ipod touch - what do you use it for?

[KrisM]

I'm a bit out of the loop on this - but what, exactly, is the ipod Touch?

I need something, but am not sure what. I need to be able to either browse the web or take detailed notes while out. I would like an iphone, but the coverage isn't good enough for it to be my phone and I can't pay for both the iphone and a regular phone through Verizon.

I'm also looking at a Netbook. Verizon is starting to offer discounted netbooks with a 2-year plan and I'm going to look into that.

But, I really just don't understand what an ipod Touch does.

[kijip]

Calendar, web browser, download your email using wireless rather than paying a monthly data plan fee. And music/video player. My husband has a ton of apps on his, like a bird watching guide and a lunar calendar. Store a few pictures too- replaced the little wallets for him. Basically it is quite similar to the iPhone, but no phone or camera.

[larig]

I don't think that the touch would be great for detailed notes. I have an iphone and can use it to send very short emails, but longer than that gets annoying to me. Don't get me wrong, I love my iphone, but I know if I want to type something of any length that it is not my best and fastest choice.

[larig]

also, as far as surfing the web while out, you'd only be able to use a touch somewhere that had a wifi network that you could use. it doesn't use a cell network like the iphone.

[ellies mom]

I don't have one yet but it is on my list. I don't want AT&T service but I want the non-phone functions of the iPhone. I use a PDA a lot at school and it is so bulky compared to the iTouch and it doesn't function as well for my needs both in school and outside. There are some pretty great apps. And let's not forget about the simple cool factor that comes with so many Apple products.

[Laurel]

We take it instead of a DVD player on long plane/car trips, and sometimes DD will actually chose to listen to an audiobook rather than watch a video!

[kijip]

also, as far as surfing the web while out, you'd only be able to use a touch somewhere that had a wifi network that you could use. it doesn't use a cell network like the iphone.

That is the advantage for me! I don't want to pay $30 a month EACH for data. Given how little we use it, I have better things to do with $720 a year just to have an internet enabled device. If you live in an urban setting, you are likely to find free wireless any number of places. I don't need constant access to the internet but it is nice to find a hotspot and get email downloaded or look something up. The current gen touch is about $200, I like paying once and not having an ongoing expense for it. If I could have an iPhone without data plan (just use wireless as needed) it would be great, but the data plan is required. It's worth $720 a year for each of us to carry a phone and a touch rather than 1 device.

[KrisM]

We take it instead of a DVD player on long plane/car trips, and sometimes DD will actually chose to listen to an audiobook rather than watch a video!

How many audiobooks can you load onto it and where do you buy them for downloading, or do you buy the CD and play it in that way?

[KrisM]

also, as far as surfing the web while out, you'd only be able to use a touch somewhere that had a wifi network that you could use. it doesn't use a cell network like the iphone.

That is sort of a plus. Paying $30/month is not what I want, if I can avoid it.

[KrisM]

That is the advantage for me! I don't want to pay $30 a month EACH for data. Given how little we use it, I have better things to do with $720 a year just to have an internet enabled device. If you live in an urban setting, you are likely to find free wireless any number of places. I don't need constant access to the internet but it is nice to find a hotspot and get email downloaded or look something up. The current gen touch is about $200, I like paying once and not having an ongoing expense for it. If I could have an iPhone without data plan (just use wireless as needed) it would be great, but the data plan is required. It's worth $720 a year for each of us to carry a phone and a touch rather than 1 device.

Do you find you can access the internet often enough? I'm thinking in stores, like Target, is what I want. Or, I need to be able to take notes on what I'm looking at and then get to a hotspot to look them up. We are suburban, not urban.

[kijip]

Do you find you can access the internet often enough? I'm thinking in stores, like Target, is what I want. Or, I need to be able to take notes on what I'm looking at and then get to a hotspot to look them up. We are suburban, not urban.

We pick up a free hotspot a lot here, but we don't go to the suburbs often so I dunno. I mostly either use the networks that blanket some neighborhoods here (free access for all) or the one on Campus where I take 1 night class or coffeeshops (sometimes don't go in, just stand outside for a second). Never not had it when I needed it but I don't do ebay re-selling much (sounds like that is what you are thinking of?)

[KrisM]

We pick up a free hotspot a lot here, but we don't go to the suburbs often so I dunno. I mostly either use the networks that blanket some neighborhoods here (free access for all) or the one on Campus where I take 1 night class or coffeeshops (sometimes don't go in, just stand outside for a second). Never not had it when I needed it but I don't do ebay re-selling much (sounds like that is what you are thinking of?)

Yeah, for ebay :). It doesn't sound like it would quite suit me. I can't seem to find the perfect item that doesn't cost a ton. I know I could deduct the cost on taxes, but still.

