Cheap Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Saturday, November 21, 2009 by Smith | Posted in , , , , ,


The new iPod Touch is an interesting addition to the Apple lineup, but is it really worth the money?

First the pros:

* Like minimalist packaging? Well, you love this. Nothing but a plastic box and holder along with just enough paperwork to keep you guessing. Of course, you also get the USB charger, polishing cloth and earphones along with the obligatory Apple stickers to let potential thieves know your car probably contains a $300 goody.
* Included speaker is a pleasant addition. Sound quality, as expected, somewhat similar to that found in laptops - tinny but bearable. Kudos to Apple for hiding the speaker - I still haven't found it yet.
* Love the double finger swipe to increase or decrease magnification. Still one of the neatest tricks in the book.
* Accelerometer feature is nice and works great (this allows your screen to go from portrait to landscape merely by turning the unit sideways).
* On screen keyboard is nice and I like the fact that the letters enlarge when you click them so you know what you hit; however, those with fat fingers need not apply.
* Addition of rocker volume switch on the side is nice. Replaces the old finger swipe on the screen (although that still does exist, too). Switch is recessed just enough so that accidental volume changing is minimal.
* Video quality is downright good. No skips or hesitations when I played music videos or compressed movies.
* Refurbished units can be had at a discount on the Apple website and actually come with the same 1 year warranty as new units. Rare commodity, though and they sell out quickly.
* Apps from iTunes can be pricey, but here's a hint. Go to dealnews.com and they post apps that are now free or greatly discounted. Apple will often clear the decks of unsold apps just to spur interest so look daily but they really don't advertise it much!
* On the topic of apps, always look to the right panel on iTunes when shopping - this column has a header marked "free" and that will list anything you can currently get without cost. By the way, use iTunes and not the Touch to access this. Why? For whatever reason, more free apps exist online at iTunes than if you were to go to iTunes on your Touch via Wi-Fi. Don't know why since they both link to the same repository.
* Appears the screen is brighter than the 1st generation version.
* Safari browser seems faster to respond than before. One of the things that frustrated me with the original was the poky browser interface (see below for scrolling problem).
* Rounded corners, ala the MacBook Air, make this unit seem smaller than it actually is. It's about the same size as the first generation for those who are wondering.
* You can get the 2 year Apple Care policy for about $60 which isn't a bad deal considering nobody else will repair these monsters without charging an unholy fortune (including Apple if you don't have the extra policy).
* Maps feature will tell you where you are in relation to the nearest Wi-Fi signal. It could be argued that if you don't know where you are to begin with, an iPod with Maps is the least of your worries.
* Genius feature takes your existing songs and makes recommendations for iTunes songs that are similar. Unique and fairly interesting and, yes, it does work.
* With luck, you can manage several hours of battery life depending upon usage. Play a lot of videos and you can count on maybe 2 to 3 hours, tops. I managed to squeeze about 5 hours doing internet surfing, although I could undoubtedly get more if I'd cut down the screen brightness.
* Tons of secondary accessories, probably more than any other similar unit out there. Run "ipod Touch accessories" on EBay and you'll get somewhere around 2,000 items.
* Resale value is high because it's an Apple.

Then the cons:

* Requires iTunes not only to download songs but to operate the unit. Don't like iTunes? Tough. No internet connection? Sorry, can't use the unit unless you find iTunes on a CD or DVD and load it to your PC or Apple. Got a unit on the cheap this way when a neighbor couldn't use it because he had no internet connection.
* Be wary of hard drive sizes. It may state 8, 16 or 32 GB but count on 135 MB of that disappearing to the OS. Should be a law against this. Of note, if it locks up it'll take a 200+ MB download to iTunes to do a restore.
* Still slow to boot and gets toasty quickly. Takes a good 30 seconds to get to the ready screen which is nearly as long as my XP laptop. Gets warm, more so than my 1st generation unit. Both of these problems should be resolved by now.
* Safari browser is great until you scroll. For some reason the screen will go to a checkerboard pattern before it catches up and displays the remaining page. It only takes about a second, but is somewhat disconcerting.
* Never assume it's off until you know for sure. Pushing the power button may only put it to sleep and it still requires the finger swipe on the screen when prompted to actually turn it off. Many a user has found a dead battery the next morning.
* When it goes to sleep, it goes to sleep and this requires a finger swipe unlock on the screen. I've seen users pushing the power switch without realizing a simple tap on the bottom button will do the trick. This is because the screen goes to black and gives no indication of what's going on.
* Speaking of apps, some at the Apple website can be grossly overpriced. Make sure you read the reviews as some of these sound great but actually are rotten; however, once you buy it you own it!
* $200+ and all you get is cheapo plastic ear buds. C'mon, Apple.
* Shiny chrome back and black screen are pleasant to look at but an instant fingerprint and scratch magnets. Be wary of overly thick screen overlays that make finger recognition a real task.
* Still no replaceable battery unless you send it to Apple and pay an $80 fee. Even secondary sites charge $40 for battery replacement. For some reason, replacing the battery on the 2nd generation can cost twice as much as the original version (tougher case to open). Apple still insists on using a soldered battery lead instead of a cell type battery that just pops in.
* Comes with a USB charger but nothing else so if your battery drops low while on a plane or in a car you'd better have backup chargers or you're flat out of luck. That'll add a few bucks to the bill.
* Still no SD or mini/micro SD card slot. Also has the flimsiest power dongle of just about any unit out there and I've seen unfortunate owners with broken power attachments. What about the magnetic type attachment found on Apple notebooks?
* Maps feature is nice, but slow to work. Quite often wouldn't locate me via my Wi-Fi signal even though I was right on top of the router.
* Want to do video conferencing? Too bad, no camera unless you splurge an extra hundred or so for the attachment. Why a camera on the iPhone but not the Touch?
* Buy it from Apple and you'll pay state tax and full ticket retail. Buy it from Amazon and you won't pay taxes but the base price is the same since Apple sets the limits. Discounts are rarely seen. First generation Touches sold by Apple still command original retail price.

Is the iPod Touch worth the money over the competitors? Yes and no. Yes, if you need the latest Apple techno gadget and no if you would rather have a larger unit that has more features for less money.

Similar items from Sony, Nokia and Archos look great but suffer from user and compatibility issues (Sony uses proprietary accessories, the Nokia N810 utilizes Linux that confuses some users and Archos got a bad reputation for charging high amounts for add-ons that should have been standard to begin with). None of these offer the flexibility found with the Touch although it really would be nice if Apple would be a little more flexible in the pricing.

As for you 1st generation owners, don't bother upgrading. The addition of a speaker and volume switch is hardly worth the extra cash outlay.
Get more detail about Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:07 PM and is filed under ,,,,,. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.

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