A couple of concerns with iPod Touch

[Vance]

Hello!

I have been using a 5G for a long time, and have an iSkin cover with a bezel around the scroll wheel. With this, I can feel where everything is in my pocket and pause, play, skip and even adjust volume entirely by feel.

I know this will be VERY difficult for the Touch, and it is one of my primary concerns (which is outweighed by the many other benefits). But, is there a cover that will let me, by feeling the edge of the screen, know approximately where to touch for pause, play, etc?

Also, can you touch the screen through cloth, as you can with the scroll wheel?

Any other solutions for handling the need to control your Touch "blind" (especially play and pause)?

Second, I have always used films over the screens on all my players, is this advisable, or even possible, on the Touch?

Thanks!

[Mawdryn]

I recently got my first Touch after using the 5G and Classic for years. I really liked being able to have the iPod in my pocket and control it by touch. Unfortunately, there is no good way to do that with the Touch. The 2G Touch has volume controls so you can change that without looking, but pausing or skipping tracks is a different story.

Even if you had a screen cover with cut-outs for the pause, forward, and back locations, just feeling your way around to find the right spot would likely activate something else. Plus there's the fact that the screen goes to "sleep". I have mine set to the maximum of 5 minutes. After the sleep timeout, you have to press a button and slide your finger across the bottom to bring the screen back to life. There is a setting to never sleep, but that would drain te battery because the backlight is always on while the screen is active.

But it's not all bad. The Touch is an awesome device and I'm very glad I bought it. There may be other options, but I use 2 different methods to control my Touch sight unseen:
1. I bought the new Apple in-ear earphones with the remote on the cord. It works great but they're not my favorite headphones. Not bad, but too weak on base for my taste.
2. I bought a Timex watch that is also an iPod remote. I plug the Timex reciever into the dock connector of any iPod and I control it with my watch. I love this method and it works with any iPod (except the shuffle) and any headphones. I do this all the time with the Touch - just plug in the Timex thing and put it in my pocket.

So it is possible to control without looking, just not in the way you're used to. To answer your other questions: You can't really operate the touch screen through cloth (as I used to do all the time with the Classic in my pocket). There are screen protectors that work with the Touch, but I personally don't see the point. The screen is glass and very scratch-resistant as far as I can tell. I've had mine for 4 months and the screen is still as perfect as the day I bought it.

[kornchild2002]

You really won't be able to find a case that allows you to feel around. The iPod touch controls change depending on the screen you are viewing. The main playback screen has the controls at the bottom. However, the "lock" screen has the controls near the top. You would be able to kind of feel where the screen is but it would be hard for you to use it blindly.

As for cloth, you will have difficulties using the iPod touch. The touch's screen is designed to sense when skin touches it. There were some instances when I could use mine with a t-shirt between my finger and the screen but there were other times when it wouldn't work.

It is extremely difficult to operate the iPod touch blindly. The only thing that you will really be able to do without looking at the iPod touch is adjust the volume. As for screen protectors ("films"), I highly recommend them. The iPod touch's screen is made of glass. However, glass is not diamond! The iPod touch's screen can still be scratched and I see no reason why someone should spend a few dollars to protect their screens. The iPod touch's back will scratch much easier than it's front but you will have no trouble using a screen protector. iSkin's iPod touch case (my most recommended one) even comes with screen protection.

[Vance]

Thanks, both of you, for your terrific responses!

That is too bad, and it is a sacrifice I think I will get used to (hopefully). Those headphones with the control sound interesting, since I am not an audiophile in the least and usually listen to speech stuff (audiobooks and podcasts).

I went ahead and bought the Touch, but will have to find my way around it. Is there an easy way to "scrub", which I often need to get to a particular spot in a long podcast?

Thanks again!

[iFone]

you could always get the apple earphones. they have a full set of controls on the wire.

[AdrianW]

There's a bunch of different earphones that you can buy which include a button for pause/play/next/prev functions. (eg. Ultimate Ears vi range, Griffin Tunebuds mobile, some Shure, etc). An added advantage is that they include a mic - so you can then use apps that record voice, etc.

These functions only work with the second gen Touch, not the first gen.

[ThisisCraigP]

That would be quite challenging. I would buy new earphones with the iPod control box on the cord. A lot of earphone makers will be making them now that the new crappy buttonless useless ######ed pointless shuffle is out.

[ReyZero]

I bet that new adapter for the iPod shuffle will work for controls (I don't remember if the 2nd gen' touch uses volume controls)

[Vance]

Ah, as usual, I acted pretty quickly and ordered the Apple in ear phones with the controls, rather than really checking out the other options (which I see mentioned above). Hopefully, they won't be too bad. I think this inline remote idea is the best solution for my problem.

Thanks, guys!