i Pod Touch questions

[..]

So it aint a phone. OK, I have a cell phone.

No need to buy an internet plan cause you can snag "free" Wi-Fi - correct?

So what's the negatives about buying one. How "fast" are they" wheh uisng Wi-Fi.

More GB makes them faster?

[OP2]

Most wi-fi is password protected, except in places like Mc D's or coffee shops. If you can find it, it is as fast as the server. I like mine for the music storage it has.

[iamsofaking]

Those GBs only indicate how much stuff it can store for you: movies, songs, apps.

[f-Stop]

Well, I don't think more GB makes them faster, but you will be able to store more media on it. 
My son's iTouch is a hand me down from my wife who did not need it anymore once she got an iPhone. 
Also, you should be able to get WiFi anywhere there is a hot spot.  The iTouch will operate as fast as the WiFi connection is running.
Can't think of any negatives...it's a pretty nifty device.
 

[Chiefy]

As others have said, more Gigabytes just means more storage, like a bigger disc drive.  I find the WIFI to work just as fast as my laptop does.  We flew last summer, and I left my book home.  At the last moment, I got on Itunes at the airport and downloaded a free book to read while on the trip.  There are several free book apps, and you can also use Kindle books from Amazon, just need the right app.

[scoobydoo]

nice gadget, I like mine, only downfall is a short battery life. fully charged you can run the battery down in a couple hours using the internet or I ran the battery down playing music on a flight back from Florida. Get a charger. Most airports wifi are free and the larger hotels have hot zones. Shanty Creek's wifi works good.

[PhredValk]

A 16GB iPod Touch is the main music device on my I/S for trips out of town; wired to a cig lighter under the seat on a secondary fuse box so it runs forever. Hooks right up to the stereo under the right side cover, fits in a pocket, the flap on the tank bib or in the tank bag on multi-day trips.
9 days of MP3 files on shuffle, never heard the same tune in a 3 week trip Down East last summer. Handy in coffee shops for checking mail and Facebook, as my laptop was at the bottom of my trunk under a packed duffel. I used it for logging miles and fuel purchases on the Big Trip. Stores thousands of tunes and pictures for sharing at rides, meetings etc.
Agree GB is only storage space. Speed is about the same as my laptop on WiFi. There IS a learning curve for using it; enlarging the screen, typing, navigating the web etc. Even with my fat fingers it didn't take too long.
Wouldn't ride without it.
Fred.

[chip]

     I have and use an IPod touch 8gig as my main supply for music on my IS . There is a cig. lighter type power suply in my rt. saddle bag, the touch sits in the saddle bag hooked to the charger and routed through the aux. jack for the radio. Works great. I also went with the touch for its wifi abilities. I can use it at work or home. The small keyboard sucks for these tired eyes and fat fingers. But overall I like it. Wish I had gone with the 16 gig. A friend turned me on to many MP3 formated disc containing about 4000 songs. Now it so hard to choose wich 500 to load on the touch. Also last time I checked there was no remote available for the touch wired the way I use it. The IS controls handle the volume control and thats all .

[Robert]

As far as fast loading pages and internet there ok not blindingly quick but satisfactory like was said before WiFi is spotty you cant rely on it for your connection. Like a computer more storage doesn't make necessarily make them faster just be able to hold more. I would wait till the Microsoft one comes out it supposedly has a key board and windows operating system.

[tybme]

My understanding is that you can't get an internet plan for an iPod Touch you can only use wi-fi hot spots. Personally I run an iPhone - currently the 16GB 3GS though I am planning on trading up to an iPhone 4 32 GB once Christmas gets over with. Couple advantages in my opinion that make it a better investment than an iPod touch.
1st I can sell my old iPhone 3GS for more than it will cost me to buy the new iPhone4 - why? Because my plan is up and I can buy the iPhone 4 for a discounted rate. Approx $300 to buy and selling my old for approx. $325 on ebay. That allows me to upgrade every couple of years at no cost.
2nd with an iPhone I have internet access wherever I have a phone signal. Now that doesn't mean I always have a fast connection but when you are in the middle of nowhere (and in Kansas nowhere is never far away) I can access maps and weather info with the touch of only a few buttons. I can check email and text messages to make sure m buddies are still on schedule to meet etc.
This winter I am planning on running power to my bars and purchasing a mount. My understanding is that the new GPS apps are finally worth buying so in one device I will have my phone, my internet connection, my GPS and my mp3 player.
Oh and many radio stations are now making apps. I will often turn off the AM radio station that is 80 miles away on my trucks radio and listen to them through their iPhone app. because the signal is better and doesn't fade out.
That's my .02 worth.

