A month or so ago, I wrote about the Apple Iphone, a revolutionary device, that is unfortunately fundamentally flawed. With the smoothest operating system/interface I have ever seen and the only smart phone that displays the actual internet, not just the pocket version, the Iphone is a technological marvel. That being said, exclusivity with AT&T, the use of an antiquated wireless data system, and a lofty price point ($600 originally), made the first generation Iphone at best a great concept demonstration, but not a device ready for mass adoption. A concept for what you might have asked?
Apple has answered. First, they announced they were adding Java support to the Iphone browser and dropped the price by an amazing $200. That being said, the SLOW data speeds and exclusivity with AT&T are still deal breakers. I simply cannot justify signing a two year commitment with AT&T, an expensive and poor customer service provider, when they stick me with some of the slowest data speeds in the industry and no phone discount in return. I was comfortable to wait for the Iphone to be hacked to be useful on other networks or wait out the AT&T exclusivity. After this week's announcment, I am no longer comfortable to wait.
On Tuesday, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, announced the expected next generation of Ipod media players. The newest model, the Ipod Touch, is based on the Iphone’s operating system. Jobs showed off his new device, which addresses most of the issues I had with the original Ipods (of which I own several). The “Touch” has solid state memory, not a harddrive, thus giving it significantly longer battery life. The Touch has a relatively large video screen, this time taking up the entire front of the device. The Touch has the WAY slick operating system from the Iphone and the next generation touch screen. Unlike previous Ipods and most touch screens, the Touch has sensors behind a glass screen that know when something (your finger) is near the glass. There is no need for pressure sensors or a stylus, thus the screen will scratch way less and the sensors will last significantly longer.
So far, the Touch was what I expected it to be. A prettier, bigger screen, more storage, lighter media player. But then came the bomb. The Ipod Touch has WiFi. Not just to sync with your computer, but to access the Itunes store, and, ready for this, surf the web. KABOOM!!! This beautiful little thing is the Iphone, minus the phone, the contract, and the camera.
I had asked myself when the Iphone came out, why Apple would spend all that money on research and development for their incredible new OS and hardware and then waste it on an AT&T exclusive that most people would never use. The Touch is why. It is the application of all their research that is truly ready to be adopted by the masses. Now you can use one little device to listen to music, watch movies, check your email, navigate with Google Maps, and surf the web. The real web, not some super-lite version. And with free WiFi spreading like wildfire, the world will soon be more and more the Ipod Touch’s oyster.
Oh and did I mention that Apple made a deal with Starbucks so that Ipod Touch users can use the Itunes store for free from any Starbucks? Now all those people that said they wanted an Ipod but don’t want to sync with a computer (surprisingly quite a few) can have their Ipod and mocha too. With the name recognition of Ipod and the cutting edge technology under the hood, no digital music player or videoplayer holds a candle to this puppy. Mark my words, it will change the digital world.
My personal take on the new Ipod is this: I want one. When everyone sees it, they will want one. When you see it, you will want one. Bad. I have not seen anyone that has played with one and not been involuntarily smiling. It is that much fun. It is the smart device techies and non-techies have been waiting for with all the features that most people want with a laptop, let alone a music player. Pretty to look at, easy to use, and relatively affordable. This is the "Tickle Me Elmo" for this Christmas and beyond.
If I haven’t sold you, go to an Apple store and check it out. If you can’t get to an Apple store, click here to view the demo. If you don’t feel like doing either, just wait until they ship on
You have been warned, preorder now or be prepared to suffer a catastrophic case of tech envy.
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15 comments:
SOLD!!!! And yes, $400 poorer! --Barbara
Firstly, to clarify, the operating system (OS) running on the iPhone and iPod Touch is OS X, the very same OS running on Apple's computers. The difference is that the interface has been tweaked, and the distribution package is streamlined.
What's nice about this is that, in theory, any OS X application can run on the iPhone, which is why hackers have desperately been trying to find easy ways to "move" OS X applications to the iPhone and run them. Fortunately, they've had quite a few successes, and unfortunately, Apple is still not officially supporting such "native" applications, and instead emphasizing iPhone widgets, which are the "applications" one can download easily to run on the iPhone.
This brings me to my second point: while developers can write widgets that don't require an Internet connection, most widgets are designed with an Internet connection in mind. Because of this, third-party applications on the iPod Touch will be limited in functionality, because the widget architecture doesn't lend itself to things like offline databases and such without a native application to interface with. So yes, while one can use Google Maps on the iPod Touch, good luck doing much with those maps when you're out of your hotspot's range.
