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iPod touch iPod touch rant. Yay.

JohnnyQuest

JohnnyQuest

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 25, 2006
1,533
409
Here it goes.

September 5th was an awesome day. After years of speculation, the TRUE VIDEO iPod was released. It had all the features, minus miniscule apps like notes, that people had speculated. Wi-Fi Music Store, Safari, touch-screen, wide-screen (3.5 inches!), yet people seem unhappy at this amazing advance in the iPod world. Think back to the original iPod...pretty basic. I mean- CLICKWHEEL --> TOUCH-SCREEN. I understand people complaining about the defect screens (I'd be pissed too!), but stop comparing it to the iPhone and calling it bad, not as advanced, and not has "good." The two are completely different products.

iPhone: PHONE.
iPod: MUSIC PLAYER.

THEY ARE DIFFERENT. It drives me absolutely insane when people diss it because it's not as fantastic as the iPhone. Think of the original iPod, then rethink your statements about it.
 
I'm enjoying the hell out of mine, defects and all. I've spent over an hour and a half sitting in bed, listening to music, and browsing forums. Lazy as hell, sure, but fun.
 
You also can't update the calendar. The reason for the same features as the phone is apple knows the people would keep their current phone and then buy the ipod touch. Thats what I wanted to do until I found out it didn't have the same features of the iphone. Was it really that hard to add a notes and Calendar app that are the same? No. Apple knows that AT+T sucks and that guys like me with a great verizon phone would pass on the iphone and go for the nice features of the touch. But since its not the same they can bite me. Every single person I know has a verizon phone and I use mine up to 2500 minutes a month. If I bought the Iphone then I would have $2000 phone bills. Sorry now I can't buy either one. I lost hope with the news that the ipod touch didn't have the same features.
 
gloss said:
I'm enjoying the hell out of mine, defects and all. I've spent over an hour and a half sitting in bed, listening to music, and browsing forums. Lazy as he'll, sure, but fun.
Click to expand...

Seriously- people need to appreciate what they have.
 
coffey7 said:
You also can't update the calendar. The reason for the same features as the phone is apple knows the people would keep their current phone and then buy the ipod touch. Thats what I wanted to do until I found out it didn't have the same features of the iphone. Was it really that hard to add a notes and Calendar app that are the same? No. Apple knows that AT+T sucks and that guys like me with a great verizon phone would pass on the iphone and go for the nice features of the touch. But since its not the same they can bite me. Every single person I know has a verizon phone and I use mine up to 2500 minutes a month. If I bought the Iphone then I would have $2000 phone bills. Sorry now I can't buy either one. I lost hope with the news that the ipod touch didn't have the same features.
Click to expand...

An example for the rant: so it doesn't have notes and the calendar features!!! Commend it for what it does have!
 
Sure being able to do calendar stuff and notes would be nice, but that's not what an iPod is, it's a music player. I just hope stores in my area get it in soon so I can get one!
 
JohnnyQuest said:
An example for the rant: so it doesn't have notes and the calendar features!!! Commend it for what it does have!
Click to expand...

yup, people compare the prices and see that they are the same but you're forgetting that apple gets a cut of that monthly bill from ATT so really you're paying apple a lot more for that iphone
 
JohnnyQuest said:
Here it goes.

September 5th was an awesome day. After years of speculation, the TRUE VIDEO iPod was released. It had all the features, minus miniscule apps like notes, that people had speculated. Wi-Fi Music Store, Safari, touch-screen, wide-screen (3.5 inches!), yet people seem unhappy at this amazing advance in the iPod world. Think back to the original iPod...pretty basic. I mean- CLICKWHEEL --> TOUCH-SCREEN. I understand people complaining about the defect screens (I'd be pissed too!), but stop comparing it to the iPhone and calling it bad, not as advanced, and not has "good." The two are completely different products.

iPhone: PHONE.
iPod: MUSIC PLAYER.

THEY ARE DIFFERENT. It drives me absolutely insane when people diss it because it's not as fantastic as the iPhone. Think of the original iPod, then rethink your statements about it.
Click to expand...

OK, you're asking for it... :)

Why should we not complain? Because we don't want to accept great if we could have even greater?

It drives ME absolutely insane when Apple decided that we don't need a feature that they've already developed and they could add without any extra cost to them. iCal isn't just some miniscule feature. I assume you don't own a PDA, so you don't know how useful a beautifully integrated calendar app like the one on the iPhone can be?

Yes, the Touch is an amazing product when compared to the original iPod, but is also an amazing product when compared to a Sony Walkman. It is not an amazing product when compared to the iPhone, and as far as I can tell there is no law nor common wisdom that should forbid me from making that comparison if the two are, in fact, alike in so many ways, and yet so different in a few, but oh so annoying ways.

And btw., the iPod Touch is no longer just a music player. It is (a) a first rate media player, including videos and photos, (b) a decent mobile internet application, (c) a crappy PDA, and (d) a hand-held computer, which Apple chose not to enable other people to write applications for. So, different things to different people and you can rant all you want about it, it's not going to change that.
 
