Get what mom wants – iPod touch! *Review*

Mother’s Day is this weekend. Do you know what you are going to get your mother? What about yourself? Admit it ladies, we tend to buy for ourselves! There is one thing that I have been looking at, reading about and drooling about: iPod touch. While I have an iPod Nano, and love it, there are so many things that the iPod touch can do, that the others can’t.

About me:

• I am really in to technology.
• I love my music at home, on the go & while working out.
• I am all about Social Networking.
• I work out on the elliptical, but I would love to keep up with emails, social networking, and even things such as EBay, LinkedIn, Fox News and even check local listings for movies without having to bring my bulky laptop to the elliptical.
• At times, I like to sit on the couch, relax, yet still have the ability to have something near me where I can search online for something super fast, or even check the news while hubby is flipping channels.
• I have a busy life, busy family, busy schedules! I need a way to keep everything in one place (a calendar).

Why am I telling you about me? While not everyone is incredibly technical savvy, you don’t have to be to have an iPod Touch. I am giving you a little bit of an outline about who I am, as a mother, as a woman, as a person. For Mother’s Day, the iPod touch has so many options for mom, in such a compact and powerful tool with as affordable price tag that ranges from $199.00 – $299.00.

Here are some details about this bad boy…

• A great portable game player.
  Immerse yourself in games made for iPod touch. Shop the App Store to add new ones with just a few taps.
  –> One of my favorite things to play, on the computer or on the iPod touch, is Solitaire. Hubby laughs at me when we are on the road and I play Solitaire. This is free through iTunes or through the App Store directly from your iPod touch.
  
  There are so many games that you can download in iTunes, or directly from the iPod touch within the App Store. The Solitaire that I downloaded, is free. You can purchase, or find free games, anything from racing games, pinball, thump a fly (yes, there is an app for that!), and I found a fun one the other day “Paper Toss”. If you travel a lot, games are what keep us going. Well, me anyway. Racing? There’s an app for that. Hockey? There’s an app for that. Do you want to thump someone or wish you had a scream button? There’s an app for that. (More to come on some fun apps that I have found, soon!)
  
• A great iPod.
  Pioneering technology and a brilliant 3.5-inch screen bring an amazing experience to your music, movies, and more.
  –> It is so easy to email and share pictures via Facebook, email, Twitter, or even to have pictures of your babies to look at when you are away from them. The screen is so vivid, so clear, so crisp!
  
• Free iPod engraving. An Apple Online Store exclusive.
  Make it a gift they’ll never forget – or make it uniquely yours. Just add a personal message such as a name, a favorite saying or song title, an “I love you” or “Happy Birthday,” just about anything.
  –> I did not have my iPod touch engraved, but I went through the process on the Apple website and it is so easy, and FREE! You don’t have to engrave, but it is a nice touch to add, and again – free!
  
• Voice Control
  You listen to music, and now your music listens to you. The new 32GB and 64GB iPod touch models feature Voice Control. So you can tell iPod touch to play songs from a specific playlist or artist. Or speak simple commands such as “shuffle,” “pause,” and “next song.” You can even ask for the name of the track that’s currently playing (and hear iPod touch answer you).
  –>> This is really cool! Example: When you are all sweaty from working out and don’t want to mess up your screen or drip sweat on it, you can speak to the iPod touch and it will shuffle or move to other songs within your music library.
• Movies + TV Shows
  Your very own private screening awaits you on iPod touch. Watch the latest film release or an episode of your favorite sitcom anytime you want. Store up to 80 hours of video and get up to 6 hours of video playback time on the new iPod touch.
  –> You can stream movies, videos and even You Tube though the iPod touch. I didn’t believe I would be able to, but what do ya know – it works and it streams crisp, clear and such beautiful graphics! I have Law & Order on my iPod touch that I like to watch and catch up with when I am on the go. Movies – TV Shows – Cartoons… You name it!
• iTunes
  Part of what makes iPod touch so amazing is that iTunes is literally at your fingertips. A Wi-Fi connection and a quick tap are all it takes to get instant access to millions of songs and thousands of movies and TV shows. Not to mention applications, audiobooks, and free podcasts and iTunes U lectures. Preview and buy that album you’ve been wanting. Rent that film everyone raved about, or make it part of your collection. iTunes on iPod touch is your doorway to endless entertainment possibilities.
  –> I love iTunes! Oh, what did we do before the computer and iTunes? I am still in the process of learning how to transfer purchased iTunes from my old iPod to the new iPod touch. I will be posting a new thread to show the way to do it, without losing your purchased tunes! You can access your iTunes from your laptop through your iPod touch, or you can access the iTunes store from the iPod touch.
  
• Mobile computer!
  Most of what you do online with a computer can easily be done on iPod touch. Built-in Wi-Fi means you can check your favorite blogs, write an email with a photo attached, or find out how to get to that new restaurant. When you think about it, iPod touch is a computer in your pocket. How handy is that?
  –> I have to add this in to this area. This is a fabulous mobile computer! Three words: I. Am. Impressed. I was sick all this last weekend and wasn’t able to come downstairs, turn on my laptop, sit at the table and get some emails worked on. I wasn’t in the mood, nor was my mind ready to get up and sit down at the table to moderate comments, or even sit at the laptop to check in on Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo messenger or even Skype. I just wasn’t in the mood to get up, so I decided to let my iPod touch become my office in bed. I was able to turn on the iPod touch, moderate comments from my blog, reply to emails as needed, I was even able to write posts from the iPod touch. What? Write a post? Yes! I made a Wordless Wednesday post and included a picture for it here.
  —–>> WORDPRESS! WordPress on the iPod touch. Heaven, I tell ya!
  
