iPod Touch (a Touch OS X device)

[MacRumors]

As the dust settles from yesterday's announcements, many are looking at the iPod Touch and imagining how far its capabilities can be pushed.

Gizmodo received word that (unsurprisingly) the iPod Touch runs exactly the same applications as the existing iPhone. According to their contact the iPhone and iPod Touch "use the same damn binaries".

This means that existing 3rd party iPhone applications should easily be installable on the iPod Touch. As well, there's no doubt that someone will try to move the iPhone's Mail application to the iPod Touch.

Apple's introduction of the iPod Touch extends their new Touch OS X platform into another iteration. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to officially open this platform up to 3rd party developers. Meanwhile, there have been major strides in unofficial efforts to bring 3rd party applications to the iPhone. Despite all their progress, without official support, users still have to deal with data loss possibilites with each official firmware update.

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[EvanLugh]

Didn't we know this already?

[cbud]

What a joke, how could it not have Mail? Very lame Apple, very lame!

[likeavaliant]

they need to open both touch devices up to developers asap.

[Eidorian]

SDK now.

[FJ218700]

Originally Posted by cbud

What a joke, how could it not have Mail? Very lame Apple, very lame!

they were really rushed to get this sucker out. I'm sure by the 28th there will be a few more apps than were previewed

[jaydub]

Originally Posted by cbud

What a joke, how could it not have Mail? Very lame Apple, very lame!

I'm sure that Apple is strategically choosing what to put on the iPod touch. They've got to give people some incentive to step up to the iPhone, and if there are key features which only the iPhone has, they'll go for it.

[xelphy]

I AGREE. Give us the darn SDK. If it's not unveiled during the new OS rollout in Oct, then I don't know man, I just don't know.

Having my iPhone on a plane recently w/out internet is like having a brick w/out games or ANY apps... cmoooon

[willybNL]

So, who will install a SIP of VoIP client... and attach a microphone?

[SupadudeX]

Who else thinks that the iPod touch and the iPhone are exactly the same hardware with only a firmware change to disable features? I think its very likely. Its probably cheaper for apple to produce only one version of the hardware rather than redesign the thing. I know video card companies do this all the time. If this is so it leads to the possibility of unlocking the phone capabilities with some software/hardware modifications.

[Dawg0381]

Does this mean that the ipod touch will allow you to make entries on the Calendar application on the ipod. And then sync them back to your computer.....?

[willybNL]

Can anybody tell me: does it work with Cisco VPN connections? Lot's of universities work with this (mine too) to get on the WLAN.

[mainstreetmark]

Originally Posted by cbud

What a joke, how could it not have Mail? Very lame Apple, very lame!

Well, I suspect Apple is deliberately leaving Mail off the iPodT (clearly, since it's not there now), leaving the iPod to be more entertainment and the iPhone to be more business.

But, since it has Safari, the standard "web2.0 application" excuse persists, and before long (and possibly already), someone will have a safari-ized webmail client

First time I ever saw a curse word on the homepage of MR.com

[coumerelli]

Originally Posted by jaydub

I'm sure that Apple is strategically choosing what to put on the iPod touch. They've got to give people some incentive to step up to the iPhone, and if there are key features which only the iPhone has, they'll go for it.

Waiting for the 16GB iPhone (Jan?) and then get a 160 GB iPod Classic to couple with it. One for phone/podcasts, etc and one for Most of my DVD/CD collection synced from the lappy.

All for, what? $749? $849?

[Clive At Five]

At first I was very upset about Mail, but then I realized I use gmail, which I can just get online. Still, it'd be nice to see on the home screen that I have new mail, without having to manually check.

But I do find it ridiculous that Apple left out all the web-apps except Safari. If you can find a hot-spot to browse Safari, you can find a hot-spot to check stock quotes and mail and whatnot.

Nonetheless, I'm confident that 3rd-party installs will then be possible and a Mail client will be installable, etc.