What I don't get is why people are buying the iPhone over the Touch when they have no real intention of using it as a phone.

The cons of the iPhone compared to the Touch AS A MUSIC DEVICE are

Recessed headphone jack
Bulkier
Unnecessary functions (to some)

Lets face it, eventually the Touch will have no screen problems (and any other big issues) and will have all the features (or the ones you want) of the iPhone, plus it is smaller and can use any headphones.

I'd choose the Touch over the iPhone simply because it looks better imo (Thin stuff ftw)

And to the above poster - why do you think they did not include all those apps? ITS A DIFFERENT DEVICE. What is the point of having it identical to the iPhone, yet cheaper (minus the phone tho)

What if the Touch was revealed before the iPhone? They should've done that, that way the Touch would certainly be viewed as 10x as awesome as it is now.
 
--Wolf-- said:
And to the above poster - why do you think they did not include all those apps? ITS A DIFFERENT DEVICE. What is the point of having it identical to the iPhone, yet cheaper (minus the phone tho)
Click to expand...

Who said they'd be identical? It doesn't need BT, phone, camera, volume buttons, the dock and the brick. That's all hardware and you can argue that away. Leaving it out makes the Touch slimmer and cheaper.

On the software side, they decided to cripple it. What's the point of giving you teaser applications that look like the iPhone but aren't as powerful? Sure it's a different device: one that could be quite a bit better than it is without any extra effort on Apple's part (heck, they could even charge people for installing the apps - tons of people would buy into that, I'm sure).

What if the Touch was revealed before the iPhone? They should've done that, that way the Touch would certainly be viewed as 10x as awesome as it is now.
Click to expand...

Not my problem... I was ready to get one before I saw that they had crippled it the way they did, which wasn't even apparent when they first announced it.
 
Everyone keeps saying they crippled it. THEY DID NOT CRIPPLE ANYTHING. The iPod Touch is a MP3 (MP4) player, not a PDA. Sure, it might seem like one, but it isn't. Hence why it is in the iPod range.

And why whine when in the end, the apps will end up being hacked onto the Touch anyway?

I think we should all be grateful we got a touch screen ipod, with the few BONUS features of the iPhone.

Tell me, WTF is the point of having two products, one phone/pda, one music player, with exactly the same apps on it? If that was the case, no one would buy the iPhone unless they want a new phone.

Please, stop comparing it to the iPhone - because like I said, if the iPhone wasn't out, the Touch would be god.
 
--Wolf-- said:
Everyone keeps saying they crippled it. THEY DID NOT CRIPPLE ANYTHING. The iPod Touch is a MP3 (MP4) player, not a PDA. Sure, it might seem like one, but it isn't. Hence why it is in the iPod range.
Click to expand...

Yes, THEY CRIPPLED IT. They installed the same OS and software as on the iPhone (one-to-one) and then took away stuff that already exists as part of the iPhone suite. Like iCal - at first, the manual said you could edit it, then, oops, they took the editing feature away.

And the iPhone is listed as an iPod on the Apple site, too. Guess what, the Touch is not just an iPod, it's playing in many different leagues. That's what happens when you grow up - things get messy. Eventually it had to happen: The iPod is no longer in its own habitat - it overlapping more and more with other mobile apps, and whether you and Apple like it or not (in fact, I think Apple quite likes it) it will compete not just with music players but with all sorts of other cross-over devices. And at that, it could effortlessly do a whole lot better.
 
What happens when you live in an area that doesn't have decent service? Half the apps require data service to use. Talk about crippled.

Two different devices, two different markets.
 
Glad to see some positive spin.

My concerns I think will all be resolved in the next few months.

Screen problems - likely a manufacuring defect that will be fixed.

Calender - hacked or officially upgraded sometime I think to allow adding.

Google Maps - again hack or officially upgraded.

iChat - Should happen, more likely for the touch than the iPhone because shouldn't upset carriers as much.
 
iCal

I really love the look of the new iPod Touch and I'm getting one next month (bit worried about screen but if there is a prob - I will take it back). To be honest, I was hoping to use it to manage my calendar and remind me of important events. I am a tad disappointed that you cannot add new events on the go but hey, I'm sure something will arrive to add that functionality in the near future.

Whilst I understand the differences between the two products (iPod Touch and iPhone), and the fact that they have come along so far since the first iPod was introduced, I don't think there is any need for people to argue so aggressively about it.
 
OK, folks, enough saber rattling. You've all proven your unshakable faith to Apple. Now relax, get off your horses, take those white buds out of your ears, go outside and listen to the birds and looks at the treas instead of wasting your emotions over some little (now no longer white) boxes with wires coming out of them.

If you guys are so sure that an iPod is not allowed to have anything on it but a music player, hey, more power to you. I'll just wait for a better device to come around and save my money and we'll all be happier for it.
 
...i was going to buy one....until I read this thread.

I wanted it for the notes and calender feathers haha. No really. I'd be lost without it. (I'm lost right now).
 
