Ipod Touch 2G

The iPod Touch uses the same operating system as the iPhone, which is a (massively) slimmed-down version of the "OS X" operating system used for Apple's Macintosh computers. The Mobile Safari browser is based on Apple's desktop Safari browser (though it doesn't support Flash content), but the user interface is completely different. The iPhone/iPod Touch UI is designed from the ground-up for fingers and small screens rather than the mice and relatively large screens of desktop and laptop computers, and every other phone vendor has been scrambling to catch up with it.

The iPod Touch is no longer just a media player, as the "iPod" name suggests; it's a prime representative of Apple's handheld computing platform, supported by a huge (and growing) third-party community. Yet it's controlled entirely by Apple, with Apple deriving revenue from every component — from the initial sale to third-party applications, accessories, licensing and distribution.

Apple's business bonanza aside, buyers get a mobile, networked computer with a revolutionary user interface and a thriving ecosystem of add-ons and software that dramatically increases its value after initial purchase. We've come a long way from the original iPod Touch and its "OS X 1.0" software, which served as an advance scout for something much bigger (like the original Macintosh 128K did).

iPhone OS 2.0, included on every iPod Touch now sold, has really changed the platform, making the original iPod Touch, too, much more useful than it was when purchased. This stands in marked contrast to all other "iPod" models, which are rarely upgraded by Apple and bear no real similarity to the iPhone/iTouch platform.

With OS 3.0 coming in a few months, this platform clearly has a future ahead of it. Like a traditional Mac or PC, it will be useful for more tomorrow than today. That's a huge value (though this may be offset by the need to replace incompatible old accessories).

If you already have the original iPod Touch, the second generation offers a few upgrades — speaker, volume controls, faster CPU, more storage, microphone capability — which may not be enough to justify buying a new iTouch and dealing with the compatibility issues it has with previous accessories. But if you don't own the first generation iPod Touch, and you don't have, or plan to get, an iPhone, this is a great entry into a major platform that is already very useful with a great future ahead.