Do you love the ipod Touch?

[jenny]

I'm debating whether or not to get the ipod touch for my birthday. I definitely don't want the iphone b/c I do not want to deal with AT&T.

I mainly want it for the ipod/video usage and to be able to check and reply to e-mail when I'm away from the computer (like a pseudo blackberry).

the ipod touch doesn't have GPS in it right?

how do you like your ipod touch? Is the wifi access pretty good? What do you mainly use it for?

[deannanb]

I mainly want it for the ipod/video usage and to be able to check and reply to e-mail when I'm away from the computer (like a pseudo blackberry).

the ipod touch doesn't have GPS in it right?

You will need internet access to check your email - not an anywhere email check. (free wifi at some bookstores, the library....)

and you could probably get a GPS app - but you would need internet access to use the app.

[Jacksmommy2b]

I swear that my ipod touch is one of the things I would grab while running out of the house in a fire.

I love this thing. (and I am so far from a techie it's funny)

I have music on it, which is nice - but the applications are really what make it the greatest 'toy' ever.

I am a huge coupon shopper and I have a fantastic ap for comparing prices. DH and I are hooked on word freak and associate this to the point we don't mind having to wait for dinner reservations etc. I have a contraction timer downloaded that has had quite a bit of use lately and I have a ton of age appropriate aps that could keep J amused for hours.

The kids aps are out of this world. He has ones for letter tracing, phonics, matching, 'reading' (as much as the average three y/o reads) He also has a few fun ones like Jelly Car and it has made all the difference when on long car trips or stuck waiting at the Dr's office etc. We also have an episode of WordWorld downloaded for emergencies.

The WIFI is super easy to access and I have had no problems surfing the web or sending emails as long as I was able to find WIFI. I don't know about navigation, I've never tried.

It's funny, I asked for an Ipod for my birthday and I was thinking Nano and DH insisted that I should have a touch. Man, I can't tell you how right he was. And after a few months of hearing me rave, he caved and got one as well.

I also had my very first problem ever with my ipod the other day, the top button was acting a little squirrely. I went to the apple store in the mall on a whim and not only did they squeeze me in with the service dept (ironically enough dubbed the genius bar) but the guy diagnosed my problem (a corrupted ap) but fixed it in a matter of seconds and did it for free. The customer service blew me away.

I really can't say enough about it - I haven't met anyone that regrets it!

[ellies mom]

I absolutely love mine. I got it for school because there are a bunch of medical apps but unlike the crappy Windows based PDA I was using originally, I rarely leave the house without it. My husband and I sync our google calenders so we always know whats going on. We have a wireless network in the house so all I have to do is walk in the door and it just takes care of it. I don't even think about it. The kid apps are great. If I need to entertain the oldest while we are out, I can just hand it to her. I really could just go on and on but I bet you get the point.

[wellyes]

LOVE mine. I used to carry around a notebook of essentials...... to dos, calendar, shopping lists, etc. I was always scared of losing that thing & it was a scribbled-in mess. With the touch, all my apps are synced to an online backup, but available offline so I can use them / update them wherever I am. Plus there's always something new to try, and most things are free.

Just this week I got:
- a nutrition guide/calorie counter, app store has TONS of them (free)
- Encyclopedia: the entire Wikipedia article base that I can read anytime, even without wifi ($9, my most expensive app ever)
- a skee ball game, a boggle-like game, and a puzzle game for when I have a few minutes to kill (all free)
- BargainBin, an app to tell me when other apps go free or on sale (free)
- the NY Times app, sync with your home wifi for 1 minute in the morning and all the articles that day are available offline to read (free)
- Kindle software and a bunch of free books (http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/ref=pd_ts_zbs_kinc_ebooks_more?&pf_rd_p=489669831&pf_rd_s=right-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=1286228011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1S7TBEV9ZJH08PM999WT) from the Kindle store (free)
- What to Expect, a week-to-week pregnancy tracker (free)

I use WifiTrack ($1) to find free wifi when I'm out at restuarants or shopping. But I can't always find it, so I focus on offline apps.

I do not think a Touch is a suitable replacement for a Blackberry - if you need full-time email access, I'd bite the AT&T bullet or get a Verizon / Motorola Drone.

