Yeah, I succumbed. :rolleyes: Yesterday, someone showed me some cool apps that would come in handy for work, so I jumped in.

I will not be giving up my Kindle and don't really expect to use the iTouch for reading (I'll listen to my audiobooks on it) but I will play around with the reading apps for fun and curiosity.

I'll probably have a question or one hundred to ask of you current iPhone and iTouch users... so get ready! :D

Now, I have to sell my 80GB Video iPod on eBay. :(

Don't forget to get a battery extender to go with your Touch. You'll need it.

Don't forget to get a battery extender to go with your Touch. You'll need it.

What's a battery extender?

What's a battery extender?

http://www.mophie.com/products/juice-pack-ipod-touch :D

Thank you both but... YIKES! A hundred bucks! :eek: As it is, this thing cost more than my Kindle after adding the extended warranty and a silicone case.

The battery life on this and the iphone isn't great, but it certainly is better than my old Palm T3 or Dell Axim. Just make sure you turn off wi-fi when you aren't using it and drop the brightness setting as far down as is comfortable. The only time I find I need to turn up the brightness on my iPhone or Touch past 40% is when I am in bright sunlight. Usually it hovers at about 10% or less.

Thank you both but... YIKES! A hundred bucks! :eek: As it is, this thing cost more than my Kindle after adding the extended warranty and a silicone case.

I saw one for about half that from Kensington at Amazon, but they were out of stock.

I think I'll be fine battery wise. I have many charging options. I installed an after-market player cable in my car which charges iPods while they play through my car stereo. My JBL external speaker charges it as it plays. Then of course I have my laptop while at work and my desktop at home. The only time I see myself away from a power source is while bike riding and that wouldn't be more than a couple of hours.

Does the iTouch battery have memory issues (must fully deplete the battery and recharge a few times)?

I got an iPod Touch for my birthday (in July), and I do love it quite to bits. As much as I think the Loved One's new iPhone that work bought him is nifty, in the end my current mobile phone sits on the bedside for weeks at a time. I take my iPod with me everywhere to write notes, keep checklists, measurements, muck around with while on "downtime" (Stanza is my reading application), write little snippets of inspiration or haiku/senryu or cinquain, or just play. Sometimes I even listen to some of all the music I have on it! :)

Applications I have downloaded (all free thus far) are:


WeDict - a dictionary
Stanza - my book reading application
iDoodle2lite - a very modest "drawing" application
UniCon - a measurement convertor (many different measurements)
Flashlight - just a white screen (with some colourful strobe options - silly really :) )
Remote - lets me use my iPod as a remote for iTunes on my computer (quite nifty)
freebird - a cigarette lighter flame, for big-hair rock concerts (silly, yes? ;) )
iPint - a glass of beer you can "drink"
a few free games


The Apps store has a lot of crap in it (see above :D), but there's probably something you'll find useful, aside from any book-reading application. I like using it as my calendar and contacts and eventually I try put all of my favourite photos on it in reduced size (hmm, many housands to go through - it could take some time) for show-and-tell.

I was surprised at how much I like it. At home, connecting it my wifi network, I have some internet bookmarks loaded as icons (eg. weather, tv guide), and can just hit them if I want to look at something quickly, rather than drag the laptop over. It's good as well when connected to a wifi network that, when you suddenly remember that song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PITnJAnmjqw) you've always wanted, you can just connect to the iTunes store and download it straight to the iPod.

Anyway, since you're enthused about it, as you can see you have re-enthused me...and now I'm going to buy a couple (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDm_ZHyYTrg) more songs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCvomDZykvk) for it.

Cheers,
Marc

Don't forget to get a battery extender to go with your Touch. You'll need it.

I manage perfectly well without one on mine. I use it primarily for audio books and video and get several days usage between charges.

Does the iTouch battery have memory issues (must fully deplete the battery and recharge a few times)?

No. It's a Lithium Ion battery, and hence has no "memory".

I got an iPod Touch for my birthday (in July)

My birthday was in July as well, so Happy Late Birthday!

I've purchased several apps in an attempt to see if I can let go of my Palm T5.

