Well before the iPhone became anything more than a pipe dream, folks were
clamoring for a truly updated iPod -- one that featured more pixels, a
widescreen display and wireless capabilities at the very least. As the iPhone finally came to fruition, hopes were yet again dashed as Apple forced anyone desperate for the aforementioned PMP to also purchase a new cellphone, not to mention live with merely 8GB of storage at the high-end. Thankfully for us all, Cupertino finally saw fit to release the
phoneless iPhone, which seemed to combine all of our previous wishes into one very sleek -- save for that black notch in the rear -- device. Shortly thereafter, users began kvetching over seemingly widespread
display issues, the inability to natively use it in
Disk Mode and the 16GB cap on capacity. Furthermore, who could forget the way our dreams were crushed when the Bluetooth caper ended with
inconclusive results? And yes, we're still wondering why we
can't add calendar appointments on this thing.
That being said, here's your chance to rip, rag on or reiterate your love for Apple's long-awaited iPod touch. How would you have done things differently? What features would have been added and what hardware changes would've been made? Oh, and why isn't this thing available in iPod white™?
posted September 28th 2007 5:30PM
it would be nice if there was had a device that fulfilled these goals.
* touchscreen keyboard,
* phone capabilities (to any wireless carrier)
* mp3 player (DRM free)
* calendar, journaling, blogging capabilities
* instant messaging/chat
* decent camera/optical recording device (still and video images)
* photo/video editing capabilities
* bluetooth connectivity (microphones, earphones, headsets)
* wifi connectivity
* Skype or similar services for VOIP calls (why not democratize phone connectivity and get it out of the hands of large phone carriers?)
* customizable ringtones from any length of any song or audio file
* calculator
* GPS (with driving directions, google maps, or similar service)
* calendar and email alarms
* is OS interchangeable
Basically what i want is a audio/video input/output device with the adaptability of a computer and the sleekness, usability, and portability of Apple's hardware and software design talents in the IPhone/Itouch... but with more options that make it a true input output device and PDA.
The main reason why I may hold off on getting the Touch is not being able to enter new events in calendar. Leaving this off is pretty ridiculous. Once Apple starts adding all these extras (browser, wifi, contacts) they are intending it to be more than simply an audio/video player. If that is the case it is very logical that it should have basic PDA functions as that is one thing people will want to use it for. Leaving this out just stinks.
I'm fine with 8/16 GB and I can live with no third party support as long as Apple provides the basics. With the lack of this feature (and to a lesser extent stocks, weather and google maps) I feel they aren't providing the basics.
Please Apple, add event functionality to the calendar.
What a cool stuff. Find another links at www.phonecellsite.com
Bigger hard drive (at least 80GB), bluetooth, Wi-fi 802.11 g/n, more music formats, and uh... oh yea, A LOWER PRICE!
I would love for some how to have full skype in this bad boy, maybe with a special headset?
www.lockergnome.com/nexus/digged
GO BIG OR GO HOME ! I have a 30 gig video... i wanted an ipod touch but why would i downgrade in memory to 16 gig just to have some features my laptop aready has ? MAKE A 80 OR 160 gig or I will never buy an ipod touch... I'm seriously just thinking about buying a 160 gig video instead.....
Bigger Hard Drive?
Well I understand the size vs. flash design decision that they made.
I have over 1100 songs, transferred from my CDs and less than 1/4 of the 16GB used.
Bigger flash drives are on the way. Dell is already shipping laptop PCs with solid state hard drives (flash) A hard drive based version would have been “fatter”
The same processor, display, etc. with a jewel/HD in a thicker overall package would have been an interesting variation. While I appreciate the “thinness” of the case, this might have been an engineering exercise/challenge as opposed to a functionality decision.
For what I want an i-Pod touch for, I was willing to sacrifice storage capacity for reliability & ruggedness.
The chrome back panel is already scratched and I have been careful with it. This and the gloss/glass surface front screen requires constant cleaning.
More PDA functions, being able to directly add to the calendar?
Maybe… I personally will still be carrying my Blackberry because of its Outlook Exchange tie-in…
Blue tooth? Now I understand why Apple did not do this. A Bluetooth headset plus “hacker” software would equal a VoIP phone.
I am a electronic hardware engineer by profession, and even with the above “nits” the iPod Touch is an extraordinary piece of engineering.
