mbrickell wrote:Ok, so I've been checking Apple's site daily for a while now, waiting for these current gen touches to become available refurb. All I keep seeing is the prev gen. Anyway, tempted here although the price doesn't seem that hot as others have mentioned. Still, in my experience Apple refurb stuff is like new. So, my question to those who know iPod Touches: how much memory do I really need with one of these? Is 8gb livable? Is 64gb overkill? What is the sweet spot of price versus capacity? Thank you to anyone who can give me some good advice. I'm going to buy one...somewhere...and would appreciate some informed opinion as to memory. Thanks!

I've realized that there's a sweet spot for storage - 8gb is good because you can put your core music collection in, and still fit on good apps and some videos. 32 gb wouldn't quite fit all of my music + some videos + some apps. 64 would probably be the best option so I could put on all my music + some videos + some apps.

Fertikas wrote:Oh good, now I don't have to leave Verizon.

FYI Verizon iPhones are reportedly coming in February.

bkplayer16 wrote:THIS IS A RIP OFF! NOT A GOOD DEAL!!
8GB IPOD TOUCH 4G $200 NEW. BUT I WOULD BUY THE 32GB FOR $100 MORE!
CHECK OUT NEWEGG.COM OR JR.COM OR AMAZON.COM
IM SURE YOU WILL FIND WAY BETTER PRICES, AND ITS NEW

Forget NewEgg or J&R. To add salt to the wound, just check out Woot's parent site: Amazon. A new Touch for $209 with free s/h. That's actually cheaper that what you'd spend on this Woot + a 1 year SquareTrade Warranty. I did the actual math in a previous post.

mbrickell wrote:Ok, so I've been checking Apple's site daily for a while now, waiting for these current gen touches to become available refurb. All I keep seeing is the prev gen. Anyway, tempted here although the price doesn't seem that hot as others have mentioned. Still, in my experience Apple refurb stuff is like new. So, my question to those who know iPod Touches: how much memory do I really need with one of these? Is 8gb livable? Is 64gb overkill? What is the sweet spot of price versus capacity? Thank you to anyone who can give me some good advice. I'm going to buy one...somewhere...and would appreciate some informed opinion as to memory. Thanks!

I have an 8GB. I couldn't justify, at the time of purchase, spending much more. Here's my take on having the 4th gen since launch: Set your podcasts to keep only the most recent. Make playlists and rotate those on the iPod instead of keeping every single song you have on there. If you aren't going to use an app, get rid of it.

That may sound like obvious advice, but I think it puts things in to perspective. I have purchases tons and tons of apps. I sync up to my pc and if i don't need an app, I remove it. I can always get it back later if I want. The most amount of music I need, continuously is something around 4 hours. Your needs may vary. The podcasts I listen to come out three times a week at the tune of 2 hours a piece.

With all of that, I've bumped up against the size limit a couple of times. But, unless you NEED to have your entire music collection, every app you ever purchase and takes tons of pictures and video with it, 8GB is quite a bit of storage.

In for one. This will be #4 new gen Itouch in my house hold. (I have lots of kids)

My unsolicited comment on the Itouch:

-8 gig is plenty for anyone who does not plan on storing multiple HD videos or making it your music warehouse. Load what you need and leave the rest on your computer.

-Video streaming is really cool and it will also interface with Skype.

-screen is not the same as previous gens. the new itouch screen is very, very fragile and prone to break with the slightest of impacts. And unlike the last gen it wont crack it shatters like a tempered windshield. (which is why they are already out for refurbish sales on w00t.)


Cheers

This Amazon review for the Touch is the BEST review EVER for any product. The guy apparently also owns an Android device so he also gives a comparison. The best bonus though is his tips for getting free apps for the Touch. And he replies to feedback.

mbrickell wrote:Ok, so I've been checking Apple's site daily for a while now, waiting for these current gen touches to become available refurb. All I keep seeing is the prev gen. Anyway, tempted here although the price doesn't seem that hot as others have mentioned. Still, in my experience Apple refurb stuff is like new. So, my question to those who know iPod Touches: how much memory do I really need with one of these? Is 8gb livable? Is 64gb overkill? What is the sweet spot of price versus capacity? Thank you to anyone who can give me some good advice. I'm going to buy one...somewhere...and would appreciate some informed opinion as to memory. Thanks!

I have this same model. 8 gigs is liveable. I can't put everything on mine at a time, but I can't and don't want to listen to everything anyway. Sometimes the apps get a little big, though.

