Review: iPod Touch 2G 32GB

I love this thing. It looks beautiful naked. It does.

But I'm a bit paranoid right now, since for some reason the back of it is scratched, so inside the Belkin you shall be, my pretty one.

I'm in love with my iPod Touch. This is stupid, but I think I am. I'm sorry, Pill, I've got a replacement for you, and it can sing me five thousand different songs. Can you do that, Pill?

Hahahahaha.

I think I'm going to review this. Promise, no bias.

Device: iPod Touch
Version: 2nd-Generation
Size: 32gb
Manufacturer: Apple
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

For people who think iPods are just about the hype, you are missing the point. The hype is not the reason the iPod is so successful. The iPod is successful because it is brilliant at whatever it does, and that in turn generates an amazing amount of hype.

Observe, the 2nd-generation iPod Touch. It's beatiful to look at, with it's glossy black exterior that looks simple yet elegant at the same time. The screen is vivid and bright. The only buttons are the one in the centre, and the volume control at the side which wasn't on the first one.

People who don't understand the iPod say that a lot of other things can do what the iPod do. Other mp3 players can play music. Other players have touch screen. Other players have video playback. And some have WiFi connectivity. And some do things better than the iPod.

But then with these other devices, they usually have strengths in one aspect and lacking in another. The iPod does everything it wants to do very, very well. The touch screen is responsive. The interface is extremely intuitive and the multi-touch is exceptional. The menu is easy to navigate through.

The Safari browser is really good. Looking at full websites are easy, and it reads pdf files (!). It's reasonably quick. A bonus is that you can watch videos on Youtube, a major plus you rarely get in any other similar devices.

The Genius function may seem disposable at first, but then when you really start to use it, then you realise how convenient this powerful tool can be. No more having to create playlists on the go when you suddenly feel the urge to listen to a kind of music. The Genius does it for you. Trust me, you'll love Genius. But be aware, you need a fairly large music collection for it to really work well. It works better if you give it more songs to choose from and work with.

The App Store is another highlight. You can add a lot of functionality to your iPod Touch. Things like Google Earth, GPS, eBay, PayPal, internet radio and graphic calculators are free of charge to download.

Most people know the Touch has got a built-in accelerometer, and this comes in very handy when you want to watch films or type something, because the touch keyboard can get tricky when the iPod is vertical. It's also very good fun when you're playing games. There's a game called iBaseball (App Store) that requires you to hold the iPod Touch like a bat. Like a Wii almost.

With my Bose headphones, the music quality is really good. It's a major step-up from my Sony Ericsson phone (obviously).

Apparently it's got a Nike+ feature, but I don't have Nike+ sneakers, so I have yet to try that. Might be an excuse for me to start jogging. Hahahaha.

There are a few imperfections though. Being connected to a WiFi networks seems to drain the power a lot quicker than usual. And I notice that when the iPod is connected to the laptop and you're browsing your music, sometimes the screen would go black and go back to the main menu. These are really very minor flaws, and easy to overlook.

In short, the iPod Touch is intuitive, extremely responsive, looks and sounds good, and has those extras you won't get anywhere else. And believe me, these extras will become indispensable after you get used to them.

Signing out

Over and out