A Little Closer Look at the iPod Touch!

Designed and marketed by Apple Inc., the iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, and Wi-Fi mobile platform. Added with the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line, it is available with 8, 16, or 32 GB of flash memory. Touch is elegant and capable, and it works smoothly with Apple’s free iTunes software for Windows and Macintosh PCs. It also has a wireless access to computer-based online iTunes Store and to Apple’s App Store.

Moreover it introduces a mobile version of the iTunes store which is called the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store which allows buying right on the iPod. AT the first glance the iPod touch looks like an iphone that can’t make phone calls.

It’s a handsome, thin, black and rectangular in shape with a huge 3.5-inch screen – the same size as the iphone’s screen but even thinner and shorter than the iphone.

Like the iphone the Touch also has just one button on its face, a home button which directs users to its main menu when pressed. Which contains a series of beautiful square icons. And like the iphone it has an on/off button at the top edge. All iPod Touch models include applications like Music, photos, and videos, iTunes, Safari, YouTube, Calendar, Contacts, Clock, Calculator, and Settings. Later models were added with features like Mail (accessing POP/IMAP/SMTP e-mail), Maps, Stocks, Notes, and Weather, which could also be added to the earlier models which requires a software upgrade that can be purchased.

The iPhone 2.0 Software Update was released for purchase for the iPod Touch on July 15, 2008. This update allowed the first generation iPod touch users to connect to the online Apple store to download third party applications in addition to other minor downloads.

On June 17, 2009, the iPhone 3.0 Software Update was released which allowed the devices to use new apps, and also unlocked the Bluetooth functionality of the second-generation iPod Touch, enabling stereo Bluetooth and peer to peer apps. The second-generation iPod Touch contains an external volume switch and a built-in speaker like that in the iPhone. . The second-generation iphone also comes with the chrome frame seen on the iPhone 3G, which makes the two models look identical when viewed from the front. . The second generation also supports audio input when a headphone or earphone with microphone in plugged into the audio output jack. The iPod Touch requires a connection to a computer for its initial configuration. In order to configure the iPod Touch, officially, Apple requires iTunes to be installed on either a Mac OS X or Windows operating system based computer. On any of the Operating systems mentioned, it should be connected through USB port.

The specifications as listed on Apple’s website for the second-generation iPod Touch are:
• Screen material: glass (arsenic free)
• Screen size: 3.5 in
• Screen resolution: 480×320 px at 163 ppi, with 3:2 aspect ratio
• Input method: Multi-touch screen interface, Sleep/Wake button, Accelerometer, Home button, Volume Rocker buttons (2nd Generation only)
• Operating system: iPhone OS (current version 3.0)
• Storage: 8, 16, or 32 GB flash memory
• CPU: Initially ARM 400 MHz, but now 412 MHz for 1st generation, 533 MHz for 2nd Generation[1]
• GPU: PowerVR MBX Lite[27]
• RAM: 128 MB DRAM
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• Built-in rechargeable, non-removable lithium battery with up to 6 hours of video playback, and up to 36 hours of audio playback, times vary.
• Built-in audio speaker.
• 3.5 mm audio output jack
• Size: 110×61.8×8 mm (4.3×2.4×0.33 in)
• Weight: 115 g (4.05 oz)
• Direct iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store access
• Widescreen video
• Included applications: Safari web browser, YouTube client, Mail email client, Google Maps
• Access to App Store (requires iPhone OS 2.0 or later)
• Widgets: Stocks, Weather, Notes
• Access to Starbucks music (available only in selected cities across the United States).