[Globetrotter]

I just started using a Touch for the reasons you outlined, mainly because I didn't want to pay so darn much for a data plan! If you need internet access a lot I think you can pay for a plan, but I have no idea how much that costs. I just know that option has come up for me (on the Touch screen) in places that aren't hotspots, but I need to look into it.

As for notes, you can add apps to the touch to make it do a number of things. I'm just getting started so I can't give you too much information, but you can google to learn more. I'm syncing with Outlook.

[niccig]

I've had my iPod touch for about 3 weeks. I'm using it as a PDA.

Calendar - DH has an iPhone, and we both sync to iCal on our Mac. MIL called to say she had booked her flights for June, I immediately put it in the touch. Yesterday we were in the car and trying to work out some things and DH asked when MIL was coming, and I could tell him.

To Do list - I downloaded one of the more expensive applications, but I wanted something that had a lot of features. I'm one of these people that remembers to do things in the wrong place. Eg. yesterday we were in the car and I saw a car with a sun shade on the windscreen. I've been meaning to buy better ones for our cars, instead of saying it outloud and then forgetting it, I entered it into my to do list and flagged it for when I'm on the computer next to buy one online.

Contacts - I'm just using the standard contacts application

Notes - I'm going to get a better application. I've noted things that I know I'll forget. eg. plants at a nursery that we need to look up in our garden book at home, size of air filter for when I'm next at the hardware store. All these things could be on paper, but I lose pieces of paper.

Music - we have a play list for DS. My car has a jack for the iPod, and DH uses a casette hooked to radio to listen to music.

Games - helped when on plane at the gate for 2 hour delay.

[wellyes]

I bought a netbook thinking "oh, wifi is everywhere!" I'm pretty urban. But the truth is, wifi is a *lot* of places but it is rarely exactly where I need it to be, such as while comparison shopping as PP mentioned. And I've been in urban restaurants trying to find free wifi and you have to "sign up" for this service or that (all free, but a hassle) and sit in a certain corner to be able to use it. I've found it to be annoying and it'd be worth $30 a month to never have to think about it.

I've actually considered getting the Kindle instead of the iPhone because I understand it includes free wifi access..... but that was last year, not sure if that's still true.

[Globetrotter]

. And I've been in urban restaurants trying to find free wifi and you have to "sign up" for this service or that (all free, but a hassle) and sit in a certain corner to be able to use it. I've found it to be annoying and it'd be worth $30 a month to never have to think about it.

.

Hmmm, we were in Lake Tahoe and I was trying to get access. I had to join some sort of plan (it also gave an option for ATT, I think). I assumed I had to pay for it, but I wonder if it was a free service??

[tarahsolazy]

How many audiobooks can you load onto it and where do you buy them for downloading, or do you buy the CD and play it in that way?


Depends on the size of the book. I get my books at www.audible.com, I buy 24 credits at a time, and its about $9.50 a credit that way. You can get some downloadable free content via Overdrive, if your library subscribes to that service. (Not all of Overdrive is ipod compatible, but there is some). You can also borrow CDs from the library and upload onto your computer thence to the ipod, but that's a little clunky. I pay for audible to avoid hours of CD uploading. I can have 10 or more book sections on my ipod, in addition to a thousand or so songs, 50 pictures, and a 2 hr knitting video. I have the smallest 8gig model. I listen to at least 20 hours a week of audiobook and podcast content.

I really don't think the touch will work for what you need, which is pretty much constant internet access. I find that there are more places I DON'T have a connection than those that I do.

I use mine a lot to keep my home and work calendars (outlook and entourage) synched. I also use it for task management for work/home.

[KrisM]

Depends on the size of the book. I get my books at www.audible.com (http://www.audible.com), I buy 24 credits at a time, and its about $9.50 a credit that way. You can get some downloadable free content via Overdrive, if your library subscribes to that service. (Not all of Overdrive is ipod compatible, but there is some). You can also borrow CDs from the library and upload onto your computer thence to the ipod, but that's a little clunky. I pay for audible to avoid hours of CD uploading. I can have 10 or more book sections on my ipod, in addition to a thousand or so songs, 50 pictures, and a 2 hr knitting video. I have the smallest 8gig model. I listen to at least 20 hours a week of audiobook and podcast content.

I really don't think the touch will work for what you need, which is pretty much constant internet access. I find that there are more places I DON'T have a connection than those that I do.

I use mine a lot to keep my home and work calendars (outlook and entourage) synched. I also use it for task management for work/home.

You might be right in that it's not quite what I need, but I think I want it :). If note taking is easy enough, that works better than what I currently do - take notes on a receipt with a crayon :).