Review: iPod Touch 2G

I was never a Touch man. I loved the iPhone but the Touch never drove me to drink in quite the same way. I am pleased, however, to report that I’m getting me a 32GB Touch as soon as the Apple Store opens tomorrow. Why? A few reasons.
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First and foremost I love the Nike+ iPod integration. This is absolutely the best thing they could have done, especially for runners. The 2G touch is quite thin and would work well as a small waist- or arm-banded device for workouts and not having to have a tiny little dongle hanging off the end is excellent. Apple will also be selling the little Nike+ pucks separately now.

Secondly, the Apps are becoming quite compelling, especially for gaming. This is Apple’s second chance at gaming. The DS is doing extremely well and the PSP is, well, sucking wind. This is a great opportunity for Apple to enter the casual handheld gaming market as a winner, not an also ran. Some of the other Apps are hit or miss, but it’s nice to have choice.

Finally, the pricing is very agreeable. $229 is a nice point to start and $399 for 32GB of flash memory isn’t great but it’s not outrageous. As a movie device, this thing will be second to only the iPhone.

Maybe I’m being irrational: I have the Classic, I have an old 3G iPod, I have a two nanos - a fat and a long one. But fit, finish, and software are excellent on this one. I did notice a lot of smudging on the back during the hands-on but that’s to be expected. Generally, however, this is a major improvement design and feature wise over the 1G Touch.

52 Comments/Pingbacks so far

 
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Tom (Who am I?)

How do you contact those assholes at Apple. I just bought an ipod touch 2 months ago, and now there’s a new improved (cheaper) version. They suck.

 
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John Biggs (Who am I?)

Oh… ummmm… I guess steve@apple.com?

 
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gaydarness (Who am I?)

LOL! nice answer :)

 
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Nate (Who am I?)

You’re an idiot.

 
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BoneHead (Who am I?)

Just return it to Costco.

 
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BoneHead (Who am I?)

Maybe you can complain to American Express.

I think they have some feature of their card where you can call up and express outrage about things like this and they will listen sympathetically.

 
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BoneHead (Who am I?)

Dude, you should have bought Microsoft. They never screw their customers by *dropping* the price of a product.

 
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networkgamer (Who am I?)

Microsoft doesn’t screw customers later with price drops, Microsoft screw’s customers over NOW with software and support.

 
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Colin (Who am I?)

Oh yeah. I’d much rather just have the company keep the price the same forever than lower the price often, just so I don’t feel like I made a bad decision.

 
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networkgamer (Who am I?)

Afaik the zune is based off of the gigabeat, which originally retailed for $399. Are you saying you want a $399 zune?

 
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Colin (Who am I?)

NO!!! Can’t you understand sarcasm? Who would really want the same high price just so they feel better about themselves? (well apparently that guy tom does)

 
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networkgamer (Who am I?)

lol

 
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Snarkotron (Who am I?)

Ten minutes of poking around the intertubes would’ve revealed that Apple has announced new iPods every September for a few years now. And Moore’s law (loosely defined) is still in effect, so of course the improved versions are cheaper.

Anyhow, Nate had it right.

 
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Colin (Who am I?)

What do you expect them to do? They have to announce the new version at some point, and when they do, there will always be people who just bought the old version. If they announced that they would drop the price a month ago, there would still have been people who were paying more anyway. You were willing to buy the Touch at the old price, and Apple isn’t going to never lower the price just for you.

 
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Colin (Who am I?)

If they suck, why did you buy an iPod Touch two months ago?

 
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amar (Who am I?)

i blame the violence on tv

 
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Mack (Who am I?)

i did the same call them at 800 my apple

worked for me

 
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John Bullsar (Who am I?)

Haha. That really sucks for u. You wud of saved 70 or 100#

 
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Harrison (Who am I?)

Is there some reason why they won’t ditch the flash memory and come out with a substantial one? I have almost 60 GBs of music alone and won’t even touch (no pun intended) a new one until the size heads around 75GB. Am I missing something???

 
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Steve (Who am I?)

Oh, please Tom. Apple releases new ipods nearly every year. Become a better informed consumer and save your self from these headaches.

 
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Elvis P. (Who am I?)

To the person who took the pictures for this article:

Where did you learn to take pictures? Could they have been any darker? Next time use some kind of light source stronger than a 60W light bulb.

Elvis P.

 
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James Britton (Who am I?)

while you’re at it, check the grammar of the article before posting:

“I am please…”
“I’m getting me a…”
“But fit, finish and are…”

 
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BoneHead (Who am I?)

Yeah, I paid $399 for an iPhone only 9 months ago. I want my money back!

As long as we’re at it, I bought a Macbook a few years ago. Since new ones of those are rumored to be coming out soon and be better and cheaper, I want my money back for those, too!

Also, I donated $20 to the Hillary Clinton campaign. Since she didn’t get elected, I want my money back for that as well.

 
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Tom (Who am I?)

Fuck you nate and steve. I’m no electronic junkie but i do try to keep informed. Maybe if sites like this did more homework and told you ‘in advance’ about what’s happening, people would be more informed. before i purchased i did check ALL of these so-called sites and there was no mention of a revamped ipod touch (just 30 million pictures of an orange nano).

 
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John Biggs (Who am I?)

Sorry, Tom. I seriously had no idea that they’d release the 2G. You could feasibly sell the 1G at a slight loss.

 
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Nate (Who am I?)

You’re still an idiot.

 
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Marc (Who am I?)

Tom, try something like this nextime —> http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

 
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Informed Consumer (Who am I?)