  —>> Comment moderation - oh, so easy!
  
• Wi-Fi Wireless
  If you’re somewhere with a wireless network, iPod touch instantly recognizes it. If it’s free Wi-Fi, you’re good to go. Launch any one of your Wi-Fi-dependent apps, such as Safari or iTunes, and you’re on. Some wireless networks may require a password, but iPod touch has that covered, too. Just enter the password once, and iPod touch remembers it. So the next time you’re within range of that network, you’re connected automatically.
  –>> Credit needs to be given to this powerful iPod touch! You can surf and you can surf FAST! This is my website. Once you turn the iPod touch, the screen turns with you, so you can view the site vertical or horizontal.
  
  
• Internet Browser: Safari
  Safari — an advanced web browser designed for Mac and PC computers — also comes on iPod touch. Safari on iPod touch lets you carry the full-size power of the Internet in your pocket. Just connect to a Wi-Fi network, and you can use Safari for nearly everything you do using a web browser on a computer. In fact, web pages look exactly the same on iPod touch as they do on your computer. (I pointed more on this above, and more below)
• Email:
  Email on iPod touch looks and acts just like email on your computer. View your messages in rich HTML, including attachments. Mail recognizes file types such as .doc, .jpg, .mp3, and many others. And setting up Mail is easy because iPod touch automatically enters settings for popular accounts including Gmail, MobileMe, Yahoo!, AOL, and Microsoft Exchange.
  –>> Email is very easy to set up on the iPod touch. You can set up a number of accounts. The speed to send and receive an email is amazing and fast! Impressive, actually!
  
• Keyboard:
  Typing on iPod touch is easy. That’s because it has an intelligent keyboard that predicts and corrects words as you type. Writing something lengthy? When you turn iPod touch on its side, the keyboard switches from portrait to landscape with larger keys and more room to type.
  –>> The keyboard, for me, took some getting used to. I am not used to a touchscreen, but I can vouch that this keyboard is getting better and easier to type with. I love it! The keyboard, on most applications, will allow you to use it vertical, or if you turn the iPod touch to it’s side, you can use the landscape mode of the keyboard.
• Maps
  Know where you are and where you’re going with Maps on iPod touch. If you’re connected to a wireless network, you can find your location and get a list of turn-by-turn directions. Maps also finds points of interest from a keyword search. Say you and your friends have a craving for pizza. Tap Search, type in “pizza,” and Maps shows you restaurants nearby.
  –>> We have used this a few times. Here, in our home, we can use our Wi-Fi to search for things when we don’t have our computer turned on. The speed to search is faster than I imagined. You can Google, or use the actual mp section to navigate and search for things in your area, or search for things where you are going.

• 8GB
  1,750 songs
  10 hours of video
  Earphones
  Free Shipping
  $199.00
• 32GB
  3rd generation
  7,000 songs
  40 hours of video
  Faster performance
  Earphones with Remote and Mic
  Free Shipping
  $299.00
• 64GB
  3rd generation
  14,000 songs
  80 hours of video
  Faster performance
  Earphones with Remote and Mic
  $399.00

First off, the iPod touch is a beauty to look at.

I was out and about one day and came across a case that I thought was cute. It was an affordable rubber case. You can also purchase cases on the Apple website. I highly recommend getting a case to protect the iPod touch. It does scratch pretty easy, so the case helps keep the life to it.

All in all: The iPod touch is a great Mother’s Day gift for anyone, even for yourself! The price range is great, especially for all the power that is included. The charge holds up quite nicely, but I do suggest making sure you have a car charger if you travel a lot, or a wall adaptor, which you can buy in any accessory department locally, or on the Apple website. The technology that this includes is amazing! I can totally see my laptop being replaced when I travel, just by using the iPod touch with Wi-Fi to check my email, reply as needed, write and moderate my blog posts & comments. I can use the Internet anywhere that Wi-Fi is available. I can use Maps when I need. I can read local and worldwide news, keep up with my Social Networking, sweat to the oldies with my iTunes while I work out, at home or on the go. Impressive. Simply impressive!

I will have many more sections coming up about the iPod touch and applications that help me, help busy people and that you may like. Stay tuned! If you have an iPod touch – let me know what you think! Do you like it? Do you have apps that you love? Share with me. I would love to add your favorite app’s to a list that I am working on!

Mommy Goggles gives this product:
Rating:
Why this rating? This is a star rating (1-5) that is based off our opinion on the product itself, use, wear & tear, price and how it fits in to our family’s lives (at home or on the go).

The price range for the iPod touch ranges from $199 for the 8GB iPod touch, to $299 for the 64GB iPod touch. You can buy these on the Apple Website and get free engraving and free shipping! http://www.apple.com/

All opinions in this posting are 100% my own.