An even-handed and practical review. Warning: Not a list of complaints about the iPod Touch and not for digital pack rats.
I have had this thing for almost three weeks now and I just love it! It's beautiful, I have a nice case for it, bike everyday, walk my dogs everyday, bike to the store, commute twice a week 1 hour each way on a train, so I use it plenty. So far, not a drop, not a scratch. Honestly, the thing is so sexy that I take incredible care of it out of respect alone.
Big plus...the possibilities with upgradable software/firmware! I hope, hope, hope Apple doesn't let me down and provides me with at least a few good years of use and software enhancements/upgrades with this thing! As far as I can tell, all of the issues I have with the device can be fixed via software and firmware upgrades.
I have seen many back and forths here about the space limitations, no GPS, mail, bluetooth, etc...ad nauseum and really it seems to come down to preference and that each person has individual wants and desires that Apple is not meeting. Despite there now being more iPod choices for users than ever, it seems to me that the more choices there are, the longer the list of complaints. So, I am hoping to appeal to those with a sense of restraint here versus the consumerists.
If you want your mobile device to hold your entire CD and video library, then this is definitely not for you. I have about 700 CDs (way more than anyone I know) and have a 250 GB HDD at home filled already with Mp3s from my collection at 192kbps. I have a 30G video iPod as well and have enjoyed watching music videos on it for the past year and a half. I tire of videos and movies really quickly, though, unless I shot them myself and those I keep for longer, but, generally, I have found that I don't like using my iPod as a storage device for shit I rarely listen to or watch, because, honestly, it is just a dumb waste. A digital junk drawer or garage, if you will.
I would argue that most people are not into every song on every album they own, also, so before you complain about how much space you don't have, Try optimizing the space you do have and don't use your iPod to store a shitload of music and video that you listen to or watch once a year. That's just asenine. Why not work on alleviating your pack rat mentality versus extending it to your mobile device.
So far I have 90 or so albums and album artwork loaded on my iPod and it is at just over 1/4 capacity. I loaded the stuff I have been listeing to the most lately and not once have I thought to myself, "Man., I really wish I had THIS song or THAT album from my collection on here right now!" That, however, can be alleviated with a software enhancement along with the built in WiFi (see #3 on wishlist). I had maxed out my other Ipod with music and it was truthfully more mobile storage than anything else.
I have been listening to this thing non-stop since I got it and have even ripped and thrown a few DVDs on there to pass time on a couple of commutes. The widescreen rocks and it has worked flawlessly and the battery life is fine, I get about 17 hours of music playback (yes, WiFi off) and have easily been able to watch two movies in a row without draining the battery. Actually 2 movies and a 45 minute documentary with still about 20% of the charge left. How often are you going to do that on a mobile device?
I am way more excited about the visuals and extras it has over my other iPod and, again, hope that it is fairly futureproof given that it is largely controlled by upgradable firmware and software.
Wishlist:
1. The accelerometer rights the screen so you can view it no matter which side is up, except the most crucial one, It would be nice if the software detected when it was upside down vertically and righted the screen so that the plugs could be at the top. WIthout that, in order to view it vertically it needs to be right side up, necessitating the purchasing of a dock to be able to view it vertically when on your desk or night stand.
2. No music volume and playback controls when horizontal (yet they're there in video mode?). These should always be accessible, not just pause and play.
3. No capability to view digital booklets. It seems strange that while Apple is beginning to include the album inlay artwork and liner notes in the iTunes store giving us access to them via a PDF viewer on our computers, that this capability was not built into the iPodT software somehow. I can access PDFs on web sites with its Safari browser and they look beautiful and are fully scalable, but iTunes will not upload PDF digital booklets along with the album. All of this is so very possible with this new item, yet does not seem to have been considered. I love album notes, lyrics, etc ... always have, since I was a kid. Having them portable with the albums I am currently listening to would be stellar!
4. Remote sync to your iTunes library at home via the built in WiFi??? Now that would be amazing and would truly alleviate the need to have all your shit on your iPod.