-Trip Cubby - To replace the database on my Palm (with HanDBase) to keep track of my mileage. I built the database with more than this app supplies but it's well enough that I can do without a few little bits of info.
-I'm using the built in Calendar which so far is not as good as DateBk4 for my Palm. I can't color code each job so they're easier to find at a glance. (I'm freelance), and I don't have the little icons that differentiate work from medical appointment, to personal appointments. I hope in the next year better calendar apps will be offered
- eReader and Stanza - just for play, haven't tried to read anything on it yet.
- Level - an app I can use for work and the one that tip the scales to get me to buy the Touch.
- Another app that I use on my Palm for work is being developed for the iPhone and Touch, so I'll be jumping on that as soon as it's available. Another scale tipper.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get all my contact and memos from my Palm onto the touch without starting from scratch. I'm also hoping for an app that will help me keep track of which jobs have paid me and which haven't. I was able to track this with a database I created on my Palm (with HanDBase). I would really love some kind of database that I can design myself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

:)

And Here I didnt send a Card!! I knew you would turn to the Dark side!! Go Apple!
JJ

hey ! duckman is back !! nice to see you, duckman. i hope you had a good vacation.

And Here I didnt send a Card!! I knew you would turn to the Dark side!! Go Apple!
JJ


Nah, just sticking a couple toes maybe a foot in the dark water! :p Still a Dell Girl but thanks. :)

hey ! duckman is back !! nice to see you, duckman. i hope you had a good vacation.

Oh I am still on vacation but I had to check in a see if the Board has been blown up!

My birthday was in July as well, so Happy Late Birthday!

Right back at ya!

I've purchased several apps in an attempt to see if I can let go of my Palm T5.

-Trip Cubby

Not for me (I don't drive), but I'll have a look at this, as the Loved One will want something like that for his iPhone.

- Another app that I use on my Palm for work is being developed for the iPhone and Touch, so I'll be jumping on that as soon as it's available. Another scale tipper.

...but, what, no iPint? ;)

I would really love some kind of database that I can design myself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

:)

Sorry, I myself won't be much help here. I'm effectively retired, and so most things I might look for generally are along the lines of "Ooooo, pretty colours!!!" rather than looking for efficient and constructive ways to spend my time (I've got MR for that! ;) ).

I hope someone knows their iPod Touch/iPhone stuff and can help though.

Cheers,
Marc

...but, what, no iPint? ;)

No, I don't drink but one of the guys to convinced me to buy the iTouch had that silly little beer "iBeer" app on his. I said to him, "I hope you didn't pay for that"... he did.

Sorry, I myself won't be much help here. I'm effectively retired, and so most things I might look for generally are along the lines of "Ooooo, pretty colours!!!" rather than looking for efficient and constructive ways to spend my time (I've got MR for that! ;) ).

:rofl: on the "Ooooo, pretty colours!!!"

I think I've found a work around for my memos. I exported them as a text file. I just downloaded the Window's version of Stanza Desktop. I hope to turn those memos into a book I can use on my iTouch and my Kindle.

I hope someone knows their iPod Touch/iPhone stuff and can help though.

Cheers,
Marc

Thanks for the B-Day shout-out and the good thoughts. I'll keep everyone in the loop on my adventures. :)

No, I don't drink but one of the guys to convinced me to buy the iTouch had that silly little beer "iBeer" app on his. I said to him, "I hope you didn't pay for that"... he did.

That's why I got iPint - it's free, and I'm a cheap drunk. ;)

(Don't tell anyone, particularly the Australian authorities, but I don't drink beer unless it's of the "ginger" variety :D ).

Cheers,
Marc

Oh I am still on vacation but I had to check in a see if the Board has been blown up!
as you can see, it has, several times over.
That's why I got iPint - it's free, and I'm a cheap drunk. ;)

(Don't tell anyone, particularly the Australian authorities, but I don't drink beer unless it's of the "ginger" variety :D ).

Cheers,
Marc
good heavens, isn't that grounds for exile ??? you better hope they don't find out...

A Kindle and an iTouch make a wonderful mix. ;) Congrats!

A Kindle and an iTouch make a wonderful mix. ;) Congrats!

Thank you kind sir!

What's a battery extender?
A battery extender is a device that plugs into some other battery powered device to allow you to run the device or charge it.

http://www.gomadic.com/brand-apple-accessories-apple-ipod-touch-accessories.html

It uses 4 AA batteries and costs $20.

