Geeks.com, a popular shop for computer parts and mp3 players sent us over the second generation iPod Touch 8 GB for a review. Check in for more!
The second generation iPod Touch comes with the same 3.5″ 320×480 256k color touchscreen the iPhone has made us get used to. It features a built-in speaker, WiFi, proximity and ambient light sensors, 3-axis accelerometer, volume buttons on, voice control, an ARM11 620 MHz (under-clocked to 533 MHz), with internal ARM7 core for Jazelle acceleration, 128 MB DRAM, 2.1 EDR Bluetooth, USB connector with proprietary Apple connector on the other side, all weighing 115 grams.
We have already reviewed the 1st generation iPod Touch, so this article will mostly focus on the differences between the two. Here we go:
1st generation battery life: Audio – 22 hours, Video – 5 hours
2nd generation battery life: Audio – 36 hours, Video – 6 hours
1st generation: –
2nd generation: Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
1st generation: 120 gr
2nd generation: 115 gr. Also much thinner.
1st generation: ARM11 620 MHz (under-clocked to 400 MHz, then 412 MHz)
2nd generation: ARM11 620 MHz (under-clocked to 533 MHz), with internal ARM7 core for Jazelle acceleration. It’s actually visibly faster than the 1st generations of Touch and iPhone.
1st generation: –
2nd generation: Volume buttons on the side. Kind of hard to hit them correctly, as they are very thin.
1st generation: Buzzer
2nd generation: Buzzer and speaker
1st generation: –
2nd generation: Ability to work with the iPhone headset, so it can be used with Skype and other VoIP apps.
The device came with a 2.x firmware, that we later upgraded to 3.x via iTunes. This is the same software running on all iPhone/iPod devices, so it’s already been discussed in the past by various reviews (and Thom is preparing a new one too, since he just got an iPhone 3Gs).
I will re-iterate though my gripes about the software limitations:
“1. Background apps. From Twitter, to IM and VoIP apps (that are simply impractical to use with just PUSH), to special projects like this one, background apps are a must have. If anything, create an Android-like security system and services’ server that keeps control of misbehaving services.
2. Official iChat/GTalk/Jabber with full A/V support. And an API that allows third party IM/VoIP apps to use the cameras in such a realtime way.
3. Adobe Flash v10.x. Today’s internet experience requires it, no matter what Steve says.
4. Let the device operate as a USB-based device so we can drop files in there. Then, make some sort of file access/management accessible to third party apps. For example, what if I want to just copy a few random-format VGA videos on my iPhone, and there’s an app like VLC that can read these files while the iPhone video viewer can’t? I don’t want to transcode to h.264/AAC, I just want to play them as is via an app that can understand these formats. And that’s just a multimedia example. The same kind of example can exist for office or other documents too. And recently, I became aware that the first real video editor for the iPhone, ReelDirector, has no way to add music to the videos because Apple doesn’t offer access to the iPod music, or to a storage facility as suggested above.
5. AVRCP/PAN/LAP/Obex Bluetooth support. I need to be able to send a picture, or other kind of whatever-format file (see #4) to someone else’s phone (not DRM’ed files of course). Even dumbphones have support for these Bluetooth profiles.”
Since I already have a 16 GB iPod Touch for my music needs, I am using this 8 GB iPod Touch as a remote control for our brand new AppleTV. It works amazingly well with it. The AppleTV holds all of our 65 GB of music, hooked up on our Yamaha AX592 amplifier and 400 Watt Cerwin-Vega E-715 speakers. We only use the remote control it came with to turn it on/off, and everything else is controlled via that iPod Touch. We don’t even have to have the TV ON at any point, the AppleTV runs as a headless audio server! There are of course many other ways to playback digital music, but the iPod Touch’s Remote application made all the difference for us.
The fact that the specific iPod Touch can do so much more than that for our use case, it’s an added plus.
Rating: 9/10
Just curious why they didn’t send a 3rd gen model to review. They have the same processor as the iPhone 3gs and come in 32 or 64 gb (the “new” 8 gb version is simply a repackaged 2nd gen). Why review the 2nd gen now when it’s already quite a bit outdated?
OSNews is not a big site like engadget or gizmodo, so we can’t always secure devices right when they come out directly from the manufacturer. Geeks run a shop that have both new and refurbished older devices, so this way we are at least able to get some of these devices for a review — at some point.
The only way to review the 3rd Gen. iPod would be for the editor to buy it from his/her own pocket (since OSNews doesn’t usually expense these).