At the moment, Google Gears (their offline, in-beta component) is not yet available for Safari. This means that, at present, there is no way for users to read RSS feeds when away from an Internet connection (via Google Reader), or make use of many other features that would be snazzy if ubiquitous wireless were a reality.
The iPhone's killer application is undoubtedly its web browser, but without an Internet connection, it's useless. Truth be told, I would rather have crappy EDGE than have nothing at all.
As I mentioned to Maxator last week, what Apple should have done is sold the iPod Touch with an optional data-only plan, thereby not infringing on their contract with AT&T (since there would be not voice phone capabilities). As an unlocked, EDGE/3G device, the iPod Touch would have all the cool features of the iPhone, but without the embedded phone that most people don't mind having in a separate device.
Without a method to send and receive data, the iPhone Touch is little more than a prettier nano. About the only thing that saves it from falling into my overpriced-yet-still-cool gadgets list is the fact that with bluetooth (which people are inferring it does have), or with the ability to identify a headset w/mic, the iPod Touch can be used with the available Skype widget to make and receive phone calls over wireless, which is cool if you have a reasonable amount of hotspot access.
Otherwise, without a camera, the iPod Touch isn't even a great blogging tool.
I'm still holding out on a reasonably-available hack to unlock the iPhone, with Apple not doing much (if anything) to stop it. A software solution is already available to resellers, and a hardware solution is available once new Turbo Sim Cards are manufactured. If either of those options present themselves before the end of the year, I'll get way more use out of the iPhone/Touch than I would without a data plan.
Right so... If I don't care about RSS feeds or having an extra digital camera and I don't want to hack my product to get it to work or to pay AT&T a cent, and I have WiFi available all over the place (which I do at home, around work, and soon on most airlines and trains), what is not to love?
As WiFi goes so will go the Touch and the Touch may help drive WiFi. It's a marriage made in heaven, now everybody get in the conga line or join me for an electric slide. You can feel it...
You're overstating the availability of WiFi. We both have iPods already, and most people who are in the market for an iPhone/iPod Touch do too. What these new devices offer over a conventional iPod is one thing: Internet applications. The one thing that makes Internet applications useful is a data connection.
With the exception of being able to read your e-mail offline (after it's been downloaded), the iPod Touch is dead in the water without a hotspot, and unfortunately, hotspots are not ubiquitous enough yet to bank on.
If you're at home, you can use your computer to hit the Internet, which is simply a better experience because it's on a big screen with a "real" input device. At work, you probably have the same thing.
When out and about, you're restricted to hotspots which are either locked down because they're private, or are for-pay. Starbucks, whose hotspots are powered by T-Mobile, cost $30 - $40 per month for non-T-Mobile customers, depending on whether or not you're on a 12-month hotspot contract with them.
Most airports and hotels tend to use different services, and all charge either by-the-hour, or somewhere between $10 and $20 per day.
At the moment, airlines don't have WiFi, though some have announced the service for the future. Sadly, as the aforelinked article suggests, this service will likely run around $30 per flight.
In other words, by getting the iPod Touch instead of an iPhone, you're looking at a much higher data bill, and don't have the luxury of using the device's Internet features when it's often needed: on the open road.
(Most times when I use my Sidekick 3, it's to check movie times, prices of items online to compare to their in-store prices, etc.)
Don't get me wrong: your usage needs may be very different from most people, but for the average consumer, to get their money's worth on a device like the iPod Touch, bundling the Internet features along with a phone is a better all-around buy, particularly since most anything you'll do on the device will be text-based, and won't require the extensive bandwidth requirements that things like online video do.
To conclude, a user can add $100 to the price of the iPhone to get it unlocked today, and spend $20 - $30 on T-Mobile's data package per month, and they'll be able to use all of the iPhone's features sans visual voicemail all the time and still have hotspot access free at Starbucks and other T-Mobile-powered locations.
To me, that deal is far better than having to rely on the next time I find a hotspot just to check my mail or find out when/where the next movie showtime is.
Two quick final notes:
Firstly, word on the street is that the iPod Touch will not have bluetooth or a camera, stifling the rumour that the iPod Touch will be able to utilize the Skype widget at hotspots.
Secondly, Turbo Sim cards seem to be available at retailers again, for those who don't wish to rely on The iPhoneSimFree unlock that is not circling the news channels. I will likely wrote up a blog post on the matter at mendax.org soon, for those who are interested.
