Need a
new PDA? Consider the iPod Touch
by
Alan Zisman (c) 2007 First published in
Business
in Vancouver December 11-17, 2007; issue 946
High Tech Office column
For
the fourth year in a row, sales of PDAs are down. At least that’s true
when looking at traditional PDAs: handheld computing devices, typically
running Palm or Mobile Windows and lacking phones. To a large extent
PDAs are being replaced by mobile phones, whether traditional
cellphones or more powerful so-called smart phones. Any of these let
users store address books, calendars and task lists, which is what most
PDA users did.
If you already have a mobile phone you’re happy
with, but want more capabilities, Apple has recently provided a look at
a device with the potential for picking up where the traditional PDA
left off. No, not the company’s massively-hyped iPhone, still not
available in Canada as I write.
Available locally, but not
getting anywhere near the attention is the company’s newest entry into
its iPod media player product lineup: the iPod Touch. Available in
eight gigabyte ($329) and 16 gigabyte ($440) models, the Touch is in
many ways a sibling of the iPhone. It shares that model’s large
high-resolution colour touch screen, its innovative and easy-to-use
interface, and a similar design, packed into an even slimmer and
lighter housing. (Unfortunately, in common with other iPods, it has an
easily scratched shiny steel back, rather than the iPhone’s brushed
metal case.)
With traditional eight-gigabyte iPod Nano models
listing for $219, it’s natural to wonder what makes the extra expense
worthwhile. Some of the extra value comes from the large LCD display,
making it much easier to watch video content on the Touch. But the
biggest bonus is that the Touch (like the iPhone) has built-in WiFi. As
a result, when near a standard wireless network, Touch users have web
browser access. I use Google’s services for e-mail and for storing my
contact list and calendar; that means full access to those services.
Alternatively, it can be set to sync with calendar and address book
applications stored on the user’s computer, always available.
And
as with the iPhone, there’s a version of its Safari browser on the
Touch, delivering the best web interface of any mobile device. Not a
mini-browser that can go to only a limited number of sites as on many
cellphones. Not a “mobile” browser, à la Blackberry, Treo and other
smart phones, that displays web pages one column at a time. Safari
displays a tiny view of the entire web page, with just a few finger
movements making it easy to zoom and scroll. Lacking any physical keys,
the Touch pops up a virtual keyboard whenever text input is needed,
like when you click in the browser’s address or search fields. The
virtual keyboard is easy to use, the equal of the mini-keyboards built
into typical smart phones.
Missing is support for Flash animations
and other streaming audio or video. That’s surprising because the Touch
and iPhone come with dedicated YouTube applications, which do a very
good job of displaying these popular Flash-based videos. (And which
allow users to access any YouTube content, unlike the limited access
offered by some mobile providers.)
Unlike the iPhone, the Touch
lacks a built-in camera, sound input, speaker and the ability to use it
as a portable hard drive. As with the iPhone, Apple is busily engaged
in battles to limit third party abilities to add applications. This
battle has swung back and forth in the months since both products were
released; hackers announce methods to “jailbreak” the devices, opening
them up to add-on software. Soon after, Apple releases a firmware
upgrade that locks the devices back up and disables the additional
software. A few days or weeks later, developers release a new technique
to open the devices back up. Currently, I’m unable to load additional
applications on mine, but I’ve seen software ranging from e-book
readers to dictionaries, to utilities to use it as a carpenter’s level
or a flashlight.
Eventually, I suspect Apple will give up the
fight, opening the iPod Touch and iPhone platforms. Even before that
happens, with its already excellent WiFi Internet access, music and
video media player functions, and calendar and contact capabilities,
there’s a business case for making the new iPod your next PDA. •