[kozachka]

LOVE my iPod Touch. I mainly use mine for applications and internet access over WiFi. IMHO it does not the best size screen for movies but it can work in a pinch. And I am not big into music. If you do get one, be sure to get a good cover. DS dropped mine and broke the screen. I am not sure how long it will last and it costs almost as much to replace a screen as to buy a new Touch.

[fattytuna]

I swear that my ipod touch is one of the things I would grab while running out of the house in a fire.

LOL. I'm not sure about in case of a fire, but my keys, cell and my iPod Touch are the three things I throw in my purse when dashing out the door.

I have AT&T but at this point I'm not willing to pay another $20-30 per month for internet access as I do not need to check email constantly and with two little ones I have no time to surf and net during the day. Hence iPod Touch and not the iPhone. (Although this month I do wish I have internet access because I'm bidding on stuff on eBay :) )

Besides what has already been mentioned, Pros:

Wifi: At home it connects to my wireless router just like any computer. When I want to snuggle in bed after putting the kids down for the night but still feel like surfing the net for a little bit, I no longer need to drag my laptop with me to bed. Of course don't expect to do extensive browsing for a long time with any small screen as it will kill your eyes. Outside of the house, I can connect at public libraries. And since I'm with AT&T, I also get free wifi at Starbucks, McDonald's, Barnes & Noble, airports, and I believe Marriott hotels?

GPS: It provides your location to a lot of different apps, but it's not for navigation. For that you need Wifi. I use an offline maps app that feeds into the mobile version of google maps so the route you look up is saved in cache. I don't know about long trips, but for just getting from point A to B, I look up the directions, trace the route out, turn off Wifi, hop in the car and my route is saved with turn by turn maps.

For the kids: My kids are satisfied with clips of Thomas or Dora or what not from YouTube. Get and app called YourTube that will download YouTube clips. I have a couple of kids apps but at this point I'm still looking for something somewhat educational and suitable for a 4-1/2-yr-old. My 2-1/2-yr-old usually has a hard time with my iPod. An iPod TOUCH can be very frustrating to little boys that can't help but TOUCH everything. He's getting better at not touching the screen when he's watching a video though.

Audio: I can't really comment on the music part since I rarely listen to music these days. I did use it to listen to audio books.

Foreign Language: You can change the displayed language. And you can input Chinese or Japanese characters by writing the with the tip of your finger. I can barely write Chinese now but it's still awesome when I have to write a couple of words here and there in an email to my overseas relatives.

Etc: I use gmail, which now has PUSH if you set up mail, calendar and contacts via the exchange server and sync. I also have this grocery list app that's great for shopping trips.

Cons (they are not a big deal to me but just FYI)

- Does not play Flash video, which is a bummer.
- Battery drains very quickly with Wifi on.
- Bluetooth is fairly useless

Other Cons:

- Having to tell me kids Mommy needs to use it too.
- I only have one Ipod and the kids fight over who gets to hold it when they do get to use it. So sometimes one of them has to watch their videos on my cell.

[jse107]

LOVE IT! So glad I got it!

[niccig]

LOVE it...and it's now becoming DS's iPod on planes. I downloaded some TV shows and audio books and our last trip was easy peasy. He sat at the gate for 45 mins rocking out to the Foo Fighters. I'm going to buy an external battery, put some movies on there and hopefully no longer need to schlep the portable DVD play on our annual 14+ flight to my parents.

[codex57]

DW loves hers. Altho, DS has sort of taken it over. They semi-fight over it. Kinda funny. Yes, she lets him win. :)

[saschalicks]

I just got mine last week and am on it all.of.the.time. The boys fight over it so much that I have to put a timer on so they each get equal time to play apps. I have about 20 apps already and have paid for like 4. Only ones I really wanted.

I do have music on it and have put in the headphones to listen, but that's about it. I have the cord for the car and have connected it there too. The music part works just like any other iPod.

I will say if you can afford the 32G you should get that one. We couldn't afford more than the 8G and although I have about 4G of memory left it would be awesome if I had 28G instead. LOL!

I think the one downside as mentioned before is the battery life. My son played an app for 45 mins and it drained most of the battery. Small price to pay though. I LOVE IT!

[hellbennt]

I have one and am finding the love:love2:, lol;
just that I haven't taken the time to really play with it and get the apps;
I keep meaning to- here's the list LOL!
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=331592