Want to buy itouch but... - Page 4

pilotbob · 03-29-2009, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

I am seriously considering one but afraid to pull the trigger on one just yet fearing that a new one will come out in 6 mos 10x better than mine, or new apps come out in a year that are got-to-have apps but they are so much bigger in size they require a complete gut of the 'older' ipods to run them.

New iPods generally come out in September in time for the Christmas / Holiday season. Although, the new shuffle just came out this month. So, there is no telling. The question is, will you be satisfied with the one you would buy today? If so, I'm not sure it matters that a new one comes out.

A new model car comes out every year, but that doesn't stop people from buying cars each year.

BOb

HarryT · 03-30-2009, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

I have a side question for you Ipod Touch afficionados. I am seriously considering one but afraid to pull the trigger on one just yet fearing that a new one will come out in 6 mos 10x better than mine, or new apps come out in a year that are got-to-have apps but they are so much bigger in size they require a complete gut of the 'older' ipods to run them. I am the type that likes to get his moneys worth out of something this expensive. To me, if I buy the 32g, I want a full 3 years or its flat not worth it.

Do you see it being completely viable for that length of time?

I am not rich, nor have tons of money lying around. I have to save a considerable time to get something like this and replacing it in a year or so is not an option.

Any thoughts?

If you buy an iPod Touch, it will do the same things in 3 years time that it will do now. Will there be "better" devices out in a year's time? Yes, of course there will be. That's always been true, and will probably always continue to be true. Buy a device which satisfies your requirements now, though, and if those requirements remain static, they will be satisfied for as long as you have the device.

Mrgauth · 03-30-2009, 08:09 AM

Thanks everyone. Just what I needed to hear. Convinced me. Now to find the money.... : )

pilotbob · 03-30-2009, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

Thanks everyone. Just what I needed to hear. Convinced me. Now to find the money.... : )

Have you looked between the cushions on the sofa?

BOb

Mrgauth · 03-30-2009, 06:34 PM

Yes. Only scone crumbs unfortunately. It is not looking good. This whole economy's got me questioning about every dime I spend and this being pure 100% luxury is hard to justify. But thanks for the feedback everyone.

kelly1010 · 04-01-2009, 10:15 PM

I'm glad I found this section of the forum. I am planning to get an Ipod touch very soon. I just bought a Sony prs-505 and the Ipod touch never even crossed my mind until a couple days ago when I saw the video tour on the website. However, even if I had known that the Itouch can read ebooks, I probably still would've bought the prs-505. BUT....I WILL probably use the ebook feature when I'm out and about so my sony e-reader can stay safe and sound at home.

I already love my 505 for reading, and from what I hear I'm going to love that Itouch too.

I've given the fact that new gadgets come out yearly, alot of thought too. I know for the Itouch, they just recently came out with the 2nd generation, so that should be in the stores for awhile...at least I'd hope so. I love that the Itouch has all those free apps. I was thinking about getting a Nintendo DS, but I think the Itouch will be a better choice for me.

ilovejedd · 04-02-2009, 12:58 AM

Don't buy the iPod Touch now. I think the firmware update should be coming out soon and that'll probably be an extra $10 for current iTouch owners.

Also, I would suggest looking at refurbished iPods from the Apple Store. My brother bought a refurb 5th gen iPod at $80 off MSRP from Apple and it looks brand new. There were no scratches and it carried the same warranty as a brand new model.

dordale · 04-02-2009, 02:24 AM

I second ilovejedd's suggestion regarding buying refurbished from Apple's store.

I bought my husband a refurbished first gen Touch direct from Apple for his birthday. It was $80 less than the 2nd gen and looks like new. Apple replaces the casing and battery on all refurbished touches. They come with a full one year warranty. Only difference between the first and second generation touches are that the first gen doesn't have dedicated volume buttons on the side of the unit nor does it have a built in speaker. The battery life also isn't quite as good as the first gen.

dordale

Mrgauth · 04-02-2009, 08:00 AM

I personally don't have a bit of a problem with buying refurb, but I will only buy one of these if I can get an extended warranty 1)cheap, and 2) at a place I can walk in and get a replacement. None of this mailing in stuff. Thus, I will only buy mine at a Sam's. Their three year warranty, beyond the manufacturers 1 year, is only $39. That is complete coverage for 99% of problems it might encur for 4 years. And any problems and you just walk into Sam's and they hand you a new one or that year's equivalent. Done. I don't think you can't beat it and no way would I buy a device like this without an extended warranty.