--Wolf-- said:
What if the Touch was revealed before the iPhone? They should've done that, that way the Touch would certainly be viewed as 10x as awesome as it is now.
Click to expand...

You are right... that would have been an awesome product at the time. But those apps exist now and Apple is purposefully not including them.

The iPod touch is an awesome multimedia player, no argument there. However, it has Wi-Fi, so what is wrong with asking for more than just Safari and iTunes store to take advantage of this? It has a keyboard; what is wrong with asking for a notes application to record stuff when you are out and about? Those applications already exist! I would love to use Google maps - and I live in Canada so don't go saying "buy the iPhone or hack it".

This doesn't detract from it being a great iPod, but it is disappointing to me. Everyone that argues that those extra apps don't belong should be just as vocal in asking Apple to remove the contacts list, stopwatch, calender, games, etc.... after all, those aren't multimedia apps and must be truly annoying to all the purists! :)
 
JohnnyQuest said:
Here it goes.

September 5th was an awesome day. After years of speculation, the TRUE VIDEO iPod was released. It had all the features, minus miniscule apps like notes, that people had speculated. Wi-Fi Music Store, Safari, touch-screen, wide-screen (3.5 inches!), yet people seem unhappy at this amazing advance in the iPod world. Think back to the original iPod...pretty basic. I mean- CLICKWHEEL --> TOUCH-SCREEN. I understand people complaining about the defect screens (I'd be pissed too!), but stop comparing it to the iPhone and calling it bad, not as advanced, and not has "good." The two are completely different products.

iPhone: PHONE.
iPod: MUSIC PLAYER.

THEY ARE DIFFERENT. It drives me absolutely insane when people diss it because it's not as fantastic as the iPhone. Think of the original iPod, then rethink your statements about it.
Click to expand...

Amen. It's a great video player. In fact, watching some video I ripped, it puts my TV and eMac to shame for quality & clarity (didn't expect that!)

The only "real" complaints are that the sound quality isn't as rich (basses esp.) as my 10-yr-old CD player; and that the lack of any physical track or even volume buttons make it fairly limited as a music player when you're walking.

EDIT: It's not that it's not ALLOWED to do anything else - it's that it's meant as a portable video player. Getting mad at it for not doing lots of other things is like hating your car because it can't make coffee.

Esp. with the price cut, and ways to unlock the non-phone features, there's no reason not to just get an iPhone if you want all the kitchen-sink communications features. Get a Touch for video (lighter, more memory); if not, get the now-the-same-price iPhone.

Roessnakhan said:
I was expecting a screen defect rant. Thank for you for that. ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I second that emotion.
 
The only mistake Apple made was releasing the iPhone before the Touch. If they had released the Touch first people wouldn't be crying about little things it doesn't have compared to the iPhone and would be amazed by the multi-touch user interface and wi-fi w/ safari. Heck, many people like myself didn't even think it would have wi-fi and if it did have wi-fi it wouldn't have safari. It turns out it has both but people still want to bitch about stuff. I guess you just can't please some people. I wonder what people would be saying if it didn't have wi-fi at all. Would the complaining be even higher or would that have forced people to accept it as an iPod with less complaining? Yes I will admit I don't like the fact that Apple didn't include Notes, Maps, and the full Calender but if I had to choose between getting wi-fi with Safari or those apps then I would surely choose the wi-fi. I guess I can just accept the tradeoff and I know that soon we will be able to hack those apps onto the Touch anyway.
 
Listen, all of you complaining it wont do what the iPhone does... IT RUNS THE SAME OS AS THE IPHONE! So it wont be long before its 'jailbreaked' and can run 3rd party apps as well as apps hacked off the iPhone (like the original calender, mail, notes etc.) it will do everything the iPhone can do minus the phone calls (because it can still text with CBF SMS :D
 
powderblue17 said:
The only mistake Apple made was releasing the iPhone before the Touch. If they had released the Touch first people wouldn't be crying about little things it doesn't have compared to the iPhone and would be amazed by the multi-touch user interface and wi-fi w/ safari. Heck, many people like myself didn't even think it would have wi-fi and if it did have wi-fi it wouldn't have safari. It turns out it has both but people still want to bitch about stuff. I guess you just can't please some people. I wonder what people would be saying if it didn't have wi-fi at all. Would the complaining be even higher or would that have forced people to accept it as an iPod with less complaining? Yes I will admit I don't like the fact that Apple didn't include Notes, Maps, and the full Calender but if I had to choose between getting wi-fi with Safari or those apps then I would surely choose the wi-fi. I guess I can just accept the tradeoff and I know that soon we will be able to hack those apps onto the Touch anyway.
Click to expand...

Until the iPhone was released, then people would say "why does the iPhone have the same, but better apps? Why can't I edit calendar entries on my touch? where's my notes app?" :)

If it didn't have wifi that'd be another thing entirely (though I'd expect it to be significantly cheaper!), it'd be an actual hardware limitation, not the artificial limitation Apple is imposing on the iPod touch.
 
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