Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod touch Has The iPod Touch Gotten You Away From The Computer?

H

HappyDude20

Cancelled
Original poster
Right now I'm at home and whenever I find myself at home I'm usually tied to my Macbook. I lug this Macbook everywhere. I'll browse and waste time on the web, listen to music in iTunes, read some PDF files of mine, and watch movies from my movies folder. Essentially I believe everything the iPod Touch can do.

When I'm not at home I'm usually at school and on campus. I have a shuffle so music is okay, but aside from not having all my music on the go, I really hate that I don't know what song is next and with newer songs, what the name of the song is playing.

My Question To You:

If you have an iPod Touch, has this gotten you to close the lid on the Macbook and live life away from the computer screen?

Reading email and surfing the web from time to time on campus seems like a benefit, but the main benefit in my eyes would be to have the ability to read my PDF files and movies anywhere, even at home...moving around, not laying down lethargically with a computer on my lap.

The bottom line is, I'd like to be able to close the computer and yet still do what I need to do online since it can feel that holding a laptop everywhere is not neccessary.

As you can see I'm having trouble deciding if the touch is right for me...I'm considering purchasing one...If i do it'll be the 1st gen since I don't really see the new ones as a necessary upgrade.
 
You mean what I am doing right now? 😉

I actually tend to leave my MacBook home more often now as I can function well with just the touch. It is the primary reason I bought it actually. It's use as an ultra powerfull pda are almost endless. Being a semi professional photographer requires me to have to haul heavy gear most of the time, so any weight I can save is super important to my back!

The only thing I really can't do is process photos on this thing. Regardless, I often do that at the hotel anyway, so I just leave the MacBook there most times now!
 
thats what i want, to be able to close my mac and still use a device for the simple things like reading my pdfs, music, movies, and on occasion the web and maps when i'm driving.
 
HappyDude20 said:
My Question To You:

... has this gotten you to close the lid on the Macbook and live life away from the computer screen?

...If i do it'll be the 1st gen since I don't really see the new ones as a necessary upgrade.
Click to expand...

This is a very good post. I'm not sure many people think of the iPod Touch this way, but some probably do and are wondering about it. I just got one on Monday and have been using it. So far I haven't figured out every function, but have dabbled with a LOT of apps and much of the obvious operation.

Question's answer - YES. This absolutely has replaced a bit of the computer. About 1/4 of the use, but could be more when I figure out how to use hand writing recognition.

I've never liked laptops. They are designed by 10 year olds, or seem so. It's amazing that Apple and a large amount of the consumer base aren't aware of or demanding a change in the errors of the laptop, after more than a decade of laptops sold on the market. Laptop design ISN'T a truly portable design, and was designed as a makeshift way to get away from power outlets and full computer set ups in an age when technology was limited. These days we could do far better and few have tried. You would expect Apple to have made the effort, and they haven't done it properly yet. The iPod Touch is the first step in that direction, because it gives a lot of function to SEE on a truly mobile platform but it doesn't allow a lot of MAKE. The iPT doesn't have full function within the web, and due to screen size it is badly limited. The screen is what is most frustrating. I would have cut my computer use down by 3/4 if this thing has twice the screen size! Sadly you just can't access everything well, and it is a hassle to type on the tiny keyboard I can wiz by on a full sized keyboard, but my fingers fudge a good deal on the iPT screen's keys.

The 2G iPT is wonderful. For the speaker alone I suggest getting it. On a campus where wireless is generally abundant you can soon use voip with a mic-headphone Apple will sell shortly, and avoid bigger phone expenses. I'm very happy with the iPT, and didn't see it as a full escape from the computer but rather a PDA/iPod on steroid - and it fulfilled that expectation with bells on. I can definitely see a lot of the web, watch awesome quality video, listen to music, organize data, contacts, calendars, lists, play games, chat, do flash cards, write (slowly) and dozens of other functions.

It's a brilliant device for $229!

I came from a 4GB Nano, and still haven't filled up a full 6GB of my 16GB iPT. With more than 1500 GB of music and video on my computer I could easily fill it, but there is not enough data that NEEDS to fit on the iPT to keep me busy for a week vacation/trip. This includes about 100 apps.
 
I'm not lying.. I'm not a big computer person and I don't own a mac. I spend more time browsing on this thing than I do on my compaq laptop. For the on the go, gadget in your pocket type it's incredible.

Although I wish the battery was doubled in life.
 
OnTheiTouch2G said:
I'm not lying.. I'm not a big computer person and I don't own a mac. I spend more time browsing on this thing than I do on my compaq laptop. For the on the go, gadget in your pocket type it's incredible.
Click to expand...

I will spend less time once I stop with my App addiction. I know I can do it from the touch but I prefer to do it from the computer
 
I use my computer less at home now. I lay across the bed and surf the net and watch tv. The best of both worlds.
 
