iPod touch Can an iPod Touch Handle my library?

[mastaj]

Hello everyone,

I just recently had my iPod classic stolen, and I'm in the market for a new media player. The Touch has always caught my eye, though I always had a media player to use so I never considered actually buying one. Now that I'm ready to buy one though, I realized I have a few questions.

1. I've heard that the Touch doesn't handle large iTunes libraries very well. Mine is currently just under 40 GB and I really liked that on the classic, I didn't have to compromise on not being able to bring some of my music with me wherever I went. I had a first generation 4 GB nano before the classic, and was consistently frustrated with the limited space. This means that I would choose the highest capacity model. However I read that libraries over 30 GB were not ideal for the Touch, due to slowdowns in the system. Are these slowdowns noticeable only when looking for a track, or does the device demonstrate system-wide slowdowns, even when not playing music when storage is full? Also will these issues be resolved with better hardware, or is it a problem with iOS? While I would also be interested in experiencing the iOS ecosystem, I doubt that I would be buying many apps, limiting the use of the high capacity model, especially if it can't handle my entire library anyways.

2. Are there alternatives to the touch that work well with iTunes? I like to be able to sync my podcasts, without having to manually copy over the files. I tried once to watch a movie on my iPod Classic, but I didn't think the small screen was suitable. I guess I may change my mind if I see a movie on the Touch screen, but I doubt I would be watching many movies on the device, still because I think the screen size is too small. Does this mean that I really don't need the capabilities of a touch screen device, and I should just get another Classic, before they're phased out? I think I would enjoy playing with an iOS device but it's not really necessary for what I need, unless I'm aiming to use it as an email/quick look at websites when I don't want to take out my MacBook. However, I'm not interested in an iPad or a tablet larger than 5 inches, since I would like to keep it in my pocket.

Of course there's also an update just around the corner, that - though I don't follow many rumor sites - seems to be an insignificant update, and perhaps I'd like to wait until a more significant one comes. This would mean waiting another year, though if it seemed that the slowdowns associated with large libraries would be eliminated when the next generation has a faster processor/more ram/better ability to deal with many files, I would decide to buy a cheap mp3 player with less than 4 gb and just dealing with the limited size, while having saved money until the appropriate device emerges. If this is the case, does anyone have any recommendations for a media player that is cheap? I was recommended Sansa, but that was over a year ago, and I don't know if new offerings are now available from other companies. However I want to upgrade to a longterm solution for music on-the-go sooner rather than later, so I want to avoid always waiting for the next update to see what the improvement is. If

I hope I made this clear, and I tried to avoid making this another "should I buy a Touch or wait for the next update?" thread.

Thanks in advance!

 

[wrinkster22]

If you have an apple store near you, you could buy an iPod classic, and iPod Touch and than if a new one comes out/you don't like it you could get a refund if you return it within 14 days.

 

[Bernard SG]

The biggest touch is 64 GB so yes, your library will fit. However the 64 GB as of now is not cheap: $399.
If you can wait after the 4th of October, it's not impossible that prices drop.

 

[ender land]

I've got the 4G 64gb version, and while sometimes it is slow on a large library (I'm at over 55gb of music) and this can be annoying, about 99% of the time I use my iPod for music I choose a playlist and hit "play" so I have nearly no problems at all.

If you were to seek out individual songs every single time, you might become annoyed fast though... I just do not think anyone actually listens to music that way.

 

[mastaj]

Thanks for all the quick answers! I guess I might want to try out the high capacity model after the rumored refresh tomorrow.

I am living in Switzerland though now, so does anyone know if after a refresh non-US stores will have the updated models right away, or are they not launched in Europe at the same time that they are in the US? Also does the 14-day return policy only apply in the US, or is it a global policy?

Also I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into the practicality of a case? I do like the idea of having the device thin so that it's easy to side in and out of a pocket, though I've also heard people say the device is really so thin that it's hard to hold comfortably. Is this true? Is it really a bad trait? Would putting a case on it make it easier to hold? I've never bought cases for my products, since I never intend on reselling them and I've never handled my devices in a way that a case seemed necessary, and I think they are often quite expensive for pieces of plastic or leather - though maybe I'm wrong and should look into them...

 

[likethesoup2]

Does Switzerland not have Apple stores?

Go look at it -- figure it out for yourself if you want a case.

 

[Bernard SG]

Thanks for all the quick answers! I guess I might want to try out the high capacity model after the rumored refresh tomorrow.

I am living in Switzerland though now, so does anyone know if after a refresh non-US stores will have the updated models right away, or are they not launched in Europe at the same time that they are in the US? Also does the 14-day return policy only apply in the US, or is it a global policy?

Also I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into the practicality of a case? I do like the idea of having the device thin so that it's easy to side in and out of a pocket, though I've also heard people say the device is really so thin that it's hard to hold comfortably. Is this true? Is it really a bad trait? Would putting a case on it make it easier to hold? I've never bought cases for my products, since I never intend on reselling them and I've never handled my devices in a way that a case seemed necessary, and I think they are often quite expensive for pieces of plastic or leather - though maybe I'm wrong and should look into them...

The iPod Touch 4's thinness doesn't pose me problems in terms of holding and manipulating it; however, as the back is chrome, you'll want to protect it from scratches with a case. It REALLY scratches easily.
I believe 14 days is the worldwide standard for returns.
Availability won't be necessarily the same day as in the US but it shouldn't take more than 2 weeks for iPod touch, unlike iPhone and iPad that can take months before being launched in certain markets.

 

[mastaj]

Does Switzerland not have Apple stores?

Go look at it -- figure it out for yourself if you want a case.

It's pretty hard to get an idea what the device actually feels like when there is a security box on the back of it along with the cable. I have tried, but it felt very unnatural, as well that the amount of music was not enough to cause the slowdowns I've read about.