ipod touch 3g 8gb --have a made a terrible mistake?

[ApK]

My daughter enjoys using my wife's ipod touch 4g at bedtime, for various kid apps, like kindergarten tutors, Highliites hidden pictures, read-along books, and listening to Pandora lullabies.

She wanted a Nintendo DS for her birthday, but I found a good condition ipod Touch 3G, 8GB on ebay for about the same price as a DS, so i impulse-bought that instead.

The seller has a 30 day easy return policy, so I'm asking honestly, did I make a mistake? Will the 3g 8GB run the same apps she likes on the 4g just as well to keep a little girl happy?

thanks,

ApK

[Shack70]

It will run most availible apps, but the processor on the 3G is slower than the 4G so like a PC it may not be fast enough to run everything. There are no camera's as well and I am not sure if it has mic so apps that use the mic or camera will not work either.

I think the 4G has twice the RAM as the 3G too, which still isn't much at 256Mb. Also, the 4G has the Retina display with 960 x 640 pixels whereas the 3G has the older 480 x 320 pixel display. One more thing, the 3G will only install up to 4.2.x OS updates, I think, whereas the 4G can install the latest greatest updates, including iOS 5 when it is released.

[ApK]

Yup, the hardware differences I'm ok with, so I guess the main issue is we just have to see if the apps we want to use perform adequately?

Also, I thought I saw that iOS 5 will be compatible with the itouch 3g:
http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/features.html (bottom of the page)

Or is that only the "late 2009 32 & 64 GB" 3G units?

If so, that's the single most annoying reason that Apple gets the "Evil" modifier in my book...slip-streaming incompatible hardware changes without changing the model name and burying or outright concealing that info.

[Shack70]

Should mean all 3G units

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Shack70

Should mean all 3G units

I agree it should. But I wonder if it does.

Anyway, iOS5, with it's wifi syncing would just be a nice bonus.
I'll be happy if it handles our iOS4 apps adequately.
(For example, in addition to my daughter's apps, I'm pretty sure it can play Netflix and work with the same Apple A/V out cables that work on our classic and 4g, yes?)

p.s. Geesh, for some one who claims to be in the "Apple is Evil" camp as I do, I sure seem to be collecting iDevices....

[Shack70]

The cables should be compatible

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Shack70

Should mean all 3G units

I don't think Apple released an iPod Touch 3G 8GB model. From memory, they just lowered the prices on the iPod Touch 2G 8GB. The only ones that got the new hardware were the 32GB and 64GB models.

Originally Posted by ApK

p.s. Geesh, for some one who claims to be in the "Apple is Evil" camp as I do, I sure seem to be collecting iDevices....

Unfortunately, as "Evil" as Apple may be, they do have ease of use down pat. If they don't get it right the first try (e.g. Newton, Apple TV, MobileMe), they're quick to improve and address issues found on their initial offerings.

I'd also like to move away from iDevices but as yet, have not found a good replacement. Strongly considering an Android-based phone to replace my iPhone but not until I've tested how alternatives to Stanza compare (I'll be gettting a Nook Color so I should be able to gauge that soon).

The iPad, I have no choice, at least until Viz Media releases their app for other platforms.

[dwharrison]

You're right, there WAS no 3rd gen 8GB model:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipod_touch#Models

So this is a second-gen model. I'd be a bit concerned about going back that far (remember, 5th gen should be out this September) at this point.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I don't think Apple released an iPod Touch 3G 8GB model. From memory, they just lowered the prices on the iPod Touch 2G 8GB. The only ones that got the new hardware were the 32GB and 64GB models.

Hmm...if this is so, and Apple never actually called the 8GB a 3G, then I'm ticked, because every one else seems to call it that.
Why on earth would people call a 2G a 3G? Just because it got a firmware update?

That would certainly eliminate iOS5, but would it have any major effect on iOS4 apps?

32GB 3G are going for much more than I'm willing to spend, so it's looking like a question of is whatever I'm being sent going to be adequate for my purpose, or do I just return it and get her the DS.

I guess I can't really decide until I get it and try it, but I'd still like to hear comments.

ApK

[Shack70]

I had an iPod Touch 2G and now have the 4G. I let my kids use the 2G for things like car trips, but they both have a DSi and would much rather play on them then on the iPod Touch. My wife also has an iPad, both kids will fight over that. Even though my 11 year old want's an iPod 4G of his own, he would never trade his DSi for one.

One other thing to consider is that you are getting this for a kid. The DSi seems to be able to take more damage than a iPod Touch would be able to. Both of my kids have dropped the DSi units many times and they just keep working. I don't think the iPod Touch would take that abuse very long.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Shack70

I had an iPod Touch 2G and now have the 4G. I let my kids use the 2G for things like car trips, but they both have a DSi and would much rather play on them then on the iPod Touch. My wife also has an iPad, both kids will fight over that. Even though my 11 year old want's an iPod 4G of his own, he would never trade his DSi for one.

One other thing to consider is that you are getting this for a kid. The DSi seems to be able to take more damage than a iPod Touch would be able to. Both of my kids have dropped the DSi units many times and they just keep working. I don't think the iPod Touch would take that abuse very long.

Yup, the main reason I was not too hip on the DS (we were actually considering the DS Lite, on sale at TRU right now) was that it would involving buying all new (and relatively expensive) games, and we already knew we had a bunch of apps she loves for the iPod.

I was thinking about the durability, and like we do with my son's e-reader, we would probably keep it in our possession and just give it to my daughter when she was actually using it. (that way, I can play angry birds...bonus!) She's remarkably careful with my wife's 4G when she uses, so I was willing to risk it.

But the fact that is it's actually a 2G bugs me. I feel misled.
(even though I was aware that it was the 2G hardware, I'm ticked because it means that anything I've read about what's compatible with a 3G just doesn't apply, and I can't even blame Apple!)

Well, it's shipped, so in a few days I will either decide that it performs well enough, and for the price, we'll keep it, or I take advantage of the 30 return policy and am only out the few bucks to mail it back.



ApK

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by ApK

Hmm...if this is so, and Apple never actually called the 8GB a 3G, then I'm ticked, because every one else seems to call it that.
Why on earth would people call a 2G a three 3G? Just because it got a firmware update?

That's just the way people started calling it since it was "re-released" at the same time as actual 3G models.

Originally Posted by ApK

That would certainly eliminate iOS5, but would it have any major effect on iOS4 apps?

32GB 3G are going for much more than I'm willing to spend, so it's looking like a question of is whatever I'm being sent going to be adequate for my purpose, or do I just return it and get her the DS.

I guess I can't really decide until I get it and try it, but I'd still like to hear comments.

As far as CPU goes, iPhone 2G/3G ~= iTouch 1G < iTouch 2G < iPhone 3GS ~= iTouch 3G < iPhone 4 ~= iTouch 4G. I don't have an iTouch 2G but I do have a 1st gen iPhone which has the same processor as the 2G model except clocked 23% slower. It is considerably slower than the iPhone 3GS. I don't play games much but webpage loading (wifi), opening apps and loading ebook on Stanza is noticeably slower on the iPhone 2G than the 3GS. Pretty sure the older model doesn't have the improved graphics hardware, too.

Hmm, too bad you missed the sale on refurb iTouch 3G 32GB on the Apple Store. As I recall, they were going for $150 and Apple refurbs look and work good as new and come with the same 1 year warranty as brand-new products.

My suggestion, just return the iPod Touch 3G 8GB and get her the DSi.

[Shack70]

Good luck

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ApK

That would certainly eliminate iOS5, but would it have any major effect on iOS4 apps?

Check this link out to see which features of iOS 4 various gen touches will support.