That's it for now. I am a practical person and am striving not to become a glutted and cynical over-consumer. This device really pulled me back from the 30GB iPod I have (giving it to my niece) and made me realize that music management is the key, not endless storage capacity for shit you rarely listen to or watch. I have my favorite albums, mixes and current stuff I want to listen to on my iPodT right now and it is suiting me just fine at 1/4 capacity. WiFi remote sync with my home iTunes library is my biggest wish. That would rock balls! BTW, Albumflow is the best thing since mp3!
I would add some nice convienent widgets, paid satellite access for wifi (optional), disc use!!!!, and most certainly flash player & flip4mac to get wmv streams to play.
(guess where i'm writing this from... hint: ipod touch)
to make it in the range where it is acceptable. JUST ONE STUPID APPLICATION! NOTES! AND APPLE CAN"T DO THAT?!
on the other hand, to make it have higher capacity (maybe next generation), can install apps without the risk of jailbreak. and maybe a scroll wheel interface like the ones on the mockups of a touch screen iPod. You, know to make it more iPod-ish
A Camera Thats it
New iPod
240GB
1040 x 1200 pixels
5" screen
As thin as a credit card
Bluetooth
WiFi/WiMax
Full iLife/Leopard etc.
USB/Firewire
iSight camera
internal mic and speakers
Battery life that lasts for 2 years...
Waterproof/scratchproof/criticismproof
All for $399
A glorified PDA/Phone/iPod/mini MacBook Pro/etc.
We want all, we must have, we need... (Golum)
Damn you Apple for having the engineers that you do and not smart people like us, who obviously would be better at product design, that is why we sight here and blog away...
WAKE UP!
iPod Touch is great wee gadget to play with. I bought a iPod mini 4 years ago and thought then it was the dog's bollocks then; happy to wait for another 4 years for another new Apple toy.
I wish Apple had more "whineless" customers. Get off Apple's back and remember what it was like before the Ipod!
some times I wonder why they don't hire people like me to make suggestions.
some of the things I would change would be:
(I sold things on ebay and babysat forever to buy my touch, and I swear I wouldve paid $$$ more for these additions.)
First blue tooth would help.
a freakin camera.
More applications, not web based.
same backing for touch as the iPhone.
I have more slot more I'm just having a brain fart here
""I think people fall into 2 camps: those with 30+ gigs of music, and those with 4-5 gigs, and that there are more of the latter. To these people, 16 gigs is a lot, and will make us very happy."
Yes, i agree.
For me 16GB is plenty.
I have a 4GB nano, and that is good enough for me.
Im planning on getting a 8GB one. Enough for both videos and music"
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enough for movies and music???? yea oook if you have one movie and one song. i have about 20 full length movies and 400 songs and the 30 gig video is fine with me so thats what the new ipod touch should be
Wow there IS a god. Just reading some reasonable replies and amazed by how civilized 10 out of the 400 people are normal!
Thank you!
I actually am writing this with my itouch so thats cool. I do wish some changes:
-no safari crashes
-all iPhone apps
-no music player crashes
All I want for christmas^
ok the touch should have a flash player a camera and a plugin for safari to download things... And a finder built in :D. HellyaXD I do have 1 tho, jailbroken 8gb
Does the iPod Touch have podcasts? im big on watching video podcasts on the metro.
160GB, DAB radio, it should be compatible with skype 5mgpixel camera on front with mic, and most importanty HD, although incorporating HD might be impossible in such a small device.
heyy
i think im getting the ipod touch for xmas and im really exited i think its great but it would be cool if it had a camera and more memory
i love taking photos at partys and stuff so that would be cool
Just Got An Ipod Touch...
Its amazing..
if you are thinking of getting one i would reccomend it.
sound and video quality is amazing.
doesnt matter if your movies are avi, wmv ect because you can convert them to mp4 (Ipod format) in minitues with itunes or other software.
people say that storage is a problem...
but realisticly its not..
16GB is easily enuff space...
i have over 1000 songs and 6 movies on mine at the moment and i still have more space left...
cause lets face it your not gunna want that many films on a once...
because you only realy want to watch a film once or twice
Add the missing eth and thorn letters to the keyboard as hold-down options for letters D and T, much like Ł is available for L or various species of O or Z.
Make it possible to websurf using the docking cable, so we can check how websites look on the touch even when all we have available is a dialup.
Let the World Clock display more than 24 clocks - about twice that at minimum.
Copy & paste text, drag and drop text, populate forms with content.