Clearly myself and WyldKard desire different things in a mini media player. I want something that plays all my music and movies, that is is to carry, with a decent sized screen, good battery life, with easy to use software, that I can use to quickly surf the internet if I am home, at a friend's, or at a location with a free hotspot. I could care less about Skype, Widgets, RSS, and mobile blogging. If I am going to write a good blog, I am going to do it from home.
And yes of course, if I want to watch a movie, it is best to do so on a TV. If I want to listen to music, it is best to do so on a stereo. If I want to surf the web for long periods of time, it is best to do so on a PC. But nothing I have seen does all of these, in a slick portable fashion, better than the Touch. When I heard about the Touch, it erased any thought about buying a laptop to use for internet, email, and as a portable movie player on travel. Why pay $1000 or more to lug around a laptop when my new Ipod will do everything I need.
Would it be nice to have wireless data service for my Ipod everywhere? Sure. Is it worth even the cost of even $30 a month for dial up speeds? Not to me. That's about $400 a year for dial up? Forget it. I can happily wait until I am home or at my local coffee place with free WiFi. And in the likely event I am stuck in Ohare airport for half a day, $10 for unlimited usage that day isn't so bad.
And just think WyldKard, as you live in San Fran, WiFi will be free there soon. Don't waste your money on wireless dial up, when highspeed WiFi will be free for you soon. Or at least wait until the next gen Iphone that can use 3G or something similar. My sources say Q1 2008.
1st paragraph: "is is" = "is easy"
Damn you Google put in an edit comment feature.
The things you want in a device, Max, have already been around in various iterations. The only difference is that Apple added a little more polish to their browser, but reasonable web surfing tools have already been available on a variety of PDA-like devices in the past.
It's not just mobile Safari, but the widgets that power the iPhone's/Touch's other Internet tools that make it a killer device.
You may be gawking at the price for "dial-up", but with an unlocked iPhone, you're looking at a data price equivalent to T-Mobile hotspot access with the hotspot access built in. Or, look at it the other way around: pay for hotspot access, and get free EDGE. As I said earlier, the type of material you're likely to look at (e-mail, web sites, etc) don't require much bandwidth, unless your browsing habits necessitate huge images and video. And even then, you're still getting some degree of Internet access when not at a hotspot, which you can't do on the Touch.
You're also identifying wifi with broadband, which is not accurate. Google's San Francisco plan will not be traditional broadband, as they will throttle individual user's bandwidth to near dial-up speeds. By the time wireless Internet becomes ubiquitous, I anticipate similar throttling to occur elsewhere, because it's cheaper for those offering the service.
Also, as of today, a free unlocking tool is available for those who have been holding off on getting the iPhone and don't want to use AT&T.
As for the 3G iPhone, sure, I can wait six months until it's available, or I can enjoy the same features now. With 3G, viewing your blog isn't going to be much faster than with EDGE anyhow. ;)
As an aside, my Apple news feeds just alerted me to the fact that Apple decided to further cripple the Touch by not allowing users to input calendar and contact information, only view them. :(
As a person who spends most my time at work (bad cell signal), on the metro (Verizon signal only), and at home (WiFi already paid for), I am very happy with the Touch and would rather have high speed in limited places, then pay for low speed everywhere.
I may take the Iphone plunge someday, but am having a heck of a time dropping a tiny flip phone that can easily fit in my pocket for something I would need a holster for. It is the classic bigger screen or small gadget tradeoff. As for right now, I am going with small phone and seperate bigger screen gadget.
As for the calendar and contacts, my previous Ipod allowed viewing those but I never used it. I have a calendar at home and a phone with my contacts, plus gmail stores all my email addresses. Me, I want a media player and a portable "full web" browser, not a phone or a PDA. I trust that the Touch will deliver as the very respectable periodical PC magazine just reviewed the Touch and gave it 5 out of 5, calling it, "simply the best portable media player ever made." That's enough for me.
"I am very happy with the Touch and would rather have high speed in limited places, then pay for low speed everywhere."
Only, with the iPhone, you have high speed in limited places, too.
"I... am having a heck of a time dropping a tiny flip phone that can easily fit in my pocket for something I would need a holster for."
I'd rather carry an iPhone than my cell phone and iPod.
This comparison of features between the iPhone and iPod Touch is worth reading for those who are leaning towards the iPod Touch. Most alarming to me is the lack of an e-mail app or the notes application. The lack of an external colume control is also annoying for a media player, and the fact that the screen quality isn't as good as the iPhone is curious.