I used the touch as my soul internet browser for months before I got my macbook. Even with my macbook beside me I find my self picking up the touch to view youtube clips and listen to music. Some reason youtube clips load faster on my touch. The picture looks much clearer and the sound is better.
 
Ive definitely shelved my laptop at home. I carry my touch in my pocket and surf the net or check email using it.
 
My use for the iPod is completely different than my PC. My iPod has taken me off of my cellphone, since free email > $.20 texts.

As for the iPod touch getting you laid... I think the only way is to knock someone unconscious with it (temporary ban incoming?).
 
I've actually been using my iPod touch 2G as an e-book reader which does break me away from my computer some. I'm disabled and have trouble turning pages in regular books so I was often forced to use e-book reading software on my Mac to read books. This actually discouraged me from reading because I do enough on my Mac already. That's all changed with the iPod touch and some of the excellent e-book reader apps out there. All I have to do is barely tap the screen to turn pages and the device can hold hundreds of books which is very convenient.

And of course the iPod touch does so many other things. I have it mounted on the armrest of my wheelchair and often use it to check my e-mail, listen to music, and do a number of other things that I would only normally do in front of my computer. I still love my Mac but it's certainly nice to be freed from it for certain things. 🙂

-PN
 
Its definitely taken me away from my computer some because when I wake up I used my touch to check email, facebook, etc. No more booting up my new laptop. I love this iPod touch. My girlfriend who is not even big on gadgets is getting one next week.
 
The iPod Touch is fantastic for short trips. I was so happy to not have to drag my laptop with me through the airport.

The downside is, of course theres no Flash, and no files.
 
I see the iPT mainly as a computer, too

I'll be getting an iPT soon and I expect to use my computer less. As I see it the Touch is useful for everything except decent-sized projects and editing. It was a choice between getting a Macbook or cheaply upgrade my ibook G4 and get a Touch. I figure the Touch will cover me for what little gaming I do and will have duplicate apps for almost everything that requires Leopard. (I don't think it's worth upgrading from Tiger on my machine.) Plus I need an MP3 player! I hope it lives up to expectations and stops me lugging my laptop to cafes!🙂
 
I use it a lot in the evenings when watching a game on TV, I'll think of something I need to do at work or home the next day and shoot myself a quick email ( to my work PC or MacBook at upstairs ).

I've also taken it on trips to watch videos and such ( before the App Store ) and since the App store, I take it with me when I know I'll be waiting for a while and play games or something. ( That'll be useful when we vote this November ).

I've a friend that has one and uses it to browse the web and YouTube in the evenings after work.

Another friend got an iPhone and he says he never uses his home computer anymore. He browses the web and checks email right from his phone - while using the bathroom, waiting in line at a restaurant, etc.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F138 Safari/525.20)

I recently sold my laptop to help purchase a MacBook. However, I have to admit that I have yet to really be in too many situations where my Touch hasn't been enough! That's why Im not as anxious to get a MacBook as I thought I'd be - I have rarely needed one! I have a desktop, and my Touch. It's certainly enough. Anything else would be pure luxury. 🙂

Good thread!
 
No. Not at all. To be honest I spend more time on my computer looking for cool apps, purchasing them and then watching how to do neat things with your iPod Touch on Youtube.

I occasionally find myself multitasking between the iPod Touch and computer.
 
I got my Touch a couple of days ago and immediately enjoyed the benefits of not having to lug my laptop to class. I leave early in the morning from the dorm and don't return till late at night, so being able to check email and information in between is really useful.

It also works out nicely that they got my University's VPN working with the iPod Touch. The tiny device actually connects more reliably than my $2000 Dell laptop. To be honest, I'm not surprised at all.
 
Paulyboy said:
I've actually been using my iPod touch 2G as an e-book reader which does break me away from my computer some. I'm disabled and have trouble turning pages in regular books so I was often forced to use e-book reading software on my Mac to read books. This actually discouraged me from reading because I do enough on my Mac already. That's all changed with the iPod touch and some of the excellent e-book reader apps out there. All I have to do is barely tap the screen to turn pages and the device can hold hundreds of books which is very convenient.

And of course the iPod touch does so many other things. I have it mounted on the armrest of my wheelchair and often use it to check my e-mail, listen to music, and do a number of other things that I would only normally do in front of my computer. I still love my Mac but it's certainly nice to be freed from it for certain things. 🙂

-PN
Click to expand...

Great post! It's always nice to see that a company is making a device that makes some user's life easier, even if it's not in the typical sense that we think.

As for the question - yes! I'm posting from my touch right now,and there's a computer right in front of me. Like someone else said, it won't replace the office productivity software on your computer,but who knows, maybe someone will release a touch app that mimmicks a powerful word processor (fingers crossed).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back