In the context of software though, Apple's own suite of productivity apps for the office, collectively called "iWork", has been further refined for the iPhone and iPod touch. Because of the aforementioned "focus factor" of the iPod touch, I have found myself to be surprisingly productive when working on documents with it. There are three apps in all: Pages allows you to work on word processing documents. Numbers allows you to work on spreadsheets. Keynote lets you work on presentations and slideshows (including PowerPoint files).
So far, I've found these apps to be highly useful when I have work to do, but don't feel like being at the computer to do it. Another great app for that is "iTeleport" which let's me at my computer remotely, when iWork won't work (meaning I'm not working on office documents). Log Me In Ignition is another similar app that is slightly easier to set up, but a bit slower than iTeleport, when you're just working over the same WiFi connection as the remote computer.
Furthermore, there's a whole category of iPod touch apps in the App Store specifically dedicated to productivity. Some of my favorite productivity apps include: Bento (info management), Things (project management), iTeleport (remote computing), and GoodReader (best PDF reader around). Search for them in the App Store.
The iPod touch is like a magical little box, only it's flat. While it cannot cook your breakfast, yet (I'm sure someone is already working on that), it can indeed do some pretty extraordinary things. It's an amazing catch-all device that can provide hours of entertainment, give you the power of the Web in your hand, and it can even replicate the functionality of countless one-off products. Developers have been creating apps that take advantage of special hardware of the iPod touch to emulate some other product for less, and sometimes even for free.
Even expensive products have seen cheap iOS based clone apps. For just 99 cents, you can snag a special alarm clock app that monitors your sleep cycle and wakes you up when you're in an ideal state of wakefulness. I spent 350 bucks on an aXbo
(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014RDSSY?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) a few years ago, who's functionality is easily replicated by several "sleep phase" alarm clock apps in the app store. When you do the math there, you see that it's easily a no brainer: buy yourself an iPod touch now!
I've listed more apps like this in the comments!
Plus, with the support of such a strong community of app and game developers, there's never a drought of fresh new apps and games. There's always something to do with the iPod touch, and I guarantee you'll never be bored with it. I honestly cannot say the same thing about Android, though I also tote my EVO 4G around with me. I do admit that the EVO's mobile hotspot comes in incredibly handy for providing the iPod touch with a WiFi connection while I'm on the go).
Now, with the proper resources, you can legitimately download thousands of high quality apps for free. I do it all the time and it is perfectly legal. See, Apple allows developers to temporarily put their apps on sale (and even drop the price to free). Usually they do this to get you to write some rave reviews for their apps. The secret to success is having the resources to help you spot these special app sales--so you know when and where to get them during their sometimes extremely-limited-time promotions.
In hopes of making this the most helpful review on Amazon for the iPod touch, here's how to obtain these special promotional-sale apps:
There are several resources you can use, both on the Web and on the iPod touch itself. I prefer to use the app called BargainBin that lists all apps that recently went on sale or dropped to free. It also supports watch lists with push notifications, and can alert you whenever an app you're interested in goes on sale. It's a phenomenal little gem, and it has gotten me a ton of apps and saved me a fortune! It also has a companion website that lists the same apps (Google: App Advice). There's also a website called AppShopper (Google it) that lists apps with recent price drops and new apps as well, and you can filter just the free products or just the sale products. The two sites don't always list the same apps. Sometimes one will miss something that the other will catch, so it's good to keep track of them both. Check them daily if possible. Several apps are duds, but you'll come across some really great ones from time to time. They'll all add up!
The striking new design of the latest iPod touch is definitely a looker. Apple has made it even thinner (and I thought it was already too thin before) complete with a beautiful chrome back. While the super thin design is certainly attractive, I've found it slightly difficult to keep it well-gripped in your hands. The usual chrome back looks great too, but it's scratch-insistent. Yes, it's incredibly easy to scratch it all up, even after the first few days. For these two reasons, definitely get yourself a silicone skin (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042GVG5G?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) alongside your new touch!
For ages, the feature topping everyone's wishlist for the iPod touch has been a camera. Check! It handles HD video too--bonus! Granted, its not the 5 megapixel camera that the iPhone 4 sports, but again, the new iPod touch is thinner than ever, making it a miracle that we even got a camera in the first place, let alone two! Yes, Apple went the extra mile so we could make video calls with our iPhone toting friends, via their FaceTime app. Brilliant! So, having not had any camera on the iPod touch before, and now having TWO cameras on it, we can't really complain can we? Nah.
I'll have details on the quality both cameras later, but what excites me even moreso is the new much-higher resolution screen--dubbed "Retina display". You may not think much of it if you haven't used an iPhone or iPod touch before, nor have an older model nearby to compare it to, but for those that have and/or do, the difference is clear! (pun intended)
Where this really comes in handy is in browsing the Web and reading non-mobile-formatted PDF e-books. Now, I can see things so much clearer at the default zoom level (which shows the full width of a Web page or document). My vision isn't spectacular by any means, I just don't mind seeing things smaller on the screen. It allows me to see more content without having to scroll. Indeed, the Retina display was the #1 feature I never knew I wanted (until I saw it in the iPhone 4 that is).
Other newness includes: 15% larger battery, HD video recording and editing, built-in mic, wireless-n for nearly double the WiFi connection speed and distance, Game Center: Apple's new social gaming platform (which seems to be Apple's attempt to kill-off third party social gaming platforms like OpenFeint and Plus+), 3-axis gyroscope sensor, which complements the existing accelerometer sensor, both of which handle the rotating, swinging and other motion gestures of the device (previously, rotation were roughly calculated from accelerometer data), and new placement of the sleep/power button on the right (but still as difficult as ever to press).
Features still missing include: 512MB of memory, vibration, 5 MP quality camera + flash (iPhone apps now support using LED flash as a flashlight, like Android does), magnetometer (compass), and the GPS. I'd happily trade the thinness of the latest iPod touch to have the GPS. WiFi based location is often inaccurate, and the GPS doesn't need a WiFi or cellular connection, it just needs to see the satellites in the sky.
Hurry up to deal this product
No comments:
Post a Comment