time for a new iPod

[Big Aura]

my trusty iPod (4gen) 30gb is close to being sent to the iPod farm in the countryside...

I'm toying with getting one of those fancy iPod touch things - is it a better option than the classic (which, although bigger, doesn't seem to be on the same upgrade&improve trajectory)?

Main concerns are:

1. will my existing (pre touch) docks still work? I have a Denon ASD-11r attached to my amp and a Kef Picoforte One in the kitchen;

2. battery life (presume they're much better than the classic)?

3. umm, that's kinda it!

any answers or other views welcome (and as all my music is in iTunes and I have iPod docks, the "why not try a [iPod alternative]" isn't really a runner!).

thanks

 

[Cofnchtr]

Hi,

The Denon is listed as being 'Touch' compatible. The Kef doesn't mention it in the spec sheet (using the links you gave).

How much music do you store on the ipod? The 'Touch' is (maximum) only 64GB and if you usually store more than that clearly the 'Classic' is the better option.

The larger screen and updated functionality of the 'Touch' is more desirable but in a pound for pound battle, the 'Classic' is a no-brainer. £229 for a 32GB 'Touch' against £199 for 160GB on the 'Classic'.

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[professorhat]

What would it be used for? Remember the Touch has a lot of other functionality with the apps. So if you're using it on the move, the ability to play a few games, browse the internet, send and receive emails, read your fave newspaper, listen to the radio, remote control your home iTunes collection, watch the BBC iPlayer app (a lot of which could only be used where internet wireless was allowed of course) etc. etc. might be a big reason to switch to the Touch.

Of course if it's purely music playback you want, then the capacity may well come into play. Personally, I find I can fit all the music I need on the go on my 32 GB iPhone (just under 1,000 songs which take up 25 GB - the rest is used for photos, apps and videos) and I use the Apple Lossless format, so could fit a heck of a lot more on by switching to 320 kbps AAC if I so desired.

 

[Big Aura]

thanks- was pondering a FlipHD video recorder, but the touch will have that built-in too, non?

My classic is jammed, so have about 30gb - would suggest I need the 64gb touch (as the other apps and systems will take a bit more space). That said, the iPod was returning 5 minutes playback on a full charge, then yesterday ran for 3 hours, so maybe there's a bit of life left in the old girl yet!

 

[motley]

I had the questions 12 months ago and upgraded from a 30Gb classic to a 64GB Touch you will not look back, just wish it had a bigger memory.

Should add that if you are not interested in "face time" you can get a storming deal on a 3rd Gen Touch

 

[Anonymous]

It would be an extremely easy decision if you took a trip into the Apple store (or other retailer) and viewed the beautiful 'retina' display of the 4th gen iPod Touch. It makes the whole device worth every penny. On the other hand, if sound quality or storage capacity are the most important factor then you should probably look at the HifiMAN HM-801 PMP. Or just be a cheapo like me and get a free iPhone on contract.

 

[Big Aura]

that HifiMan looks interesting, but as I'm not prepared to re-rip my music (again), it's a non-runner (costly too).

An iPhone contract is even more expensive - the "free iPhone" still costs about £800 over 24 months, when you take into account all the monthly bills, which are inflated to cover the cost of the phone (plus an additional margin for the phone company). My current non-contract phone is costing me £350 over the same period!

 

[Anonymous]

I spent about a year looking for iPod Touch alternative as I didn't want to buy into the whole Apple thing. At the end of the day I somewhat reluctantly took the plunge with 4th gen iPod Touch 32Gb and haven't looked back. Use it for all sorts now - some great Apps which I didn't think I'd be interested in (Star Walk, Quick Office, Awesome Note, Kindle, The Radio, plus I must confess more than a few games). Retina display is fantastic and web browsing is fine - no problem even for longer sessions.

Sound quality is as good as my previous Sony and that's at mixture of MP3 bit rates from 196Kbps up to 256Kbps. I've got a few thousand tracks on it taking up about 20Gb plus about 30 Apps at just under 3Gb. I got Sennheiser CX870 earbuds and find bass excellent, voices really natural, but very occasional sibilance at top end. Not bad enough or often enough to be a problem though - it's a mobile device with compressed music after all and I don't expect perfection.

Battery life was REALLY poor to begin with, until I switched off all the App push notifications and Email / Calendar stuff (I now search manually when I want to check emails rather than have them pushed through). It's all linked up to my office MS Exchange set-up and works a treat with the office systems. Now that it's not constantly looking for updates etc, battery life is fantastic - blows away the old Sony. If using for music playback only it seems to last forever. I also switch off wi-fi and stick it on Airplane mode just to be sure when not using it online.

Video camera is pretty good. Stills camera is terrible, although I knew it would be before I got it given the low spec. I can't think of a serious use for the stills camera for anyone who cares a jot about quality of photos. However, that wasn't the reason I bought the thing so c'est la vie.

I've had mixed experience with docks. Some seem to fit a bit easier than others, but it generally works with most of those I've tried, although none of them were all that old so can't comment on your own kit. In summary, I love it as a mini-computer as well as music player, and whilst I still rather dislike iTunes, for the most part the Apple ecosystem just works very well.

 

[grdunn123]

Either 32GB or 64GB Touch would be a good bet dependant on the size of your music collection. As others have mentioned the extra functionality with the apps (sat nav,games,news,sport etc) and the stills/HD video just make the whole package.

 

[hammill]

There are rumours (make of them what you will) that the next touch will be 128gb. Whether you want to wait until September is of course another question.

 

[grdunn123]

There are rumours (make of them what you will) that the next touch will be 128gb. Whether you want to wait until September is of course another question.

Apple??? rumours??? never!

 

[Anonymous]

The Touch is probably Apple's best bit of kit.

You cant go wrong with one (apart from the the Itunes lock-in).