In a perfect world, the rear of the iPod would be constructed of the same black material that makes up the edge of the unit’s face. This is an unknown matte-black metal which is both rugged and comfortable to the touch (not to mention fingerprint resistant). I thought Apple had wised up on the subject of scratch resistance when they sheathed the 2G nano in solid anodized aluminum, but apparently not. I’ll repeat myself: you’ll need a case (if you can find one - at the moment, there are very slim pickin's).
Next, the screen. What can I say but “wow!”? The touch-sensitive display is beautiful, bright and crisp, with none of the black-level problems I’ve read about in the last day or two. The screen clearly displays images, album art, web pages and photos – it’s more like looking at a glossy magazine page than an LCD. Put simply, the iPod touch boasts the best screen I’ve ever seen on a mobile device (reportedly it’s the same screen used on the iPhone, though there is debate on this issue), and unlike so many screens on mobile devices, the touch’s screen is solid with absolutely no give or plastic-coated bend. The 3.5” display is much better for watching videos than the 5G iPod or iPod classic, and the new touch-based Cover Flow-enhanced interface is easy to use and gives your digital music collection a more real-world feel (It’s like the good old days of going through a stack of your favorite CDs, only without the clutter, the mess and the scratched discs). The larger screen brings the iPod touch closer to a Creative Zen Vision or Archos media player than what I’ve traditionally expected from an iPod. I’m in love with the screen – I just hope it holds up until I can get hold of a protective film.
The unit’s built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi was easy to set up; I was online in less than 30 seconds. The Safari browser is the same version found on the iPhone and, just as with the iPhone, it makes browsing the web a simple and almost instinctual pleasure. Windows Mobile and Palm devices aren’t in the same galaxy. Pulling up Pocket PC Central, Apple.com, and even Gmail was fast and, putting some screen size considerations aside, every bit as enjoyable and useful as browsing the Internet on my laptop. Getting around the web requires the onscreen keyboard, of course, and just as is the case with the iPhone, this touch-based interface takes some getting used to. In the first hour (I’ve had only limited experience with the keyboard of the iPhone in the last months), I’d put my typing error rate at about 10-15%. I hope this improves.
The Wi-Fi isn’t only for browsing the web and watching YouTube videos. The real gem of the built-in wireless is the new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, which allows you to browse, sample and purchase iTunes music whenever you have an available Internet connection. This is a feature I’ve been looking forward to since the MusicGremlin debuted in 2006, and I’m happy to report that the wireless iTunes Store is a near total success. You have surprisingly fast access to every song you could buy from the regular PC or Mac version of iTunes, and you’re able to search, listen to clips and view album art. There are also Top 10 lists, Featured Music downloads and more. Browse New Releases, What’s Hot, and Genres or search for the artist, track or album you’re interested in. With my office Wi-Fi connection, sample clips began playing after about a 1 to 2 second delay. Purchasing music is a simple as entering your iTunes password and tapping “Buy Now.” Downloading a track takes about 6-12 seconds with a high speed connection. This feature alone is worth the upgrade if you find yourself wanting instant access to any newly-discovered song when you’re away from your PC. If you do buy music away from your computer, the next time you sync with iTunes, you can move purchased tracks to your desktop or laptop iTunes. There’s a new Starbucks music purchase feature in the works, too, but I won’t be able to test that until October (and I’m not exactly counting the days on this one, if you catch my meaning).
The new touchscreen interface is another feature I’ve been waiting for. Windows Mobile (including Palm-Sized PC and Pocket PC OS-based PDAs) and Palm handhelds have featured small, portable touchscreen devices for a decade, and the use of this type of interface seems a no-brainer for a media device. Those who have become accustomed to the old-iPod way of doing things will need time to adjust, however.
The Home Screen looks just like the iPhone’s, but with fewer options. Along the bottom of the screen are four primary menu buttons: Music, Video, Photos and iTunes. To listen to your tunes, just tap Music, select Playlists, Artists, Songs, Albums, or Audiobooks, etc. With the iPod touch in portrait mode (taller than wide), song information, album art (if available), user controls and volume control are displayed. Turn the touch to one side or another, however, and you’re presented with the Cover Flow interface.
Cover Flow is album-art based, so you’ll need to make sure your music collection has been updated with album art to get the full experience. Album covers are presented in a row, which you can move through with the drag of a finger to the left or right. Find the cover of the album you want, tap the cover, and you’re given a list of tracks from that album. Tap the track you want to hear and voila. There’s no virtual Click Wheel, so if you’re used to moving your thumb in a circle, I suggest you begin coming to terms with Click Wheel withdrawal now – you’ll sleep better.
Playlists and other lists of artists, albums, genres, etc., are still presented in a list format, too, so you can select text-based items as well.
The loss of an always-present control system like the Click Wheel does have its downsides. For example, volume control isn’t always a screen option. But, even if you’re browsing the web or checking contact information while music is playing, just give the Home Screen button a quick double-press and you’re presented with a basic track information and control window where you can easily adjust the volume; when you’re finished making changes, tap outside of the windows and you’re returned to your extra-musical activities.
Syncing is also a bit different with the iPod touch. First, your iPod doesn’t go blank just because it’s plugged into a USB port. You can listen to music and anything else you like, even when the touch is connected to iTunes. You do lose these abilities, however, when iTunes and the iPod touch are actively communicating with one another, when, for example, you’re moving new content to the touch. Another difference is that you don’t have to eject the touch. You can just unplug it – this is a long overdue feature.
I can’t really report on battery life as yet, but it seems strong to me so far. In my just over one hour of use, the battery indicator still shows full.
As much as I like the iPod touch thus far, it does have some missing features I would love to see. First, an e-mail or dedicated RSS client would be nice (though you can use online e-mail services like GMail and Yahoo!, and Safari does have limited RSS feed support). Next, there’s no Home Screen icon for powering the Wi-Fi on and off. As it stands, you have to make three screen taps before you can change the Wi-Fi’s power state. Also, if music is playing, there’s no indication on the Home Screen; a small window of currently-playing track information with play-pause would be nice, sort of a Home Screen widget. Last, but not least, there's no cloth sleeve included with the touch, so you're totally on your own when it comes to scratch and scuff protection.
Aside from its scratch-prone metal backing and few friendly (but wholly) unsolicited suggestions for the folks at Apple, I have no complaints - so far. The iPod touch is, in my opinion, the best iPod to date, not to mention one of the best handheld devices I’ve ever used. I’ll have a full report later in the week. Have a question? Please e-mail me.
