Wednesday, November 14, 2007, 1:31 pm

Another look at the iPod touch...

So, now that I've had the new iPod for a bit... I thought I'd jot down things I'd like to see in future updates.

One big advantage to having something that is much more like a computer, is that Apple can dramatically change the way this device functions... without requiring new hardware. At least, for now...

So, I'm curious to see what they will change.

Anyway, without further ado... the wish list:

  • I'd like to see them exclude music videos from music. They don't belong there, and if they do get sucked into a playlist, it only plays the sound anyway.
  • It would be cool if cover flow reflected the current playlist instead of the entire library... like it does in iTunes. Also annoying is when choosing a song from an album in cover flow, it automatically assumes you only want to listen to songs from that album.
  • I absolutely love being able to walk around with every episode of "The Office" and "Pushing Daisies" in my pocket. Even if I do have to record/encode the "Pushing Daisies" eps myself.
  • I like Safari's "session saver," but I'd like the option to clear the session without resetting the device.
  • I still don't like that it didn't ship with the iPhone apps on it, but that was easy enough to fix. I'm curious to see what happens when an update is released though.
  • Perhaps my biggest gripe is that smart playlists don't update on the device like they do on my iPod and my nano. For instance, if I have a playlist based on play counts designed to keep the playlist fresh, I have to dock it for the changes to take effect. That sucks. It can't be too hard to fix, because it does know when a podcast or TV show is played.
  • I've learned to double-tap the home button to quickly access volume/control features without unlocking... but it still seems like it could be easier. I read today that the iPhone has those features in the earbuds.
  • While browsing albums, the display features a thumbnail image of the album cover to the left... which is quite unintrusive. However, I'd like to see them add this to the song browser. It would be especially useful since song titles aren't terribly unique. For instance, I have the song "Stay" by Emmy Rossum, and another by Madonna... if I forget which one is which... or what versions are on the iPod, since I do have Shakespear's Sister, Lisa Loeb and The Four Seasons at home, I'd like a better way to tell them apart.
  • While for the most part the automatic joining of networks is handy... 'linksys' should not be one of these. Since the plethora of Linksys router owners out there don't rename their access point, it's annoying to have your connection jump to one that you might be "stealing" bandwidth from.
  • I am very, very satisfied with the battery life on this. I can't go weeks like I do with the nano (which granted, it only exists for purposes of my workouts), but I don't run out in five hours like I did with my old iPod. I do have a replacement battery for it though if I can get past the hard drive woes.
  • They should have put the headphone jack a wee bit closer to the dock connector... if only to enable this to work with the nano lanyards.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with my new toy, although there are some conveniences I enjoyed with my 3G iPod that just aren't on the touch. Namely the quick control access and updating smart playlists. It's a fun toy though, and being able to check email or hit the web from any wi-fi hotspot is awesome.

Yep, I think I'll keep it.

What i'm listening to:
Blackout Everybody
Britney Spears
Blackout