-Clive

[mainstreetmark]

Originally Posted by SupadudeX

Who else thinks that the iPod touch and the iPhone are exactly the same hardware with only a firmware change to disable features? I think its very likely. Its probably cheaper for apple to produce only one version of the hardware rather than redesign the thing. I know video card companies do this all the time. If this is so it leads to the possibility of unlocking the phone capabilities with some software/hardware modifications.

It's "similar", but i'm sure it's quite different. For one, the iPhone is both thinner and more capacitous. Also, the iPhone obviously has a hardware radio for the cellphone, a microphone, as well as sensors to turn off the display when it's at your ear.

The OS though, is exactly the same, I'm sure.

Nonetheless, I'm confident that 3rd-party installs will then be possible and a Mail client will be installable, etc.

*shudder* This may be THE reason we're not seeing, and will never see, a SDK for the iPhone platform. If Apple is truly triming apps to avoid iPhone market canibalization, they certainly wouldn't give us the tools to add them back in.

[milo]

You don't think apple might actually be planning on opening it up to third party apps once they're ready for it?

It's not like they haven't been busy you know, finishing these up, shipping them, working the bugs out, not to mention finishing A MAJOR REWRITE OF OSX. Plus, it wouldn't have made sense to release a SDK for the iPhone with the touch only a couple months behind.

People love to overreact, it's not realistic to expect something like third party support to be ready the first day the product ships.

[CWallace]

I expected hackers/modders would extend the iPod Touch's capabilities, which is why I was surprised Apple instilled so much of the functionality of the iPhone into it.

But hey, more power to them. The more iPhones (after the price cut) and iPod Touchs out there, the more incentive for folks to make cool apps for them.

[transitman]

Originally Posted by SupadudeX

Who else thinks that the iPod touch and the iPhone are exactly the same hardware with only a firmware change to disable features? I think its very likely. Its probably cheaper for apple to produce only one version of the hardware rather than redesign the thing. I know video card companies do this all the time. If this is so it leads to the possibility of unlocking the phone capabilities with some software/hardware modifications.

There is no microphone with it like the iPhone. This would be more work than it is worth. If you want an iPhone, just buy one. They are reasonably priced now. The real question is when will they create a CDMA version of the iPhone.

[transitman]

Originally Posted by Dawg0381

Does this mean that the ipod touch will allow you to make entries on the Calendar application on the ipod. And then sync them back to your computer.....?

I wish someone could answer this for me. If this and the Mail app is added, that would get me to buy one immediately.

[SupadudeX]

Originally Posted by transitman

There is no microphone with it like the iPhone. This would be more work than it is worth. If you want an iPhone, just buy one. They are reasonably priced now. The real question is when will they create a CDMA version of the iPhone.

Are you sure theres no microphone? I dont know I havent looked too closely into it.

[fastbite]

Mail would be sweet. But as other people are saying here, we can check our mail through safari, but can we use the touch keyboard to create/ respond to that mail? I'm sorry if my question sounds naive or stupid, but I can't figured it out -- may need more coffee.

[notjustjay]

Originally Posted by milo

It's not like they haven't been busy you know, finishing these up, shipping them, working the bugs out, not to mention finishing A MAJOR REWRITE OF OSX. Plus, it wouldn't have made sense to release a SDK for the iPhone with the touch only a couple months behind.

This certainly better explains the Leopard delay. Back when it was announced that they were pulling people from Leopard to help finish up the iPhone, everyone was upset that Apple was putting so many resources into a product so peripherally related to their core businesses. (Sarcastic cries of "Apple makes computers? I thought all they made was that iPhone thing...") Now it makes more sense, as those developers were obviously not "just" working on the iPhone, but a whole embedded platform for devices. And who knows what else they've got up their sleeves?

[dr_lha]

Originally Posted by BSL4 Guy

they were really rushed to get this sucker out. I'm sure by the 28th there will be a few more apps than were previewed

Mail is already developed though (for the iPhone), I see no reason why they wouldn't show it if it was on the iPod Touch.

[dr_lha]

Originally Posted by SupadudeX

Are you sure theres no microphone? I dont know I havent looked too closely into it.

There isn't a microphone listed on the specs page. Shame really, because it would be nice for a dictaphone like application if nothing else.