iPod Touch - a big step forward

This little device is an amazing piece of technology. The thought and care that went into the design of the user interface are incredible - it's unusual in our modern world to find an advanced piece of technology with multiple functions that is easy to operate and actually does what it says on the box.

If you have a large music collection and have found that portable devices don't allow you to access the tune you want easily - the iPod Touch is your answer. If you're looking for a full-featured portable music player that doesn't require careful study of the owner's manual to operate, this is your answer.

Is it perfect? No. There's room for improvement - but it's still leaps and bounds beyond anything else on the market. It's not just a music player; it also offers all the basic PDA functions as well as a very usable web browser. Videos look great on the large screen.

Battery life is outstanding - if you keep the Wi-Fi turned off. It'll play music for 15 hours - or videos for 5 or 6 hours on a charge. Cut those times in half if you're using the built-in Wi-Fi to browse web sites, watch YouTube videos, etc.

Unlike previous iPods, the screen is very scratch resistant and holds up very well to pocket wear. The shiny rear cover is a scratch and fingerprint magnet like all other "big" iPods. This device uses the same dock connector as previous iPods, so previously purchased iPod accessories will still be useful.

I'm very pleased with this little device; the only problem I've encountered in the last 2 months was getting it to sync contacts and calendar with Outlook. A visit to Apple's support site provided the solution which required some reconfiguration of the Outlook client.

If you want a new music player and $400 isn't too expensive, you won't regret buying one of these.