Review by NotebookNotes.com

The second generation iPod touch 16 GB made by Apple is more than just a MP3 player, it’s a feature rich multimedia device which plays music, videos, applications and games.

Design

The iPod touch has a excellent build with a rounded design on the back, it is slightly thinner then its predecessor and can be compared to the Apple iPhone 3G. The back plate is made from stainless steel which attracts fingerprints and scratches almost magically. Without protection the backplate of the Touch will soon have a lot of scratches. It’s recommended to use a skin case, if you are concerned about scratches on the back. On the other hand, the glass on the front appears to be absolutely scratch-resistant.

Display & touch screen

The 3.5-inch widescreen color display of the iPod 2G is bright, crisp and has great contrast. The screen can also adapt its brightness to the ambient light. The beautiful 320×480 pixel wide-screen is perfectly readable and provides pleasing video viewing.
The touch screen is very responsive and as already mentioned, absolutely scratch-resistant. This device features a multi touch screen, so you can navigate with two fingers in certain applications. The screen reacts to finger tips, so you don’t need a pen for tipping like in Windows Mobile. Writing text on the iPod, e.g. an e-mail, might be difficult at first, but one gets used to the keyboard pretty fast.

Usability

The iPod touch has the best user interface a media player can have. The UI is very intuitive, you certainly don’t have to read a manual to understand it. There are only two hardware keys (Home key and volume buttons), everything else can be done on the touchscreen. The overall design elements are consistent and the main functions can be found on the home screen. After some minutes of usage, it’s no problem to get along.

Battery life

Battery life is up to 36 hours audio and 6 hours video according to Apple. Testing the device the battery seemed to hold forever. Using the device in stand-by mode, which means not turning it off, and playing some music and games everyday, the battery doesn’t need to be recharged within a week. Browsing on the internet with wireless on seems to consume battery faster, but still a great experience. The iPod touch can be charged via USB on your computer.

Special features

The possibility to install applications via Apple’s App Store is clearly one big reason why the iPod touch is such a success. Supported by the build-in accelerator and multi touch screen there are hundreds of games and applications available for download. Most of them are free, advanced programs cost a few dollars.
Another cool build-in feature is Nike Plus which you can use to track your running exercises. All you need is a sensor in your shoe and you are ready to go. Your iPod will receive the signal from your shoe and the tracking begins.
Also worth mentioning are the new volume buttons on the side of the iPod which come in quite handy.

Conclusion

It’s not too much said to call the Apple iPod touch the best iPod ever. Given the whole set of features, it’s almost a little computer in your pocket. It has the most advanced mobile internet browser and can easily compete with other gaming devices. All in all, it’s a great media player and I highly recommend it.
The iPod 2G comes in three models with either 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB storage. The 16 GB provided by the device in this review are enough for most of the reviewers beloved music and several installed applications. You have to decide if 16 GB is enough storage for you, if not, try the 32 GB iPod touch.

Pro & Con

Pro	Con
Great display and multi touchscreen Excellent good user interface Long battery life	The back plate attracts scratches Incompatible with older accessories 16 GB storage enough for average users, but still not that much

Rating

Editor rating
User rating	n/a

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