iPod touch iPod Touch - which generation?

[sinktip]

I'm getting my 8 year old daughter an iPod touch before an upcoming road trip. Looking on craigslist I have been seeing several 8gb first gen in the $50-$75 range. These appear to be in good shape, include the box and accessories etc.
Is there anything significantly different between the different generations of iPod touches? My daughter will be playing basic games, light email, some web, and some music. All light duty usage.
Any reason not to get the first gen version?
Grant Brown
White Rock, BC

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Might be a bit slow for games, and many newer games require at least iOS4 which the 1st gen touch won't run.

Also, no internal speaker- might be a good thing for some parents but I know of several who don't want their kids sticking earbuds in their ears so that's something to think about.

I'd go for at least a third gen, perhaps a fourth if you want to take advantage of camera-based apps (some of them are really fun!).

The newer models don't cost that much more- I see a 3rd gen 8GB touch in good condition for $130 and a BNIB 4th gen 8GB touch for $180 in the Vancouver area craigslist.

 

[AdrianK]

Might be a bit slow for games, and many newer games require at least iOS4 which the 1st gen touch won't run.

Agreed, I'd go for at least a second-gen which can run iOS 4 and has a slightly faster CPU than the first gen, but same GPU.

The third gens will be substantially faster (much better CPU/GPU, double the RAM) and can run iOS 5 (these are only available in 32/64GB, so they're also waaaaay more expensive).

 

[szolr]

The third gens will be substantially faster (much better CPU/GPU, double the RAM) and can run iOS 5 (these are only available in 32/64GB, so they're also waaaaay more expensive).

Bearing the capacity thing in mind I'd go for a current gen to be honest. A first gen is way too outdated. A third gen would be ideal except for the no 8GB option bit.

I definitely wouldn't get a first gen tho. Either second or fourth. Which one depends on your wallet size.

 

[Thetonyk123]

If you want a cheaper one you should get the 3rd gen 32gb or 4th generation 8gb.

 

[BR485]

The newer models don't cost that much more- I see a 3rd gen 8GB touch in good condition for $130 and a BNIB 4th gen 8GB touch for $180 in the Vancouver area craigslist.

I'm in the Vancouver area and I just picked up a 32GB 3rd gen iPod touch for $100. The seller wanted $130 (which is still a good price) but when I went to check out it out he couldn't transfer any files from his MBP to the iPod and when we tried updating iOS it kept stalling during the DL process and throwing up error messages.

To make a long story short, the guy wasn't very computer savvy (warnings were popping up all over the place that the HD was nearly full) and he said if I bought it and couldn't get it to work he'd give me my money back. I offered him $100 for it and he accepted. I was talking a chance but he seemed trustworthy and I was pretty sure I could fix the issue. When I plugged it into my machine at home iOS 5.0.1 installed without a hitch and the iPod works great.

There's some great deals to he had on CL once you weed out the stolen stuff and the sketchy characters. With a bit of patience you can probably find a good deal on a 3rd gen 32Gb Touch. Don't settle for 8GB...that may be enough for a Nano but, IMO, it won't cut it for an iPod touch. Good luck!

 

[BlizzardBolt]

Might be a bit slow for games, and many newer games require at least iOS4 which the 1st gen touch won't run.

Also, no internal speaker- might be a good thing for some parents but I know of several who don't want their kids sticking earbuds in their ears so that's something to think about.

I'd go for at least a third gen, perhaps a fourth if you want to take advantage of camera-based apps (some of them are really fun!).

The newer models don't cost that much more- I see a 3rd gen 8GB touch in good condition for $130 and a BNIB 4th gen 8GB touch for $180 in the Vancouver area craigslist.

There is no 3rd gen 8GB.

@OP Don't by 1st gen, as stated above most apps require iOS4 and 1st gen doesn't support that. Bare minimum get 2nd gen 8GB for light usage, 80$-120$.

Refurbished 4G 8Gb is the best option though, it runs the latest firmware and the retina display is crystal clear.

 

[GeniusJon]

Apple is selling refurbished (basically new) iPod touch 3rd gen 32GB for $179. That's a good deal! Whatever you do, don't fall for the "3rd Generation 8GB" trick. There is no such thing as an 8GB 3rd gen iPod touch.

 

[TheMacBookPro]

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Might be a bit slow for games, and many newer games require at least iOS4 which the 1st gen touch won't run.

Also, no internal speaker- might be a good thing for some parents but I know of several who don't want their kids sticking earbuds in their ears so that's something to think about.

I'd go for at least a third gen, perhaps a fourth if you want to take advantage of camera-based apps (some of them are really fun!).

The newer models don't cost that much more- I see a 3rd gen 8GB touch in good condition for $130 and a BNIB 4th gen 8GB touch for $180 in the Vancouver area craigslist.

There is no 3rd gen 8GB.

@OP Don't by 1st gen, as stated above most apps require iOS4 and 1st gen doesn't support that. Bare minimum get 2nd gen 8GB for light usage, 80$-120$.

Refurbished 4G 8Gb is the best option though, it runs the latest firmware and the retina display is crystal clear.

Apple branded them as third generation 8GB devices, so that's what I called it.

The guts are the same as the second gen, but that should still be ok for simpler games.