“The long-awaited Wi-Fi-enabled iPod is finally here, but it’s taken a different form from what most of us would have guessed. The iPod Touch doesn’t resemble a classic iPod at all, but is instead a stripped-down, slimmed-down iPhone. While having Wi-Fi on board is nice, Apple isn’t breaking any new ground with the wireless features,” Troy Dreier reports for Datamation.
“The iPod Touch might wow people with big-screen video playback, but its Wi-Fi abilities won’t get any kudos. You can buy songs or albums wirelessly with the included version of iTunes, provided you have an open 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connection, but you can’t share songs with other people or even sync your songs over a home Wi-Fi connection. For wireless abilities, the iPod Touch trails the Microsoft Zune,” Dreier reports.
MacDailyNews Take: That’s quite a stretch: iPod touch gives users the full Internet via Wi-Fi and Microsoft’s Zune does not give any sort of ‘Net connectivity, nor does it allow for buying music wirelessly. Basically, with the Zune, you get welcomed to the anti-social and find yourself doomed to a fruitless search for another Zune with which to “squirt.” Some fun. The iPod touch does not “trail” the Zune in wireless abilities.
Dreier continues, “You can also surf the Internet with the iPod Touch, again assuming you have a Wi-Fi connection, and browse YouTube clips with the included application. But that’s where the fun ends: mail and weather apps found on the iPhone are missing here, even though they would have added some much-appreciated utility.”
MacDailyNews Take: Again, the iPod touch gives users the full Internet which means that Mail and weather information can be accessed via the Web. Drier sounds like he wants iPod touch to be an iPhone (reviewing it from the perspective of a “stripped-down, slimmed-down iPhone”) when he should be reviewing iPod touch for what it is: an iPod with a multi-touch interface and some extremely compelling extra features.
Dreier continues, “The iPod Touch isn’t everything a Wi-Fi aficionado could want, but it extends the iPod’s usefulness in interesting new ways. If you’ve got a huge music library, you’ll probably prefer the iPod classic, which offers an amazing 160GB for $349 and also displays video (although on a smaller screen). But, if you want to get the ‘big picture,’ and shopping for songs wirelessly appeals to you, get the iPod Touch. We’re looking forward to the second generation, which should offer more storage and, we hope, more wireless options.”
Full article here.
iPod to iPod wireless sharing would, of course, be welcome on the iPod touch. More so than the Zune if for no other reason than you can actually find another iPod with which to share content. Plus, Apple seems to want to end DRM instead of depositing it on every wireless transfer like DRM-loving Microsoft’s Zune. Regardless, we’d take having full Internet access over wireless sharing any day of the week. Hopefully, we’ll see some additional wireless capabilities added to iPod touch via updates, instead of users having to wait for a second generation touch. As it is now, the iPod touch is the most advanced digital media player on the market and can only get better.
“You still need to plug a Wire into the Zune 2 to be able to ‘Wirelessly’ Synch it. How is that useful?”
Microsoft later said that was a mistake with the press release. They claim the Zune 2 will be able to sync all by itself.
I love my iPod Touch. GENIUS!
Exactly two weeks ago today, I waded into the Apple Store on 5th Av, NYC. People were lined up 10-12 deep for the better part of the lunch hour to buy iPod touch and iPhone.
These little digital wonders were literally flying off the shelf.
Tipping point indeed!
This guy is an idiot…. his statement is that iPod trails Zune in WiFi…… but then says things like … ” again assuming you have a Wi-Fi connection, ” when talking about the iPod
Hasn’t he already assumed a WiFi connection exists simply by the title of his comparison ? Its like he’s trying to downplay the ipods WiFi with “its only useful if you have a WiFi connection….. Well…… DUH !
Who the hell is Datamation and who gives a rats ass what they think?
I had to laugh out loud on this one when I read the headline! iPod Touch trails the Zune in WiFi??? ahahahaha.. I gotta laugh again.
ROFLMAO!
Oh wait, they weren’t joking? Wow, how terribly sad for them.
