Why I Might Not Buy the New iPod touch

When it comes to buying bleeding-edge tech gadgets, it’s best to do your research before pulling out your charge card and the iPod touch is a case in point. The emotional argument for the touch, which I made in my previous blog post, can be summed up easily: it’s new, it’s cool, it’s Apple and Wi-Fi, it has the multi-touch screen feature, and it could be a perfect option for trying all the new iPhone features sans the phone, which I don’t need and don’t want to pay for.

But, I’ve read a few early reviews, and I’m now feeling less excited bout the touch. Jeremy Horwitz, in his review for iLounge, had this to say, “Feels less like a flagship iPod than an intentionally stripped down iPhone, with diminished cosmetics, interface and features.” And, Adam, in a post on his TidBITS blog, comments that particular missing features – Mail, Google Maps, and Weather – make the Wi-Fi aspect of the iPod touch less compelling, though apparently Safari works fine, generally. (Adam goes into more depth on the iPod touch vs. the iPhone.)

I’m going to continue considering if I want an iPod touch, but I’m not sure if the features are close enough to what I want for the price, and perhaps the 2G touch will be more appealing.