ipod touch

[rockymtnhigh]

Ok, I finally gave in to my desire and got an ipod Touch today (I used my ipod video at the gym EVERYDAY to watch ripped dvds (Stargate SG1 mostly) and decided I really wanted a LARGER screen.

So I get the iTouch home and plug it into my WinXP SP1 machine; it recognizes the device as a Digital still camera, called an apple iod. I load itunes and it says "you have the wrong version of itunes for an iphone."

I read on the back of the iTouch box that it requires SP2 for WinXP. So I groan and install SP2 (my SP1 machine had always worked fine for me, but I digress). I install SP2, and reboot, and connect the iTouch. IT STILL THINKS it is a digital camera.

I plug the ipod into my SP2 WiinXP laptop, and it properly recognizes the iTouch for what it is. And I am able transfer stuff to it. The problem is that i do all of my DVD encoding/ripping and store all of my files, on my desktop.

How the heck do I get WinXP to recognize the iPod touch for what it is. I have gone to the device manager, and deleted the entry for the Digital Still camera; I have rebooted; but no matter what I do, it keeps recognizing it as a still digital camera.

Any suggestions?

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Fixed.

I deleted iTunes (even though I had the newest version) and reinstalled. Then plugged the ipod Touch in, and it was automatically recognized.

Now I can play with this very cool device. I had been saving money for two months and am pretty happy I got this; even though its just an 8GB version, it will make the gym video experience much better.

Formal review to come in the next few days...

 

[dfergie]

Cool...

 

[rockymtnhigh]

This is the MOST AMAZING portable device I have ever seen; and over the years, I have had lots of portable devices. Palm Pilots, Handspring Visors, Pocket PC, Treo, ipod, ipod mini (wife), ipod nano (kid), ipod Video. The screen is amazing. 4" widescreen is SO MUCH nicer than the ipod Video's 2" screen. The safari browser and wifi is wicked cool. SatGuys in New Look, rather than PDA mode.

When you change the orientation of the device, it automatically changes its orientation.

And while $286, it was not cheap, I am convinced it will be money well spent.

 

[mike123abc]

I am waiting for iphone 2.0... I like the itouch with 16gb, a reasonable amount of flash. I just need the iphone to have 16-32gb. It would be nice if the iphone was as slender as the itouch. I am still using my ipod 2" screen for movies on trips.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I am waiting for iphone 2.0... I like the itouch with 16gb, a reasonable amount of flash. I just need the iphone to have 16-32gb. It would be nice if the iphone was as slender as the itouch. I am still using my ipod 2" screen for movies on trips.

I can now see the appeal of the iPhone, but my treo 700p works well, and I am in a Verizon contract. Plus, Verizon's EVDO network has been very good for me in terms of

My motivation for the iTouch (actually that doesn't sound good ) was entirely for a bigger video screen. I know I could have gotten an Archos, but I love the size of the ipod Touch.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Got to use the ipod touch today at the gym for the first time (after stopping at circuit city to pick up a case for it); in a word... WOW! Watched an episode of Stargate SG1 while working out; totally worth it.

I am curious how many hours of battery life I will get using video; I don't expect more than 3 or 4, but that's ok, as I can charge in the car pretty much every day. And the reviews say battery life is not great, so I am not expecting much.

I do need to take some steps to enhance battery life, like turning off wifi.

 

[mike123abc]

It should be 5 hours or so when new. My classic ipod 80gb does about 5 hours. I can watch 2 movies pretty easy when traveling on planes. Just get something like dvd to ipod converter from ImTOO DVD to iPod Converter - Convert DVD to iPod, iPod Converter . I converted a lot of DVDs. It takes a while, but if you do a couple a day (like start before going to work, and before bed) it takes no time at all to have them all converted. Then you can just select which ones you want on your ipod, rotating and switching as you need.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

It should be 5 hours or so when new. My classic ipod 80gb does about 5 hours. I can watch 2 movies pretty easy when traveling on planes. Just get something like dvd to ipod converter from ImTOO DVD to iPod Converter - Convert DVD to iPod, iPod Converter . I converted a lot of DVDs. It takes a while, but if you do a couple a day (like start before going to work, and before bed) it takes no time at all to have them all converted. Then you can just select which ones you want on your ipod, rotating and switching as you need.

I use Cucusoft DVD to iPod + iPod Video Converter Suite - Free Download It works great; has no audio sync issues, and does a 43 minute tv episode in about 25 minutes. I have been ripping and swapping videos out to the ipod for the past five months pretty regularly; which is why I was content with an 8GB version. Since I mostly watch tv, its no big deal to have just five to ten episodes on the device at any time. I will load it up when I go to Atlanta in a few weeks for a conference, but I'll also have a laptop with me, which can share the video load for the airplane ride.

I did not get five hours the first charge, but I forgot to turn the wifi off. I let it run down to nothing to see how much I would get, and I probably got 4 hours of video, which is not bad. I get less then that with my ipod video 30GB.

