iPod Touch as a PDA and Entertainer
Someone had used Skribit (previously available on the sidebar) to suggest that I write on the iPod Touch, and whether it is a “replacement tool for Windows Mobile and Palm - now that new apps have been added?”
I thought it was a heck of a good topic to write on, but I could not do anything with it because I did not have an iPod Touch. Well, that changed a few days ago, so I decided to give my impressions of the Touch.
I’ll give the bottom-line view first: this is one of the neatest devices I have ever owned, and I have sure owned a bunch of gadgets (about 20 Pocket PCs and Palms and Smartphones, maybe more … I stopped counting). The picture to the right just does not do it justice: the screen is far more stunning than a picture conveys. And, with the release of iPhone 2.0 (slated for June), I venture to say that the iPhone will move to a position of dominance of the smartphone market: it will support the addition of a huge variety of applications, and the next iPhone software update will even enable syncing with Microsoft Exchange Server!
Anyway, back to my own specific impressions of the Touch: in what follows I will break the discussion into three parts: built-in software, add-on software, and hardware.
Built-in Software
The Touch comes with the following applications, many of which are Mac OSX tools that have been adapted for a hand-held form factor:
- Top Row: Safari Browser, Calendar, Mail, Contacts
- Middle Row: YouTube viewer, Stocks viewer, Maps viewer, Weather viewer
- Bottom Row: Clock, Calculator, Notes, Settings
And, along the very bottom of the screen are the traditional iPod applications: Music, Videos, Photos, and access to the iTunes store (via WiFi).
What’s really cool is
- Everything on the top row syncs to a Mac, as does everything on the very bottom row (the typical iPod stuff)
It’s my understanding that some of the top row (at least the Calendar and Contacts) sync in Windows machines with Outlook, by syncing through the iTunes software. I have not tried this out, but am told it works. Maybe some of you can elaborate in the comments.
Now, for me, this means that my Safari bookmarks sync, my iCal data syncs, Mail syncs, and my Contacts data syncs. And the operative word is syncs: that is, I can make changes on the Touch and they are reflected back to my iMac. The Touch is not a “read-only” device. I doubt that I will use it to make new calendar entries very often, but it is nice to have the capability.
Cool, huh? This alone makes the Touch usable as a PDA. It does lack a Tasks handler, but pretty much everything else is there.
And, as long as you have access to WiFi, you can use Google Calendar on the Touch. Again, it is not read-only, and additions made on the Touch are added into your online Gcal (deletions are not yet supported, unless I am just overlooking the way to do them).
By the way, I love having Safari on the Touch. It is becoming a primary interface for me in using Twitter, checking my Gmail, skimming through Google Reader, and more. Without moving off the couch I can easily keep up with my daily communications stream. And, the Touch interface for browsing is fantastic.
Now, to the middle row. I must say I absolutely love the YouTube app. Of course it is just an web interface into YouTube, but it has a lot of functionality, including the ability to search for videos and to bookmark them. I think I actually like viewing the YouTube videos more on the Touch than on a computer. The screen resolution and size is just perfect.
Now, while the Stocks, Google Maps, and Weather viewers just latch into data at Google and Yahoo, they are classy. Leave it to Apple to present simple data in such a classy interface. I use the weather and stocks apps a lot during the days, and it just about eliminates my “need” to watch any TV news (and we’ve talked in previous posts about how TV news can negatively impact your attitude … don’t even get me started on that again 
).
For the bottom row: the Clock is great, and even has alarms, timers, and stop watch applications. The calculator is very functional, and the Notes app is pretty darned neat. You can use the Touch’s built-in keyboard to leave notes to yourself, and to even keep a task list if desired. And, as we noted a few days ago, this Apple iPhone video shows you how to get the most out of the keyboard. I had my doubts about the keyboard before watching this video. Now, after seeing the video and using some of its “tricks,” I am loving the keyboard. I am actually becoming more proficient on it than on my BlackBerry Curve. (Not saying much, as I am not very good on the Curve’s keyboard, but it illustrates that the Touch keyboard can be mastered.)