When you use the wifi, it drains the battery even more.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get all my contact and memos from my Palm onto the touch without starting from scratch. I'm also hoping for an app that will help me keep track of which jobs have paid me and which haven't. I was able to track this with a database I created on my Palm (with HanDBase). I would really love some kind of database that I can design myself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

:)

Yes, I know I'm talking to myself but this info may come in handy for someone else. There is an app called iClink that would do it but it costs about $40 for the app plus another $100 for the desktop counterpart and $10 a month to keep everything in sync. Not worth it to me.

I did some Googling and found a web page that instructed me on how to get all my addresses from my Palm on to the Touch with no typing on the Touch involved. It worked very well for free.

The original instructions can be found here (http://www.fixya.com/support/t161691-downloading_contacts_from_palm_iphone). I was using my Vista machine so the program was called "Windows Contacts".

1. Bring up Palm Desktop. Make sure your Palm phone is sync'ed up. Show the Address page, select all contacts (Ctrl-A), and export them with File, Export vCard... This puts all contact information into a single file as a sequence of vCards.
2. Bring up Windows Address Book. You can find this in Start, All Program, Accessories, Address Book.
3. Using Windows Explorer, drag the vCard file you created in step 1 to the Windows Address Book window. I had never used Windows Address Book, so it was empty. If yours isn't empty, you'll have to decide whether you want to merge your contacts.
4. When you drop the file, you'll get a window asking you to confirm the first contact. Press OK. Another window will come up for the second contact. Press OK until all windows are gone. It's easiest to hold down the Enter key.
5. Bring up iTunes with your iPhone plugged in. Go to your iPhone page, to the Info tab, and configure it to sync from Windows Address Book. Click Apply in the lower-right corner of the window.
6. Sync your iPhone. Verify that your contacts transferred over.
7. Tell iTunes to stop sync'ing with Windows Address Book, since you probably only wanted a one-way sync. Your contacts will be backed up anyway by iTunes, so the Address Book sync feature doesn't buy you much.

Now, I'm in search of a way to transfer my Palm calendar. I shall return if and when I find the answer.

Yes, I know I'm talking to myself but this info may come in handy for someone else. There is an app called iClink that would do it but it costs about $40 for the app plus another $100 for the desktop counterpart and $10 a month to keep everything in sync. Not worth it to me.

I did some Googling and found a web page that instructed me on how to get all my addresses from my Palm on to the Touch with no typing on the Touch involved. It worked very well for free.

The original instructions can be found here (http://www.fixya.com/support/t161691-downloading_contacts_from_palm_iphone). I was using my Vista machine so the program was called "Windows Contacts".



Now, I'm in search of a way to transfer my Palm calendar. I shall return if and when I find the answer.

I dont know if you have looked at Mobile Me from apple but it should do all you are asking for.

JJ

I dont know if you have looked at Mobile Me from apple but it should do all you are asking for.

JJ

I actually called a Mac friend of mine this morning who was a Palm user and he says MobileMe doesn't work that well, it's just okay. He has the iPhone and is also missing some of the functionality of the Palm. We were both lamenting over the loss of our far superior Palm calendars.

Right now I'm trying a work around (which I would still have to do for MobileMe), I trying to get my Palm calendar into Outlook which will sync with the Touch.

A Palm emulator from StyleTap (http://blogs.styletap.com/styletap/index.html) is waiting in the wings that will work on the iPhone and iTouch. It will allow me to continue to use my favorite Palm apps. There are some hurdles to overcome to get Apple to approve the app. If I can get that software, I'll be golden.

Thanks for the suggestion. :)

A battery extender is a device that plugs into some other battery powered device to allow you to run the device or charge it.

http://www.gomadic.com/brand-apple-accessories-apple-ipod-touch-accessories.html

It uses 4 AA batteries and costs $20.

When you use the wifi, it drains the battery even more.

I have this and, unless they've fixed it, there is a small caveat. You really can't use rechargeable batteries with the iPod touch, because they provide (1.2 times 4) 4.8V. The Touch is very fussy about its input voltage, and 4.8 is not quite enough to make it happy. If you use Alkaline batteries, it works just fine (4.5 times 4) 6V..the battery pack takes this down to standard USB 5V before passing it onto the device.

I like using lithium AAs in mine actually, they're more expensive than alkalines but they last FOREVER...and the Touch is happy as a clam with this setup.

