iPod Touch 2G - A Lot of Touching

The iPod touch was received with it's full pckaging still intact. The unit came with the standard Apple iPod proprietary connector, earbuds, users manual, cleaning cloth, and a piece of it's docking device which I have no idea how to use. Apple does a good job in packing their iPods. It's quite intuitive and very presentable as well. There are no polybags, corrugated carton, tie wires, and silica gel. It's perfect for displaying in stores since customers can already see the product without removing them from the packaging.

The cable that came with it was truncated loosing the clip release button. The earbuds were standard but it would be great if it already came wth the foam since this somehow improves the sound quality most especially the bass. I love to listen to high quality music that is why I choose players which deliver deep bass with rich high and midtones.

The capacitive display is very responsive and does'nt seem to loose its integrity. Compared with my HTC Touch Viva this device is meant for entertainment. Its large 480-by-320-pixel LCD screen is perfect for viewing pictures and videos. The pan & zoom function is an awesome way to view pictures and is quite responsive in every way. When viewing videos the orientation is always a default full screen mode. You cannot rotate it if you want to view it in portrait mode. But there's no problem in doing playback you just tap the screen then appears the controls and the volume slider control. One thing I love about this device is it's ability to automatically adjust the screen brightness depending on the ambient light so this helps prevent eyestrain.

I tried using the Wi-fi and found it quite slow compared to my HTC Touch Viva. It also has a built-in Youtube program. It loads video thumbnails quite slower than the Viva. The built-in Map is very useful and faster than other internet programs. I found the map of our house in no time. Other programs are also useful like Notes, Calendar, and contacts but I'd rather store these types of information in my Viva instead.

The music function is the most important thing since it is the soul purpose of the device, to play music. The sound is sparkling to the ears compared to my Creative N200. Although it came with the standard earphones I still recommend buying a more high performance earbud or headphones maximizing it's standard 3.5mm input jack. For cheap and high quality earphones I'd recommend Sony MDR-E818LP series. Since these are older models they are much cheaper. I bought mine in Hong Kong for around HKD35 (PHP250) and it had never failed to impress me. Compared to other higher priced equivalent, to me, it still sounds better. My friend bought a pair of Senheiser and another bought a Pioneer both costs around PHP700 but still my Sony Earphones sounded superior. Just always install the included foam for a much richer bass experience.

The Touch is quite big and a slight discomfort in holding it was observed. But maybe this is due to the thin and flatness of the device which takes getting used to. It requires to be operated both hands to get the correct function you want. Although you can still use one hand but to me it seems not quite comfortable. Most especially the playback controls which requires the lcd screen. It would be more better if it had external controls just in case you need a backtrack of something. The back of it is a stainless steel covering and is a fingerprint magnet. The model labels were laser printed and is not a hinder to the beauty of the device.

The iPod Touch 2G is an ultimate portable entertainment device and can also be a personal organizer. It has capabilities that other media players don't have. Despite Its gorgeousness, it is difficult to operate when not looking on the screen so you'll be forced to use both your hands. The automatic screen brightness adjustment function works perfect and really is eye friendly. This baby is quite expensive but does it's job well but if you love viewing in a bigger screen with higher definition then this device is for you.

iPod Nano a no No-No.

I got my iPod Nano last year from my Dad when he went to the States for a business trip. At first I was thinking to buy a Creative Media player but when I found out that the price difference was not that much then I decided to have an iPod instead. Guess what, I did a right decision. I was amazed how clear and sharp the LCD screen was despite of it's size. I have made use of it to the maximum potential. I love to watch movies when I'm caught up waiting for something. And one of the most innovative thing that Apple has created were podcasts. I love to watch G4 shows, CNET Live, MTV News, and PC World videos. Aside from my music I also listen most of the time to Audiobooks. I listen to them when I am driving so that no time is wasted while commuting. This device is also helpful at work, it serves as a noise cancellation device. Some of my officemates are quite audible when talking about work and you can't avoid to get annoyed. The solution, filter noise with music(but my playlists are almost noise to some). No wonder that this baby is the best selling iPod aside from the iPhone.
But this has also it's major weakness. One is that since it is an iPod, you cannot just copy and paste your music and videos in it. You have to do this using iTunes. And one thing I do not like about iTunes is that you have to import all your media files if you can't afford to buy your music online. This is quite a nuisance to me because it takes a lot of time. It's second weakness that I find is the scroll wheel is quite small for my large fingers. I often get a false selection which i find quite annoying. It's back cover is also a fingerprint magnet. But I don't mind since I put it inside a leather case.
Despite all the annoying aforementioned drawbacks, it served it's purpose of being an entertaining portable media device. And it looks good also. Apple did their assignment again when it comes to aesthetics. For this device, I can't do anything without it and I recommend it as a must have.