Apple iPod Touch: A Proper Introduction
Despite similarities to the iPhone, the iPod Touch is a new device and so I’m going to point out some of its finer points. Starting with the hardware, and then moving to the software.
The Touch’s physical dimensions are impressively small. Really, the only difference between the Touch and the iPhone is the thickness. The iPod Touch’s dimensions are 4.3×2.4 inches with an anorexic 8mm thickness, or .31 inches, compared to 11.6mm for the iPhone.
In the box you can expect to find the iPod Touch, earbuds, USB cable, dock adapter, a screen polishing cloth, quick start guide and a stand for the Touch.
The capacities are 8 and 16 gigabytes; that translates into the following storage capacities: 1750/3500 songs, 10/20 thousand pictures, or 10/20 hours of video. The iPod Touch will also be able to function as a USB storage device, which is great for those that can use it for school or work, or maybe just as a spot to store your PC backup.
The display is supposed to be the same as that of the iPhone at 3.5 inches diagonally with 480×320 resolution at 163DPI. The video formats supported are MPEG-4 and H.264.
The audio has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. It supports the following formats: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV, all of which play through the 3.5mm audio jack; there’s no onboard speaker.
The battery is rated to last for 5 hours playing video or 22 hours on music, a combination thereof. I won’t go into a lesson on Opportunity Costs today.
Other features include WiFi, the same web browser as the iPhone, the Lithium-Ion battery, broad language support and a standard dock connector. There are a number of applications from the iPhone that have also made their way to the iPod Touch, and it looks like 3rd party apps should work as well with little to no modification. The iPod Touch is being sold now in some stores and for pre-order online for $299 for the 8GB version and $399 for the 16GB version.
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