Size recommendations?

hermance · 08-05-2009, 02:45 PM

I've pretty much settled on getting an iPod Touch as my first foray into doing any e-book reading. (I like the mutli-usefulness of it, and figure that if I find I am doing a lot of e-reading, then I can purchase a dedicated reader.)

However, I'm not sure what size to get. I have a 120G "Classic" iPod that mainly stays at home on a docking station or comes with me on longer vacations, though not on work trips. So, I'm not looking for the Touch to store a great deal of media--probably a movie or tv show or two, a subset of my music collection, and some undetermined amount of reading material.

I think the urge is to just go with the 32GB to be on the safe side, but I also worry that I'm falling into the trap that "bigger is always better" and paying more than I really need to. I suspect that 16GB would do just fine. That said, I've never used eBooks at all, so I'm unclear on how much storage they would take up. I certainly want to put enough on the Touch that I can always be reading. I'm a professor, so I do a good bit of reading for work. I'll most likely put primarily work reading on there, though will likely include some pleasure stuff as well. (I work with a lot of material published before copyright, which I mostly get in PDF from GoogleBooks currently. Not sure how that would change when using the Touch.)

I'd appreciate any thoughts people have on this.

Mnementh · 08-05-2009, 03:21 PM

I can definitely recommend you getting an ipod touch as a reader if you are reading mainly fiction however I would have some reservations if you are mainly going to be using it for academic texts purely because of the relatively small size of the screen.

As a movie/media player I have to admit the touch excels I use mine regularly in this respect, being able to read on it was for me an unexpected and wonderful bonus. I now use my touch as my primary reader and got rid of my Sony PRS-505, having said that I do read primarily fiction which translates very well to the smaller screen of the touch over the 505.

With regards to size I currently have ove 600 books on my touch and they take up less than 200MB so I would say the main factor in choosing your size would really be the amount you want to pay and what it is mainly going to be used for. If your primary purpose will be books then simply get an ipod touch 1G 8GB (same as mine and I haven't filled it yet) as this will be the cheapest option and I seriously doubt you will fill it. If your primary purpose is music/videos with the odd book the I would recommend the 2G 32GB without a shadow of a doubt as you will fill it.

I personally would not want to use the touch to view pdf's (not just because I think the format is the spawn of satan!!) again because of the small size of the screen though some people will tell you it's the best pdf viewer out there, you'll have to make up your own mind on that one I'm afraid.

Have you got access to an ipod touch or iphone (it works in exactly the same way) that you can borrow/use to see for yourself?

Hope this helps

Mnementh

pdurrant · 08-05-2009, 03:46 PM

Ebooks are very small compared to music and video. I have over 2,000 novel-length ebooks on my ebook reader, and they all fit on a 2GB SD Card with room to spare.

So from an ebook storage point of view, the 16GB iPod Touch will be plenty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermance

I think the urge is to just go with the 32GB to be on the safe side, but I also worry that I'm falling into the trap that "bigger is always better" and paying more than I really need to. I suspect that 16GB would do just fine. That said, I've never used eBooks at all, so I'm unclear on how much storage they would take up. I certainly want to put enough on the Touch that I can always be reading. I'm a professor, so I do a good bit of reading for work. I'll most likely put primarily work reading on there, though will likely include some pleasure stuff as well. (I work with a lot of material published before copyright, which I mostly get in PDF from GoogleBooks currently. Not sure how that would change when using the Touch.)

I'd appreciate any thoughts people have on this.

hermance · 08-05-2009, 03:49 PM

Mnementh, thanks for giving your opinions. I really appreciate it. To clarify: I wouldn't use the Touch primarily as an e-reader. Instead, since I don't have a smart phone/PDA/etc, I look at it as a lightweight, pocket-sized multi-purpose device. I might read some of the 19th-century fiction I work on as well, but I probably would not do article reading on it. (From the research I've done, I'm not convinced that any e-reader could yet replace hard copy reading of analytic academic work for me--because of technical reasons, like format, but also because of pragmatic reasons, like how much I annotate.) I'll also probably read mainstream periodicals and mainstream non-fiction. My thought is that I could get my feet wet with the Touch, which I can use for many other things as well, and then I can keep an eye on the technology of eReaders. And, of course, if I find that I really love the e-reading experience and want more, I don't think I would mind having a Touch and e-reader down the road.

From what you said, I think I can do a 16GB. Since I don't commute and travel for work only about once every six weeks, I don't think I'll fill the 32GB at all. When I get home, though, I'll check out my video files to see how big they are. Personally, I'm not all that into watching videos on small screen and will be much more likely to listen to podcasts on it, for example, when traveling.

hermance · 08-05-2009, 04:07 PM

pdurant, thanks for the info on the amount of space the ebooks take up. I knew the files were smaller, but not that much smaller! Wow!