I forgot to add. The writer of that article is nuts…
Where the heck is Zune Tang on an article like this?
“You still need to plug a Wire into the Zune 2 to be able to ‘Wirelessly’ Synch it. How is that useful?”
Actually, that’s untrue. In MDN’s continuing quest to bash the Zune, they got it wrong.
The Zune must be plugged in order to automatically sync with your computer. Otherwise, you must manually sync it by hitting the “Sync Now” button (which you will find, more than likely, by going through some hideous Zune interface).
So, in theory, you bring your Zune home and plug it into the wall socket in the kitchen. Then you go turn on your laptop in the living room and wander around the house. If you happen to download some music while sitting in the backyard, it will also be sitting on your Zune when you walk out the door the next day.
Automatically.
C’mon! You gotta admit, that’s slick.
If you don’t plug in your Zune, you have to hit the ‘Sync Now’ button (and wait for it to sync) before you walk out the door. Less convenient, granted, but doable.
That said, I’ll stick with my iPod. Microsoft got one thing right and 300 things wrong. Apple got 300 things right and one wrong.
I love my iPod touch! There’s several weather webapps for it here: http://www.apple.com/webapps/weather/ As for mail, I read my Yahoo, Hotmail, and Outlook webmail using Safari. (Outlook webmail on Safari isn’t is as full-featured as it is on MSIE, though.) I also love being able to browse and buy music from the iTunes Store. This thing is absolutely amazing!
Oppps, MDN. You should have quoted http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/reviews/article.php/3706496 as the source. As noted at the bottom of the article on Datamation.
An interesting thing. If you go to wi-fi planet, you will find that it cannot be viewed except on IE. Its a Microsoft based blog site. Big MS adds everywhere.
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“Zune you too will be under our control”
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What a joke….
I agree that wireless syncing would be an awesome feature.
But the Zune can only “wirelessly” sync if it is connected to its dock…
Leave it to MS to defeat its own purposes.
Damnit, Logan, how many times must it be stated that the Zune 2 can wirelessly sync without a charger?
Zune 2 isn’t even available for purchase until mid-November. Why are you pimping it so hard, R2?
I just don’t like misinformation. The idea that the Zune 2 can only sync over WiFi when docked or charged came from a misprint within the Microsoft press release.
Now if you want to go out there, as a representatitve of iPod/iPhone users, arguing why the Zune sucks then you better get your facts straight or you embarrass us all.
In all my time riding the Washington Metro (subway) almost daily, I have seen a Zune exactly ONCE. I was struck by how sad and lonely that fellow looked. So much for The Social.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ipod/review/apple-universal-dock-2007/
Still defending your beloved apple? Explains to us why we need to to upgrade to your latest iPod every winter? We will think differently and switch to the ZUNE!!!!!!!!!!
Well heck, I didn’t know you could surf the web with a Zune
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Wow, how do you get to be a tech writer? Getting paid to write that crap? Crazy. Not without comic relief, though.
“Wow, how do you get to be a tech writer?”
You have to be able to swallow.
What moron wrote this story? Zune has no real wireless capabilities at all. 30 feet between two Zunes which you’ll never find in the same city. More like piss poor bluetooth not wireless. Apple’s iPod touch does full wireless and you can even sign on to secure wireless sites if you know the password. Talking about writing crap about something this person doesn’t have a clue about what there writing about.
Zune’s song sharing is a joke an a half. First you can’t find another Zune player in the same city. Then even if you could you can’t be more than 30 feet away. Then on top of that you can only listen to that song partially or the whole song 3 times and then it goes away!
That does not represent wireless at all. I guess that’s why the iPod touch is outselling the Zune buy oh about 300 times probably.
Come on, whoever wrote this story has got to be really stupid to try and pull this over someone’s eyes. Pitiful!
He writes that mail is missing on the iPod touch. Funny there isn’t any mail on the Zune either. There isn’t any real wireless on the Zune if you could find it like he says. Go to any McDonalds, starbucks, Apple Store to name a few and you will find wireless that the iPod touch can take advantage of but NOT THE ZUNE!