Why is everyone so negative about ipod touch? Is it that Iphone folks are jealous?

No, it’s not jealousy. iPhones do everything the Touch does, and more—why would they be jealous?

The Touch doesn’t let you add events to your calendar. It’s missing lots of other functionality, too—like the volume buttons on the side. In other words, it kind of sucks when compared to the iPhone.

Jealousy? No.

I think the perception is that with the iPod Touch, Apple has created a product by putting part of the cat back in the bag or “artificially” limiting its capability vis a vis the iPhone. Plus, it doesn’t look as cool as the Nano and doesn’t have the gravitas of the Classic.

Also, since it launched with update 1.1.1, there is no option for third party software on the iPod touch, which reduces it’s usefulness.

Plus, Google Maps and Safari everywhere is so nice, for only a bit more.

I can’t help thinking that you’re all missing the point of the iPod touch, which is after all, an iPod. It’s exactly what I was after: an OS X based handheld with WiFi and a fantastic browser, and more memory for my music and photos. Not a single person that I’ve shown it to has been put off by it not being an iPhone, and most are extremely positive about its slim lines, proper headphone jack, and iPod looks. Sure it’d be nice to have editable calendar events, and I fully expect to see that added at some point, but there’s little I can’t do via the web browser.

Additionally, as nice as the iPhone is, I’m not prepared to trade my tiny 3G/bluetooth sony ericsson K610 (which works as a fast modem for my MacBook) for a bigger slower alternative, tied (here in the UK) to O2’s patchy and slow EDGE network and hooked to The Cloud’s even patchier WiFi network (my T-Mobile account gives me Starbucks – and BT OpenZone – hot spot access from my iPod touch and my MacBook). “Only a bit more” is moot, when you’re paying 18 months of slow network coverage at UK prices (about $70 a month).

Don’t get me wrong, I think the iPhone is lovely, I’m convinced Apple will be very successful with it long term, and I’ll weep a silent tear of jealousy every time I see someone using one. For now though, it’s not for me, and the iPod touch is just right.

No question, the Touch isn’t terrible—but it’s been slightly crippled in weird ways that don’t make sense. It could be a great PDA, etc, without any extra hardware, but Apple has decided to limit the software available. But the Touch isn’t supposed to be a PDA, and not everybody needs or wants it as their phone.

The only real problem I have with the Touch is that the iPhone is a better iPod. The iPhone headphones have click-to-pause and double-click-to-advance capabilities, and volume buttons on the sides. Those are incredibly convenient features. I wouldn’t mind that the Touch isn’t an iPhone if it were at least as good an iPod as the iPhone.

Yeah, I’m seconding the point about the iPhone headphones. They’re simply fantastic. I’ve had phone headsets before, but generally had to have dorky-looking over the ear boom-mike versions to get acceptable microphone quality. With the iPhone’s headphones people don’t even know I’m not holding it up to my head. It’s the only way I talk on the phone anymore, it’s so much more pleasant.

Being able to pause and advance music without taking it out of my pocket is excellent as well.

Though, if I had a 3g phone that could share its connection with my laptop through bluetooth though… well, I might have made the same choice you did sharl :)

The headphone control is an excellent feature, and yes I’d love that on an iPod. It’s much more important for a phone though, since calls are going to interrupt the music (in truth I want an option to just tell my caller I’m listening to music and to try again later ;-). The slider volume control on the iPhone and iPod touch is the biggest step backwards that the iPod interface has taken: the iPod never needed physical volume controls because the wheel action was so good. We need the circular scroll adding back, and a software update would do the trick.

@rictic: Yes, the SE K610i works beautifully as a modem, and Mac OS X recognises it perfectly. There’s a “Join network on K610” option added to the Bluetooth menu.

What is this about headphone controls? Am I missing something?