I have a feeling that I'll get the Touch and enjoy the ability to read on it and start reading for pleasure more. If that happens, then I'll get a dedicated reader because those seem like the best for "real" reading. But it's hard to take the plunge into a dedicated reader. They're expensive, and I'm not entirely sure how much I would use one. At least with the Touch, if I don't end up using it as a reader, I will get a pretty good multi-functional mobile device.

GntlmnBndt · 08-05-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermance

I work with a lot of material published before copyright, which I mostly get in PDF from GoogleBooks currently. Not sure how that would change when using the Touch.

It is my understanding that Barnes & Noble is bringing the GoogleBooks content to their version of the eReader software, so this may be an easy way to leave the PDFs behind. Of course, you are dependent on the accuracy of their conversion work.

The Bandit

grisjuan · 08-06-2009, 03:46 AM

I recorded a few movies on TiVo and used the TiVo desktop software to convert them to iPod/iPhone format and they are about 700-800 meg each.

Rumor: a new version of the iPod Touch is expected in September so if you can hold out for 5 weeks or so you might get a new model.

ilovejedd · 08-06-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grisjuan

Rumor: a new version of the iPod Touch is expected in September so if you can hold out for 5 weeks or so you might get a new model.

And even if you don't get the new model, there's bound to be some steep discounts on the old one. iPods are actually one of the few items I'd recommend getting a refurbished version of (assuming you get them straight from the Apple store). Both casing and battery are new and it carries the same warranty as brand new iPods. The only difference seems to be packaging.

DTM · 08-06-2009, 03:54 PM

If you really want to get analytical (I'm an engineer), here is how I decided on 16 GB.

My rule for many years has been that, when my hard drive gets to be 2/3 full, it's time to start thinking about more storage. On the iPod, I have 20 added apps, taking 97 MB, so allow 5 MB per app. ITunes also shows 176 MB of "Other", whatever that is. And the "16 GB" is really shown as 14.5, so I assume the 8 and 32 GB units will really be 7.2 and 29, respectively. (Perhaps some owners can correct me.)

So add up:

0.2 GB of Other
0.005 GB per App that you might add (it'll be more than you think)
??? GB for your Music files (put everything in iTunes and it'll tell you)
??? GB for your Video files (I usually allow 0.5 GB for a full-length feature)
??? GB for your Pictures

(What, no e-books? They're so small that, unless you have a massive library, it won't make a difference.)

If the total is less than 4.8, get an 8 GB unit.
If greater than 9.7, get a 32 GB unit.

My estimate came in around 5.5, so I was clearly a 16 GB candidate. And I'm actually already pushing 7.

Of course, you can't add storage, so be generous with your estimates.

ilovejedd · 08-06-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTM

My rule for many years has been that, when my hard drive gets to be 2/3 full, it's time to start thinking about more storage.

Lol, if I went with that rule for my hard drives, I'd be even more broke than I am now.

hermance · 08-07-2009, 01:49 PM

Wow! This is all fantastic and really helpful. What generosity with information around these parts. Where have you read about the new Touch's? I'm just curious about possible new features to see if I should start budgeting to spend more to get a new version.

pdurrant · 08-07-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermance

Wow! This is all fantastic and really helpful. What generosity with information around these parts. Where have you read about the new Touch's? I'm just curious about possible new features to see if I should start budgeting to spend more to get a new version.

http://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/21/...ne-and-camera/

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

is also useful for guessing at timings.

iPod Classic and iPod Nano have had new models each September for the past three years. The iPod Touch first came out January 2008, and was also updated in September 2008.

It's a pretty safe guess that all three will be updated or replaced in the next couple of months.

08-05-2009, 02:45 PM	#1
hermance Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: none	Size recommendations? I've pretty much settled on getting an iPod Touch as my first foray into doing any e-book reading. (I like the mutli-usefulness of it, and figure that if I find I am doing a lot of e-reading, then I can purchase a dedicated reader.) However, I'm not sure what size to get. I have a 120G "Classic" iPod that mainly stays at home on a docking station or comes with me on longer vacations, though not on work trips. So, I'm not looking for the Touch to store a great deal of media--probably a movie or tv show or two, a subset of my music collection, and some undetermined amount of reading material. I think the urge is to just go with the 32GB to be on the safe side, but I also worry that I'm falling into the trap that "bigger is always better" and paying more than I really need to. I suspect that 16GB would do just fine. That said, I've never used eBooks at all, so I'm unclear on how much storage they would take up. I certainly want to put enough on the Touch that I can always be reading. I'm a professor, so I do a good bit of reading for work. I'll most likely put primarily work reading on there, though will likely include some pleasure stuff as well. (I work with a lot of material published before copyright, which I mostly get in PDF from GoogleBooks currently. Not sure how that would change when using the Touch.) I'd appreciate any thoughts people have on this.

