Comments on the ipod iTouch

[N1LAF]

I have had the iTouch for a couple weeks now, got to use it, and have some comments that may be helpful to others, or maybe someone has a solution for me.

I do not like the handling of the music and videos through iTunes. Stinks. Limited. Editing services for albums, artists, etc, clumsy. I guess if it looked like a spreadsheet, should act like one. But the ipod works well with music and videos.

The user interface is superior to anything I have seen. Motion detect, landscape and portrait mode ops - great. the two-finger zoom controls and scrolling - top notch.

The lack of the ability to use the iTouch as a storage device for documents - BIG NEGATIVE. There is a work-around though.

Sound and picture quality - top notch.

My Favorite applications (all free versions):
- Skype
- FileApp Pro
- Free WiFi
- Accuweather app
- Reversi (game)
- Flycast
- Dragon Dictation
- iHandy Level
- Many news and services apps (USA Today, Drudge Free, WSJ, etc..)

I called Apple/iTouch support the night I bought the unit, to ask what happened to the use iPod as storage. They removed it. I talked about how the iTouch was geared to the Dumb user, and left power users out in the cold. He agreed. Apple support is good and honest. I said that I am a power user and would like to use the iTouch as a true PDA device, and support said that Apple is going to release an office suit for the iTouch. Cool. They will have to sync/make storage available.

In searches and discussions in the office, there are ways to make iTouch storage available. Most will restrict the size of storage. A product i use doesn't and works well. It is called FileApp Pro (free version). I loaded up with pictures, PDF and word documents, and son-of-a-gun, they all opened, as well as web pages. The catch is they have to be FTP'd into the device. Not a show stopper, but now I can carry component and system spec sheets with me.

I have this other program, that also has clients to store text documents. Called Documents 2, but cannot access per directions.

[kf0rt]

Some other fun apps:

Shazam -- hold your microphone up to the speaker of something that's playing music. Shazam will identify the artist and track.

Amazon Kindle -- Do Kindle on your Touch.

FlightTrack -- realtime flight tracking.

Google Earth -- it even slants based on the accelerometer.

WiFiTrak -- WiFi sniffer.

TouchCalc -- Much better calculator has scientific and programmer modes.

[n0iu]

The lack of the ability to use the iTouch as a storage device for documents - BIG NEGATIVE.

I said that I am a power user and would like to use the iTouch as a true PDA device...
But that's not what it is. I gotta ask... did you know this before you bought it? Basically its an iPhone without the phone and I am OK with that.

For me, I agree with KFØRT in using the Kindle app. I am reading more books now than I ever did. The only issue I have now is that there is no Adobe Digital Editions app for the Touch... yet! This is a real PITA since my library delivers their epubs in this format. Oh well!

[n6hcm]

[quote="N1LAF"I called Apple/iTouch support the night I bought the unit, to ask what happened to the use iPod as storage. They removed it. [/quote]

if you want to use your ipod for storage then you want the ipod classic (http://www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models/)

[kf0rt]

BTW Paul, it's not an iTouch. The real name is iPod touch, or just touch for short (Apple doesn't even capitalize "touch").

Just some touchy trivia. :mrgreen:

[N1LAF]

The lack of the ability to use the iTouch as a storage device for documents - BIG NEGATIVE.

I said that I am a power user and would like to use the iTouch as a true PDA device...
But that's not what it is. I gotta ask... did you know this before you bought it? Basically its an iPhone without the phone and I am OK with that.

For me, I agree with KFØRT in using the Kindle app. I am reading more books now than I ever did. The only issue I have now is that there is no Adobe Digital Editions app for the Touch... yet! This is a real PITA since my library delivers their epubs in this format. Oh well!

I won a nano years ago in a raffle, and it had storage. It didn't advertise that it did, but it was there and it was handy. The iTouch didn't have this option. A colleague at work is able to store like a stick on his iTouch, but he may be working from an older version of iTunes.

But I have a working work-around, and it suits my needs.