I recommend the option to sync everything at a lower bit rate (I'm not sure exactly where that is in itunes). That saved a lot of room right there.

echo465 wrote:Apple store's refurb/clearance section:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipod/ipod_touch

That is one generation older. The one on woot is current generation.

"How much memory do I really need with one of these? Is 8gb livable? Is 64gb overkill? What is the sweet spot of price versus capacity?"

Everywhere I saw recommended going larger if you plan on using this to record video. I bought the 32GB model for my daughter for Christmas for around $270 from Amazon. If you aren't going to use it for video (playback and recording) 8GB will probably be fine. But considering the new price comparison of the 8GB and the 32GB, it only seemed to make sense to upgrade. And remember this, it will never have more memory than what you get when you buy it. No convenient expansion slots for Apple gear.

Jtanzer wrote:I have had this for over a year, and love it. I have about 6 books on it right now (two 40 hour ones!), music (not as much as the kids though), pictures, and have only used about 1/2 the memory. 64 is overkill

No you haven't. This wasn't even available for sale until this past fall.

plavacek wrote:If you buy this, you MUST buy a gel case or better. If you drop it from any height - 2 inches or 2 feet - the front glass will shatter. Apple doesn't cover this as warranty work (duh), and you'll be out $100.

/personal experience

Not always. I've seen iPod Touches and iPhones thrown across a room without the glass breaking. Putting a yours in a case is absolutely no guarantee the the glass won't break. Even those Jatravartid Otterbox cases.

Also, rubber or gel cases will stretch over time, get debris between the case and your iPod, and scratch it anyway.

/Apple Technician

bkplayer16 wrote:THIS IS A RIP OFF! NOT A GOOD DEAL!!
8GB IPOD TOUCH 4G $200 NEW. BUT I WOULD BUY THE 32GB FOR $100 MORE!
CHECK OUT NEWEGG.COM OR JR.COM OR AMAZON.COM
IM SURE YOU WILL FIND WAY BETTER PRICES, AND ITS NEW

your caps lock is on.

tcosupreme wrote:I wonder, is the retina display really all that? I have the 3rd gen, and it looks pretty dang good...

Yes, it is. It has double the resolution of the 3rd gen with the same screen size. It's stunning.

plavacek wrote:If you buy this, you MUST buy a gel case or better. If you drop it from any height - 2 inches or 2 feet - the front glass will shatter. Apple doesn't cover this as warranty work (duh), and you'll be out $100.

/personal experience

I have an iPhone 4 which I think has the same shell and display as this. I've dropped it a few times, twice on concrete, and no problem--and I have no case. Still, always a good idea to use a case.

Whoopbass wrote:I heard the touch and iphones that Apple calls refurbs are new but come in plain packaging or something to that effect. The so called refurbs are just extras that Apple have for warranty replacements. Basically they knock a few bucks off them and in return get more sales and then more "suckers" have to download iTunes and then Apple makes more $$ from that.
Most returned or broken Itouch's would be noticeably scratched up on the back so I doubt Apple is going to sort through them and look for the clean ones then pay somebody to fix them when they can make em in China for $10?

I bought a 4th gen 8gb from Amazon before xmas for $205 with a $25 gift card so this is no deal but its about as cheap as your going to find a new one but the warranty SUCKS.

All refurbished Apple gear looks identical to brand new; you'd never notice the difference. The screen, case, glass, and battery are all brand new. The only "refurb" parts would be some internal components.

And all Apple refurb stuff comes with their 1 year warranty, just like new stuff.

garrettw87 wrote:I'd be interested to know how many people saw this and thought to themselves, "Oh, so it's not called an iTouch?"

:P

Or even how many people fully read this item's title and STILL call it an "iTouch". Come on.

Would that be a product naming failure by Apple's marketing team, or a general reading skill failure by a LOT of people?

Thank you!

I thought it was a pretty simple naming scheme for each iPod model:

iPod Shuffle
iPod Nano
iPod Touch
iPod Classic

NOT, iShuffle, iNano, iTouch or iClassic.

Wow! Surely you meant $89.99? For only 8GB? When newer technology is right around the corner? I might pay $189.99 for 32GB refurbished...

mbrickell wrote:Ok, so I've been checking Apple's site daily for a while now, waiting for these current gen touches to become available refurb. All I keep seeing is the prev gen. Anyway, tempted here although the price doesn't seem that hot as others have mentioned. Still, in my experience Apple refurb stuff is like new. So, my question to those who know iPod Touches: how much memory do I really need with one of these? Is 8gb livable? Is 64gb overkill? What is the sweet spot of price versus capacity? Thank you to anyone who can give me some good advice. I'm going to buy one...somewhere...and would appreciate some informed opinion as to memory. Thanks!