08-05-2009, 03:49 PM	#4
hermance Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: none	Mnementh, thanks for giving your opinions. I really appreciate it. To clarify: I wouldn't use the Touch primarily as an e-reader. Instead, since I don't have a smart phone/PDA/etc, I look at it as a lightweight, pocket-sized multi-purpose device. I might read some of the 19th-century fiction I work on as well, but I probably would not do article reading on it. (From the research I've done, I'm not convinced that any e-reader could yet replace hard copy reading of analytic academic work for me--because of technical reasons, like format, but also because of pragmatic reasons, like how much I annotate.) I'll also probably read mainstream periodicals and mainstream non-fiction. My thought is that I could get my feet wet with the Touch, which I can use for many other things as well, and then I can keep an eye on the technology of eReaders. And, of course, if I find that I really love the e-reading experience and want more, I don't think I would mind having a Touch and e-reader down the road. From what you said, I think I can do a 16GB. Since I don't commute and travel for work only about once every six weeks, I don't think I'll fill the 32GB at all. When I get home, though, I'll check out my video files to see how big they are. Personally, I'm not all that into watching videos on small screen and will be much more likely to listen to podcasts on it, for example, when traveling. Last edited by hermance; 08-05-2009 at 04:04 PM.

08-06-2009, 03:54 PM	#9
DTM Intentionally Left Blank Posts: 172 Karma: 300106 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Royal Oak, MI, USA Device: Nook STR	If you really want to get analytical (I'm an engineer), here is how I decided on 16 GB. My rule for many years has been that, when my hard drive gets to be 2/3 full, it's time to start thinking about more storage. On the iPod, I have 20 added apps, taking 97 MB, so allow 5 MB per app. ITunes also shows 176 MB of "Other", whatever that is. And the "16 GB" is really shown as 14.5, so I assume the 8 and 32 GB units will really be 7.2 and 29, respectively. (Perhaps some owners can correct me.) So add up: 0.2 GB of Other 0.005 GB per App that you might add (it'll be more than you think) ??? GB for your Music files (put everything in iTunes and it'll tell you) ??? GB for your Video files (I usually allow 0.5 GB for a full-length feature) ??? GB for your Pictures (What, no e-books? They're so small that, unless you have a massive library, it won't make a difference.) If the total is less than 4.8, get an 8 GB unit. If greater than 9.7, get a 32 GB unit. My estimate came in around 5.5, so I was clearly a 16 GB candidate. And I'm actually already pushing 7. Of course, you can't add storage, so be generous with your estimates. Last edited by DTM; 08-06-2009 at 04:03 PM.

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08-05-2009, 03:21 PM	#2
Mnementh Groupie Posts: 183 Karma: 3633418 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK Device: Kobo Libra	I can definitely recommend you getting an ipod touch as a reader if you are reading mainly fiction however I would have some reservations if you are mainly going to be using it for academic texts purely because of the relatively small size of the screen. As a movie/media player I have to admit the touch excels I use mine regularly in this respect, being able to read on it was for me an unexpected and wonderful bonus. I now use my touch as my primary reader and got rid of my Sony PRS-505, having said that I do read primarily fiction which translates very well to the smaller screen of the touch over the 505. With regards to size I currently have ove 600 books on my touch and they take up less than 200MB so I would say the main factor in choosing your size would really be the amount you want to pay and what it is mainly going to be used for. If your primary purpose will be books then simply get an ipod touch 1G 8GB (same as mine and I haven't filled it yet) as this will be the cheapest option and I seriously doubt you will fill it. If your primary purpose is music/videos with the odd book the I would recommend the 2G 32GB without a shadow of a doubt as you will fill it. I personally would not want to use the touch to view pdf's (not just because I think the format is the spawn of satan!!) again because of the small size of the screen though some people will tell you it's the best pdf viewer out there, you'll have to make up your own mind on that one I'm afraid. Have you got access to an ipod touch or iphone (it works in exactly the same way) that you can borrow/use to see for yourself? Hope this helps Mnementh

08-05-2009, 04:07 PM	#5
hermance Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: none	pdurant, thanks for the info on the amount of space the ebooks take up. I knew the files were smaller, but not that much smaller! Wow! I have a feeling that I'll get the Touch and enjoy the ability to read on it and start reading for pleasure more. If that happens, then I'll get a dedicated reader because those seem like the best for "real" reading. But it's hard to take the plunge into a dedicated reader. They're expensive, and I'm not entirely sure how much I would use one. At least with the Touch, if I don't end up using it as a reader, I will get a pretty good multi-functional mobile device.

08-06-2009, 03:46 AM	#7
grisjuan Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 404 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Washington, DC Device: iPhone 3GS	I recorded a few movies on TiVo and used the TiVo desktop software to convert them to iPod/iPhone format and they are about 700-800 meg each. Rumor: a new version of the iPod Touch is expected in September so if you can hold out for 5 weeks or so you might get a new model.

08-07-2009, 01:49 PM	#11
hermance Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: none	Wow! This is all fantastic and really helpful. What generosity with information around these parts. Where have you read about the new Touch's? I'm just curious about possible new features to see if I should start budgeting to spend more to get a new version.

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