[N1LAF]

BTW Paul, it's not an iTouch. The real name is iPod touch, or just touch for short (Apple doesn't even capitalize "touch").

Just some touchy trivia. :mrgreen:

Well... la-de-dah

Thanks Rob!
:mrgreen:

[N1LAF]

I called Apple/iTouch support the night I bought the unit, to ask what happened to the use iPod as storage. They removed it.

if you want to use your ipod for storage then you want the ipod classic (http://www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models/)

If I needed storage, I'd use my multi-gigabyte Titanium stick that is on my key ring.

I wanted a good all-in-one device, and FileApp Pro gave me what i needed. I can read html, text, Word doc and docx files, as well as PDF. Pictures too. It gives me the drag & drop that I am accustomed to, rather this sync crap.

Besides, with the ease of use and construction of an ipod Touch (Thank you Rob), why would I want an ipod classic???

Better days are coming for the ipod Touch, as indicated by the call with Apple. There is an office pack on its way. It has the power and interface, it needs exploitation!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[X-Rated]

BTW Paul, it's not an iTouch. The real name is iPod touch, or just touch for short (Apple doesn't even capitalize "touch").

Just some touchy trivia. :mrgreen:

Well... la-de-dah

Thanks Rob!
:mrgreen:
It's okay for you to say, "iTeabagger" or "iNeocon" though. iBackaway now.

[N1LAF]

BTW Paul, it's not an iTouch. The real name is iPod touch, or just touch for short (Apple doesn't even capitalize "touch").

Just some touchy trivia. :mrgreen:

Well... la-de-dah

Thanks Rob!
:mrgreen:
It's okay for you to say, "iTeabagger" or "iNeocon" though. iBackaway now.

THANKS Jerry!!!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[KC2UGV]

I called Apple/iTouch support the night I bought the unit, to ask what happened to the use iPod as storage. They removed it.

if you want to use your ipod for storage then you want the ipod classic (http://www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models/)

If I needed storage, I'd use my multi-gigabyte Titanium stick that is on my key ring.

I wanted a good all-in-one device, and FileApp Pro gave me what i needed. I can read html, text, Word doc and docx files, as well as PDF. Pictures too. It gives me the drag & drop that I am accustomed to, rather this sync crap.

Besides, with the ease of use and construction of an ipod Touch (Thank you Rob), why would I want an ipod classic???

Better days are coming for the ipod Touch, as indicated by the call with Apple. There is an office pack on its way. It has the power and interface, it needs exploitation!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I dunno about power. It can't multi-task. It's a single process OS...

[N1LAF]

I called Apple/iTouch support the night I bought the unit, to ask what happened to the use iPod as storage. They removed it.

if you want to use your ipod for storage then you want the ipod classic (http://www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models/)

If I needed storage, I'd use my multi-gigabyte Titanium stick that is on my key ring.

I wanted a good all-in-one device, and FileApp Pro gave me what i needed. I can read html, text, Word doc and docx files, as well as PDF. Pictures too. It gives me the drag & drop that I am accustomed to, rather this sync crap.

Besides, with the ease of use and construction of an ipod Touch (Thank you Rob), why would I want an ipod classic???

Better days are coming for the ipod Touch, as indicated by the call with Apple. There is an office pack on its way. It has the power and interface, it needs exploitation!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I dunno about power. It can't multi-task. It's a single process OS...

It can play music while I surf the net. Sounds like multi-process to me.

Don't go around saying a single process OS cannot support multitask - that statement is wrong.

[kf0rt]

Better days are coming for the ipod Touch, as indicated by the call with Apple. There is an office pack on its way. It has the power and interface, it needs exploitation!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

It's pretty well exploited as-is. Apple needs to open up the spec so developers have access to it ALL. They need to add the other stuff the iPhone has (except the phone): GPS, bluetooth microphone (instead of just audio out). And maybe even the camera. They need to give developers access to the USB and RS-232 ports (yes, the touch has RS-232). It'd be a great instrument controller platform for the bazillion RS-232 devices out there. (iPhone bluetooth control head for that IC-7000?). Lots of neat possibilities, but Apple crippled it just a little too much, and really, I doubt it's the device that's crippled, but more like Apple's unwillingness to share/support key technical details. Even if you figured this stuff out on your own, it'd never pass muster for the AppStore, so there's no real commercial value without Apple's backing.