My own complaint with the ipod touch is that its video picture for dark images is not great. It is tolerable though, and I don't think I have the widely reported negative black effect.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I came to the conclusion that what I thought might be a screen problem was actually the video quality itself. I downloaded the season premiere of Stargate Atlantis from itunes, and the video quality is excellent. Even in dark scenes. Just need to tweak my ripper I think. Hmmm... that doesn't sound quite the way I intended it.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I used Jailbreak on my Touch, and now have some great things running on it such as email, weather and stocks.

Get a iphone version of the Slingplayer made and this will be the greatest device ever.

Its like having an Iphone without needing an iphone.

Only thing I wish it would have was an internal speaker. My kids like watching shows on it but dont like wearing headphone. (Plus with email it would be cool to get audible notification of new mail.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I used Jailbreak on my Touch, and now have some great things running on it such as email, weather and stocks.

Get a iphone version of the Slingplayer made and this will be the greatest device ever.

Its like having an Iphone without needing an iphone.

Only thing I wish it would have was an internal speaker. My kids like watching shows on it but dont like wearing headphone. (Plus with email it would be cool to get audible notification of new mail.

How are you doing in terms of battery life?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It lasts all day (although it does get warm in my pocket)

 

[rockymtnhigh]

It lasts all day (although it does get warm in my pocket)

I assume that is using email and wifi, but not video?

 

[rockymtnhigh]

And... do you use a screen protector? I am leery, never liked them for my PDA.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am using Wifi, but no video.

No screen protector is being used.

 

[shanewalker]

I used Jailbreak on my Touch, and now have some great things running on it such as email, weather and stocks.

Get a iphone version of the Slingplayer made and this will be the greatest device ever.

Oh man, I am SO with you on that.

I've been plodding along w/ my gen 1.5 10GB iPod that I bought in 2001 waiting and waiting and waiting for what I dubbed the "candy bar" iPod, i.e. the Touch. Now that it's here, I'm in a conundrum about whether to get it or an iPhone (I've also been plodding along waiting for that 'ultimate smart phone').

The ONLY big weakness of the Apple solutions versus a Windows Mobile or Symbian smart phone for me is the lack of Slingplayer support. Any other streaming solution just simply pales in comparison to my existing Sling setup...I have access to my Dish DVR and a 400-disc DVD jukebox. It's the greatest. With that software I can retire three devices in one fell swoop--my phone, my iPod and my PSP.

The day we get the Slingplayer on the iPhone/iPod Touch--the sun will truly be shining. And I'll be a-buyin'.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

My Review of the ipod touch

Ok, I have had the ipod touch now for about three weeks. The 8GB version. In general, I think this is a great product. The screen is easy to use; it took a bit to get used to not having a scroll wheel, but the features are quite nice.

I use it primarily for video; I convert DVD video using Cucusoft DVD to ipod converter, and it rips video in perfect ipod touch screen size. The picture is crisp; the sound is excellent. :up:up With 8GB, I have 7 episodes of SG1, 1 episode of SGA, the 1 1/2 hour Battlestar Galactica Razor, and the entire Stargate movie on the device. In addition, I have 262 photos, and 76 songs (my ipod video is still my primary music device), and still have 1.2 GB of storage left. It definitely has enough space for plenty of video for a long plane trip.

I considered an Archos or a Zune, but those devices are all so much more bulky than the ipod touch. This thing is thin as can be and weighs practically nothing.

The downside: 1) Battery life. With brightness set at half, I can get between 3 - 4 hours of battery life doing nothing but video. Its definitely not long enough for a long plane ride. (I ordered a LiIon battery pack to boost the battery time for such occasions from Amazon, but it has not arrived yet).

2) In the long term I am nervous about how well the screen will last. I do not find the plastic screen covers useful, and the case I have for it, still leaves the screen open. It is always an accident away from a disaster. I wish they could have put a thin flip top on it, like an old Star Trek communicator.

3) Like all ipods, over time I suspect the battery life will diminish, and like all ipods, the battery is not easily replaced by the user. Again, a shortcoming of the brand. (And I have gotten used to just popping out batteries into my Treo when its battery drains).

4) Like all ipods, Apple is just plain old cheap when it comes to accessories. No case, no charger. You pay $288 for something and you think they could include an AC adapter. But that is a criticism of Apple and not the device.

Inspite of the downsides, I still love this device. The video screen is large, almost 4", it makes for a great way to spend an hour on the elliptical machine at the gym. The ipod touch is cool. It gets huge points on the WOW factor. And while I rarely use the Safari browser for wi-fi (since when I have wi-fi I also have my laptop), it is a much more enjoyable experience for doing things like viewing SatelliteGuys, than using the browser on the Treo. Still... mostly a bell and whistle that won't get use.

I'll eventually expand this review in our reviews section, but wanted to post it here. I give it an 8.5/10. If you want portable video, this is the way to go.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I use mine all the time and love it.

I have Jailbroke my unit and have email loaded on it as well as a few other applications. Its like having a laptop in my pocket.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I use mine all the time and love it.

I have Jailbroke my unit and have email loaded on it as well as a few other applications. Its like having a laptop in my pocket.

How long do you get in terms of battery life with wi-fi on all the time? A day?