As to the iPod functions: they are great. Listening to music is as good as ever, and it is a very practical movie-viewer. If I were traveling much I’d have a dozen movies loaded on it.
Add-on Software
Today, Apple made a beta of iPhone 2.0 available to developers. That beta includes a tremendous number of new features, including the ability to add third party apps to the iPhone (and Touch). A lot of applications have already been developed, including a number that are highly suited to professionals. For example, from MacWorld’s coverage of today’s Apple announcements, is this:
10:56 PT: Next: Epocrates. “Every doctor knows about Epocrates.” Now Glenn Keighley from Epocrates. Shows a drug lookup UI, so doctors can find a drug, tap to view information about the drug. They used SQLite to store their drug data, and used the iPhone’s high-resolution screen to show drug images for the first time on any mobile platform.
AOL Instant Messenger will be available, as will a Facebook application, and a huge assortment of applications. I am looking forward to grabbing some of these and adding them to my Touch.
I could add some applications to the Touch right now by doing a jailbreak on it, but I am not inclined to do so just yet. I may change my mind in a few days, but, the capability exists via jailbreak right now and via Apple in a couple of months. I think we are going to see a huge number of very useful applications and games, and the ability of the iPhone/Touch to function as a PDA is even more solidified. In fact, it will probably put other PDAs to shame.
Hardware
Did I mention that the device is stunning? Yes I did, but it bears repeating. The screen is gorgeous.
The device is incredibly thin. It feels very comfortable in the hand and is easy so to use. The only downside I have found with the Touch, as compared to previous iPods, is that the lack of a scroll wheel. I don’t miss it when I am using the Touch at home, but I miss it in the car, which is where I have typically used the scroll wheel to skip parts of a tune or to replay a tune, and so on. You cannot use the screen-interface that effectively while driving.
This probably would not be a negative for a lot of you. Many people just let their favorite songs play through while driving. But I often listen to half a tune and then use the wheel to flip to the next one. If you don’t do this kind of stuff, you’ll not miss the wheel.
I am not the best one to comment on battery life, because I don’t yet know that much about its battery life under normal use. I have been putting it through abnormal use, frequently browsing the web with it, viewing movies, and so on. It has held up pretty well, although I have the suspicion that extensive WiFi use means shortened battery-use times.
By the way, the iPhone and Touch are similar in many ways, except that the iPhone has even more: a phone, camera, and bluetooth. So, if you are thinking of getting an iPhone, I don’t think you will be disappointed. As I have mentioned before, I am personally inclined to await a 3G version and some indications from reviews that it has a good battery life: that’s important for a phone, especially if you travel much. It’s important to me even though I don’t travel much.
Obviously I am pleased with the Touch. Feel free to ask about anything I forgot to mention or haze over, and fellow Touch users, please chime in with your thoughts and tips.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
GREAT review, Bruce. Not sure if you’d seen it or not, but if you click and hold on any of the icons on your home screen, they all start to wobble and you can rearrange them. You may know that, but wanted to mention it because the arrangement in the rows you mention is no longer static (where it was prior to the 1.1.3 firmware).
The Windows syncing via iTunes/Outlook works well, from what I hear, which is good for the Windows users. Also wanted to point out that the YouTube interface is great and it uses the h.264 codec instead of Flash, which makes the quality great and it streams well (same codec used for the Apple TV store).
In the Fortune article referenced in your One Link article recently, one of the interesting things that came from Steve was something like 90% of users do not CREATE content on their mobile phones, they CONSUME it. I found that interesting, as I tend to create content on mine, but I realize I’m in the minority. So, having a seamless sync experience is crucial. The ability to do that now with iCal and Address Book (and in the future with Exchange) is a GREAT feature on the iPhone/iPod Touch.
I personally wouldn’t jailbreak my device either. Theoretically, jailbreaking doesn’t harm your phone and you can revert back, but not unlocking. However, why take the risk when the new software will be out so soon (relatively speaking)? I would rather have a stable phone with the new software in a few months than having any issues down the road, but that’s just me. Same reason I don’t install the major Mac OS X updates until others have tried it out for a few days.
