Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Jailbreaking is the same for the iPhone and iPod touch, it allows for the installation of software that is not authorized by Apple.

TEG
 
I wasn't being rude, but it's true. How many times has this question been asked? How hard is it to punch 3 words into google or into the forum search instead of creating a whole new thread about it?
Just chill out.:cool: Please. If you don't like answering questions, then you don't really have to post on threads like this. You're entitled to your own opinion, but no one's forcing you to answer. Nothing personal, just putting that out there.

Now to answer the original question... Jailbreaking is basically when you hack your iphone or ipod touch to go around apple's locks. This allows you to install third-party applications, or do whatever you want to do with you itouch, as for that matter. Remember that if you do this, it technically voids your warranty...so if your itouch breaks or messes up, you'll just end up with the world's most beautiful paperweight. (not that it's likely that something like that would happen)
 
BTWs, wikipedia writes more specifically

"The iPhone's operating system is designed to only run software that has an Apple-approved cryptographic signature. This restriction can be overcome by "jailbreaking" the phone[113], which involves replacing the iPhone's firmware with a slightly modified version that does not enforce the signature check. Doing so may be a circumvention of Apple's technical protection measures[114], which in the United States would be legal under special provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that allows for circumvention for the purpose of connecting a wireless telephone to a wireless telephone communication network[115]."

You get the general gist.
 
Just chill out.:cool: Please. If you don't like answering questions, then you don't really have to post on threads like this. You're entitled to your own opinion, but no one's forcing you to answer. Nothing personal, just putting that out there.

Now to answer the original question... Jailbreaking is basically when you hack your iphone or ipod touch to go around apple's locks. This allows you to install third-party applications, or do whatever you want to do with you itouch, as for that matter. Remember that if you do this, it technically voids your warranty...so if your itouch breaks or messes up, you'll just end up with the world's most beautiful paperweight. (not that it's likely that something like that would happen)

If anything does go wrong you can always put the ipod in DFU mode and restore the software and it should be as good as new.
 
If anything does go wrong you can always put the ipod in DFU mode and restore the software and it should be as good as new.

Good point. I'm not too up to date on this stuff... I just haven't been able to shell out another couple hundred bucks for an iTouch, and I'm stuck in a 2 year contract with Verizon.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.