[..]

I have a cell phone from Verizon I am happy with. $60 a month.

I don't want to pay any more so that I can have Internet connection. Happy to snag "free" wi-fi wherever. Any other options apart from the iTouch?

[tybme]

The one's that I know of are:
Iphone has a camera for both stills and video
The iPhone has a built in microphone the iTouch does not
I know the iPhone has map and email programs that come with it while the iTouch does not. - I would assume that you can download apps for this though.

I use a family plan so I can't compare prices for you of ATT vs. Verizon but my monthly bill for 5 phones - 2 of which are iPhones runs $225 (we don't have a home phone)
The rumors are running rampant that Verizon will be adding the iPhone to it's line up early in 2011 - but until Verizon or Apple themselves come out and state it who knows. (the rumor has been heard before with no actual results)

Personally since getting an iPhone (and this would apply to an iTouch as well)I rarely use a home PC anymore. I am writing this from my work PC (shhh don't tell the boss). I probably went from logging into my home PC a few times a day to maybe logging in only a few times a week. Once I had the power of the internet in my hand I just haven't had reason to boot up the old desktop. Whatever you decide I'm sure that you will be impressed with the Apple product (and I am not an Apple user in any other product line)
I do know that a few of my Verizon friends really like their Droids - that may be an option for you to check out also.

Oh and one more point of why I like my iPhone on the road so much. It's so nice to stop the bike on the side of the road when you see thunder clouds ahead and be able to bring up a weather map to see if running another road would be a better option.

Good luck!

[chip]

 Many of the Friends have an IPhone , and I think now I would go with the IPhone , I carry a phone and an ITouch. When I bought the Itouch there was no IPhone.My only worry on that thought ,is I'm very rough on phones. I now have the Samsung rugby.

[..]

I will not be buying an iPhone. Don't need the extra cost or having to upgrade my Verizon deal which is only 3 months inta a 2 year contract.

[BamaDrifter64]

I've got a Droid X that does pretty much everything an Iphone does, just on the Verizon network.  Still learning to use it, but I can see where the gps & weather radar on it will be great on trips.

As far as an Ipod goes, I have a 16gig one that I use on my I/S.  I have it wired through the I/S stereo and keep it in a tank pouch.  I was able to pick up a cheap wired remote control from China off ebay that allows you to skip forwards and backwards on the songs which I clip to my tank pouch flap and don't even have to look at it to operate it.  I don't have it wired to the battery, but I have a 110v charger that I hook it up to each nite.  A charge will pretty much run me all day.

Dave

[tybme]

I think you will enjoy the iTouch - my recommendation is to buy the biggest you can afford - you may not fill it up right away but eventually you will wish you had more space.

[..]

OK. Let's start over. I don't want a different phone. I'm happy with the cell phone I have.

Don't need to play music. I have a XM radio for my bikes.

Don't need to take photos. I have a camera for that.

Don't need a GPS. I have compass and maps for that.

What small, easily portable devices are there I can use to snag free wi-fi without having to stick a wireless card into the device.

[tybme]

I apologize for veering this post so far off of topic.

If you are using it for just a wifi connection it will work just fine. No, a larger one (more gigabytes) Won't help it to run faster online.
What would you use it for online? I ask because there are a few limitations of using an Apple hand held product online. The one that comes to mind first is that it will not run Flash. (used on many web sites for audio and video content)
Another limitation I have encountered on some websites is that the menu systems will not work properly making it hard to navigate through the site.
I am not familiar with other handheld internet devices.
I hope this helps.

[tybme]

What small, easily portable devices are there I can use to snag free wi-fi without having to stick a wireless card into the device.

Another small portable option (depending on your definition of small) could be a netbook. They are smaller versions of laptops. I purchased one for my daughter last year for about $225 that included an internal wireless network card. The brand was Acer.
Do a google search on the term "netbook" and I am sure you will find examples.

[hubcapsc]

I googled for "wifi enabled browser" and found a lot of stuff long these lines:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7033352.stm

You're probably on the right track with the iPod touch...

-Mike

[Chiefy]

Britman, just an FYI if you don't already know this...........

The Ipod touch is not real handy to use for emails and stuff.  You have to type on the screen, my fat fingers have a difficult time.  The touch screen on an Ipod touch responds to the capacitance between your finger and the screen.  That means you can't use a stylus to make typing easier.

Much as I love my Ipod touch, I don't use it a whole lot for typing intense applications, like emails.