iMArooned?
Yep. I got an iTouch. There were some excellent points made in my "Tech Toy" bleg, with the one that reached me the most being that this was something that I did not already have. Another netbook or camera isn't something new or unique, just a slightly better version - if I am going to replace the digital camera, I ought to spend the money and get an SLR to really get the most out of an upgrade. As for the netbook, with a plug-in keyboard the Eee I have is just fine; a newer, larger model isn't going to offer enough extra to make it worthwhile.
But the iTouch is different.
It's a mp3 player. It's a handheld video game. It's a monitor for television or movies. It's a PDA. It's a web browser. It's basically a Swiss Army knife for the electronic age. It performs a wide variety of different functions - not all of them perfectly, but certainly adequately - in a package that's supremely convenient. It's about the size of deck of playing cards, easily fitting in a shirt pocket (just make sure you button the pocket closed or it will fall out - thank goodness for the $20 I dropped on the protective cover!).
Oh certainly, manipulating certain web pages - like composing posts for the blog - can be an exercise in frustration and (lack of) manual dexterity. Attempting to position a cursor that's only slightly larger than an individual salt molecule when you have giant sausages for fingers is certain to amuse and/or horrify anyone in the immediate vicinity. The screen is tiny, and learning how to magnify/shrink the image using the touch screen does take some trial and error. This is not for the ham-handed nor the impatient.
But for dashing off a quick comment, or checking e-mail real quick on the fly, or googling a store to find out if they're open on Easter Sunday, or any other number of possible activities you would normally perform with a home-based PC, it's just fine. The battery life is excellent - I finally wore mine down yesterday evening after playing with it pretty much non-stop since I brought it home Friday afternoon. In mere seconds it can be turned on and opened to your favorite web page (ahem) - no more waiting for Vista to wake up/start up/boot up/screw up.
What's really interesting is that, having used the iTouch for a whole weekend now, I'm even less certain of the iPad than I was before. On the one hand, I can understand the desire for a larger screen - trying to read even just a paragraph on the tiny screen is an exercise in eye strain. It's certainly appealing to have a full-size (or close to it) option available. On the other hand, the strongest point of the iTouch is the portability - it weighs nothing, takes up no room, and still has more computing power than my first three computers combined...
I got the 32 Gig iTouch; I loaded every single song on my laptop (and all the Vicious Circle podcasts too) and still have a ridiculous amount of free space left. I suppose that if I wanted a lot of movies, TV shows, or videos it would fill up faster; with my modest needs I probably could have gotten by with the 16 Gig iTouch just fine (although since work was paying for it I went for the larger memory, natch).
What's my final verdict? Do you really have to ask? I spent the better part of the weekend making Facebook comments and posts and leaving blog comments from the iTouch - I even perused my favorite chatroom on it! It's a powerful, intuitive, useful toy data management device, one that I foresee becoming an integral part of my daily routine. Saying I like the iTouch would be an epic understatement. I'm hooked.
Now, if only there was an app for it...
That is all.
8 comments:
I think you've got the 'naked' case... that's what I had at first, thought that it was the best out there (may have been at the time) but as of right now.... my iPhone is wearing an Otterbox, I HIGHLY recommend it.... makes my iPhone water resistant, as all the openings on the phone are semi covered up... makes me feel alot better when on the bike...
You know, I've read where you can use it for Skype service (or some other webphone program) if you use a headphone/microphone combination and fiddle with it a bit. You'd still have to be near a wi-fi spot, but if you're interested in doing that, it can be done.
WV: essets. Electronic Assets?
BUFF_dragon,
Thanks for the recommendation - that's one of the next things I want to get, a better case. Will check the Otterbox out.
Phillip,
I already downloaded the Skype app, and hope to get it set up and tested before the next Vicious Circle... :)
If you really need to post on it I suggest the Dragon Dictation app.
Use the dictation to compose the post in your notes, then copy & Paste it right into your blog.
The Mrs. really likes hers, and I really like my iPhone. I like the 3G which lets me blog while driving down I-95 (OK, OK - while someone else drives down I-95).
I'm not a huge fan of the keyboard layout - you have to jump too many places to do HTML tags.
But the camera's neat for snapshots. I'd like a digital zoom on it, tho.
Borepatch, there are apps that allow you to digitally zoom... I have nightcamera and it allows it. I know there are others as well.
And it's shot timer (iTunes link), too!
Actually, my iPhone is turning into a must-have for trips to the range. Besides the shot timer, I've got all my drills loaded into Notes, it's got a camera for documenting stage setup, a Voice Memo app for recording notes to myself, and a nice little ballistics calculator app as well.
Let me second BUFF's endorsement of the Otterbox: my Crackberry lives in one, and has survived stuff that I've seen kill other 'Berry's dead.
I plan on picking up a Touch at some point soon, and it will also go into an Otterbox. Things are awesome!
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