Actually, they’ve been talking about a 2g touch at least since July when people started noticing a string of text in Apple firmware referring to an IPod Touch “2,1″.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/30/iphone-21-firmware-may-reveal-new-ipod-touch-in-the-works/

As usual, buyer beware.

Perhaps, however, the way things have been going lately, you can expect a government bailout for your purchase.

 
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SG (Who am I?)

Information is Wealth. You gotta wait till the better version comes. I bought the 3G U2 iPod with the Black & White screen. Imagine how I must feel. Now I will definitely go in for iTouch 2G.

 
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Shad (Who am I?)

Seriously Tom!?! I would place you in the Mike Vik category of stupid. When did you purchase your computer? I gaurantee, if its at least a year old, you can now purchase a computer with twice the horsepower for 2/3rds’ the cost. And, you now know that every year at this time a newer, faster, better, cheaper version will be available. Buy now or wait till next october.

 
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Shad (Who am I?)

Seriously Tom!?! I would place you in the Mike Vik category of stupid. When did you purchase your computer? I gaurantee, if its at least a year old, you can now purchase a computer with twice the horsepower for 2/3rds’ the cost. And, you now know that every year at this time a newer, faster, better, cheaper version will be available. Buy now or wait till next october.

 
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Cameron (Who am I?)

Tom…when something (mostly electronics) is released to the public, its already out of date. Plus, why would they stop making new versions and changing the price? So other companies can steal their thunder (well not so much apple)? Just buy something, then wait a few years, (3-5) then upgrade! Thats the smart way, which I mostlt dont do lol.

 
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Chad (Who am I?)

Please stop being stupid… Do you expect them to refund your money every time they release a new product at a lower price? When you purchased said item, you agreed to a certain price. You’re to blame, not them. If you continue to think the way you do, you’re gonna stress yourself out and die young of a stroke. Be smart, do your homework, and quit blaming the FOR PROFIT BUSINESS for trying to make money. Meanwhile, I’m gonna go buy a 2g tomorrow. :)

 
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Jakurb (Who am I?)

dude how stupid can you be? i always wait to buy a new electronic so that a new one can come out so i know im not getting dooped!

 
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Sophie (Who am I?)

I agree with a lot of people on the above comments. I bought an iPod touch for my sisters Christmas present last year - which really wasn’t that long ago. It was $400 dollars when I bought it then, on 1.1.1 firmware and was no app store, or iphone apps (mail, notes, weather etc.). I know that Apple put out new ipods way too regulary but now I am just plain annoyed… the new iPod touch going for $300 and it has speakers! My sister has had to pay for all the ‘$12.99′ upgrades along the way and she (and myself) have always wanted the unbuilt speakers… I am not at liberty to complain but at least the price of the new one could be around the same at the first gen, I mean it is better and all. “I feel so used!”

 
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Rohbere (Who am I?)

Wow why would you buy an old ipod touch when they were announcing
that there would be a new cheaper one? If you ask me I would say you do pay attention very will (if at all).

 
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sarah (Who am I?)

live with it! they are always bringing out new versions and yeah it sucks to only just have got one but sell on the one you have for as much as possible and then use that and possibly front up more for the new version. that is what i am doing to get it.

 
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yendis (Who am I?)

“I am not at liberty to complain but at least the price of the new one could be around the same at the first gen, I mean it is better and all”
So you think new customers should pay more just because you paid more for the first version? What if you’re the new customer? I am pretty sure that when you’d have to buy a cell phone that is better and cheaper than the previous version you wouldn’t complain at all.

“Maybe if sites like this did more homework and told you in advance about what’s happening, people would be more informed.”
Wow, sites like these are all about the readers! They have no homework and no obligations to anybody. What are you complaining about? $300 or $400 is a lot of money but the choice is yours, nobody forced you to buy it, or..?

 
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dan (Who am I?)

My touch has a crappy headphone output; you can’t plug it in all the way, if it is even the most slightest out on the output, it won’t work and so the music stops playing and the plug keeps Falling out. Has this happened to anyone else? This happened since day 1. By the way, I have the 2g one.

 
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Ken (Who am I?)

Thatis a no Dan take it back you have two weeks to return if you dont like it and if it is defective exchange it or refund I think within 60days.

 
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Ken (Who am I?)

PS I have the 2G it is awesome when Im out.I use wi-fi on my blackberry (mini opera browser) not as nice as safari but I love the touch-no data plan to be acquired and I use wi-fi when I am like on the couch or somewhere else not by laptop. Safari is awesome nice apps to like last.fm where you can listen to your music radio that you have on your profile. Need to get last.fm account to do this first. I also have an 80gb classic bought about a year ago now the new classic is -120gb redesigned slightly and at the same cost of the 80gb a year ago. I can feel your pain but c’mon guys I work and if I want something Im ghoing to get it whatever it takes $$$$$ usually.I want the macbook air but I have my dell 5100 p.o.s I think f-dell entry laptops cheap but cheap product but what can you expect.

 

The iPod touch 2G is quite thin and has new volume buttons and built-in speaker. iPod touch provides up to 36 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback. Pricing is very comfortable. $229 is a nice point to start. I think it worth buying.

See Ipod Touch 2G faqs, questions & answers at
http://www.techbaba.com/faqs/ipod+touch+2g+question+answers.aspx

 
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daniel (Who am I?)

hey everyone, could someone tell me if you get wi-fi free built in with the new ipod touch 2g please? thank you.

 
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Colin (