Hands-On with the iPod Touch

First off let me say that I’m a big fan of Apple products. Okay, okay - I’m a HUGE fan of Apple products.. But unfortunately, as much as I’d like to give the newest incarnation of the iPod a perfect review, every electronic gadget out there has its flaws.

For the one or two people reading this that haven’t seen any part of the iPod Touch marketing blitz, it is basically a micro-sized digital entertainment center. In addition to containing the features of the iPod video (music, videos, photos), the iPod Touch also connects automatically to any wireless network in its range- allowing users to explore the internet on an extremely advanced web browser, watch streaming videos from YouTube, and download your favorite songs from the iTunes Wi-Fi Store.

Sounds pretty impressive, right? What really makes these things fly off the store shelves, though, is the design of the device itself. Only 8mm thick with a 3.5-inch touchscreen covering the front, the new iPod is all usability and no bulk. In addition, with all of the user interface experience gained from previous generations of the device, it is unbelievably simple to use. I would never recommend throwing away the instruction manual for any electronic device, but it might not be missed in this case.

But as I said, there are a few qualms I have with the iPod Touch. First, there is no volume control on the outside of the device. In other words, the only way to increase or decrease the volume of the music or video being played is to use the touchscreen itself. Second, while the main screen has an extraordinarily resilient scratchproof surface, the chrome back of the device is especially susceptible to scratches and blemishes (though you could always buy a case). Finally, the iPod Touch is available with either 8GB ($299) or 16GB ($399) of storage space- which isn’t exactly paltry, but is dwarfed by the storage space available on the 160GB iPod Classic ($349).

This kind of product marks the coming together of many different types of media in one easy-to-use package, and the while the iPod Touch is not the only one of its kind.. it is the best portable multimedia device currently available on the market. And it would make a damn good Christmas present for anyone this year.