How would you change Apple's iPod touch 2G / nano 4G?

Hope you don't mind two similar worlds running together, because today we're asking about not one, but two of Cupertino's latest. The iPod touch 2G and iPod nano 4G were both simultaneously (give or take a few minutes) announced back in early September, and after getting a chance to handle both, we felt that Apple did a stand-up job with the each of 'em. That being said, there's always a thing or two that could use tweaked, added or removed completely, but we'll spare you any additional opinions from us on that. Instead, we want to know how you, dear reader, would change either of Apple's freshest PMPs. What are you digging? What's still not good enough? The floor is yours.

[Joel @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:48PM]

Wireless Sync!!!! That is the one thing that keeps me from getting the Touch....

[mhwwdman @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:53PM]

QFT.

Wireless syncing would be great for the iPods.

[prateeko @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:59PM]

I'd definitely take wireless sync but more important I think the Touch should double the memory on each unit (but keep the same price, OR you could look at it as adding a 64GB option and lowering prices across the board)...

[fred @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:09PM]

If I'm not mistaken, another brand of mp3 player has that already, and going by past comments, you guys frown heavily on anyone that isnt original and adopts features from existing Apple products.


So I can assume wireless sync isnt going to be in the cards then, because that would be ripping someone else off.

[BAllerskillz123 @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:11PM]

Wireless syncing would be great but one think no one mentioned is a camera! Having a camera on the the touch would be sooo cool just think of what you could do! Also I know that Apple can fit a ton of gigabites into an ipod without making the actual ipod thicker so they should lower the prices and add more gigabites like 100 would be great. The last things I want to mention is that the wifi connection should have a much bigger range, the battery life should be even longer, and the speaker should have louder clearer sound. Other than that the ipod is good but has the ability to be a lot better.

[AnjoUSA @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:15PM]

iPod Touch: HD Radio tuner and GPS will be the perfect gadget!!
iPod Nano: go back to nano and forget tall...

[chris fredette @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:45PM]

No idea why people care about this. Wireless will always be slower, you still need to charge so just plug it in, and you drain the battery down while you are syncing. Unless it is cellular syncning then it could be good because you could sync outside the phone.

64GB is the key to both divices. I would put a hard drive in the touch.

[Doug @ Oct 4th 2008 10:11AM]

You can w/linux: http://lifehacker.com/388785/sync-your-iphone-wirelessly-in-linux

[Barron @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:55PM]

How about a 1080p video recorder and 12.1 Megapixel camera thrown on it too.

[John @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:01PM]

One reason I love my zune so much

[JAmerican @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:58PM]

Buy a Zune!

Low Ranked for the Win!

[dandaman @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:49PM]

@ anyone telling me to get a zune:
It's got wireless syncing, a built in radio, and I like the d-pad interface much more than the click wheel on my video. I do NOT want the piece of s*** XP or Vista machine required to use the darn thing. So, I got an iPhone, which I wish came in a 32 gig flavor, and if they bumped the iPhone they'd also have to push the touch to 64.

[xcrunk @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:59PM]

A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!
A 3 Megapixel CAMERA!!!

[Dave @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:03PM]

Why doesn't Apple just pay attention to what RockBox is doing with many of their iPod devices and many other PMPs? Seriously folks, if you hate what Apple is doing (or not doing) with their iPods then consider running the new RockBox 3.0 software on it. If after trying it you don't agree that the RockBox software is better then just do a reset back over to the Apple software. It also allows you to kiss iTunes goodbye and you can transfer songs back off of your iPod too onto another computer. RockBox really breathed new life into two of my older 60 GB iPods. You can find out more info and download RockBox at RockBox.org. Enjoy!

[noyp @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:14PM]

For people that don't need the phone capabilities, a camera in the first place might cannibalize iphone sales A camera with more megapixels than the iphone makes less sense.

[e.jake.ulate @ Oct 4th 2008 1:05AM]

I owned a 1g Touch, and a Classic, but now that my classic has been stolen, i need something new...

I'm seriously contemplating an Archos 5, but the UI looks janky at best, but the Touch doesnt quite have the storage capacity i need...I've also heard sound quality is an issue with the Archos line. Guess im just looking for opinions ;)

[Jake @ Oct 4th 2008 2:58AM]

Fit a decent dac, and same quailty anaolog components, so it does not sound like the worst player on the market.

Shouldn't a audio player make audio quality it's number one priority. Shame on you apple for producing such crappy sounding products, shame on consumers for choosing style over sound quality.

[thefiendster @ Oct 4th 2008 4:01AM]

I've been reading these comments and a zune fits almost all things people want to change in these ipods.