My two cents worth. Still haven't found the money for one, and may never, but I look them up, read about them, and go to forums about them every day. Sad really.

HarryT · 04-02-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrgauth

I personally don't have a bit of a problem with buying refurb, but I will only buy one of these if I can get an extended warranty 1)cheap, and 2) at a place I can walk in and get a replacement. None of this mailing in stuff. Thus, I will only buy mine at a Sam's. Their three year warranty, beyond the manufacturers 1 year, is only $39. That is complete coverage for 99% of problems it might encur for 4 years. And any problems and you just walk into Sam's and they hand you a new one or that year's equivalent. Done. I don't think you can't beat it and no way would I buy a device like this without an extended warranty.

The iPod Touch is an excellent device for all sorts of things (hard to beat it as a portable video player) but, to be honest, there are far better portable devices if you want a bookreader - easier to use, far cheaper, and giving you access to a much wider range of eBook formats. Any Pocket PC or Palm machine, for example.

ilovejedd · 04-02-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The iPod Touch is an excellent device for all sorts of things (hard to beat it as a portable video player) but, to be honest, there are far better portable devices if you want a bookreader - easier to use, far cheaper, and giving you access to a much wider range of eBook formats. Any Pocket PC or Palm machine, for example.

I actually find my iPhone pretty abysmal as a video player (at least, it is if you have no way to charge it). The unusual aspect ratio is kinda sucky, too. For me, the PSP is better at playing video and you can even switch batteries in case you run out.

As an extremely portable eBook reader, though, I think the iPhone/iPod Touch's pretty good. You have access to various eBook stores directly on the device (Fictionwise/eReader, Amazon Kindle, Books on Board) and there's a lot of free content available at the tip of your fingers (built-in Feedbooks and Project Gutenberg feed being huge repositories, and the occasional new promotional eBooks from Random House, etc).

The only gripe I have against the iPhone/iPod Touch is you can't copy content via USB. Only way to transfer content is via wireless networking which does make transferring books a chore. Since I have an iPhone, though, this is proving to be less of a problem. I have access to my entire library wherever I have cellphone/wireless coverage.

mores · 04-02-2009, 06:17 PM

I just want to mention that on a P1i, a device similar to the p990i, the battery lasts a lot longer than 4 hours!

But as soon as I get my iPhone I'll ditch the p1i

HarryT · 04-03-2009, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I actually find my iPhone pretty abysmal as a video player (at least, it is if you have no way to charge it). The unusual aspect ratio is kinda sucky, too. For me, the PSP is better at playing video and you can even switch batteries in case you run out.

OK - I've never used a PSP, so I can't compare. I use a DVD-ripper which gets the aspect ratio right for the iPod Touch, so I don't have any issues there.

Quote:

The only gripe I have against the iPhone/iPod Touch is you can't copy content via USB. Only way to transfer content is via wireless networking which does make transferring books a chore.

That really is my main issue with it - the ludicrous difficulty of loading content.

ilovejedd · 04-03-2009, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

OK - I've never used a PSP, so I can't compare. I use a DVD-ripper which gets the aspect ratio right for the iPod Touch, so I don't have any issues there.

Actually, it's the aspect ratio of the screen that bugs me. The screen resolution is 480x320 so that's an aspect ratio of 3:2. Most videos are either 4:3, 16:9 or 2.35:1. The PSP (480x270) has a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That really is my main issue with it - the ludicrous difficulty of loading content.

I can see how this might be a difficulty with the iPod Touch. You're not guaranteed wifi access wherever you are so you need to keep content on the device prior to leaving home. Since I have an iPhone, though, it becomes less of an issue. I can browse and download content from my library and from sites hosting public domain works anytime and anywhere I have wireless service. With content so easily and readily available, having to sync the "eBook reader" via USB actually becomes tedious.

darkmonk · 04-05-2009, 10:20 AM

HarryT, I agree completely about the difficulty of getting content onto the ipod touch. I have one - and many books - and have found no easy way of getting them on it. One by one is the best I can do... Damn it, i wish apple had created a standardized way of storing content, instead of telling apps to do whatever the hell they want with their content...