And for more good news, they also sell a tip that will charge your Kindle using this battery pack!

I'll have to contact them before I order one and see if they say rechargeable batteries are allowed. If not, it's not going to work for me.

I finally got my Palm calendar uploaded to the Touch. What a mess and a pain in the rear. There were many software tools for older iPods but none that I could get to work with the Touch since it's not seen as an external drive in Explorer.

I had to upload my calendar to a site call AirSet (http://www.airset.com/). They had a desktop application that would pull the info from my Palm Calendar and then upload it to their website (all this was free). I was then able to export that calendar as a .ics file. That file would not import into the Outlook 2000 I already owned but never used.

I downloaded the free 60 day trial of Outlook 2007 (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/default.aspx) plus the updated hotsync conduit (http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/outlook2007/outlook2007update.html#sysreq)for it from Palm, which it turns out does not work with Outlook 2007 despite it's name. It only works with Outlook 98, 2000, and XP(2002) per the failed sync log.

I was, luckily, able to that AirSet .ics file to import into Outlook 2007. I then connected the Touch to my laptop, up pops iTunes. I then clicked on the info tab and set it to sync the calendar with Outlook. It worked.

Of course there were many false starts but I'm happier now. And I must admit, Outlook has improved quite a bit since I last used it. I may not miss the Palm desktop software after all. I do still feel DateBk4 is a much better calendar than the one that comes from with the Touch.

I have this and, unless they've fixed it, there is a small caveat. You really can't use rechargeable batteries with the iPod touch, because they provide (1.2 times 4) 4.8V. The Touch is very fussy about its input voltage, and 4.8 is not quite enough to make it happy. If you use Alkaline batteries, it works just fine (4.5 times 4) 6V..the battery pack takes this down to standard USB 5V before passing it onto the device.

I like using lithium AAs in mine actually, they're more expensive than alkalines but they last FOREVER...and the Touch is happy as a clam with this setup.

And for more good news, they also sell a tip that will charge your Kindle using this battery pack!
Well, according to their site....
http://www.gomadic.com/apple-ipod-touch-emergency-aa-battery-extender.html

• The ONLY product that will work with alkaline or rechargeable batteries.

Does this work with rechargeable batteries?
Solution Yes it does. Our battery charger was specifically designed to work with either alkaline or rechargeable batteries. Please note, however, that all rechargeable batteries are not created equal. In fact, in an attempt to pack more “power” in rechargeable batteries, some vendors are producing AA batteries that exceed the size specifications of the AA standard. If you are running into this type of situation, please contact us and let us know as we have recently come out with a one-off solution which we can send you which will resolve the size issue.

Well, I have just checked my back E-Mails and run a quick test and discovered that I had it bass ackward sigh.

The rechargeables WILL start up the charging circuit. 4 new Alkalines will not.

I discussed this with Gomadic at one point and they said the problem is in the iPod circuitry, not their charger. They suggested that a workaround was to use 3 new alkalines and 1 old one.

Well, I have just checked my back E-Mails and run a quick test and discovered that I had it bass ackward sigh.

The rechargeables WILL start up the charging circuit. 4 new Alkalines will not.

I discussed this with Gomadic at one point and they said the problem is in the iPod circuitry, not their charger. They suggested that a workaround was to use 3 new alkalines and 1 old one.
I'm glad it will work. Because I plan on getting one of these and I'll be getting the iPod Touch tip for my wife. And I'll be getting the tip for our cell phones, Rio Karma, 500, & 505. And I will be using rechargeable batteries. I just bought some really heavy duty Energizers. So I have 8 rechargeable AA batteries at present.

I feel terrible about having mispoken on this, so I ran a quick test just to be completely sure. As it happens I have both Gomadic's battery pack and a Tekkeon pack that also takes 4 AA batteries.

I used the same batteries in both packs, and the same iPod cable, so the only variation is the battery pack itself.

The Tekkeon was able to trigger the iPod touch charge circuit using 4 rechargeable batteries AND 4 new alkalines AND 4 new non-rechargeable lithium AAs.

The Gomadic was able to trigger the charge circuit using 4 rechargeables but NOT with the new alkalines or lithiums.

So if you use rechargeables, either is fine.

Sorry for the confusion, I guess I need to drink more coffee. Or something.