In the end, for $400, the iPhone can do everything the iPod Touch can, plus a lot more. The only thing the iPod Touch has over the iPhone is a negligible decrease in size and twice the memory. For most people, 8GB should be more than enough anyway, unless you need a video library everywhere you go.
Since the iPhone can be activated using free applications to function as an iPod Touch, yet still retaining all the other non-phone features, I'm really starting to wonder why the Touch is as hyped as it is.
Looks like other reviews aren't as positive as your PC periodical. I'm afraid word is getting out that the Touch is a poor iPhone-sans-phone substitute.
Wow... Did you seriously try to use "forevergeek.com" to support your argument? A little desperate to prove your point? ;) I guess “my” periodical “PC Magazine,” an industry standard, can’t hold up to a website whose slogan is “Nerds are for dorks.” But I digress… Even WyldKard's choice of websites (who give the Touch a B minus) calls the Touch a “very good media player and one of the best video players.” Wait, if the Touch is a media/video player and they call it very good and one of the best, then why did they give it a B- you may ask? They dislike it just like WyldKard, because it doesn’t have phone features. I guess I must remind them both, that the Touch is a media player and the Iphone is a phone. My toaster is one of the best toasters I have ever had, but it would suck as a phone. So aren’t both comparisons a bit silly?
My point to you, Mr. WyldKard, is and has always been this: I, and most of the consumer market, do not want the Iphone, at least not in its current form. Most people don’t care about mobile blogging, RSS feeds, having another digital camera, or connecting every device we own with Bluetooth. I know you have multiple laptops, multiple Ipods, and multiple orgasms. (I made that last one up, but hope for you that you do.) That being said, most people aren’t like you, certainly in the last area. We, the so ignorant public, just want a great media player. This is the best one out there. Period. The WiFi internet support is a GREAT added bonus that allows us to surf the web anywhere in my house or at hotspots without having to buy a laptop.
As I alluded to before, I believe comparisons between the Touch and the Iphone are not really valid as they are meant to serve different purposes. But if you insist, here is my comparison:
The Iphone is a phone. The Ipod Touch is a media player.
The Iphone costs money every month to use, the Touch does not.
The Iphone allows you to talk to someone and hear their voice. The Touch only allows you to hear music and movies. :)
The Iphone requires a two year commitment to AT&T with nothing in return or the option of hacking your Iphone to use Tmobile and thus voiding your warranty; the Touch works fine out of the box for free.
The Iphone has a camera and Bluetooth, the Touch does not.
The Iphone has dial up mobile speeds (paid for through AT&T) and WiFi, the Touch has WiFi for free.
The Iphone includes GPS features that you pay to use, the Touch does not.
The Iphone and Touch have the same size screen and the same OS.
The Iphone and Touch both play music, movies, and show pictures.
The Touch has twice the memory.
The cost of purchasing an Iphone and operating it on the second to lowest plan ($80 a month) for one year: $1200 plus tax.
The cost of purchasing a Touch and operating it for three years: $400 plus tax (for the top of the line unit).
WyldKard, I know you have an Iphone and love it, but like most people I already have a phone and a wireless carrier I like. And for that matter, I like my little flip phone and if I lose it, I can always get a new one for $50. Very importantly, my phone fits in my pocket during the times I don't want to have a media player on me. I will carry my Ipod Touch when I need a media player. The size of an Iphone is a serious deterrent to have it as my “on me all the time” phone. Some people don’t mind wearing a phone holster, I can’t stand it. I feel like Batman and not in the good crime fighter sort of way.
My advice to any consumer is this: If you want one gadget that serves all purposes, don’t mind selling your soul to AT&T, paying a premium for dial up speeds, and wearing a holster; or you feel the need for a cradle (seriously WyldKard’s recommended website said that the lack of a cradle is a bad thing), the Iphone is for you. If you want the slickest media player ever made at an affordable price, buy the Ipod Touch. The holiday marketplace will decide. Just remember you heard it here first, “The Ipod Touch will change the world.”
Admittedly, I'm very amused by your declaration of how the iPod Touch will change the world, and it strikes me very reminiscent of the Segway, which was also slated to change the world. Thank god that today's cities have streamlined transportation routes designed exclusively for Segway-sized vehicles. :P
On a more serious note, why did you not read the last paragraph in my first comment today. Let me paste it in here so you don't miss it this time: "Since the iPhone can be activated using free applications to function as an iPod Touch, yet still retaining all the other non-phone features, I'm really starting to wonder why the Touch is as hyped as it is."