Depends on how you use it. I personally just upgraded my 2g 16gb to a 4g 32gb and still feel cramped for space. I only have maybe two gigs of music and photos, the rest is taken up by many, many apps. Some games are small, some are hundreds of MBs. If you will be loading movies, they also will be several hundred MBs. It all adds up fast.

I think the middle models are generally the sweet spot as far as price/memory. This is not a very good deal today. You can get the 8 gig new for 210 on Amazon. 32 gig is 275(I paid that a month ago on Amazon and also got a 25 gift card for free). Save up an extra 100 bucks and get the 32 gig IMO.

El Marko wrote:Without even checking, I can tell you that this cannot possibly be correct. No warranty starts in that way, according to various Department of Commerce rules.

Actually, if you purchase a "refurbished" iPhone from AT&T, it's actually most likely a customer return, so the purchase date is from when the first customer purchased it.

If someone buys it, returns it, and you buy it 6 months later... You end up with a used phone, NOT refurbished, with a 6 moth warranty. Which is obviously BS. But that's AT&T for you.

Seems like this ipod is available new from many other vendors for $210 shipping included. I guess it's a $15 saving but is it enough to warrant a refurb in place of a new item? A saving of $25 or so makes a better argument.

Overall, this is just a totally sick device. Personally I don't think 8 gb is enough, since there are so many free apps and whatnot, but whatever. One thing you must know, however, is that the earphones it comes with really, for lack of a better word, suck. Hardcore. Meaning, they're really hard and hurt after a while, and don't even stay in your ears. So save up an extra 20 bucks for some cushioned, noise-isolating Skullcandy Ink'd.

I wanted to weigh in my opinion on the 8GB being enough debate.

I've had a 16GB iPhone 4 since launch. I would probably be considered a power user.

Here's what I have on my iPhone with 14GB of usable storage. People say you can store "dozens of apps" but that depends... Retina display graphics in games will fill your phone up with game textures quick.

0 songs. (I stream everything with DSAudio and a Synology Diskstation)
4-5 home videos in the Videos section of the iPod app. ~100mb
Plenty of photos and videos taken with the on-phone camera. ~4 GB
Jailbreak with handful of useful apps - ~250mb
App Store apps - ~7GB

• RageHD - ~1GB
  
• Infinity Blade - ~1GB
  
• Myst - ~1GB
  
• Street Fighter IV - ~400mb
  
• Chaos Rings - ~400mb
  
• Real Racing - ~200mb
  
• Dozens of other apps - ~3GB
  

Does it have anything I would want that my iPhone doesn't have?

sdc100 wrote:Most of my videos are in AVI (using Xvid or H.264 compression), and many of my lectures were saved in Windows WMA (used by Olympus recorders). I know that Macs have problems with AVI. Does the Touch have apps to play AVI and/or WMA without the need for conversion?

Thanks for any info.

yes.. you can use VLC, look it up in the itunes store.

leftybjb wrote:Does it have anything I would want that my iPhone doesn't have?

a cheaper price?
no contract?

I guess you dont want those anyway.. so .. no

electricquad wrote:So what temperature can you use this at?
"
Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
"
...I don't understand... this makes my head hurt! Must I somehow trick the iPod into working? Is this why Woot has a pile of refurbished iPods? Because we can only use them in some bizarre alternate universe where temperature does not exist?

LCD screens consist of crystals floating in a liquid ("LCD" stands for "Liquid Crystal Display"). Imagine a piece of paper in front of you. When it's perpendicular to your eyes, with an edge toward you, it's nearly invisible because it's so thin. When turned 90 degrees so that the paper faces you, the paper is very visible, blocking whatever is behind it. That's how an LCD works, with flat crystals behaving like the paper. When electricity is applied, the crystal turns to face you, making parts of the display to go black (the segment of a number or a pixel).

When the temperature is at 32F or below, liquid freezes or becomes very viscous (thick). That prevents the crystal from moving freely, rendering the display useless. You can see this on any LCD device. Take your cellphone out in the cold and watch the display turn dim or not work at all. Or place it in the freezer for 10 mins. One trick I use to make my phone or PDA work in the cold is to warm it in my underarms (I use deoderant, so don't worry!).