Maybe we will do the 3rd gen. review next year. 😉 😉
I’m reviewing my iPhone 3GS for OSNews too in the coming days.
I don’t give a darn what Steve Jobs thinks, but the sooner we move away from Flash and on to HTML 5 the better. If the iPod Touch and iPhone’s lack of Flash support helps even a little to push that forward, I’m all for it.
The big problem with html5 on mobile safari is that while it might technically support some of those features, there’s no JIT. So, great, some of the cool html5 stuff works. But it also runs at an unusable 1 fps.
And do you really think, considering Adobe’s lack of care for platforms other than Windows (look at the OS X version of Flash), that Flash on these devices would be any different?
Well they will bring out flash 10 to almost every platform out there. I’m waiting for Flash 10 for my smartphone (I have 9.4 and flash lite installed right now).
Uh huh. Well, they “brought” Flash to Linux as well and just look what a high quality job they did with that one. Just because they’re creating Flash for other platforms doesn’t mean it will run well by a long shot, and Adobe’s track record on platforms other than Windows is abysmal to put it miledly.
I have a 1st gen Touch and use it all the time. Its great! I have a Pre for a phone and its not even in the same ball park! The Pre sucks rocks.
As for flash! screw it! move on to open technology HTML5… I block most of the flash as it is (on my browser) and can’t wait for it to go away!
I have a 2nd gen ipod touch and after owning ipods previously, this was a breath of fresh air, I was pretty skeptical, and didnt know if id like it, but was surprised indeed. Only downside would be Itunes tie in, but I actually use it quite a bit now that its DRM free (and that it has an absolutely unrivaled catalog, and it happens to carry alot of jam music/electronica that I listen to).
Sound quality isnt the best ever, but its a freaking mp3 player, I have my denon/paradigm setup for critical listening.
I am surprised with how much fanfare Apple announced its iTunes Plus initiative, and how slim its catalog in Japan is. Most of the labels here still publish most of the stuff with DRM. And of course I buy none of that junk.
its too bad that every country has to make things so different (see difficult) that we cant all have great experiences from services no matter where we call home.
I remember in the 1980s, my friends around Tokyo would rent cassettes and make copies right away. So few people would see this as a problem so it’s no wonder that they’re still concerned about copy protection. I thought that even Avex removed protection from its CDs, though.
Why do we have this review more than one year after the product was released and its successors have already been released for almost 2 months? Is it really necessary?
For all the arguing over what it should be, it’s a good music and video player and applications work reasonably well.
It was surprising to me that the iPod touch was faster than the same generation iPhone. I read several users complain about choppy game performance from the 2nd gen iPhone. Game play is reasonable but battery life could be better.
I was disappointed that the Bluetooth inside was unused but it works well enough with iPhone OS 3.x, except for using the microphone on my Motorola S9 stereo headset. I’m hoping that they’ll rememdy that soon, especially since that was the featured stereo headset in their advertising.
People can complain about the sound quality, but they’re mobile devices. I have to be skeptical about any mobile devices sounding good, except on paper.
Well the Ipods has higher clockspeed then the Iphones:
The 2G Ipod is clocked at 533 MHz instead of 412 MHz for the Iphone 3G. And Ipod has less services to power.
nothing could be better than ipod 2 gen
What Else you are expecting:
Height:
1.8 inches (45.2 mm)
Width:
0.7 inch (17.5 mm)
Depth:
0.3 inch (7.8 mm) including clip
True volume:
0.26 cu inch (4326 cu mm)
Weight:
0.38 ounce (10.7 grams)1
for iPod shuffle in anodized aluminum
0.61 ounce (17.2 grams)1
for iPod shuffle in polished stainless steel
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Shawn matthews
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The fingernails are impeccably clean.
I can’t help but be of two minds on this issue. For one, while I get along fine with Push notification for stuff like instant messaging, I agree that it is not sufficient in situations such as voip where you need to take a call within 30 seconds or so. However, my experience with Windows Mobile devices has shown me exactly how bad a lot of background services running can be, both in memory consumption and in a very quickly drained battery. I think some sort of compromise needs to happen here, perhaps approved background services could run and be under the user’s control when needed (look at WM where the user has no control over services except with registry hacks or 3rd party tools). I know a lot of people don’t like the idea of approved apps and consequently won’t like the idea of approved services, but I don’t see any other way that won’t turn the iPod Touch and iPhone into a mess. Of course, before Apple could be trusted with this, they need to start consistently applying the same rules to all apps submitted. Requiring apps to be approved isn’t what hacks me off, it’s the illogic of some of the decisions involved.