Ipod touch info?

[Cookee]

I'm not going to bother with an Iphone, but I was thinking of upgrading to the Ipod Touch, I'm going on a bit of a trip and thought the browser and wireless connection would make it easier to keep in touch via email and maybe even on here and "that other place" as well?

Does anyone have any experience of this thing?

Thanks,

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by Cookee

I'm not going to bother with an Iphone, but I was thinking of upgrading to the Ipod Touch, I'm going on a bit of a trip and thought the browser and wireless connection would make it easier to keep in touch via email and maybe even on here and "that other place" as well?

Does anyone have any experience of this thing?

Thanks,

I have a Touch. Nice bit of kit. I am sure you wouldn't be disappointed.

[Cookee]

Thanks Andy - is the internet bit useable - want to be able to check email (I use btinternet) and try and get on here if I can?

[eilean mor]

hi, my son uses the i touch, and finds it brill, and keeps picking up wireless that is both useable, and useful, I can see it as much more of a business essential than the ipod,
on the bt internet bit, I use this, and have the package where i get free BTopenzone minutes each month, which are brill for picking up wireless free when some places want to charge lots for little time

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by Cookee

Thanks Andy - is the internet bit useable - want to be able to check email (I use btinternet) and try and get on here if I can?

The Safari browser is extremely useable. To all intents and purposes, its like using a mini PC. Tapping on links is highly intuitive and the way it manages multiple pages at once is cool to. Yes, the text can get hard to read, but this can normally be sorted by turning the Touch on its side (landscape) or double-tapping on the portion of the screen you want to read. In extreme cases, or depending on your eyesight, using the 'pinch' technique will magnify any portion of the screen to any size you want.

I am not sure how syncing works on a PC (I am a Mac user) but you should be able to sync over all your bookmarks, cookies, passwords etc. Your e-mail accounts may well automatically set themselves up too. The did when syncing with my iMac for the first time.

Checking your e-mail is excellent too. The only difference I can discover between the way the iPhone (and the Touch to a lesser extent, due to its lack of mobile phone innards) retrieves e-mail compared to a Crackberry is that the interval between time it checks for new mail; I gather a Blackberry is instant and the iPod Touch can be set to check every 15 minutes. This is fine for most people, I reckon.

The Touch will start chcking for e-mail whenever you are within one of your wi-fi zones. The iPhone will continuosly check (if you want it to) when you are on the road and away from your trusted wi-fi regions. On either, when you read an e-mail, it will show as read when you get back to your computer. All good. It is worth mentioning, that with an iPhone contract from O2 (min. £35.00 per month, 2 year duration) you get access to free Cloud wi-fi zones around the country. It might be worth a quick check to see if there are any hotspots you might find especiall usesful:

http://www.thecloud.net/for-you/Where

All data (web browsing and e-mail) is included in the O2 contract. This, of course, doesn't apply for the Touch as you are using your own (or you mates, or the pubs, or the neighbours etc) wi-fi.

New Touchs' include Safari (browser), YouTube, iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store,
Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather, Notes. The Maps feature now includes pseudo-GPS location by triangulatiing any available wi-fi signals. I haven't really tested this yet. It puts my position as halfway between Cowes and Calshot!. Its better than a kick in the bllocks though I guess and it might well be more accurate in an urban environment.)

Can't hink of anything else worth mentioning at the moment except to say that both products are great. Don't listen to the crap about the iPhone not being thatgood. Its brilliant. Its one of those beasts that you need to 'live with' for a couple of weeks. Having a proper internet device in your pocket is great. Text entry on both devices does take a little getting used to but once you have used it for a while there is no going back to T9 predictive texting. I don't miss the phyiscal keys whatsoever now. The iPhone camera is fine too.

Suffice to say, I am an Apple-fan-boy. If they make it, I will probably buy it! (I have a MacBook Air on pre-order). BUT, I will only recommend to friends (and RIB.netters) the best-of-the-good products.

The iPod Touch & the iPhone fall into this category. GO BUY.

[eilean mor]

the bt openzone stuff works through the cloud network, and i downloaded a page showing me all the locations of cloud points, so its easy to be in a new location and check where I can access openzone.

[Cookee]

Thanks for that - I have the Openzone free minutes as well but haven't used any yet! That's interesting about the Cloud network - I'll try that out! I have an N95 which has wireless, but It'll drive me mad using it for a month, so it'll be the laptop or the Ipod!

Thanks for the advice guys!

[codprawn]

I looked into getting one of these but it won't run what I want it to - things like Tom Tom and mapping etc. I am going for a new IPAQ as soon as HP release it.

http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=126377

More verstile than the apple but prob not quite as user friendly.

I am not certain but a mate of mine was going to get the Apple but discovered it wouldn't sync everything with outlook on his pc.

[Jimbo]

I've got an IPAQ PDA, and an IPAQ 514 Voice Messenger Mobile Phone, and I have to say, both are superb. Windows does crash once in a while on the PDA, but I've never had a problem with the phone at all.

I did look at the iPhone before getting the HP, but having used both, the iPAQ voice messenger is, to my mind, much easier to use and more versatile.