[noyp @ Oct 4th 2008 8:56AM]

Jake, are you talking about the nano or the touch? The gen 1 touch had a wolfson dac, one of the best sounding ones, but you can only get the best sound out of it if you use the line out. The nano however, is beaten in sound quality by the sandisk fuze, half the price of the nano.

[utahnkid @ Oct 4th 2008 11:08AM]

Good job Jake. That's quite possibly the worst thing Apple could ever waste any time or money on. 99% of people don't even have ears capable of discerning the sound quality drop you're referring to and the change of parts would exponentially raise the cost of production. In this economic climate doing that, raising the cost of production and getting minimal return, could really hurt the company.

Any more genius ideas? And this goes to every retard that voted that comment up.

[Chris @ Oct 4th 2008 8:18PM]

Camera and the HD RaDiO tUNeR

[GiF @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:16PM]

I would make the shuffle the same shape as the nano (Oval) instead of the weird shape they have right now.
As for the touch, I think it could use some built-in features like a camera and radio (Like, why does it have Internet connection but no Internet radio?)
The nano in my opinion is awesome. The pictures of it don't do it justice. Until you've felt it in your hand you haven't "seen" it.

[canoo @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:49PM]

I've yet to find out if it'll blend. My decision is based on this alone.

[StalematE @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:07PM]

It does.

[Person214 @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:50PM]

I would dump those dangerous sharp edges on the nano.
Although it could be defense mechanism if you are robbed.

[GiF @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:50PM]

i got one and they aren't sharp... They're curved...

[Person214 @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:55PM]

I meant the corners which ARE sharp

[Apple @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:58PM]

how does a round device have corners?

[Abuzar Baloach @ Oct 4th 2008 1:02AM]

It has lots of small corners.

[Troels C @ Oct 4th 2008 10:00PM]

What a silly little chat.

[Mike Peluso @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:49PM]

the only change I would like to see is an opening up of the platform to let 3rd parties come in and add all the function we could possibly want.

[sean @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:53PM]

keep dreaming

[noyp @ Oct 4th 2008 8:58AM]

We will probably get FM radio first.

[uwaga dude @ Oct 4th 2008 11:49AM]

We would get AM radio first.

[sully420 @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:17PM]

I would add a cam to the touch, maybe an integrated mic too. Not for VOIP, but to compete witht the DS

[k2theman @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:51PM]

FM Radio built-in.

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:22PM]

...with support for artist and song info, of course.

[Some Kid @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:25PM]

touchee.........i listen to the radio more than i do my iTunes sometimes

[Messymeese @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:39PM]

It does have FM capabilities, the chip that the 2G uses for WiFi is capable of Bluetooth and FM in addition to letting you surf the net.

See this iPod touch Fans site for more info:
http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102349

One thing I wish was added to the 2G is a camera, then, it would be an iPhone, but without the phone! And thinner at that! :P

Another thing would be "something like infrared" to function as a remote for your TV!

Oh, one more thing, if the metal back wasn't the same easily scratched one! They should've done something about that.

I'm gonna have to wait a few paychecks to buy a 2G, but I'm sure it will go WAY beyond my old 1G iPod touch!

-Messymeese

[JAmerican @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:59PM]

Buy a Zune!

Low Ranked for the Win!

[fanman @ Oct 4th 2008 4:50AM]

FM is old hat, DAB FTW.

[matt @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:51PM]

Less proprietary. Open it up apple!

[AlekZander @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:06PM]

Please explain what the hell that means, then we might take you seriously. kthxbye

[rianocerous @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:11PM]

agreed!

Previous Gen Nanos COULD be used on linux to transfer music without itunes, but apparently, these new ones have something that blocks that. I WAS going to buy one for my wife (cause she loves them cause they are cute) but since they won't work on linux (vmware does not qualify as a vaild exception) we definitely wont.

Her 1st gen nano will remain the one and only Apple product to defile our home...

[geoffsy328 @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:47PM]

Also, if you want to be taken seriously you should always end your comments with "kthxbye"

[JJ @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:11PM]

We forgot to take you seriously when you asked for the definition of "proprietary"

[Liam @ Oct 4th 2008 9:21AM]

I don't get why they do it either, eventually everything gets cracked, and it just costs them sales. The filesystem thing is just there to appease record labels- supposedly now you can't copy everything off an iPod onto a computer, in what is called 'mass piracy'. Never mind that there are hundreds of utilities out there that bypass this.

[utahnkid @ Oct 4th 2008 9:47PM]

@rianocerous - Wow dude you're SO fucking cool for not liking Apple.. SO non conformist.

[Ian @ Nov 29th 2008 11:03PM]

@rianocerous: Have you tried RockBox? It was mentioned a few posts above.

[Ubercharged @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:52PM]

I would make a 120 GB hard drive touch. Id take a size and battery life hit for that storage.