Getting an iPod Touch ...?

[jaesun]

So I a am wanting to get an iPod. I am new to the iPod scene and Macs in general.

I plan on getting a 16GB version

Few questions I had though.

1. Is it possible to use the Touch as a portable hard drive? I read that it isn't possible, but the threads i find that say that are fro ma couple years ago, when the 1st Gen was released. is it still the same with the 2nd Gen?

2. the only way to add music is through iTunes? does the music have to be from iTunes if that is the case?

3. when do they normally announce features of the next generation? will the 3rd Gen be released around Sept 09 ? (prior was released Sept of 07/08 respectively). This because maybe depending on the new features and when 3rd Gen is released, I may hold off on getting the new one, or getting the 2nd Gen at a cheaper price when the 3rd gen is released, or just buying the 2nd Gen now

4. any good place to get deals? =D prob not though =(

5. any major problems with the touch?

i think that questions i had...
thanks in advance

[kornchild2002]

Here you go:

1. As-is: you cannot use your iPod touch as a portable hard drive (or for USB storage). I think that you can access the iPod's internal memory if you jailbreak it though.
2. I think there are some 3rd party applications that are compatible with the iPod touch but iTunes is the only program that will allow you to fully sync your iPod. This means that iTunes is the only program that can sync music, music videos, movies, applications, games, photos, audiobooks, and various other content. Your music does not have to be from the iTunes Store. The iPod touch (and iTunes) is compatible with files in the mp3 and AAC audio formats along with AIFF (this is lossless, not needed for a portable environment), WAV (lossless, again not needed), and Apple lossless (speaks for itself, not needed). So iTunes will sync your mp3 files to your iPod touch just fine.
3. September/October. Apple announced new/updated iPods once a year at around this time. The only thing is that you won't know (at all) what the 3G iPod touch is going to be like and that is even if Apple goes with a whole new generation. They could just slightly update the 2G iPod touch thus making it a 2.5G iPod touch. Apple did this back in 2006 when they released the 5.5G iPod. Apple even did this in 2008 with the 120GB iPod classic as it wasn't all that different from the previous 80GB/160GB iPod classic. You just never know what Apple is going to do. You also can't trust those Apple rumor websites (such as Appleinsider) as they throw out 1234507 "rumors" a month. Sure, one of them are going to stick every once in a while (it has to since they release a bunch of rumors) but most of their stories turn out to be false. Just to give you an idea; they reported on a touch screen iPod (that would have a virtual clickwheel come up) back in 2005, 2006, and they slightly changed their story for 2007.
4. eBay, Amazon.com, Amazon's Marketplace. Just know that Apple never has any official sales. They might bundles certain iPods in with their notebooks (mainly around the beginning of school semesters) but that is about it.
5. Not really. It is a pretty solid player so long as you don't mind paying more for a smaller capacity. Every player has their problems and don't get chased away by the forums. Most people come onto these forums (and other forums) when they have issues. You hardly ever see posts coming from people who are just saying that they like their product.

[mizzle]

i think most of your questions got answered but on the deals section, best buy is offering 1st Gen touches at pretty good discounts

[dordale]

Regarding deals--my husband just got a refurbished 1st generation Touch from Apple's website. The 16gb model is going for $219. Comes with all the accessories, a brand new battery and shell + a one year warranty.

If you don't mind doing without the volume buttons, speaker and longer battery life, it's a really good deal.

dordale

[Sephiroth]

The player is definitely worth it. It's got an amazing interface, a long battery life, and an attention grabber. If you've got those extra bucks in your pocket, go for it, As far as the problems are concerned, you might encounter a few freezes, but that's generally solved by a few restarts or syncs.

[jaesun]

Thanks for the replies.

sucks that apple doesnt do sales, but understandable witha hot product.

live [dot] com (MS search engine) has this deal where if you search for products in their search engine, and click a link through some of their partners, you get a % off. ebay was like 20% or something really high. could have made buying an ipod through ebay much cheaper. but they took out ebay unfortunately =(

another questions. friend of mine was able to play his ipod through his radio on a FM station (chose the station to play it on, and played it).

i cannot find the particular accessory for this (if it exists for the touch). i dont feel like spending money to buy a new car radio with an input for the ipod =P anyone know what it might be? i cant remember if it was something you plugged in to the ipod or if it was a car radio accessory, i dont remember honestly.

[kornchild2002]

These are called FM transmitters. You can run down to your local Best Buy and find them for about $30. There are units that plug into your iPod's headphone port (about $20) and units that plug into your iPod's dock connector (about $30-$40). The later accessories should produce better quality and they will also charge your iPod. Just keep in mind that FM transmitters produce inferior quality when compared to a tape deck connection, auxiliary connection, analog control connection (I will further explain), or a direct USB connection. An analog control connection is when you purchase an iPod adapter kit for your stereo. I purchased a kit for my Honda Civic that uses the factory installed deck, Best Buy was selling it for about $50. It allows me to control my iPod using my factory installed stereo system. Best Buy sells these for a wide variety of car models. Additionally, the cost of such an accessory is only a few dollar more than a crappy charger+FM transmitter. It would also mean that you don't have to get a new deck.

[jaesun]

thank you.

last question i swear! (sorry)

am i able to stream music onto my ipod from the internet (pending i have a wifi connection of course) ? i like to listen to music from the internet (di.fm for example) that stream music through playlists (whether through winamp, windows media player, etc). was wondering if possible or if its easy to stream music onto my ipod touch like i would on a regular computer?

[gerwen]

Originally Posted by jaesun

thank you.

last question i swear! (sorry)

am i able to stream music onto my ipod from the internet (pending i have a wifi connection of course) ? i like to listen to music from the internet (di.fm for example) that stream music through playlists (whether through winamp, windows media player, etc). was wondering if possible or if its easy to stream music onto my ipod touch like i would on a regular computer?

Yes, there's quite a few streaming apps on the Touch. LastFM, and Pandora are a couple of examples. There is also at least one app (corus radio) that streams actual radio stations to the touch (as opposed to internet radio), although i'm not sure if it's available outside of Canada.