Currently, there are over 140,000 apps for the platform, and by some estimates, over 40 million iPhone / iPod touch devices sold worldwide.

[N1LAF]

Better days are coming for the ipod Touch, as indicated by the call with Apple. There is an office pack on its way. It has the power and interface, it needs exploitation!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

It's pretty well exploited as-is. Apple needs to open up the spec so developers have access to it ALL. They need to add the other stuff the iPhone has (except the phone): GPS, bluetooth microphone (instead of just audio out). And maybe even the camera. They need to give developers access to the USB and RS-232 ports (yes, the touch has RS-232). It'd be a great instrument controller platform for the bazillion RS-232 devices out there. (iPhone bluetooth control head for that IC-7000?). Lots of neat possibilities, but Apple crippled it just a little too much, and really, I doubt it's the device that's crippled, but more like Apple's unwillingness to share/support key technical details. Even if you figured this stuff out on your own, it'd never pass muster for the AppStore, so there's no real commercial value without Apple's backing.

Currently, there are over 140,000 apps for the platform, and by some estimates, over 40 million iPhone / iPod touch devices sold worldwide.

+ 200 million...

[KC2UGV]

It can play music while I surf the net. Sounds like multi-process to me.

Don't go around saying a single process OS cannot support multitask - that statement is wrong.

Well, I know it "can", but didn't we get away from TSR's for a reason :snicker:

[N1LAF]

It can play music while I surf the net. Sounds like multi-process to me.

Don't go around saying a single process OS cannot support multitask - that statement is wrong.

Well, I know it "can", but didn't we get away from TSR's for a reason :snicker:

Actually lower level than TSR's. We would time-slice the processor, so if we had 5 programs, we would have 5 stacks, and a timer program that regulated the time slicing. When a program's time is up, the registers, accumulator, program counter and stack pointer is pushed into the local stack, then pop the next programs registers from that program stack and run that program for a time slice, then to the other.. and so on.

[kf0rt]

It can play music while I surf the net. Sounds like multi-process to me.

Don't go around saying a single process OS cannot support multitask - that statement is wrong.

Well, I know it "can", but didn't we get away from TSR's for a reason :snicker:

Actually lower level than TSR's. We would time-slice the processor, so if we had 5 programs, we would have 5 stacks, and a timer program that regulated the time slicing. When a program's time is up, the registers, accumulator, program counter and stack pointer is pushed into the local stack, then pop the next programs registers from that program stack and run that program for a time slice, then to the other.. and so on.

:clap:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preemptive_multitasking

Used to do that on some production test gear I designed back in the early 80's using a lowly 8085. It worked very well. Low overhead if you have control of the whole system. Truth is, there are quite a number of ways to manage multitasking without OS help, but it generally depends on how long you can "turn your back" on the hardware. I would imagine (don't know for sure) that the iPod audio hardware management is a core OS function that's handled as a high priority background task.

Do you have an Intel-based Mac, Paul? The SDK for the iPhone is free, but it only runs on Intel-based OSX systems. Kind of odd how Apple has that set up, too. You can develop to your heart's content for free, but the code only runs in an iPhone simulator on the Mac. After that, you pay $99 for the ability to load your code into the real hardware on a limited basis. The only step after that is the App Store.

I give Apple some very high marketing points for how they've pulled this off. Bazillion developers: free. Take from each App Store sale: about 30%. The apps drive the hardware sales, and Apple makes a nice profit off the apps without hiring the developers. The marketing of the apps is based all on volume, not price. With most apps costing under $5, nobody I know thinks twice about just buying a program that looks a little enticing. Come up with something moderately popular, and you'll probably do better than chump change.