I plan on jailbreaking it once quickpwn is out - it should be simple to add them, then.

But I do suggest you buy one - it's really worth it.

04-02-2009, 08:00 AM	#54
Mrgauth Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 310 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tulsa OK Device: K3	I personally don't have a bit of a problem with buying refurb, but I will only buy one of these if I can get an extended warranty 1)cheap, and 2) at a place I can walk in and get a replacement. None of this mailing in stuff. Thus, I will only buy mine at a Sam's. Their three year warranty, beyond the manufacturers 1 year, is only $39. That is complete coverage for 99% of problems it might encur for 4 years. And any problems and you just walk into Sam's and they hand you a new one or that year's equivalent. Done. I don't think you can't beat it and no way would I buy a device like this without an extended warranty. My two cents worth. Still haven't found the money for one, and may never, but I look them up, read about them, and go to forums about them every day. Sad really. Last edited by Mrgauth; 04-02-2009 at 08:07 AM.

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03-30-2009, 08:09 AM	#48
Mrgauth Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 310 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tulsa OK Device: K3	Thanks everyone. Just what I needed to hear. Convinced me. Now to find the money.... : )

03-30-2009, 06:34 PM	#50
Mrgauth Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 310 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tulsa OK Device: K3	Yes. Only scone crumbs unfortunately. It is not looking good. This whole economy's got me questioning about every dime I spend and this being pure 100% luxury is hard to justify. But thanks for the feedback everyone.

04-01-2009, 10:15 PM	#51
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	I'm glad I found this section of the forum. I am planning to get an Ipod touch very soon. I just bought a Sony prs-505 and the Ipod touch never even crossed my mind until a couple days ago when I saw the video tour on the website. However, even if I had known that the Itouch can read ebooks, I probably still would've bought the prs-505. BUT....I WILL probably use the ebook feature when I'm out and about so my sony e-reader can stay safe and sound at home. I already love my 505 for reading, and from what I hear I'm going to love that Itouch too. I've given the fact that new gadgets come out yearly, alot of thought too. I know for the Itouch, they just recently came out with the 2nd generation, so that should be in the stores for awhile...at least I'd hope so. I love that the Itouch has all those free apps. I was thinking about getting a Nintendo DS, but I think the Itouch will be a better choice for me.

04-02-2009, 12:58 AM	#52
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,110 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Don't buy the iPod Touch now. I think the firmware update should be coming out soon and that'll probably be an extra $10 for current iTouch owners. Also, I would suggest looking at refurbished iPods from the Apple Store. My brother bought a refurb 5th gen iPod at $80 off MSRP from Apple and it looks brand new. There were no scratches and it carried the same warranty as a brand new model.

04-02-2009, 02:24 AM	#53
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	I second ilovejedd's suggestion regarding buying refurbished from Apple's store. I bought my husband a refurbished first gen Touch direct from Apple for his birthday. It was $80 less than the 2nd gen and looks like new. Apple replaces the casing and battery on all refurbished touches. They come with a full one year warranty. Only difference between the first and second generation touches are that the first gen doesn't have dedicated volume buttons on the side of the unit nor does it have a built in speaker. The battery life also isn't quite as good as the first gen. dordale

04-02-2009, 06:17 PM	#57
mores Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 102419 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: iPhone	I just want to mention that on a P1i, a device similar to the p990i, the battery lasts a lot longer than 4 hours! But as soon as I get my iPhone I'll ditch the p1i

04-05-2009, 10:20 AM	#60
darkmonk Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: none	HarryT, I agree completely about the difficulty of getting content onto the ipod touch. I have one - and many books - and have found no easy way of getting them on it. One by one is the best I can do... Damn it, i wish apple had created a standardized way of storing content, instead of telling apps to do whatever the hell they want with their content... I plan on jailbreaking it once quickpwn is out - it should be simple to add them, then. But I do suggest you buy one - it's really worth it.