Perhaps I was simply not clear and you didn't understand what I meant, so I will clarify for you and your readers: the iPhone can be "activated" using free programs that even trained monkeys can use. In other words, such free programs allow the iPhone's non-phone features to be activated without any obligation to AT&T, and make the iPhone an effective iPod Touch Pro.
Now, let's take on some of your comments which are just plain incorrect:
"Did you seriously try to use "forevergeek.com" to support your argument?"
No, I used a review from iLounge, a respected Apple review site. The Forever Geek link is to their news coverage of the iLounge review, which should be clear from the title at the Forever Geek link.
(Not to mention, Forever Geek is a solid news site for all things gadgety and geek-pop-culture. PC Magazine may have been around for a long time, but it's hardly a staple for true tech enthusiasts. The point of my link wasn't to single out PC Magazine however, but merely to exemplify the reviews coming off the line concerning the Touch's inadequacies.
"They dislike it just like WyldKard, because it doesn’t have phone features."
Incorrect. From their cons section at the beginning of the article: "Feels less like a flagship iPod than an intentionally stripped down iPhone, with diminished cosmetics, interface and features. Noticeably downgraded screen exhibits problems such as inverted blacks and dead pixels, which detract from video viewing experience, while shorter battery life, lower storage capacity, longer transfer times, and less impressive audio quality make it a surprisingly so-so alternative to the less expensive iPod classic. Neither Apple’s best portable video or audio device; also lacks games. Continues iPhone’s overly expensive battery replacement program, despite using less powerful battery."
No mention of the missing phone features, because the review team was quite aware of what the Touch is supposed to be. In the end, it was deemed neither Apple's best media player, nor up to par with the iPhone's non-phone functionality.
"We, the so ignorant public, just want a great media player. This is the best one out there. Period."
Wrong. It is not the smallest, not the one with the greatest battery life, and not the one with the best quality. If you're referring specifically to the wide-screen and touch interface, then it's still not the best, because the iPhone has a larger screen, better video quality, an external speaker, and external controls. The Touch does nothing better than the iPhone, save for being slightly smaller and having more memory.
"The Iphone is a phone. The Ipod Touch is a media player."
The iPhone is a phone and media player, and without an AT&T activation, the iPhone is a media player with more functionality than the Touch.
"The Iphone costs money every month to use, the Touch does not."
No, only if you get a phone plan. If you don't, then it costs no money per month, just like the Touch.
"The Iphone allows you to talk to someone and hear their voice. The Touch only allows you to hear music and movies. :)"
Which the iPhone also does.
"The Iphone requires a two year commitment to AT&T with nothing in return or the option of hacking your Iphone to use Tmobile and thus voiding your warranty; the Touch works fine out of the box for free."
No, you are neitehr obligated to get a subscription with AT&T, nor unlock it to work on a different carrier. You could, instead, just use it as a media player that has more functionality than the Touch.
"The Iphone has dial up mobile speeds (paid for through AT&T) and WiFi, the Touch has WiFi for free."
The iPhone's wifi is also free, and can be used without any data plan.
"The Iphone includes GPS features that you pay to use, the Touch does not."
They have the same exact GPS features, which are free by wifi.
"The Iphone and Touch have the same size screen and the same OS."
Wrong. The iPhone's screen, much to the surprise of everyone making assumptions, is slightly larger. This fact hit the blogosphere days ago after side-by-side comparisons were made (and someone pointed out that the parts were purchased from separate vendors, I believe). TUAW probably has a post about it, if you care to look it up.
"The cost of purchasing an Iphone and operating it on the second to lowest plan ($80 a month) for one year: $1200 plus tax."
The cost of purchasing an iPhone and operating it sans phone functionality, as a media player, and still getting more functionality than the Touch: $400.
The problem you seem to have is that you can't separate the phone functionality and media player in the iPhone, when in fact this is easy enough to do once you understand that the phone features don't need to be used, nor paid for.
My advice to any consumer is this: if you want a Touch, buy the iPhone and don't use the phone functionality. You will get a better media player, with more functionality, for the same price as the Touch by picking up an iPhone. The only thing you give up is 8GB of memory, but you gain so much more from the iPhone's other features. And, if you're one of the people who do want to make calls on the iPhone, then you can get cellular service on it quickly and easily. In the meantime, you'll enjoy the Touch "Pro".
I'm with Maxator on this, and I own an iPhone. In fact, I just cancelled my contract with AT&T because of the poor signal.
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