There's quite an "underground" movement to get around the requirements -- "jailbreaking" the iPhone, running OSX on non-Apple hardware, etc. They work, but the only way to make money (tap into the huge App Store market) is to do it Apple's way.

[n6hcm]

Besides, with the ease of use and construction of an ipod Touch (Thank you Rob), why would I want an ipod classic???


something about the right tool for the right job. i have memory sticks, too, but they are only now able to hold tens of gb of data (which may be silly for some but this is important for my day-to-day use).

[n0iu]

But I have a working work-around, and it suits my needs.
So do I -- http://www.iphone-explorer.com/

This will give you access to your root directory and is NOT a jailbreak! It will allow you to transfer files to and from your iPod Touch (or iPhone). You can also use it to create directories on your iPod Touch. I found out about this from the company that publishes the Stanza epub reader. (http://www.lexcycle.com/) If you download stuff to your PC from places like Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/), you can use it to transfer the files to your iPod Touch using this utility.

[N1LAF]

But I have a working work-around, and it suits my needs.
So do I -- http://www.iphone-explorer.com/

This will give you access to your root directory and is NOT a jailbreak! It will allow you to transfer files to and from your iPod Touch (or iPhone). You can also use it to create directories on your iPod Touch. I found out about this from the company that publishes the Stanza epub reader. (http://www.lexcycle.com/) If you download stuff to your PC from places like Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/), you can use it to transfer the files to your iPod Touch using this utility.

Thanks! It works!

FileApp Pro works well too because the access is wireless, and can view .doc, .docx, pdf, jpg, etc... and edit/save text files

[N1LAF]

Besides, with the ease of use and construction of an ipod Touch (Thank you Rob), why would I want an ipod classic???


something about the right tool for the right job. i have memory sticks, too, but they are only now able to hold tens of gb of data (which may be silly for some but this is important for my day-to-day use).

I hear you, but I want to carry one tool, not a tool belt, so some compromises have to be made. Fortunately, there are work-arounds.

[w3bny]

I was told that if iTouch myself, Baby Jesus cries.

[n0iu]

I was told that if iTouch myself, Baby Jesus cries.You already have hairy palms! :rofl:

[w3bny]

You already have hairy palms! :rofl:


Note to self....

Stop eating waffle sandwiches then petting the cats.

[N1LAF]

:clap:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preemptive_multitasking

Used to do that on some production test gear I designed back in the early 80's using a lowly 8085. It worked very well. Low overhead if you have control of the whole system. Truth is, there are quite a number of ways to manage multitasking without OS help, but it generally depends on how long you can "turn your back" on the hardware. I would imagine (don't know for sure) that the iPod audio hardware management is a core OS function that's handled as a high priority background task.
Bingo! We have a winner! Give this man a cigar!! Rare to find someone else that can talk at this level. I think we did this on 8086 computers, late 80's.


Do you have an Intel-based Mac, Paul? The SDK for the iPhone is free, but it only runs on Intel-based OSX systems. Kind of odd how Apple has that set up, too. You can develop to your heart's content for free, but the code only runs in an iPhone simulator on the Mac. After that, you pay $99 for the ability to load your code into the real hardware on a limited basis. The only step after that is the App Store.

I give Apple some very high marketing points for how they've pulled this off. Bazillion developers: free. Take from each App Store sale: about 30%. The apps drive the hardware sales, and Apple makes a nice profit off the apps without hiring the developers. The marketing of the apps is based all on volume, not price. With most apps costing under $5, nobody I know thinks twice about just buying a program that looks a little enticing. Come up with something moderately popular, and you'll probably do better than chump change.


In fact, I was thinking of investing in an Apple brick, just to have the compatibility, and now this gives more the business case to do so.

It is an interesting, and effective business model Apple has. Low prices for apps that people think they want, then rake in 30%, all automated via internet, and all apps install controlled. Smart.