please help!!!

Hi I recently got a used ipod touch 1st generation and it had a few games and what not
but when I lugged it into my computer it reset the main display and I still had all the music and photos but the games are gone, also the computer keeps asking me to buy the update but doesnt the update just allow you to sync apps, so if these games and apps where on there but are now gone does that mean my ipod had the update and was deleted somehow
also when I got it the guy said it was cowboyed wtf does that mean