Lastly, regarding the lack of tactile feedback, that was my biggest concern as well. If the whole screen is touch with limited or few buttons, it makes things like pausing without looking hard to do. That is one benefit of a phone or device with more buttons. I personally miss the scroll wheel too, but have gotten used to the new iPod interface controls.
I wonder if Nuance (owners of Dragon Naturally Speaking) will release their Mobile Voice Control product for the iPhone/Touch or if anyone will create something similar? MVC works as a subscription service ($6/month), so I don’t really like that aspect. They must do the transcription remotely and send back commands. However, something that allows you to control the iPhone with voice commands would definitely be useful and mostly mitigate the tactile feedback barrier for me.
Glad to hear that you’re liking the Touch so much. I’m really looking forward to hear more about your migration to only using the Apple tools (iCal, etc.) and how it all works with your Touch. If the Touch replaces your Windows Mobile PDA, I will be very impressed.
I’m still torn, as I love my BlackBerry as a phone/PDA-lite and my Windows Mobile device as a PDA, but the new Exchange ActiveSync support may have me replacing both with a single device…
Thank you for the compliment, Thomas. I appreciate it very much.
Gosh you bring out lots of good points (typical for you). I did find out about the “wiggly” by accident, actually. But, it is a neat capability.
I used to be one who demanded a good data-entry PDA, and would fit your profile more than the norm that Steve Jobs talks about in the Fortune interview. But, over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten to where I more and more just jot something on a piece of paper and enter it on the computer later … it’s just so much quicker for me. But, like you, I do like to have the ability to enter data on my device of choice, and I appreciate that Apple has accommodated that so nicely (with such a fantastic and intuitive interface, I might add).
Glad you mentioned Dragon Speaking. That would be a good combo.
Your comments reminded of one thing I forgot to mention: the responsiveness of the Touch. Apps open instantly.
I am falling more in love with the device each day and will surely get an iPhone later this year (awaiting 3g, etc).
I also like my BlackBerry, and still use my x51v a lot (I’m reading an ebook right now with it). But, I can easily see an iPhone becoming my primary portable device. I would likely eBay my BlackBerry, although I might keep it as a backup, but would hold on to the x51v until it croaks, or until someone comes out with an ebook reader for the iPhone/Touch.
Thanks again for adding in some great info Thomas!
Well Bruce . . . I picked up the Touch (32GB version) this last Friday night and have been in “gadget heaven” all weekend. My only regret is that I did not purchase this sooner. What an unbelievably responsive interface! I cringe to think of all the time I have wasted trying to get things to work/sync on Windows Mobile and Palm platforms. My Asus A626, Palm Treo 650 and Zune 80GB are going on the eBay chopping block this next week. This Touch does all the things these 3 other devices attempted to do (except for the phone, which I carry around a Razr for, hardly know I’m carrying it) and does them well.
I have wi-fi capability, extremely nice web browser, can sync my calendar and contacts with Outlook, that I have to use at work
and can check all my email accounts with the slick Gmail application. I have all my music, videos, photos and access to iTunes. And the YouTube app runs flawlessly. I’m going to try your RTM tip and that should pretty much take care of all those other devices were doing for me. With the 3rd party apps this should prove to be a device that could almost replace my laptop full time when I leave the office. How cool is that?
Thanks for pointing me to Mconnick’s twitter site. I’m still trying to wade through all of his Touch tips and URL’s to fantasic iPhone/Touch friendly websites. While the 2nd place Nokia n810 offered bluetooth, GPS capabilities and Skype, I think sacrificing those for all the other offerings of the Touch have been well worth it.
Steve, I am delighted to see how pleased you are with your decision to get a Touch, my friend. They are truly fantastic devices and I look forward to them being even better with the availability of third party apps via the next firmware update.
Glad you like Mconnick’s twitter feed and his blog. He has some fantastic tips for the Touch, and I really should allocate some time to just reading through all of them.
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