iPod Touch

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Posted by Hugh
Apr 14, 2009 at 05:45 PM

I want to add to Ken’s comments in a recent thread about the iPod Touch as a PDA (and implicitly the iPhone as a PDA).

I received an iPod Touch as a present a couple of weeks ago, having been a long-time Palm owner. So far, so exceeding my expectations by a long way.

Plus points:

- it’s a beautiful object with an exceptional screen (more pocketable and less clumsy than my TX)

- my pre-conception was that for most purposes using a finger on the screen would be prohibitively awkward. But it isn’t. Coupled with Apple’s gestures and no need to unholster a stylus every time, it’s generally as efficient as the Palm’s system

- the applications are generally easier to use than the equivalent on the Palm, partly because of Apple’s UI uniformity

- for certain applications, synch-ing is easier than on the Palm

- the Apple App Store is an impressive asset, with most apps free or much less expensive than the Palm equivalent (though it has to be said, probably an app-for-app comparison would show the iPod apps are less sophisticated)

- although the range of traditional outliners available is small, one at least seems satisfactory for most purposes - http://carbonfin.com/ - comparable to, say, Thought Manager

Negatives:

- no OS cut-and-paste as yet

- less inter-operability between some apps than might be expected; other than music, you can’t run apps in the background yet

- no equivalent of Docs To Go - but you wouldn’t want to write a long document on the iPod

- no external keyboard available, and the software keyboard can be tedious to use in portrait mode, though better in landscape (however Shapewriter - http://www.shapewriter.com/ - is better still - I think I’m already as fast with it as I am with Graffiti on the Palm)

- synch-ing with certain applications can be more cumbersome than on the Palm

- you need a Mac to get the full value of some of the best iPod/iPhone apps.

Some of these weaknesses are likely to be addressed with the release of Version 3 of the OS this summer. But even now, it’s still a very useful device.

Posted by Chris Thompson
Apr 14, 2009 at 09:27 PM

If you’re into outlining or mind-mapping, check out Headspace:
http://www.flatblackfilms.com/iphone/Headspace/Headspace.html

It’s a little bizarre and over-the-top 3D, but it’s quite an impressive application for a handheld device. It exports to Freemind format.

—Chris

Posted by Hugh
Apr 15, 2009 at 09:11 AM

Thanks Chris. Intriguing, and making full use of the iPod screen! To avoid having to go via Freemind it needs OPML export - like, say, its rival iBlueSky - but as with many of the iPod/iPhone apps its price is so low that a flaw or two may matter less.

Posted by Ken
Apr 15, 2009 at 03:20 PM

Hi Hugh,

I have been meaning to post an update, but my schedule has been quite busy. I will try to post a detailed update next week if possible, but I can give a few comments now. I would concur about your initial impressions about the iPod Touch. It is a beatuiful object, and the finger movements are very nice. Apple’s UI is consistent, and this is both a plus and minus. It makes for easy use, but pretty soon all applications start to look alike, and few are innovative. Its almost as if you are reviewing a class assignment with the task being the creating an application out of Apple’s SDK. The date wheel is a perfect example. It may look neat, but it function is completely lacking if you need to select a date based on the day or its relation to a month (e.g. the third Thursday next month).

And now on to the App store. While it is filled with a large nubmer of applications, I would deem it close to a failure for anybody trying to find well developed business applications. They are there, but almost impossible to find and evaluate. Searching is limited, and developers are submitting applications into all categories. Having games listed in the productivity category is more than a bit ironic. The reviews are almost totally worthless, and most seem to be written by adolescents. And the culture of value is astounding. People either want applications to be free or cost .99US. I have never seen so many complaints about an applications costing 2.99 being overpriced. Granted some are over-priced relative to their value, but the majority are not expensive, especially when I think about how much some people spend on coffee drinks each day (as an example).

Right now, the programs holding the most promise for me are Listomni and Toodledo. I am currently evaluating Pocket Informant’s Lite version. The program holds promise, but it almost seems like its in beta. And, given that Apple restricts beta testing, most 1.0 programs really are like beta versions. I could go on at length about Apple’s SDK limitations related to notifications and alarms, but I will save that for another day. All in all, I think that it will take another six to twelve months before business apps are mature enough for my tastes to completely switch to an iPod as a PDA. But, it is nice to have WiFi in a handheld device, even if battery life is limiting.

—Ken

Posted by Tom S.
Apr 15, 2009 at 04:25 PM

Ken wrote:

>And now on to the App store. While it is
>filled with a large nubmer of applications, I would deem it close to a failure for
>anybody trying to find well developed business applications. They are there, but
>almost impossible to find and evaluate. Searching is limited, and developers are
>submitting applications into all categories. Having games listed in the
>productivity category is more than a bit ironic. The reviews are almost totally
>worthless, and most seem to be written by adolescents.

This is a problem I have also been running into with the Samsung Instinct. This is advertised as an iPhone competitor and in some ways its very nice. It’s great if you want a phone to help you talk, message, listen to music and browse the Internet (and playing games). The GPS has been pretty handy, too.

But it is like the iPhone in one other way as well - it is also marketed toward high school and college kids. Productivity is not a major emphasis because adult business people are not the major target. For instance, the Instinct calendar does not sync with anything, making it almost totally useless. It is obvious that, at least for my purposes, if you want more, smart phones with the Microsoft or Palm OS’s are the way to go.

Tom S.

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