Steff.me

While my iMac upgrades itself to Leopard, I thought I may as well sit down and use this free time to give my thoughts on the iPod touch. Old news? Definitely… however, I’ve not had the chance to sit down and write something in quite some time, mainly due to University work being piled on all of a sudden.

The iPod touch

I ordered my iPod on the day it was announced and in early October (1st or 2nd, I don’t remember), the lovely little device appeared at my Uni accommodation. As I stay up late and wake up late, having the doorbell rung at 9am meant that the delivery guy had the door answered by a very confused, slightly hung-over and (only) boxers-adorned student. In fact, he wasn’t at the door when I answered it; it took me so long to register that it was a doorbell that had just rung that I had to chase him onto the busy street to catch him in time.

Worth it for me… (the delivery guy was probably quite scared, though.)

I took my iPod touch to the Future of Web Apps Expo, which gave me time to play with all the functionality the thing had. First off as I don’t have the iPhone on my country yet (roll on next month!) I can’t really compare the devices. The iPod touch is amazing as it comes. Everything on the device is a pleasure to use. It’s so good looking and slim it’s unbelievable. Everything about it is aesthetically pleasing!

The iPod touch just seems so well thought out. Double-taping the home button while it’s playing music and locked brings up a small play/pause and next box — genius. It’s the little touches.

Obviously, as with every device, there are flaws. Despite what I’d heard about the keyboard, I actually like it and trusting the auto-assist function helps a lot. My main problem with it is once I’ve entered an application I have to hit the home button. Sounds stupid, huh? I just want there to be a “back” button from every application that takes me back to the main menu. I understand the need for an actual, physical button but I just don’t like it that much.

It’s clearly very usable as even my mum managed to navigate through to try out Safari, some music and see pictures of me at the FOWA Expo. Good looking, easy to use… almost perfect. Limiting the use of iCal so that I can’t add events is not cool. Removing Mail (and other iPhone apps) is not cool. So, just a few days later I read about jailbreaking the iPod touch and, I thought to myself, “I’ve gotta do this.”

So I did.

Let my iPod Go!

iJailBreak is a nice little application (apparently written by a 13 year old, but I could care less about that), that will break those restrictions on your iPod touch and let you put everything on there that Apple doesn’t didn’t want you to have — Third Party Apps!

Installer.app turned a near-perfect device into one of the best things I’ve ever owned… period. All I did, to start with, is put back in to my touch what was removed from the iPhone. Mail, Google Maps, iCal events… Then, I got hooked. Sketches, SummerBoard, Tap Tap Revolution. The list of third-party apps within Installer is so great that you can spend quite a lot of time just flicking through to see what’s available. Once you’ve found something you like (or sounds interesting), installing it is so easy. Click, boom, done.

iPod touch without hacks = great.
iPod touch with hacks = amazing.

I’m intrigued as to what Steve Jobs has in mind for third-party apps. I’m assuming we won’t have root level access like these hacks give us and we’ll only be given the abilities to ask Apple apps for data (such as contacts info); this would not stop me from wanting to hack my iPod touch.

Well, Leopard has just finished installing. I’m in awe and I’m going to go play with it. Got an iPod touch or an iPhone? Did you hack yours?