This is why you can't operate it under 32F, but since the electronics still work, it's still functional, i.e. the clock and alarms continue running. And if you're number crunching on a spreadsheet, the calculations continue. You just won't be able to see anything. When you get outside the non-operating temperature range, the electronics also fail and you will likely need to reset the thing when the temperature returns to normal -- that is, if it hasn't been damaged beyond repair. Very cold temperatures cause liquids to expand, which can destroy he display and rapid temperature changes can even crack the glass.

sdc100 wrote:Most of my videos are in AVI (using Xvid or H.264 compression), and many of my lectures were saved in Windows WMA (used by Olympus recorders). I know that Macs have problems with AVI. Does the Touch have apps to play AVI and/or WMA without the need for conversion?

Thanks for any info.

VLC should play it. No guarantee it'll play smoothly, but in my experience, VLC has always played all different types of video just fine on my iPad. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vlc-media-player/id390885556?mt=8

sdc100 wrote:Most of my videos are in AVI (using Xvid or H.264 compression), and many of my lectures were saved in Windows WMA (used by Olympus recorders). I know that Macs have problems with AVI. Does the Touch have apps to play AVI and/or WMA without the need for conversion?

Thanks for any info.

Well...it's called jailbreaking...it's legal and then once that is done go ahead and read about Cydia and how to get VLC through Cydia...that's about all she wrote!

Wait for Sansdisk to come up with a comp.

lizyjavi wrote:yes.. you can use VLC, look it up in the itunes store.

VLC is no longer in the Itunes store...it was pulled because of a copywrite issue with Apple requiring signing with their DRM and under the GPL licence of VLC that isn't allowed so it was pulled...you can however get it on Cydia

So is this an unlocked phone or will I have to get an ATT service?

digital76 wrote:All refurbished Apple gear looks identical to brand new; you'd never notice the difference. The screen, case, glass, and battery are all brand new. The only "refurb" parts would be some internal components.

And all Apple refurb stuff comes with their 1 year warranty, just like new stuff.

The Woot description says that this refurb only has a 90 day warranty, which is normal in the industry.

For those who are still on the fence about how useful this is with 8 GB: that depends on whether you want to use this primarily as a music player (which is possible, but in my opinion would be a waste) or as a handheld computer. I'm in the second camp, with a 2nd generation 8GB iPod Touch that serves me very well with more than 100 apps, 4,000+ photos, about 12 hours of music, a two-hour feature film, and more... and I still have 1.4 GB of free space! Woot's 4th generation model should be very usable with eight gigs.

If you're wondering what kinds of things one can do with an iPod Touch, I've put together a "day in the life" page that describes how I use mine: http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/2009/ipod-touch.htm I also have a page that lists some of my favorite apps: http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/2009/ipod-apps.htm

And if you're interested in 3D photography, you might get a kick out of this article that describes how to build a 3D viewer for your iPhone/iPod Touch for less than two bucks: http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/3d/viewer.htm Included is an explanation of how to take 3D photo with any camera--no special equipment needed.

I hope this is helpful. The iPod Touch is an amazingly versatile and useful handheld computer; I couldn't get along without mine.

ELUNO wrote:190 for a refurb? No thanks woot. Amazon had these new and it was a way better deal.

But the new one at Amazon still might become a 'refurb' after awhile. I am sure these refurbs at woot were new once.

walmart everyday price is 209 for a new one

tprobart wrote:So is this an unlocked phone or will I have to get an ATT service?

In case you're not joking, this is not an iPhone. this is a Touch, which some describe as an iPhone without the phone. It has most of the features of the iPhone, but the iPhone has GPS and a vastly superior camera, among other things.

If you want to chat on the Touch, you'll need a WiFi connection and do so over Skype or other VOiP service. But it's not a phone.

mindstrm wrote:VLC is no longer in the Itunes store...it was pulled because of a copywrite issue with Apple requiring signing with their DRM and under the GPL licence of VLC that isn't allowed so it was pulled...you can however get it on Cydia

It was pulled? Those bastards? Glad I already have it, I guess I better not ever delete it. Wish I could transfer it but I'm sure itunes wont install it.

mindstrm wrote:Well...it's called jailbreaking...it's legal and then once that is done go ahead and read about Cydia and how to get VLC through Cydia...that's about all she wrote!

THANKS! Sounds so mysterious and slightly dangeous. I love it.

tprobart wrote:So is this an unlocked phone or will I have to get an ATT service?

It's not a phone. It's an iPod Touch.

Differences between this iPod Touch and the 4th generation iPhone:

No phone
No GPS
No compass
Cameras have lower resolution
Display has slightly narrower viewing angle

Other features are the same as an iPhone: the iPod Touch connects to the internet via Wi-Fi, runs any of 300,000+ iOS applications, shoots HD video, does FaceTime videoconferencing, and so on.