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iPod Touch: Introduction

The first iPod Touch was launched in 2007, and is the first iPod to feature a multi-touch GUI (Graphical user interface). It is also the first iPod to contain wireless network connectivity, via a Wi-Fi 802.11b/g component. This Wi-Fi component is complimented by a built-in Safari web browser. Other built-in software applications include a YouTube client, Google Maps and a Mail client.

The first generation iPod Touch came in three models, one with 8GB storage, another with 16GB, and the most expensive with 32GB storage capacity. Each of these models came with a USB 2.0 connection and the same operating system. The length and width of the first generation Touch was 110mm × 61.8mm. The screen was 3.5 inches.

Since the first generation iPod Touch was released, three more generations have been released, which total four iPod Touch generations by the beginning of 2011. Unlike with other iPods, the design of the Touch has remained largely the same, as shown by the below images.

1st Gen 2nd Gen 3rd Gen 4th Gen

The dimension of all four Touch generations has remained virtually the same, at,

• 1st Generation - 110 × 61.8 × 8 mm
• 2nd Generation - 110 × 61.8 × 8.5 mm
• 3rd Generation - 110 × 61.8 × 8.5 mm
• 4th Generation - 111 × 58.9 × 7.2 mm
  

The screen size of the Touch has remained the same for all generations, at 3.5 inches (the resolution of the 4G screen has been improved). The weight has varied by a small amount,

• 1st Generation - 120 g
• 2nd Generation - 115 g
• 3rd Generation - 115 g
• 4th Generation - 101g

The biggest difference between the generations has been internally. The iPhone operating system installed in each, has been upgraded with each generation. The graphics processor has been upgraded from a PowerVR MBX Lite 3D GPU (1G-2G) to a PowerVR SGX535 GPU (3G-4G).

Storage capacity has been increased to 64 GB (from 32 GB), and internal memory to 256 MB (from 128MB) for the third and fourth generation Touch's. The audio processor for the 1st generation Touch was supplied by Wolfson Microelectronics, the other three generations have an audio processor from Cirrus Logic.

Finally, the power supply and Wi-Fi has been upgraded/changed for each of the four iPod Touch generations. So, to conclude, on appearances alone, the iPod Touch has changed very little, but, internally, the iPod Touch is a total different beast when comparing the first generation model to the fourth.

iPod Touch: In Comparison to the Other iPods

As the name suggests, the iPod Touch's main selling point is it's touch screen and wireless technology. Unlike the Classic, Nano and Shuffle, the Touch allows users to browse the World Wide Web and send and receive emails. This affords the Touch a greater breadth of functions and applications, such as Bluetooth capability. Of course all this comes at a price. The 32GB Touch is the most expensive iPod currently available.

The Classic does provide more storage space, but, no other iPod provides more storage space, battery life, screen size, connectivity, audio support, photo support or video support than the Touch. However, the Touch is a large iPod, the largest in terms of length, but thinner and lighter than the Classic. It weighs more than the Nano and Shuffle. Finally, it orginally only came in black, compared to two colours for the Classic, five for the Shuffle, and nine for the Nano.

iPod Touch: Multi-touch

Multi-touch is a system developed by Apple that allows a software application to be controlled by a touchpad. This is achieved in a number of ways, such as finger pressure or shadow capture. Apple state that their iPod Touch system uses electrical fields. The Multi-touch technology dates back to 1982. However, as a mainstream application, the technology was rarely implemented before the year 2000.

Apple's development of Multi-touch has been aided through the acquisition of Fingerworks, in 2005, two years before the introduction of the iPhone and Touch. Fingerworks were one of the leading niche manufacturers of touchpads and touch keyboards. With Microsoft also developing their own multi-touch products, 2007 was perhaps the most exciting year in the development of Multi-touch applications. Both companies launched mainstream products featuring the technology.

Apple's belief in the future of the technology has led them to begin the process of patenting and trademarking their products and the term 'Multi-touch'. Apple's technology has created a media 'buzz', allowing increased user-interactivity, with flick, tap, and pinch touch capabilities. At present, touch screens are an eminently 'cool' tech, with many Hollywood Sci-fi blockbusters incorporating it, examples include the Minority Report and the Matrix.

iPod Touch: Similarities to the iPhone

Quite a few reviews have noted that the iPod Touch is basically an iPhone, but without a phone. Certainly, on the face of it, the Touch looks very similar to the iPhone, featuring the same touch screen graphical user interface, wireless connectivity and overall design. The 2G Touch also includes the same volume control and speaker buttons as the iPhone, two things which were missing on the 1G Touch. The 2G Touch and 3G iPhone also include the exact same chrome casing, making both devices nearly identical, aside from a few extra buttons placed on the side of the iPhone. Therefore, it's not far from the truth to summerise that the Touch is the iPhone without the phone.

iPod Touch: Verdict

Why buy an iPod Touch? If you're looking for a small and portable mp3 player, then you'd better look elsewhere, such as the Shuffle, and, if you're looking to store a large music collection, then you should buy an iPod Classic. But, if you're after the latest gadget with portable games playing, web browsing and music/video playback capabilities, then you may have found the right product. That's not to say the Touch isn't a slightly dissatisfying product. Striding two worlds, that of the Classic and the iPhone, it fails to match either of their strongest functions. Instead, it performs the role of a hybrid, a jack of all trades but master of none.

The included earbuds are poor, and should be replaced with a higher fidelity pair. The Touch's sound quality (1G-2G) has been nothing to write home about, and is certainly no improvement on the latest Nano. In conclusion, the Touch is probably best described as a fun gadget, a useful entry point into the world of Mulit-touch and Internet connected iPods. However, you should not expect it to out perform the Classic for audio playback, the Shuffle for portability, or the iPhone for telecommunications.