enjoy them on this device. If like me, however, you like to play your own physical DVDs in DivX format,in addition to a range of movie files in various formats and codecs, then the Touch is simply not your friend. It only supports a few video codecs, which means as a device for video playback, it is somewhat paralysed.
- Terrible battery life. Three hours of mixed use, and the Touch is wheezing for a recharge. It's great being a Jack of all trades, but Jack gets tired rather too quickly sometimes!
- Being `locked in' to iTunes. There are some Apple hating brand lunatics who simply disparage anything Apple for the sake of it. For me, I feel that iTunes is an excellent software (especially on a Mac) but it is also limiting. With iTunes organising my device, I can't just drag and drop files onto the Touch, and this is a bit of a pain. But you may feel different, so this one is up in the air...
Conclusion and buying advice:
Having owned it, the Touch is either superb or mediocre depending on whether you wish to buy it as 1) your mini WiFi web browser with an App Store, or as 2) your multimedia player.
1) As a mini browser, it is excellent. Browse the web, download podcasts, stream iPlayer, etc. (But remember, when you're not near a WiFi signal, none of these capabilities count for anything).
2) But as a genuine media playback device, it just does not cut the mustard. Think of it as a second rank device in a field of stellar performers. The sound quality for music playback is just average, and in some cases, embarrassing when listened to devices made by Cowon, Sansa, iRiver and Sony. And its Video playback is equally crippled by its lack of codec support.
So what is the bottom line?
Well, I owned this device but decided to sell it when I bought a £20 Sansa Clip and stopped listening to music on it because the sound quality was so much superior on the Sansa. This is not hyperbole, and I do not hate Apple. In fact, I love Apple, so do take this as objective advice.
I simply realised that my priority was sound and video quality, and that I would get all of the extra features of the Touch most important to me (namely WiFi and a stunning User Interface) when I buy a Macbook in the future.
I have since purchased a Cowon O2, which is a stellar sounding device (admittedly without the Touch's `extra' features) but in a league of its own in terms of sound quality for music playback, and movie playback. (It supports a cornucopia of music and video files and in this regard is a much more accomplished device).
So then, what are you after?
A mini WiFi enabled device with music/video as an extra? Well then buy the Touch! Go for it. You'll love it and enjoy its brilliance.
But if the answer is an audiophile experience of sound and video, do not buy this device. Start investigating a Cowon O2 or S9, or an iRiver Spinn.
Hope this helps.
- Written by a non-partisan audiophile.
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48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's good but..., 11 Nov 2008
Let me get the negative out of the way first. Prior to buying the new 2nd generation iPod Touch I owned a 5th generation 80GB iPod Video. The first thing that struck me about the iPod Touch was the inferior sound quality compared to that of my video iPod despite using the same high quality Sony headphones.
I did a google search and apparently Apple now use a digital to analogue convertor (DAC) chip from a different manufacturer in 6th generation iPods than those used in the 5th generation iPods. You can found out more about this on Apple's support forums.
Despite this though, the playback quality is still on the right side of good enough.
Everything else about this gadget is just brilliant.
I had no problems connecting it to my wifi, and the safari browser is really quick compared to other mobile browsers I have used in the past.
The screen is bright and beautiful, music videos, YouTube videos and the BBC iPlayer look really fantastic, like having a miniature HD television in your hands. It's brilliant for catching up with television or watching YouTube while laying in bed.
The iPod Touch/iPhone versions of the App Store and iTunes are really easy to navigate and like the browser load very quick. With iTunes you can listen to a 30 second preview just like on the PC version and any music you download direct to the Touch downloads as quickly as it does on the PC (depending on ISP your connection speed obviously).
The App store is full of great applications, all sorts of stuff from games to music creation, even ebooks and comics. There are some really great free apps on there too like Google Earth, or Mini Piano for the times when you have the odd few minutes to spare.
Some of the Apps are a little rough around the edges but many are quiet cheap, starting at 59p, plus you can download any upgrades for free once you have made a purchase. I downloaded the Crash Bandicoot Kart Racing game and I am very impressed with it, you turn corners by tilting the iPod Touch and fire missiles or jump by touching the screen, and it all moves along with a decent smooth frame rate, all for £3.49.
I was surprised at how small the packaging was that it came in. It is a small high quality plastic case with all the ingredients tucked away neatly inside, very smart.
The iPod Touch is very light and slim, it does feel delicate so you might want to buy a case for it, if you are one who likes to keep their gadgets in pristine condition you will probably handle it with kid gloves until you get it into a case. I bought a Griffin iClear case for mine which fits snugly so now I feel more secure taking it out and about.
Also you can get a firmer grip on the ipod because without a case the iPod Touch is very slim and feels like it could easily slip out of your hand, especially if you have larger hands.
One thing I do miss from the video iPod is the clickwheel, you could just put your hand in your pocket and move on to the next track but with the touch you need to look at the screen to see what you are doing.
I would have given this five stars but because the playback quality isn't as good as the 5th generation iPod I owned I have given it 4, though I would rather give it a 4.5 and only knock half a point off for the reduced sound quality because it is still good enough.
Edit. Some reviews state that the new iPod touch will not charge in docks. I just thought I'd let you know that the Apple USB mains plug which I used for my video iPod still charges the 2G iPod Touch if anybody needs a PC free method of charging.
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