Thursday, November 15, 2007

Apple's lil gem, the iPod Touch


The word iPod is referred to an mp3 player, just as Xerox to a photocopy. It’s the sheer cutting edge technology, together with sleek design that has earned the iPod that rank.
Apple’s newest iPod, the iPod Touch is in a class of its own. Featuring a 3.5 inch touch screen with multi-touch, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a range of other features, it is probably one of the best iPods out there yet.
In the box, along with the iPod Touch, comes the usual Quick Start guide and other booklets, the USB cable, the Earphones, the Dock Adapter. Apple has also included a small plastic stand and a polishing cloth.
The layout of the iPod is very neat. There are exactly two buttons on it – the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button. To the right hand top corner of the iPod, there is a small plastic cover, under which is the Wi-Fi antenna. All other functions are accessed by the touch screen.
The iPod touch features the addition of new features like the Safari web browser and YouTube, the option of adding contacts directly with the onscreen keyboard, clock features and a basic calculator, along with the basic Music, Photo and Video options. There is also an onscreen button to go directly to the iTunes online store.
Music is similar to that of the other iPods, giving you the option of browsing tracks by artists, albums, genres, etc. When turned horizontally, you can browse your music in cover-flow mode.
Video’s play exceptionally well and are more pleasing to view on this big screen than on the other iPods with 2.5 inch screens. You can even watch widescreen movies.
Photos’ are no longer unpleasant to view, with the Touch giving you the option of viewing photo’s in landscape mode as well. Also, with the zoom feature, you no longer need to squint and stare hard to view the little details.
Browsing the net with Safari is quite enjoyable. The onscreen keyboard is rather easy to use. And with the multi-touch function you can zoom into any part of the page you wish to view.
The YouTube feature lets you directly access YouTube. This is very convenient considering the amount of streaming media available on YouTube today.
There are quite a few settings available to adjust and customize your iPod for your usage.
At any time, while using any feature, pressing the home button gets you directly back to the home screen. The home button is a little hard to press though.
One thing disappointing about the iPod touch is the absence of the Notes feature. Also, the inclusion Google Maps feature would have been welcome, considering Wi-Fi is available.
In conclusion, the iPod Touch is a beautiful gadget, with a blend of cutting edge technology and beautiful design. Its well worth the money.

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